IVORY: The age of Gloarian

Chapter 24

    ‘Who do you think you are? The flame?!’ the angry Alpha opened his mouth to protest before he was shut down by the petite woman in front of him. ‘Don’t even try interrupting me, I don’t care if you hate my tone or you’re the freaking great Alpha of all Gloarian, you’re going to hear me out whether you like it or not. That woman that you are lucky enough to call your mate, is not a toy. I don’t care what has happened in your life to make you this selfish, but it’s over now buddy, this isn’t your story anymore. Ever since the day of your stupid rejection, that woman -whom I am so proud to have as a leader- has been going through one thing or another. Her parents were murdered, the woman didn’t even get an hour to grieve or mourn the death of the people who gave birth to her, raised her, before she was sent to her father’s office to instantly replace them as a leader. She was 18! She had never been trained before, she had never learned anything about how her parents ruled the land, all her attention had been on school and training, and to go from that to taking over community finances and the welfare of others was certainly something she was not expecting to be thrown into the way she was. Eliana grew up around an abundance of men, including my husband and her father, and so no matter what the circumstances, she will never cry publicly or let anyone see her vulnerable side, not even Syllia and I and we’re her best friends. That didn’t mean that we didn’t see it though. The woman held her tears the day her parents died, sucked it up, followed the top guard into the office and sat down to focus on the things he was explaining, with an immaculate attention to detail. She pushed away her feelings about her rejection, her parents death, everything that in that moment should’ve broken her, and shoved it so far down for the sake of the community. She sat in that office for three days straight, without eating much or sleeping just trying to wrap her head around everything and pick up on all the things that the community relied on her to manage. She would sit there at night, all alone in the office crying her eyeballs out in silence, biting her hand so she wouldn’t be loud. She didn’t think anyone would see her, but Syllia and I did. We watched her cry every single night for a month straight. Every morning she would resume her facade and fool everyone else into thinking she was alright, heartless even. That woman has gone through things day and night  after your rejection, and still she remains patient with you. She allowed you in here, she permitted your shameless ass to bring your proclaimed mate and shove it right in her face that you chose someone else over her. She’s taken everything you’ve ever said and done to her, from that to controlling her life, throwing her in the middle of a bloody war and still you continue to disrespect her and unleash your uncontrollable temper upon her? How dare you? She accepted Eiva as her own friend, and housed her as a member of her own community and you have the nerve to come here and accuse her?! I don’t care what your problem is, but it isn’t her burden to deal with! So you’re going to get back into that office and beg for forgiveness if you have to. Frankly, we’ve all had enough of you here, we’ve all seen the way you treat our leader and it doesn’t seem to sit well with us. Eliana might take your bullshit time and time again, but I’m done with it. So you go apologise to her and kindly get the hell out of this community’ she completed. 

    It was a lot to take in for Razaar, who had nothing to say in response. His prior anger had died down at the revelation, and he felt himself ashamed of everything that he had done, unable to formulate words or even understand how to beg for forgiveness to his mate, whom he had put through a hell of a lot. All the man could do was disconnect gazes from the woman who seemed exhausted after her speech, and walk around her, wordlessly back into the territory. Taking slow strides towards the office building, he processed everything word for word, images running through his mind at the level of pain his mate might have endured.

    First his mother, then Eiva, now Eliana, the Alpha had successfully pushed away all the females that had come to care for him in his life, and for that he would never forgive himself. His heart clenched at the idea of losing his mate to his own stupidity, though he knew he deserved it. 

    What would Eliana’s reaction be upon his arrival? He had yet to discover, but whatever it was, he was ready to face the consequences. 

    The office building came into sight, and the man couldn’t help but deliver a sympathetic smile to the tiny assistant, who had only been shocked by the action, before he proceeded to set foot into the office where his mate was. His eyes didn’t meet hers instantly, instead, he focused on closing the door before he seated himself in front of her, ready to deliver the most honest of apologies. 

    ‘I want you gone’ she had managed to say before he could even speak, shocking him and confusing him at the same time. She hadn’t let him process the words as she continued ‘I am done with this Razaar. Whatever this is. I want you to leave my territory, and never come back. Our alliance is done with, and I’m out of this war for good. If Balthazar wants to get to me I will deal with him in my own way with my own strategy, but I am done exerting my time and energy on someone who has nothing better to do than dominate others and use them as his toy to release his own emotions on. We’ve been over this scenario a time too many, and I’ve reached my quota of spins. I will keep searching for Eiva and if anything comes up I’ll be sure to send word out, but aside from that I don’t want anything to do with you’ she concluded, looking her mate dead in the eye. She had remained calm as she spoke and had for once enjoyed the look of fear that took over Razaar’s expression. Panic had certainly consumed the Alpha that now found himself putting his mate in even more danger than he originally had, and feared he would lose the most important person in his life next. 

    ‘Eliana, I understand your decision, and I will leave your life for good, if that’s what you want’ he began, the words hurting him more than he could imagine ‘but I can’t leave you alone in this battle. I know you hate me, but I’ve already put you in enough danger, so just until this war is over, give me permission to help you. I’m not asking you to contribute to the war, or even have me around, but let me leave some of my men with you while I fight?’ he requested, hanging on to the hope that someday he would win her back. The woman, however, had fixed her mind upon her decision, and didn’t please the Alpha much with her response. 

    ‘I appreciate you trying to help me, I do, but I think you’ll need all your men for the upcoming war, so I would like to kindly reject your offer.’ Razaar maintained his stance as she responded, and tried to argue further in a manner that didn’t come across as a discussion.

    ‘I will have the numbers even if I left 60 of my warriors here, it really wouldn’t make a difference to me. You won’t even have to see me again, as soon as the war is over they will be retrieved without a face to face interaction. I just want to ensure that if anything happens to me that Balthazar won’t go trying to destroy your community’ he conversed, evidently annoying the leader who kept a straight face, and easily brushed off the hard work the Alpha had been putting in. 

    ‘A smart thought, Alpha, but I’ll take my chances. I wish you the best of luck for the war, and bid you farewell. You are more than welcome to use the southern border to exit if you’d like to conceal the fact that you’re here, in case Balthazar has any spies lurking around.’ She terminated, hoisting from her seat to shamelessly kick her mate out.The now speechless Alpha, raised from his seat, knowing he was walking on eggshells and there was nothing he could say or do that would convince his mate otherwise, and turned around, unbelievably walking towards his departure from his soulmate’s life. He couldn’t, however, leave without turning around to face the woman a last time, and deliver words that he knew would bother her, but that were necessary to say.

    ‘For what it’s worth, I am sorry. I know you need your space now, but one day I will make it up to you, and get you back’ his words had for once been more sincere than ever, as the Alpha found himself coming to the realisation that he had finally made the right decision about what to do with his mate. Only it was too late and there was a slim possibility that either of them would be dead before he could keep up with his promise. Eliana held a lasting look upon his mate, knowing that the toughest thing to do was the best option for her. 

    ‘I’m going to be needing a lot of space then’ she uttered, watching him walk out of her office a final time. 

    The breath that Eliana released following his retirement had been one she had been holding in for too long. The leader sat back, exhausted on her chair, ready to surrender herself and her position to get a good year’s sleep. Thinking of her community, she pulled herself together as she always did, and began scanning through the plan she had been working on in the absence of her mate. She had come to terms with the fact that her friends had been right, and attempting to have allies was a futile option given the fact that in order to do so, she would have to stick around her mate, something she had sincerely not wished to do. After his recent episode the leader had decided that it was time to take a leap of faith, and for once, retreat her hate for the flame, and ask for it’s blessing to fight a war she did not wish to fight with her mate by her side. 

    Armelia, who by now had watched a depressed Razaar run out of Hybrid territory, raced towards her best friend's office to finally ensure her best friend was doing as well as she claimed to be.

    ‘He left?’ she asked, walking in and closing the door behind her. Eliana had felt relief at the entrance of her best friend, wanting desperately to have someone to vent to.

    ‘I kicked him out, it was about high time’ she responded, surprising Armelia, who had simply believed the Alpha had left upon her request.

    ‘So you finally did it? What made you do it?’ she asked, seating herself now for a brief chit chat. Eliana laughed, a genuine laugh as she thought back to the roller coaster she had been through before finally being free of her miserable mate who had brought her nothing but pain. 

    ‘I’m exhausted Armelia. It’s bad enough being the leader of an entire group of species and having to worry about how to manage finances and keep everyone happy. Add an angry, possessive Alpha mate to that mix and you only get dragged down by more pressure. I thought I could handle it, I thought: this will be good for us, we’re gaining allies! Truth is, it’s not even worth having allies if this is how I have to get them. I’d rather throw a pointless, very expensive ball and invite others to make friends than have Razaar on my territory again. He’s literally the least of my worries now, especially when I’m still a target on Balthazar’s radar’ explained Eliana, looking to her best friend for assistance. 

    ‘I am proud of you. However, speaking of Balthazar, what are you going to do about him without the Werewolves to help you? Do you have anything in mind?’ she asked, not wanting to stress her friend out, though giving her a reality check in an attempt to air her. 

    ‘Yes, in fact, I was going to call for you. I want all the entire council of top guards in my office in 5 minutes. I think I might have a plan. I don’t think Balthazar wants to go for the entire Hybrid territory just yet, I don’t think he has the numbers for that. Which means, we have the advantage of a couple days head start. He certainly wants me, that way he can get to Razaar, but if we can get a step ahead of him while he’s busy planning whatever it is he’s scheming for my mate, then we can defeat him before it gets to war with the Hybrids.’ The plan had yet to be clear to Armelia, who simply nodded at the vague idea the leader presented. Getting into her work mode, the woman got up from her seat, going to fetch the rest of the council, as instructed. 

    As she dashed off to gather her peers, Eliana revisited the plan in her head a last time to ensure that it was flawless and wouldn’t cost her any lives. She knew that the risk was still too high, though the stubborn woman couldn't bring herself to admit that she needed Razaar’s help to win this war. It was an action that for the time being had no immediate effect whatsoever on her, but one that soon would bring her tremendous amounts of guilt and shame. 

    The leader stood, as the door reopened, and the 5 members of the council of top guards stumbled into her relatively small office, waiting patiently for her next instructions. Amongst them, stood Leron, whom she had completely forgotten about, but still very grateful to, for having the courage to step up and help his leader in a time of need. Eliana shot him a small smile that he returned before the both put on their professional stances, hoping the rest had not taken note of their silent interaction, before the leader addressed her army.

    ‘As you all might have noticed, I have dismissed Alpha Razaar off my territory for good. We will no longer be working with the Werewolves, which means that we must prepare for battle on our own. I believe we have a little bit of an advantage, since Balthazar will be too busy preparing to take on the Werewolves before he tries to get to Hybrids. He has yet to find out that I’ve retreated from this battle and that therefore gives us a short window of opportunity to find out exactly how to defeat him. My plan is to send off a spy into Lycan territory to try and find out what exactly Balthazar is up to. It will be a mission of a couple of hours, and will give us an advantage to take him down. If we know what he plans on doing, we can use the element of surprise to counter his attacks on us. We know that he wants to get to me to take out Alpha Solonov, but Balthazar doesn’t know that  I won’t be there at tomorrow’s battle, and he will be quick to react, which means this is the only head start we can afford.’ Her mission had been heard by every member in the room, and all members were having a hard time figuring out what the next step would be. Who would volunteer to go? Or was the leader going to pick an individual? Armelia had loved her friend, though the thought of leaving Syllia for a mission that was this dangerous had been enough to silence her from stepping up. The rest had imitated her actions as they looked between each other warily. There was, however, one individual who had yet to take his eyes off his leader, and found himself stepping forward for the action.

    ‘I’ll go’ said Leron, stepping forward bravely. Eliana’s heart clenched for the man, and she couldn’t help but feel bad for what she had been asking of him. 

    ‘Are you sure?’ The leader had been reluctant on sending any of her guards, but Leron had held a special place in her heart, and the mere thought of putting him in more danger and asking for more had affected the woman more than liked. She was certainly a ferocious leader, though one that held an immense amount of love and respect for all members of her community. 

    Leron smiled at the leader, nodding his head in approval. 

    ‘I’m here to serve, Miss Genova’ he said, only making the task harder for the leader. Nevertheless, she responded with a nod of her own, as an expression of relief crossed all the other individuals in the room. 

    ‘You’re a brave individual Leron, and when you return you will be rewarded’ she promised, feeling proud of her guard. Soon enough, she sat the man down, and along with the rest of the team, mapped out the upcoming events. ‘I want you to gear up with everything you’ve got. Use your snake form to get there, it will help you blend in, hopefully they won’t notice you. Balthazar’s pack house is near the north border of his territory, and he usually paces around his study which is on the ground floor. I recommend when you get there you try and sneak in through the back door. Try and stick to the edges of doors so no one notices you, and just peer into what he says, no doubt he will be sitting there bickering around with his Beta. Get as much information as you can and return. If you sense any danger at all, even on the border, don’t risk it, just head straight back. Remember that if they capture you they will torture you, and even if we got there to save you within the hour, it could be too late, so don’t get into any risky situations’ she instructed. Leron simply nodded, his face holding a hint of concern that he did his best to hide. 

    Eliana, however, took notice and dismissed everyone else from the room to have a final private conversation with the man. Leron tensed up at the act, yet remained silent as he waited for things to unfold. 

    ‘Leron, are you sure you want to do this?’ she asked once again. This time Leron maintained his straight face as he responded. 

    ‘Yes Eliana, I’m sure’ he answered, giving the leader some comfort. 

    ‘I just want to thank you again for doing this, and wish you the best of luck’ she finalised, dismissing the man from the office to get ready for his mission. Calling in her best friend next, the woman sat herself down for the next hard task. Armelia seated herself on the chair opposite her, awkwardly maintaining a professional attitude with an individual she was used to getting drunk with. 

    ‘Something wrong Eliana?’ she asked after a moment of silence. The leader shook herself awake from her thoughts, and got on with her duties. 

    ‘I have to give the position of Top Guard to Leron when he returns’ she stated plainly, carrying on before she paid attention to her best friend’s reaction ‘I’m sorry, I love you and you are my best friend, and I’m so glad you’re not the one going on this mission because I don’t think Syllia or I could do without you, but the man is risking his life without hesitation, and I think he’s worthy of that title’ she completed, taking a step forward in sorting out Leron’s reward. The only upside to being the leader was having to sometimes treat those closest to her with a mannerism she wished not to use in their presence. Nonetheless, the leader plucked up the courage and had stuck to her morals. 

    Unexpectedly, Armelia laughed, holding her best friend’s hand in hers.

    ‘I think you’re making the right decision Eliana, and I’m glad that you can keep your professional and personal life separate when it comes to these things. You’re one hell of a leader’