Deceiving My Mate

2. Memories And Loss

***Nova***

Dante caught me in his arms the second I was about to hit the floor. Tears where pouring out of my eyes as I continue to scream from the pain my heart felt. He was gone. My father was really gone. It almost didn’t feel real since I was just with him last night. He was fine last night, he was ill but he was fine. He and I talked and joked and laughed, he didn’t show how bad it was. How bad it must have been.

Muffled voices where the result of my pained cries as I felt my body being lifted in warm arms. It felt like forever but I eventually felt my body carefully being placed on a soft bed as whoever it was that carried me held me in their arms. My cries and tears had drained me of any energy I had when I was in the training room. Before long I found myself drift off into a peaceful darkness.

.

.

.

.

**Flashback**

"Remember that one joke Axel use to make a lot whenever we had chicken for dinner?" I asked my father as he lay on his bed.

My Father laughed," Why did the chicken cross the road?" He asked, and began to laugh from the memory.

"Beccccause." I replied in a chucking chicken tone as I dragged the word.

The room was filled with both of our laughs. We continued to tell stories of both Axel and I as children. I enjoyed it but I don't want to reminisce of those happy memories. It almost made me feel sad that my father wanted to talk about those days. When we were happy and healthy. It only reminded me that his days could be numbered and I didn’t even want to start thinking if that.

"Hey, what's the matter sweetie?" My father asked, he must of seen my sad expression.

"Nothing." I lied to him and of course he saw right through it.

"Come here." He said patting on the space on his bed. "You know you can tell me anything." He adds the moment I sat.

"I know." I replied. "It's just I don’t want you to go." My voice croaked, giving away what I meant.

My father sighed, "It's not something I can stop Nova. If it's my time then I accept it."

"Don't say that!" I shrieked as tears threaten to fall. "Why would you say that?" I asked whipping back my tears.

"Everyone's time is limited, we can't stay forever. Whether we want to or not. It isn't up to us to decided." His words made more pools of water fall. "Besides I am ready to see your mother again." He adds, and for some reason I knew he was happy about it.

"What about us?" I asked him while drying my eyes to see his face clearly. "What about Axel and I? Would you be happy to leave us?" My questions had my father help me wipe away the tears.

He shook his head. "Of course not. I love you and your brother with all my heart. Don’t ever forget that Nova. I will never leave you or your brother. It doesn't matter where I am, I will always watch over the two of you. if I do go, I know your and Axel will look out of each other. That brother of yours is very protective of you and so are you." HIs words had my lips form a little smile.

"Tell me again father, what was she like?" I asked him while leaning my head on his shoulder.

He let a small chuckle leave his mouth as he knew who I was talking about. "She was a lot like you. Your brown hair, honey kissed skin, she was beautiful. She was a rebel when I met her. A stubborn little thing, just like you." We both laughed. "She was strong, she never backed down from a fight, if her opponent was bigger than her, she would put them in their place. I remember when we didn’t know we were mates, she put me in my place when I stepped out of line." My father chuckled at the memory and I lifted my head to look at him.

"How have you not told me this story before?" I practically shouted.

"Nova I told you this many times of how your mother and I met." He replied.

I shook my head. "No that story. The part where she put you in your place." My father's face changed when I said that.

"Oh moon goddess." He let out a chuckle. "I had your mother promise not to tell anyone that and here I am telling the one story i didn’t want anyone to know." He confessed.

"Why?" I knitted my brows.

"Nova, sweetie. I wasn't going to tell everyone a female had kick my butt. The crowned prince, who your mother didn’t know at the time. See my father kept us behind these walls when we were young, however I always snuck out to see the people.."

"We?" I interrupted him and he stopped talking. "Father, wasn’t you the only child?" I asked and my father straighten up on the bed.

"I think it's time for bed." He purposefully changes the subject.

"Father." I said as i stood from the bed.

"I'm feeling a little tied, perhaps we can talk tomorrow night." He never looked at me as he said the words.

I dint want to cause him any stress by arguing so I nodded my head. I leaned down and placed a kiss on his forehead.

"Goodnight father." I whispered.

I turned to leave the room as I heard my father speak again. "I love you both Nova." I smiled at my father's words. If only I knew these where his last words to me, I would have said the words back to him,

**End of Flashback**

I sniffed as I felt something warm on my face. I slowly gained consciousness to realise I had dreamed of the last time I spoke with my father. Sitting up on the bed I saw that it was my room and as I was about to open my eyes, my side lap turned on.

"Axel." I said as I noticed my brother was sitting on the sofa beside my bed.

Without warning tears began to fall from my eyes and my brother quickly got up and came to my side.

"He's gone Axel, our father is gone." I said in a broken voice as the tears flooded my eyes once again.

"I know. I know." He said rubbing my back to comfort me.

My brother rubbed my back for a few moments as I dried and as I slowly stated to calm down, my brother spoke.

"I will be crowned in two days, we will be burying our father in the morning." I looked at him as he told me that the preparations have already been made.

"Why is it all so soon?" I asked him.

Axel gave me a slightly guilty look. "It was the last conversation I had with him. He wanted me to have the funeral and coronation to be ready in case of any problems. He couldn’t leave us without knowing I was to take his place." He began before continuing. "Its been too quiet Nova. Father had noticed that. We haven't had enemies attempt to attack us since our mothers death. He feared that once the new of his death spread, his enemies would come for us." He explains.

"But I thought our Kingdom is at peace? Isn't our enemies just rogues?" I question him.

My brother shook his head. "Rogues aren't the only enemies. The most recent problem I had to deal with where witches." He stope to look at me as I felt myself go pale.

"Our family will always have enemies and now that he is gone his enemies will become our enemies. Which is why I have to take the throne the day after we lay our father next to our mother. It is what he wanted." Axel trailed off.

I stared at my brother. He was sad about the death of our father but he was well trained to not show it. He was trained by our father to not show his emotions when he isn't behind closed door. I saw it in his eyes. He was broken, like he was having a battle in his head.

I placed my hand on my brother hand. "What's wrong?" I asked him.

He had asked me and comfort me and I was now returning it. It was both of us that has lost and father and I wanted him to know that I was here for him too.

"When we last spoke and he brought up the plan for his funeral, I lost it." He said and saw his eyes start to water. "I told him that he shouldn’t think like that. I yelled at him then I told him I wish wasn't the eldest son so I wouldn’t have to take on his burdens." His voice broke as he confessed his last words to our father.

"He loved us both Axel. His last words he said to me last night was that he loved us both!" I tell him as I fell tears begin again. "He knows you didn't mean those words, he knew you just didn't want to lose him. I said something similar. I asked him why he was happy to leave us. He ensured me that he would never leave us no matter where he would be." I admitted.

Axel gave me a small smile for sharing his last words.

"We only have each other now Nova. I will complete our fathers dying wish to have him buried near his mate, and to be crowned the following day." He promised as he stood from the bed. "You should get some sleep, we have a funeral in the morning." Axel gave me a hug before leaving my room.

It took me a while but eventually I fell asleep but not without feeling that Axels words swirling around in my mind.

"Our family will always have enemies and now that he is gone his enemies will become our enemies."

If that's the case, I will have my brothers back. He and I both trained together every day since our mother had died. We were twelve but our father wanted us to be able to protect ourselves if the need be. We both had what it took since we were both royal Lycans.