Fated | The Heir of the She-Wolf

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

[Valerio]

“No… nothing.”, I said, completely and utterly shocked. What was Eleanor doing in Austin’s bed? “I just wanted to see if…”, I stopped while searching for a good reason to be on Austin’s doorstep at this hour.

What the f**k Valerio, you don’t need any excuses, you are the King and you can do whatever you want, I reminded myself and fixed my posture. “It can wait, I can see you had a long night, enjoy the rest of your morning.”

Turning on my heels, I heard Austin gaping at me, still holding the door open. In a few seconds, however, he closed it and returned to Eleanor in the bed.

I clenched my palms in fists and went straight to my office. I called Lorenzo and asked him to come.

“And bring coffee.”, I said before ending the call.

I did not have friends. Being the King did not allow me this luxury. Before his death, my father taught me to trust no one but myself.

“People will stab you in the back the second you turn around, Valerio. A strong King never turns his back, and never trusts.”, I remembered him saying and a frown appeared on my forehead.

He was right, I should not trust anyone and I learnt it the hard way years ago. But in this very moment, I needed advice and I needed it from my closest man.

….

“So, just to recap, you went outside along without my protection?”

I sighed and chuckled.

“Then an ex-Magus who is also a Reader and apparently the only person who knew the so-called true story of the first Triads told you that you are destined to be with Eleanor?”, Lorenzo asked while rubbing his head.

We had spent an hour in my office while I told him everything that happened on the first night of our visit in the North settlements.

“She didn’t say it was Eleanor. But the Prophecy she spelled out cannot be about anyone else. “When he runs beneath the stars trying to catch a mourning scarred She-wolf destined for his guard, green meets blue and blood is drawn but not in full” - this part describes exactly how I chased Eleanor the evening she tried to kill me. I caught her arm and our eyes met, she has green eyes by the way, and a small glass container under her sleeve broke – this is about the blood which was drawn but on in full.”

“You sound completely crazy!”, Lorenzo exclaimed and turned red. “I’m sorry, my King, I did not mean to offend you. But it is also not entirely true. It was not yet dark when she ran out of the courtyard and you went after her, so the stars were not in the sky yet.”

“The stars are always in the sky, Lorenzo, we just don’t see them during daylight.”, I chuckled.

“Oh… right.”

“But look, there is more. “The heir runs trying to catch her while the sun meets the stars and paints the path” - this must be about the reflection of the sunset in the ocean. Eleanor lived by the ocean and we both ran through a bridge from which you could see the water in the distance.”

I was sounding desperate, I could hear it in my own voice. Why was I so stuck on the idea that this prophecy was even real? Was it because of the way Yolanda delivered it, or because of the magical engagement ring that appeared on the table between us?

“Yeah but what about the four fours? That makes no sense.”, Lorenzo frowned but a look of realization appeared on his face. “s**t, the attack… it was on fourth of April.”

“Exactly. And can you guess when Eleanor’s birthday is?”, I asked.

 “You have to be kidding. So you think the prophecy is real?”, Lorenzo leaned on the table and looked at me intently.

“I think it is.”

“But didn’t you say something about a darkness, too?”

“Yeah. Born to battle darkness long gone but reborn.”, I recited the last lines of the prophecy and exhaled deeply while leaning back in the chair. “I don’t know, Lorenzo… I don’t want her. I don’t want to be chained to somebody else.”

“Why don’t you kick her out of the Tower, then?”, Lorenzo suggested but the thought made me shiver. I hid the feeling and shrugged.

“Nah… If she is indeed the Heir of the She-wolf, which I doubt she is because then her mother would be too, but still, if we really need to battle some darkness which was reborn, we might need her.”

“You said only one spirit merged with the baby girl all those thousands of years ago, right?”, Lorenzo asked with an expression like he was just touching a thought in his head.

“Yeah, why?”

“Maybe Eleanor is the first true Heir of this She-wolf. I did a background check on her, like you asked me. Everyone in her bloodline was a Magus, or at least as far back in time as I managed to find information. Maybe there was not enough She-wolf energy thingy to be transferred to every first born, you know? While the first Aberra who turned probably took in the energy from the sacrifice of like, what, a few thousands being from the Otherworld? And this is why he could turn others.”

I sprung on my knees. Lorenzo was absolutely right, it made all the sense that not every first born of the She-wolf bloodline was bearing the gene.

“My King, what do you want to do with Eleanor?”, Lorenzo asked, returning me back to reality.

“Nothing… Just let her be. I don’t want anything to do with her in that way, but we cannot force her to leave if she really is the Heir of one of the first Triads. As I said, we might need her if this darkness or whatever has really been reborn. I just hope the Prophecy is a total lie altogether.”, I replied and at this moment, Carla opened the door and stepped out of my suite and into the office.

“We have a High Council meeting and we are already almost an hour late. Let’s go.”, she said while going out of my office and in front of the elevator.