The Alpha Emperor’s Resurrection

40: Saga

“Robin seems happy,” Felix said, covering the top of his glass with his hand when I reached for the bottle of off-brand vodka we had nearly finished to top it off again. “His girlfriend...is she...?”

“She’s a wolf.” I topped up my own drink, then knocked it back and put the empty glass down on the chair we were using as a table thanks to Scott.

“I was going to ask whether she’s pregnant. Is that why you got territorial with Scott?”

“That’s not my news to give,” I murmured. “Robin was bound to find someone to settle down with - I'm just glad he found someone who actually cares about him.”

“I suppose you’ll be next,” he continued the uncomfortable conversation, as if we weren’t both cringing.

“You suppose, do you?” I laughed, trying to lighten the mood. “I’m not going to end up in her situation, Felix. Believe me.”

“You sound so sure of that.”

“I am sure of it. I’m not dumb enough to let arrogant young rockstars bust a nut in me without thinking of the consequences.”

As if Aurelia was an irresponsible i***t and not a reasonable and extremely intelligent woman who had every reason to believe she wasn’t capable of bearing children.

I had only said that because my head was a mess and I didn't want to talk about what I had done.

Robin had ignored the messages I sent after he left to take Scott to the hospital, and I wasn't sure whether I should tell him why I was so angry at Scott or if it would be kinder to let him think I was just being an irresponsible brat over something trivial.

“I’m sure that will change when you find the right person and lose all sense of reason and logic.”

Speaking from experience; I still made him feel like that.

“It’s not like I’ve never connected with anybody, Felix,” I laughed.

It was just that the only other person I had ever had a genuine connection with was a reincarnated former Emperor, and he was currently in bed with his Mate.

“You don’t owe me an explanation, Saga. We’ve been over this, and I’ve accepted it. I don’t exactly like it, but I respect you and I’m not going to try to convince you that things could work when you were kind enough to explain why you need someone like you. Robin hasn’t been happy like this with anyone in all the time I’ve known him - I can see now how important it is for you to find someone appropriate.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever have what they do,” I shrugged. "She’s wanted someone like him for a long time, I think. They’re lucky to have each other."

“I’m sure there’s a big powerful Alpha out there for you somewhere,” Felix joked rather dryly. He hated the idea.

“You know...” I uncapped the bottle of vodka again and took a swig from it directly before passing it to Felix. “There’s a big powerful Alpha in my life at the moment. I thought things might go somewhere with him, but I have managed to fall for the one werewolf in the world who isn’t enamored with me.”

Except he had been instantly enamored with me; I was the one who had rejected him, because my feelings were confusing and I didn't want to let myself fall for him if he was going to abandon me for Talia.

"You aren't seriously... Saga, he's like a brother to you, do you-"

I burst out laughing at Felix's horrified reaction. At least that was a distraction from reality.

"-did you really just assume I was referring to Robin? Jesus, Felix; I've been screwing around with Aurelia's dad."

"Her dad?" I watched him try to figure everything out in his head. "Isn't her dad a little old for you? She's got to be in her mid-twenties, that means her dad is what? At least forty?"

I waited until Felix had a mouthful of liquor to respond.

"I believe he was in his seventies when he died."

I kept a straight face despite the fact Felix had just choked on the liquor.

"You're kidding, right? You have got to be kidding."

"I'm really not. This whole situation is pretty unbelievable, but it is what it is. I found Aurelia's father in the forest a few months ago. Robin was supposed to tell her so she could figure out what to do about it, but he managed to knock her up within a couple of hours of meeting her. So, now I'm stuck living here with a two thousand year old pregnant woman and her frustratingly at tractive father."

"f*****g Hell, Saga. You know, I struggle to believe what you say at the best of times. You're telling me the woman who drove us here is an ancient spirit or something?"

I laughed and took the bottle from Felix, but I was sorely disappointed to find it was empty.

"Why don't we talk about it in my room? I'm still entirely too sober to tell you everything, but there is more to drink up there."

Felix blushed, and I raised one of my eyebrows subtly when he looked at me.

"I don't know if that would be a good idea after what happened last time I was in your room. I still have feelings for you and I would rather not embarrass myself or say the wrong thing and end up in a hospital room with Scott."

"Felix..." I sighed deeply and closed my eyes for a moment. "I didn't attack Scott without a decent reason. You know I'm not a monster, don't you? He's a frustrating douchebag most of the time, but I have never attacked him like that before, and I was not out of control - if I was out of control I would have torn his throat out, and I would have done it as a wolf."

"I'm sorry. Sometimes I forget you can hear what people are thinking."

I shook my head, and Felix furrowed his brow as he waited for me to explain. I didn't owe him an explanation, but I knew Robin was upset with me and I needed someone to understand.

"I don't care what Scott thinks. The man is a walking ball of insecurities and self-doubt. He hasn't got a single functioning braincell and the only reason I don't humiliate the man whenever he opens his mouth is that he gets off on that. I attacked him because he realized Aurelia is pregnant, and he felt disgusted. He had such a visceral, unpleasant response to the thought of my brother having a child with her that it overwhelmed my own senses and... how am I supposed to explain something like that to someone like you? When people are disgusted by me, or scared of me, I don't care. It hit a little differently when Scott felt like that about an unborn child. He's a piece of s**t, and he deserved worse than what I did. And I would love to take my mind off that pathetic wretch of a human for a while. I wasn't actually asking you to come up to my room to drink, I'm just too proud to proposition you."

Felix's eyes widened as he looked at me.

"Are you sure?"

"It would be a welcome distraction."

"Is everything...you know? Anatomically compatible?"

I almost choked with laughter. After everything I had just said to him, Felix was more interested in whether my differences would be an obstacle to him f*****g me than discussing how my ability to sense emotions had led to my perfectly justifiable attack on Scott.

"Why don't we go back to my room so you can see for yourself? I promise it won't bite."