Second Chance, First Love

On Their Free Will

RAVEN

“You forgot your hairpin.” I repeated as she stared at me like she had seen a ghost. She blinked immediately and took it from my hands before running off like a scared puppy.

Everything about them was so strange. Her father who couldn’t stop talking, her mother who asked me every damn minute if I was comfortable or wanted something else, even though I had no idea what she meant by that, her brother grinning at me with food stuck in his teeth and there was she, running past me right now like she was frightened.

I wanted us to get the plant and disappear immediately. I had no idea why father had not brought it up yet.

“There you are, son.” Father grinned as he walked towards me. Right beside him was the other Alpha whom I couldn’t even remember his name. The one who had hosted us. Right beside him was his wife and his son. I rolled my eyes in disgust. Father looked ‘surprised’ to see me there, as though he wasn’t the one who made me come to the garden to return Ragna’s hairpin.

“Yes, i.... I found Ragna’s hairpin and I.. I came to return it.” I cleared my throat and her mother smiled, quite pleased by what I had said.

“It’s good you are here. I was just about to show your father something important.” The Alpha grinned, pride evident in his tone like what he was about to reveal was something one could only experience in a lifetime. “Now, that you are here, we could view it together.”

I desperately wanted to decline but father’s expression spoke otherwise hence I had no other option but to agree. I was bored to death when the Alpha began to speak about what he called the heirloom weapon. He claimed it was made with Lycanhide; the hide of the last Lycan killed in battle before the Lycans went into extinction.

I drifted in and out of the conversation. For some odd reasons, my father was invested in this conversation and so was everyone else.

“That is so beautiful.” Father finally spoke, drawing my attention back to them. “You have a rare gift. Treasure it.”

I was beginning to run out of patience. I expected father to cut to the chase. We would be better off at the pack instead of being here.

“We will walk to you to your room because we believe you must be tired.” The Luna grinned, her hands crossed behind her as she stared at us with ecstasy. I couldn’t tell if she was just super excited to see us or something else was making her happy but neither her nor her husband, not even her son tried to hide their happiness. Their grin was so wide that I worried their cheeks could tear.

“Later tonight, my family would like to honor you both with my daughter’s singing. When she sings, even the restless grow calm. It will be her joy to sing for you under the moonlight.”

I smiled, expecting father to decline and we were leaving today. i expected him to speak but the moment he did, my face twisted and I shot him a disdainful glance.

“We would be glad to watch it happen.” He responded with a smile and my frown grew even wider. I however had to remain calm until we got into our ‘room’. It was nothing like our room back home. It was in fact, half the size of my room but that wasn’t what was brewing rage in me. It was father’s convenient smile.

“At that moment, we could have rejected the offer of staying. We came here just for one purpose. We should instead be on our way back. I have a pregnant Luna at home whom would certainly need me right now. The pack needs us. We….”

“I told you son.” He emphasized. “Things don’t work that way. I am going to teach you the ways of an Alpha and I need you to understand this so when you fully become the Alpha of the pack, you understand how to run it. “ He halted.

Nothing in his statement seemed to make any sense to me. Staying back here was suffocating. It wasn’t about the width of the pack which was a third of ours neither was it their houses which was the size of just our garden. It was everything. The aura, the Alpha and his family, every single of them. Something seemed pretty off.

“And about your Luna…” He continued, opening the windows so wide. “Your presence can certainly not make much difference than the physicians being present there. They need to make sure both her and the baby is fine. I know you are excited that your Luna is carrying your child. i was just as excited when your mother and i found out she was carrying you so i understand but your presence there won’t change anything. You are not a physician.”

“I’m not comfortable here.” I insisted. “We need to get what we want and leave as soon as we can.”

Father simply smiled as he stared at me as though I was just a little boy whining. He seemed so comfortable like he had planned it all from the start. Wait… was this his plan? For us to stay back for the night?

As though he read my mind, he nodded in agreement.

“What did you observe about them?” Father suddenly probed, the question arriving out of nowhere in particular. “From the lunch to the garden visit and the singing fest and everything that has happened in the few hours?”

“Isn’t it obvious they were trying to show off?” I responded, picking up the robe they had placed on the bed. There were two robes on the bed. One for me and one for my dad, I guess? They had really planned it through. How thoughtful!

“Yes, to impress us.” He buttressed, beaming with pride. Of course, this wasn’t new. Every smaller Alpha we visit always try to impress us, to gain favor and hasten the alliance. “So, when we are at the singing…..”

“I am not listening to her sing.” I furrowed my brows immediately and clenched my fist.

“Why? Because of Saija?” He probed.

“Don’t mention that name.” I protested immediately. I hated how Father casually mentioned the name as though he didn’t know what that name meant to me.

“You do know she isn’t working alone, right? We promised your mother justice yet we haven’t found out who those people are.” He spoke as he patted me on the shoulder. standing right beside me.

I was distraught by Father’s words. I had promised mother when she was being cremated, that I would never let her die in vain. I promised I was going to find the killer but a whole year and a day after that yet I found nothing.

“I have a feeling that we would find them soon.” Sadness laced his tone. “..and when we do....” He looked me deep in the eyes. “We would need that heirloom weapon.”

My brows furrowed and then, a snicker escaped my lips. Father was a master strategist and I knew he had his ways around things but not this one. Not this time.

“That man sounded like he could lay his life for that stuff.” I snickered and proceeded to the window. “Force is not going to work either....”

“On the contrary....” Father interrupted, crossing his hands behind him like he had uncovered a secret that had been hidden for years. “They are going to give it to us on their own free will.”

By the time I turned back, father was already sitting on the leather chair, his arms spreading wide and his legs crossed on top of the other. I arched my brows immediately. What the hell was dad saying?

“Marry Ragna."