Chapter 109 How it all began
Ira's POV
“What have I done?”
My eyes lock onto his chest, waiting for it to rise, praying for it to rise… hoping for anything to prove that this is not what I think it is.
What do I do
WHAT DO I DO NOW!
My gaze snaps to the door and tears fall down my face. If I scream, I know someone will come. But then they'll see the state he's in.
What do I say happened?
I lift a shaky hand to my mouth to cover my sobs.
I know something happened but I can't explain what. How do I solve this when I don't know what I did?
Unable to bring myself to scream for help, I drop to the floor, my knees hitting the ground hard in defeat.
When I reach for him again, my fingers shake so violently they blur before my eyes. I cup his face, as though holding him might convince his body to wake up.
An icy chill seeps straight into my palms from his skin and rushes up my wrists, settling in my heart.
He has never been this cold.
I would've thought he's dead if not that I can hear his heartbeat. It's faint but steady. But that doesn't mean he's alright.
“Ruel,” I whisper, my voice sounding broken. “Ruel, open your eyes, please.”
He doesn't move.
“I don’t know what I did,” I say, my words tumbling over each other in a rush of panic. “But I swear I did not mean it. I did not...”
I'm cut off by a sudden, crushing pain erupting in the center of my chest. It feels like a hard punch’s crushing my muscle.
Biting down on my lower lip, I try not to scream as I curl in on myself from the excruciating pain.
In a second, blood fills my mouth. Sweat pours from me all at once, slicking my forehead, my neck, my spine, the backs of my knees.
I feel hot everywhere.
With a tremor in my bones I glance at my chest, it's the black lines again. The same ones that Ruel couldn't see.
My wet eyes widen in horror as the marks move in a crazed order. They weave into one another, tightening like ropes around themselves, causing me immense pain.
My heart slams against my ribs, each beat so forceful it sends white flashes through the edges of my vision.
Barely able to hear my pants anymore, a calm masculine voice echoes in my head.
“It is the only way, Alpha.”
My head falls against the ground, my sight growing blurry.
“What if they refuse to hold this meeting with me?” another voice says.
I squeeze my eyes shut, shaking my head even as tears stream down my face.
No. I don't want this. I don't want to go.
Everytime this happens, I see something that only makes my life more miserable.
Still the floor disappears from under me, and instantly I'm falling.
My gut lurches into my throat, as for a terrifying moment there’s nothing around me at all.
Then after what's reasonably five seconds but mentally felt like a lifetime, I feel a smooth ground under my feet.
There's no impact of the fall but surprisingly I land as though I'd been floating.
The sunny weather here is a sharp contrast to the snowy atmosphere I was just pulled out from.
And from the expensive looking laps and glittering desk in the middle of the room, I can tell this is the office of a royal member.
Two chairs sit on either side of the transparent desk. Both of them are a beautiful deep red. Merely looking at them, I can tell they'd be very soft and comfortable.
It's only when I look towards the window that I realize what this is.
The man I've come to recognize as my father stands near the largest window in the office.
His black suit is cut sharp enough to demand respect. A dove grey silk vest lies beneath it, fastened with tiny onyx buttons that catch the light whenever he moves.
My heart melts at the sight and for a second I find myself wanting to touch him, wondering what it would have been like if he wasn't killed.
“If we must avoid a war, then you sempyrs must prove yourselves, Alpha.” a man in a dark uniform who has his back to me, mutters. He stands rigid, reminding me of Ruel.
Ruel…. He's all alone.
“Focus, Valira!” A strong demanding feminine voice strikes through my mind and I find myself obeying without complaint.
I watch my father inhale deeply before turning to face the man.
“Well, except you feel my suggestion is foolish.” the man adds with a bow, his face drawn tight, his mouth pressed into a thin line.
“No, Commander Andre. I don't think lowly of you or I wouldn't have called you in the first place. I have already sent out letters of invitation to all leaders of each clan and their assistants. Now, it is left to them to show up for the meeting.”
Commander Andre…
Is this Alpha king Andre? My eyes widen as I remember reading about him.
“This is good, Alpha,” the man continues. “This way all sempyrs and witches and warlocks can reach an agreement with the Alpha King.”
But this wasn't what was written in that book. They said my father had planned a coup. He'd gathered the strays together as a plot against the alpha king.
It said commander Andre had fought for the pack. But why is commander Andre the one who'd brought up the suggestion?
My father’s mouth curves slightly. “You should also be present commander Andre. This way, the rumors about you hating other clans would cease permanently.” He says.
“I would love to be in the room with you but I've been ordered by the alpha king to secure the premises.” Andre says, a slight frown on his face.
Father nods then walks to one of the red fancy chairs. “Finally, after the meeting, if we reach a good conclusion, the alpha king will see me as a man worthy of his daughter's heart.” A single dimple appears in his left cheek.
“You already are, Alpha. Otherwise he wouldn't have announced a sempyr to succeed his throne.” Andre says with a smile but I catch the bitterness in his tone.
It was all a lie then. Everything written down in history was a lie. How could my father have gone against his father in law when he so badly wants to please him?
Everywhere suddenly blurs and smears together. When it clears I’m somewhere else.