IVORY: The age of Gloarian

Chapter 19

    ‘He’s gone against the truce, surely there must be some judiciary punishment for that?’ questioned the Hybrid leader seated in front of the Alpha of Gloarian. 

    The four, including a well recovered Demillo, Beta Enzo and the pair sat once again, tucked into the depths of thought, scheming ways to bring forth the demise of their enemy. 

    ‘What good is a judicial punishment going to do at this point? He didn’t care the first time he certainly won’t care this time.’ Spoke the Alpha, pacing around the room, glancing from window to window, ready for any attack to come. The man had slid into bed after his proclaimed mate had already proceeded to sleep and had awoken before he would be faced with the most awkward confrontation of his life. He had enough chaos in his life that he wished to get through before he dealt with the situation with Eiva and his true mate. The truth, however, was that the man had been thrilled to have an upcoming war, for that certainly took his mind off having to make rash, emotional decisions, which was clearly not the Alpha’s forte. 

    ‘We could just attack now, if all of us barged into battle with him now, we could take him out, and if Miss Genova were to join us-’ 

    ‘Absolutely not’ interrupted Razaar, stopping his Beta in his tracks. The woman frowned as she looked upon the man she called mate, and wondered how after so long he still thought he owned the woman. 

    ‘That isn’t your decision to make. Besides, I think it’s high time I realised that I am now very much involved in this fight as you are. It’s one thing for Rogue Lycans to attack my parents, after all, Rogues don’t have much of a sense of direction in life. Though it’s one thing for Balthazar to kidnap me and lock me up in a battle that means nothing to me, after having signed a truce. Now, he’s pissed me off. So whether you like it or not, your royal highness pain in my ass, I’m involved in this fight now.’ She declared, taking everyone around her by surprise. Demillo and Enzo had realised not long after their arrival on pack grounds that the two were, in fact, mates, and found themselves confused at how to treat their real Luna. The rules of such a concept were yet to be released and in the meantime the two found themselves keeping as quiet as they could, intervening only when having something useful to contribute to the planning. 

    Demillo had been released from Eliana’s grounds a mere day ago after having shifted and healed to complete perfection. Having caught up on all the missing bits and pieces in his life, he felt astounded, wondering exactly how he had managed to be absent from so much for so long. His shock at realising that the woman he once had deeply cared for was actually his true Luna was perhaps the biggest revelation as it left an imprint of shame in his mind at the thought of flirting with the true mate of his Alpha. It had certainly explained the harshness emanated by his boss at his actions, though now he wondered how he never placed the pieces of the puzzle together. 

    ‘I told you I wouldn’t let your community come to harm and I meant that-’

    ‘Well it’s just a tad bit too late for that, don't you think genius?’ she heckled, surprising the Beta and Omega and just how much disrespect she could get away with. Razaar, who by now had begun shaking at the embarrassment that had been shadowing her snarky comments, and wished nothing more than to be left alone with her to teach her a lesson. Nevertheless, he maintained his stance, clenching his jaw from saying the wrong things as he advanced towards her, intending to intimidate her, but failing. 

    ‘I do not appreciate this disrespect from you, mate or not. I am simply trying to help you and figure out a way to stop a common enemy, and if you’re done attacking me, then perhaps we could gladly go back to figuring out what our plan is?’ he questioned, venom laced in every word. 

    ‘Of course Alpha’ responded an aggravated Hybrid leader, who by now simply wanted to return to her community and resume with the duties that she had halted for way too long. Most of all, she wished to escape the inescapable route of communication that no doubt she would have to fulfill with the frail Eiva, who at this moment, was more fragile than ever. 

    She had kept to herself in her room, knowing that her proclaimed mate and real mate sat together in a room. It didn’t matter to her that they were discussing strategies and had yet to reach any level of their relationship at all, starting with acceptance, though the mere thought of the two being around each other pierced through her more, knowing it was too late for her and she had officially lost two mates in her life. She understood the pain that Eliana might have been going through, yet a selfish part of her wished she could remain in her comfort zone with Razaar. A comfort zone that had just turned highly uncomfortable. Placing herself in the shower, the woman washed away her worries, and decided with the last bit of bravery in her heart to confront her fears, and talk to the person she wished truly not to talk to: Razaar. She had realised his departure from the bedroom soon before she awoke, and understood almost immediately that he wished to ignore her despite having promised to deliver her closure upon his return. Putting those feelings aside, Eiva looked around the room where she had lived for so long with her proclaimed mate, and walked out, ready to embrace the fact that perhaps, that could have been the very last night she had spent in that room. She knew they would all be gathered in the office, yet she plucked up the courage to be, for once, the bigger person, and made her way there, ready to interrupt whatever had been going on, to selfishly sort out the issue that requested a final verdict. 

    Within the room of terrors, the leaders plotted and planned, and had yet to arrive at a decent proposition. 

    ‘Would it even be worth including other species in this fight? What makes you think they’re going to join us? Why would they endanger the life of their species to help us?’ questioned Eliana, looking directly at a shy Demillo, who had suggested the plan. The woman had been as kind as ever to someone she considered a great friend, yet the man found himself unable to look at his true Luna in the eyes. 

    ‘Why did you help Alpha Solonov?’ intervened Enzo, catching on to the awkwardness being emanated by his buddy. 

    ‘I helped him because I needed allies, and I didn’t think I would have to get involved in a bloody war! I just figured, house one person, gain an ally. Win win for both of us’ she replied, shrugging her shoulders. It was at that particular moment that the knock that dear Eiva had issued, radiated through the room. The four froze up as they realised the possibility of Eiva walking in through the door shone through their heads, and it took Razaar a moment to stutter in a short word for the woman to take steps inside. 

    Eliana tensed up, unable to look at the woman she had for so long been lying to, and took this as a queue to excuse herself out of the room On her way out, she couldn’t help but sneak a peek at the woman, one that she regretted almost instantly. Dark circles encircled the orbs that were once full of life. Instead, they now looked at the floor, avoiding the gaze of anyone around her. 

    The men that once addressed Eiva as their Luna, were strapped silent as they walked outside, unsure of whether to stick to the title or not. She was, after all, not their Luna, though it was a mere act that had hit the tender woman who had noticed the lack of respect, and swallowed the embarrassment whole as she sat herself in front of the man she had once trusted with her life. 

    The couple remained silent for a moment, before the guilty Razaar decided to peel his mouth open reluctantly. 

    ‘How did you sleep?’ he began with, attempting his best to avoid the subject he would eventually need to brush upon. Realising this, the woman smiled, deciding to cut the bullshit that Razaar had implemented, a time one too many, into their conversations. 

    ‘Let’s not beat around the bush Razaar, we’ve played this game for way too long, don’t you think?’ her boldness had amused the Alpha, yet he remained calm as he thought of what to say next.

    ‘I’m going to be honest with you, I don’t know what you want me to say Eiva’ he began, forcing the walls that he had built up to shatter to pieces. 

    ‘How about you start with what happened seven years ago, why you rejected Eliana, and why you hid it from me’ she seemed to force the words out of her mouth as they were barely heard by the Alpha.

    ‘I ran into her at the Grontica, rejected her because I feared having a mate. My mother lasted for so long without one, and she seemed happier without one, so I figured that this way there was no way I could hurt her the way I did my father. I accepted you because I figured the lack of connection would not allow me to hurt you in the same way. Also because I do love and care for you Eiva. You have to believe me about that, my love for you is genuine. I didn’t tell you for obvious reasons, I didn’t want to burden you with it and I knew that I wasn’t going to go back to her anyways’ completed the Alpha, as vulnerable as he never expected himself to be. Eiva smiled, nodding her head in acknowledgement. Despite his words however, she couldn't stop the guilt that had been spreading across her chest at the thought of wanting Razaar to choose her over Eliana, for she knew that would be going against the flame, and she feared the flame. 

    ‘But now circumstances have changed, I am aware, and that means that you have to return to Eliana-’

    ‘No, I don’t.’ He interrupted ‘Eiva, we’ve made this work for so long, why can’t we just keep it going. If the flame had anything against you I think you would know by now. Eliana is only here until we figure out how to defeat Balthazar, after that she’s going to return to her community and all will be well again.’ He persuaded, his decision finally coming through. It was a decision he was most certainly not sure of, but another fail for the big headed Alpha would only mean more rage from the flame, and it was a concept that Razaar had already prepared himself to face when the time came. 

    ‘What about Eliana? She must be devastated! How do you think she will feel-’

    ‘She’s fine Eiva, honestly. Ask her yourself. She cares more about you than her position in my life. Eliana wants nothing to do with me, so I don’t see why you and I can’t continue on the path we were originally headed towards’ convinced the Alpha. His words had certainly sparked joy within the woman, yet she worried she would suffer a worse fate by the flame at the mere acceptance of this scenario. She took a deep breath, thinking of further arguments before deciding to give into her desires. 

    ‘Fine, on one condition: we can’t get married. We are already doing enough to go against the flame, and I don’t want to push it by throwing a direct mock at the flame by getting married’ she terminated, feeling satisfied at the return of normality. 

    Razaar smiled, agreeing with a sense of relief flooding through him. Was he doing the right thing? The woman elevated from her seat, having decided the hard part was over and she should perhaps let the rest get back to planning. Before she could however, she found herself asking herself an important question she had previously overlooked.

    ‘I’m probably going to have to talk to her about this though, won’t I?’ it was a question that she asked herself aloud, allowing her proclaimed mate to contribute to making her feel better as he had always done. 

    ‘Yes, I’m afraid you will. Though I doubt it will be a difficult conversation. From what I know she sees no interest in me anyways, I guess that works in our favour. In any case let me talk to her first.’ He had stated, realising that his true mate’s ignorance had a greater effect on him than he wished, and he most certainly wanted her to care. Perhaps that’s why the Alpha thought best to return to Eiva? To get back at his mate for not demonstrating the least of interests in him? Was this Alpha slowly but surely turning into a monster by pushing his mate? Or was he helping himself avoid being that monster? 

    For the time being he gave Eiva a final look before the woman exited the room. Eliana had returned alone to the room once the sensitive woman had departed, asking the Beta and Omega kindly to wait outside. She knew by the mere expression on the woman’s face that once again, she had been rejected for absolutely no reason. Though by now the Hybrid leader was more than used to it, and so she walked into the room with absolutely no intention of keeping expectations, and a neutral expression on the face. 

    Words hung in the air as the mates looked between each other, knowing what the other had to say. 

    ‘I am staying with Eiva’ blurted the Alpha, wishing to get the sequence of deception done and over with. As expected , Eliana nodded, seating herself silently on the chair in front. 

    ‘I know, and I told you, that is your loss.’ she smirked, refusing to hesitate further before she yelled for Demillo and Enzo to return to the room. The brave leader had absolutely no hope of her mate growing up in the span of a week, and so she decided she would do what would be best for her in that very moment: defeat Balthazar and return to life before Razaar.

    Tension hung in the air as the second and third in command returned to the room that contained the two most rebellious individuals towards the flame, and they remained silent as they always did, allowing the pair to initiate the continuation of their plans for destruction. 

    ‘So, I say we round up the warriors and guards, and attack in three days. I doubt Balthazar will expect us to attack together, I say it’s our best shot at defeating him’ resumed Eliana, switching her focus to Enzo, since he seemed the only one focused on the mission and not shying away in guilt for any reason. 

    ‘What if sends attacks to our packs as our warriors and guards are out to attack him? We have no safety net for the members of our pack, or your community’ countered the Beta, the only member in the room thinking of all scenarios. In the short time that she had known him, it had made sense to Eliana why Enzo had been the Beta. He was a fast and strategic thinker, and his actions were efficient, just as they should be when you’re the Beta of all Gloarian. 

    ‘So let’s have 100 warriors and guards plastered on the borders of each of our territories, that way we have a cushion for emergencies and the majority of our soldiers will be out, fighting.’ Stated the Hybrid leader, her attention now shifting to her mate, who had yet to accept his mate’s nonchalance. 

    ‘Fine. Enzo, Demillo, get the guards training and send out word to Eliana’s top guard of the plan’ he instructed, watching the two speed out of the room with urgency. He had managed to stop his mate before her departure, and had closed the doors, ushering her back into the room. 

    ‘Are you ok?’ he asked, concern taking over his face. The worry marked in his eyes was foreign to Eliana, who had constantly seen nothing but guilt in his face. When he started to take into account the feelings of his mate was yet to be determined, though in the meantime the confounded leader faced him with amusement and calamity. 

    ‘I am, why wouldn’t I be?’ she asked, her own desperation to escape increasing. 

    ‘I just want to say, I’m sorry. I know it doesn’t make sense for me to reject you and accept Eiva as a mate. I don’t mean to rebel against the flame I just-’

    ‘I don’t need you to justify anything to me Razaar’ she interrupted, discomfort taking over her entire body as she found herself trapped into a conversation she knew was going to drag her into the world of wonders. ‘I get it, you want to be with Eiva, that is completely fine. As long as you don’t interfere in my life I see no reason to interfere in yours. Besides, hopefully in about three days you won’t have to see me again anyways.’ She completed, pulling herself up from her seated position. Walking towards the door, she was stopped by the mere sentence he spat, trying his best to remain neutral. 

    ‘Yeah, that should make things easier for us’ they were words the Alpha clearly didn’t believe, yet forced out of his mouth as he firmly believed he was doing what was right for him. In truth the Alpha of Gloarian had no idea what he was getting himself into, and by his record of judgements, it seemed to the flame that perhaps Razaar was not as equipped to take on the superior position he held in Gloarian. 

    Eliana journeyed to the room that had temporarily been her home in the lands of her mate, and threw herself on the bed, finally intaking the information that had been given to her by him. The woman certainly didn’t expect any better, yet the animal in her yearned for his touch and acceptance. She wondered what it was that had truly caused the man to pull away from her, and despite knowing that it wasn’t really her fault, she found herself looking for the easier way out and blaming herself for the occurring events.

    It took the leader a while, though she eventually came to the conclusion that she would not victimise herself for the events, and instead, recalibrated her focus on the mission to destroy Balthazar. She remembered the feeling of being locked up in his cell, simply knowing that her mate would come for her, though now she knew she couldn’t allow herself to reappear in a situation that required a rescue mission. Especially not one from her mate. Eliana was an independent, brave woman that had not for the majority of her life required help from any man in her life, her father included, and despite having let her walls down for a while, she refused to let him see the vulnerable side to her again, for this was the end decision, and even if he returned to her life, she had finalised that she would not return to him. 

    Her made up mind had needed a final polishing, one she intended on getting by hopping under the shower and soaking herself with the heat of the world to plaster the decision to her head. Her plans, however, had been interrupted by a knock on the door, and the intense heartbeat on the outside had given away the member who stood behind the door. 

    For both Eiva and Eliana, the conversation that lay ahead would be an awkward one. The proclaimed mate and the rejected mate, both facing each other for the first time after the truth had been out, and decisions had been made. It was certainly not the best time for the Hybrid leader, though she knew eventually she would have to face the scenario she had been avoiding for so long. Just like with Razaar, Eiva had plucked up the courage to get these interactions over with, and so she smiled as she always did when the door opened, and an intimidating leader stood on the other side of it. An awkwards silence conquered the air for a brief minute before the fragile woman took a deep breath, and spoke up. 

    ‘Eliana, I hope this isn’t a bad moment. Can we talk?’