IVORY: The age of Gloarian

Chapter 21

    It was times like these when the fragile Eiva felt the worst. She knew as great Luna of Gloarian the best she could do was send orders, yet when it came to actually protecting members of her own pack, she was useless. It wasn’t that she hadn’t tried to get involved in the world of fighting and wars, it was that she was absolutely hopeless at it. Growing up in a picturesque family, with a decent wealth and staff around her, the woman had trained to be the best woman she could, she most certainly hadn’t been trained to be a Luna. Much less the Luna of all Gloarian. She sure had the aspects of humility, respect and compassion that she stuck to with all that she could, yet when it came to standing up for someone, whether that be a member of her pack, Razaar or herself, she found herself scattering back in pure and utter fear. Of course, then again, before Eliana’s appearance in her life, the woman had never been thrown at the forefront of danger, and that side of her was more than suitable for a Luna of Gloarian. Though times had changed, and the introduction of this complex series of events had driven the frail woman to an edge of discomfort she had never experienced before. 

    Watching Eliana battle against monsters without a flinch of hesitation stirred within Eiva a feeling she couldn’t place her finger on. She craved to be the woman that Eliana was, and the more she tried, the more she realised how pathetic she felt. Eiva was a powerless woman fully trained in being a lovely woman yet a helpless one. The damsel in distress wondered why Razaar would choose her over Eliana, and worried that perhaps remaining with the great Alpha of Gloarian would bring to an end the possibility of a mega powerful pack emerging in Gloarian whose leaders would both be equally as fierce. As she watched the leader closely in action, she pondered what her position in the pack truly meant, and if she was worthy of that title. Would it be fair for the people of Razaar’s pack to make do with Eiva as a Luna when they could have someone as ferocious as Eliana? Or was she as worthy of being a Luna? Did her kindness and generosity earn her enough points to replace Eliana? 

    The questions kept floating through her head as she began envisioning herself more and more as just a mere pack member rather than the great Luna of all Gloarian. Eiva was intimidated, for sure, but more so she was ashamed, embarrassed. She lacked the clear skills that Eliana had, and despite being the chosen one, something didn’t quite sit well with the woman who was trying so hard to push those feelings behind and return to the arms of the only man that could comfort her. There had been nothing Eliana couldn’t do: she was gorgeous, she could fight, she was capable of kindness and to top it off, she took s**t from no one. How was she to replicate this most unique person?

    The entrance of her dear proclaimed mate had done nothing to make her feel better as the guilt only consumed her further, watching the man frantically look at the body on the ground and search his true mate for any harm. 

    ‘You alright?’ he had questioned Eliana, a question to which she merely nodded, reassuring him without a doubt. His eyes moved past hers to the rest of his pack, though it took him a moment to spot his frightened Luna, shoved in the corner of the room, a slight tremble looming over her figure. ‘Eiva, are you hurt?’ he asked once again, grasping her hands in his. The woman remained petrified as she looked at her mate, unable to suddenly see the compatibility between them she regularly did. Sure, the beast had agitated her to bits, yet what worried her more was the lack of connection she could thereby feel for a man she had loved for most of her life. She nodded as he moved to grasp her chin in his hands, wanting to avoid his touch to the maximum, and he used that opportunity to step back and address the rest of the crowd. ‘If everyone here is alright, please return to your original spots, the Lycans have dispersed from our territory for now. If you are hurt in any way, please proceed to the infirmary where medical professionals will be at your service.’ He announced, watching the room empty almost instantly.

    Then there were three. A complicated love triangle that remained in the room, glancing between one another before the great Alpha of Gloarian led the ladies into the office where the Beta and Omega were already present. 

    ‘This is the third attack they’ve sent, I reckon their next attack will be sent to my lands, I must return before that happens’ commented Eliana, seating herself down on the chair. 

    Eiva stood quietly at the back, her awkwardness taking over once more as she felt more excluded than ever on duties that she was technically supposed to be a part of. Why had she never taken part in pack discussions like these? Was she too shy? Or did she genuinely not fit in? The mention of Eliana’s departure sure had relief flooding through the tender woman's system, yet she wondered when she had become so jealous towards such scenarios. The once perfect girl could no longer see her worth as she stood in the presence of a woman who she loved dearly as a friend, yet now despised as a person on the whole. Did Razaar see the same magnecticity in the leader? Or was he just faking the absence of it from his vision? Whatever the answer was, Eiva certainly didn’t want to know and she waited patiently for the woman to take her leave from their territory and return to her own. 

    ‘Absolutely not’ contradicted the Alpha, surprising Eiva the most. Eliana had gotten used to his controlling comments and had found a way to counter them with shee ease as she would simply proceed with doing whatever she felt like doing anyways. Eiva, on the other hand, had witnessed this side of him for the first time, and the awareness of their status had more to do with his words than anything other reasoning he presented forward. ‘It’s too dangerous for you to go back now. They could capture you mid way to your lands for all they care. We will send an alert from here to inform your guards to be ready if he strikes’ he concluded, clearly not having the final word with Eliana being his mate. 

    ‘That’s preposterous! You think I’m just going to sit here while my guards fight on their own? What kind of leader do you think I am?’ she opposed, now elevating angrily off her seat. The Beta and Omega -who glanced between themselves- were by now very much used to the tone the woman used on her mate, and for that reason, avoided interrupting for any reason. 

    ‘Do you not understand that Balthazar is ready to attack any second of the day? He just attacked us for the third time out of the blue! You think he’s not smart enough to wait for you to come out of my lands to capture you again? He knows that you’re with me, and he will do whatever it takes to get to both of us, so stop being a thick headed woman for once and listen to me!’ he exclaimed, angering the woman even more than she had originally been. Throughout their bickering they had forgotten that the frail Eiva stood mere metres away from them, watching the interaction go by with horror flashing through her eyes. 

    ‘I don’t care if he’s waiting for me at the bloody gates! I will return to my community, I will not abandon them in a time of need Razaar! Besides, if the both of us are separated it’s harder for him to get to any of us!’ she countered, her voice approaching the pitch her mate had used with her. Eliana had been raging since the incident, and felt herself get more and more desperate to return to her grounds with every second that ticked by. Everything had finally caught up to her: being on foreign territory, being hated by the Werewolves for some unknown reason, being disrespected by their pack members and Razaar, the mere drama between her mate and his proclaimed mate, she was absolutely done with it all. Too bad that her level headed mate would not go down without a fight. 

    ‘I can’t take that risk! If he gets to you again then we’re back to square one, I have to come rescue you and he’s sending an attack on my pack and your community when we’re nowhere near by. Try and understand that your guards can survive one attack, if there is one, before you can return and we will be the ones attacking. It’s just a day of sacrifice to save so many more lives’ he argued, clearly concealing the truth behind his reasonings well within his argument. Eiva, however, had now entered another dimension as she observed the care emanate through his eyes towards his mate. Sure he had begged to stay with the woman, but did he really want to? Then again, why would he even bother trying if he didn’t want to? Surely Eliana would have accepted him eventually had he tried to get back to her. The eternity of the situation confused Eiva more than she wished to be, and so she zoned out from the next segment of the conversation, and dived into the thoughts of what Razaar’s motives with her could be. 

    ‘I get that Razaar, but I can’t possibly stay here while my guards fight alone. I know the risk I’m taking, but it’s one I have to take for my community. I’m sure you would do the same for your pack. So please, try and understand me when I say that I must go. Is there any back route or secret route I can take out of your territory?’ she questioned, her tone lowering as did his. She had taken note of the change of heart that her mate had suddenly had towards her despite his decision to stay with Eiva, and it was made evident to Eliana that he would never truly forget her completely. She was aware of the effect she had on him and wondered how that would differ the relationship between the current Alpha and Luna of Gloarian. 

    The clueless Razaar had blatantly ignored the presence of his proclaimed mate as he carried on his discussions with his true mate in an attempt to get her to stay. He had vividly remembered the feeling that consumed his chest at the initial disappearance of Eliana, and wished not to recreate those moments, for he knew she was too valuable for him to destroy. The current events were all his fault, and at the end of the day the Alpha wondered if it was worth it at all to commence such a pointless hunt for revenge. Perhaps this was the flame’s way of punishing Razaar, he had thought, and it was his duty to protect her to complete his punishment thoroughly. His thoughts were bundled up in a knot as he refocused on the words coming out of his mate’s mouth. He knew no matter how hard he tried, the woman would not be convinced, she was a leader, after all, much like him, who had duties of her own to attend to. It caused Razaar to think along a different path, of a diverse way to keep his mate safe from the grasp of the enemy. Despite not wanting to, the Alpha held one last plan in mind that he knew would work, yet was reluctant to suggest so.

    ‘Fine, Demillo will go with you, he will take you through the woods in the back’ he declared, not satisfying the Hybrid leader. 

    ‘Razaar, if he attacks your pack you will need your third in command, if you could just-’

    ‘No. Demillo will go with you, it’s final’ he interrupted, this time claiming the final say. The look on his face said it all as Eliana found herself too tight lipped to respond. She nodded, looking briefly at Demillo, who stood in the corner motionless, once again avoiding the gaze of the intimidating leader. 

    Eiva, who had shaken awake from her deep line of thought, had returned to the conversation, and was the slightest bit confused and angry at the occurrences of the present. Clearly Razaar cared more for the girl than he conveyed, and it was high time Eiva began acting the way she should have from the very beginning to turn the scenario into a stereotypical mess of hatred, jealousy and anger. 

    All individuals present in the room suddenly got up, and began the process of walking the leader back out for her departure. On her way out, Eliana found herself smiling politely at the gentle Eiva, who for a brief minute was not so gentle, and was having all sorts of negative thoughts cloud her perception of what was actually going on. Enzo and Demillo had simply bowed their heads, not a word of respect escaping their mouths. Razaar on the other hand, who had finally noticed the presence of the proclaimed mate, walked towards her with intention.

    ‘Go back to the bedroom, I’ll be there in a minute.’ He instructed, a response that would have normally had an instant effect on the woman. Though the paranoia had now made its way to her head and she found herself grabbing on to the Alpha to stop him in his tracks. 

   ‘Where are you going?’ she questioned as innocently as ever. 

    ‘I’m just going to escort Eliana off our grounds, I’ll be back soon’ he reassured, placing a hand on the one Eiva had on his arm. He had been completely clueless of the thoughts in the head of the woman, though in all honesty didn’t care much for those thoughts as his mind had a packed agenda of thinking deeply about the woman whom he truly wished to be with: Eliana. 

    Heading towards the woods, the four exited the packhouse believing no threat lay ahead, but for once, the threat wasn’t what they thought it was. Eiva had decided, in her deranged state, to follow the four quietly. Blended in into the background as she usually did when present in important meetings, and observed carefully the interactions that went by her eyes. Once the quadruplet had arrived at their destination, she halted behind a tree, doing her best not to be seen. 

    ‘If you take this route you will eventually reach your community grounds. It’s a bit longer but there isn't any point that Balthazar should be able to access on this path, it’s normally blocked by my guards. Demillo will take you and stay with you in case of any emergencies. Write to me if something happens’ he concluded, care and concern packed in his tone and words. For Eiva, this was just another opportunity to fill herself with hate against the feelings her proclaimed mate had towards the fierce leader, and despite loving this new feeling, a part of the frail woman wished to remain as tender as she had always been. Once the pair had disappeared on their road back to Hybrid lands, the bitter woman stepped out of the shadows for Razaar to see. 

    Enzo had wordlessly disappeared at her sight, wanting to give his Alpha the privacy that he would have requested for anyways. In the end, there were two. Eiva looked emotionless as she approached Razaar, who had emitted a cooked up smile he had saved for such scenarios. 

    ‘What are you doing here? I told you to go back, it’s not safe for you to be outside’ he stated calmly as he walked towards her, encircling her in his arms. 

    ‘I doubt you would care if something were to happen to me anyways’ she commented, her arms hanging loose on her side, unable to look the man in the eyes as she began venting her frustration.

    ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ asked a confused Razaar, who slowly but surely began noticing the change of behaviour in a woman he had known his entire life.   

    ‘Now that you have her, why should you be concerned about me and my safety?’ she intercepted, slipping out of his grip with ease. The man stood shocked in his place, not being able to recognise the woman entirely. Where was the Eiva he knew and who was this imposter?

    ‘Where is this coming from?’ he asked with curiosity. 

    ‘I see the way you look at her, you don’t love me Razaar, why are you with me?’ she asked, her vulnerabilities showcasing as her question entered the air. The confused man shook his head, laughing it off with a humourless chuckle. 

    ‘I choose you over her and this is what I get? Suspicion because I’m trying to keep her safe? What would you rather have me do? Kill her?’ he questioned, successfully getting the attention of the soft side of Eiva. The woman flinched back at his tone, silent for the first minute of his revelation. What was she doing? Why was she acting this way? Since when did Eiva become this toxic person knowing full well she had no authority to ask any more of Razaar. She found herself taking a step back until her back was pressed against the bark of a tree, and she slid down to the floor. 

    ‘I’m sorry, I know I don’t have any right being this toxic with you. Eliana told me that your wolf tried to mark her, I guess that just got to me. I just, I don’t know why you would choose me over her’ she said, looking at the palms of her hand. They were hands that were soon enough engulfed by the large ones of the great Alpha of Gloarian.

    ‘Whatever has happened has happened. Don’t put much thought into these things, just enjoy what you have, alright? It’s been a long day, let’s just go back to our room for now. We can figure all this out some other time’ he responded, getting her off the floor and leading her back towards the packhouse. 

    Eliana, on the other hand, had been dealing with yet another extremely awkward conversation with the shy Demillo, who had refused to open the zip to his mouth, until the leader did. 

    ‘Demilo, you know you don’t have to be awkward with me, right? I may be Razaar’s mate, but I’m rejected, therefore I am not your Luna’ she commented, trying her best to get his eyes to meet hers. Finally, they did as he took a deep breath and allowed himself to feel the same comfort he had when he had initially met her. 

    ‘I know, but accepting the decision of my Alpha, even if he is my Alpha, would be to go against the order of the flame, and I can’t bring myself to do that. No matter what the circumstances Eliana, you are my real Luna, and to think that I attempted to flirt with my own Luna, mate of my Alpha, brings me shame’ he concluded, averting his gaze from hers once again. The woman had reached her quota of explanations, and had started to become agitated at all the awkward conversations she had to face in a mere day before she lost her patience. 

    ‘Why does everyone keep banging on about the flame? Look I get it, it’s the order of the flame, but clearly it isn’t because Razaar and I aren’t on that path. If the both of us are happy where we are in our individual lives why is it so hard to swallow for others?’ she questioned, moving her hands around aggravatedly. The man who had witnessed her annoyance could only smile at her words. 

    ‘Razaar is most certainly not ok with it, despite what you may think. I’ve seen him pacing his office, thinking of different ways to exclude you from this, yet be near you. He may have accepted Eiva, that doesn’t mean he loves her. He will never be able to love her, and I’m pretty sure whatever feelings he’s supposed to have for you have already been activated. He just does his best to hide them’ he commented causally, watching his feet move in sync with his true Luna’s.

    ‘That is simply not true’ she avoided, knowing his words held nothing but truth. They were words she wished not to be faced with, as they would interrupt the peaceful pattern the rebellious pair had been following, and that was certainly not something Eliana was ready for yet. In the meantime Demillo laughed it off, respecting her wishes and staying off topic as they silently journeyed back to the Hybrid leader’s territory, back to the start.