IVORY: The age of Gloarian

Chapter 9

    To find your mate is a truly staggering experience. Your gazes connect, and it’s as if in that moment all else is lost. You find yourself zoning out, your inner beast making the connection instantly. An invisible string appears, binding the two individuals together, and from that moment onwards, being away from your mate can seem as painful as getting stabbed in the abdomen, for the string is being pulled to its limits. Altogether, it was truly a concept that was built for the peace of the community, to avoid the hatred of jealousy and heartbreak. Created by the flame, it was a foolproof idea, one that was bound to thrive within this community of beasts, and one that a myriad of the Zaleon population had already experienced. There hadn’t been a single case in all of Zaleon that had resulted in the rejection of a mate, for the great individuals of the planet feared the flame, and trembled at the mere thought of punishment provided by it. 

    Why the great Alpha Solonov held not a shed of shame in his system against his acts was a rhetorical question, but it seems ironic that the Alpha who refused to change his decision about wanting his mate felt such deep regret about being so firm about that thought. What he was afraid of was yet to be confirmed, but the one thing that was apparent was that Razaar was living a miserable life. Initially his thoughts had led him to believe he would be alright without his mate, his ego driving those thoughts, but as time went by, and with each passing day in the presence of his mate, he felt that ego stabbing him right in the back. The sight of his mate mingling with another male, asking him to take the position that, in theory, he was supposed to have created only one part of the wrath that lived within his chest. The fact that she had denied the wanting and existence of her mate had engulfed the larger half of his chest. To feel upset or angered, was the main point of confusion for the Alpha, for he knew he had the ability to switch the whole thing around, but it was as if he enjoyed playing the 6 foot pit he had dug himself, and wished to remain there a while longer. 

    That night, as the arms of his proclaimed mate encircled him as they slept, he felt, for the first time, a disgust that shook his very core at the touch of another woman. It had startled him first as he had spent a good amount of years sleeping next to the same woman who had been touching him, and had never before come across such a feeling. Perhaps it was his guilt, over playing the two women in his life, that caused him to feel disgust over himself. Another part of him, however, turned a blind eye to that part, and forced Razaar to carry on his days as if he weren’t royally screwed in his situation. 

    The next morning Razaar had arranged for Eiva’s parents to surprise the woman with a visit, something he had thought of before the disgust had consumed his system. Nevertheless, the man put on a smile on his face, woke up the woman who had put up with his crap for so long, and requested her to get ready. 

    To Eliana, this had not been a surprise as the thought of Eiva and Razaar being in love had now become a common thought to her, one that she was used to and utterly unbothered about. After her heated conversation with Razaar the woman had vowed to herself to figure something out to win over Leron, for she was more determined than ever, to screw over the mate that kept putting his foot in the door when it came to her life decisions. For that reason, she too, had dressed up before proceeding to leave her cottage to meet the parents of the great Luna of Gloarian. It had most certainly crossed her mind that had it not been for the rejection, that she would have held that title, but she found herself feeling pride at the title she currently held: leader of the hybrids of Gloarian. Soon enough the feeling of loss had completely evaporated from her mind. 

    As she approached the gates of her territory, the first thing her eyes had fallen upon was the look on Eiva’s confused face as her and the Alpha waited by the gates. She had watched their mouths move but took little interest in attempting to find out what they were saying. Not a moment after her arrival, the figures of Eiva’s parents walked through the gates. The first thing the leader noticed was how familiar the faces seemed. Eiva was an accurate combination of the two members involved in birthing her, and as a result she now looked exactly like the both of them. The happy faces of Eiva’s parents gleamed as they raced to meet their only child halfway. As emotional as the scene was, it was also terribly dramatic. As the upsetting scene involving the shedding of tears halted for a moment, the fragile woman’s parents turned from their child towards the Alpha, in an attempt to create more of a dramatic scene. 

    ‘Alpha Solonov, thank you so much for inviting us here’ mentioned Eiva’s father, giving his potential son-in-law and Eliana’s mate a pat on the back and a handshake as he simply nodded. The mother had wordlessly given the man a hug, before the couple turned to face the leader of the hybrids. ‘Miss Genova, we thank you for granting us entry into your territory, we hope this isn’t a bother for you.’ said the father, facing the intimidating leader who simply stood with a polite smile on her face. 

    ‘My pleasure, it’s no trouble at all. I’ve arranged for you and your wife to be in the cottage right next to your daughter’s.’ She began, observing the Matouk’s faces brighten by the second. ‘I would love to have the four of you over for lunch’ she then offered. The frail woman’s parents had not hesitated to accept, before they were led to their cottage to freshen up. 

    Eliana wondered how long she would have to put up with the appearances and professionalism before she would be free of her mate, for she felt herself exhausted from all the pressure and extra awareness around her own grounds, and wished so badly to return to the drunken nights with her best friends in the comfort of her home. In the meantime, the brave woman stuck a grin on her face, as she welcomed the four into her cottage. 

    The moment had taken her back to the first time Razaar and Eiva had dined with her at her cottage, and how awkward that had been to begin with. She then proceeded to process the dinner at Eiva’s cottage that had taken a turn for the worst, and she would only wonder what misery this meal would bring in the hours to come. She had known for her fact that three out of the four members were completely unaware of the situation between Eliana and Razaar, and could only hope that nothing would occur in the remaining hours of their meal. The sight of Razaar with Eiva’s parents had given her the slightest bit of comfort as she realised how polite he had actually been with them. Had they seen him be the ruthless, arrogant prick he was? Or had he always concealed that part of his identity from them? It was a question that Eliana would never receive an answer to, or so she thought.

    The five of them took a seat in the dining room that Eiva and Razaar had been familiar with before the conversation had begun, and was initiated by none other than the shy Eiva herself. 

    ‘You have been awfully kind to me Eliana, I thank you. It’s only been a month but I feel like I’ve known you for a while, that’s how lovely it is to be in your company’ she stated, as kind as always. A statement that Eliana had quickly appreciated before putting it behind her. 

    ‘Tell me Miss Genova, why haven’t we ever seen you around? Your parents had always been quite fond of attending the Grontica yet we’ve never seen you at it since their passing. I believe that was also the same year that you had been disqualified from the competition for being absent?’ questioned Eiva’s father: Johron. It was a question that had stunned the leader, who in that moment, had felt the need to connect her gaze to the ones of her mate. The very mate that had rejected her at that very Grontica and proclaimed the old man’s daughter as his mate instead of her. If only they knew how bizarre the situation was. In the meantime the flame laughed at the fuel it had added to the fire, knowing full well the emotions it would spark within Eliana and Razaar. 

    Despite being targeted towards Eliana, the Alpha too, had felt targeted by the question, ashamed of the events of that day. It was, however, only dawning upon him now that his mate had signed up to that competition, and had it not been for his rejection, he would have had to fight against his mate, which he would have not done after the realisation. Perhaps that in itself would then have stopped him from rejecting her as their identification would have become transparent for the rest of Gloarian to see. It had all been a matter of timing, a game of the flame. As Eliana’s eyes had connected with his, he found himself looking away, guilt consuming the most part of him. 

    A moment of thorough silence had conquered the air, in which Eliana had invested all her brain cells to think of an appropriate answer, before she spoke up. 

    ‘I found my mate at Grontica, but he rejected me. So I left, and decided never to return to it to avoid having to face him’ she stated, deciding to settle for the truth. Razaar had been dazed by her response, not having expected her to blurt the truth. The only question was: would she reveal the name of her mate and ruin the charade they had been playing? His fists had once again found themselves clenching at the anticipation of the incoming interaction, his patience decreasing to discover how this conversation was going to end. 

    A series of gasps had initially echoed the room as the three members of the family had turned wide eyed and mouthed towards the leader. 

    ‘Why on earth would anybody do that?’ began Eiva’s mother: Poliana

    ‘You’ve never told me this before’ mentioned Eiva. But the real danger arrived when Johron had decided to speak up.

    ‘Who is the bastard that rejected you?’ he questioned, raging at the mere thought. Little did they all know that their enemy sat not too far from them at all. Eliana thought hard and fast about her response, fighting hard to avoid the smirk that had begun forming on her face. 

    ‘Just a nobody. Don’t worry about it’ she settled with, a look of relief flashing through Razaar’s eyes. It had definitely caused a wave of guilt to hit him like a tonne of bricks, nevertheless, the Alpha sat with a straight face, silent throughout the whole interaction. To make things worse for him, Johron had decided to carry on his pursuit to identify the traitorous man that had gone against the order of the flame. 

    ‘If that man ever causes you any trouble, don’t hesitate to ask for help. I’m sure Razaar would be more than happy to help you out’ said the naive man, causing a tiny laugh to erupt from Eliana’s chest. To them, it seemed a laugh that was merely a laugh of appreciation towards Eiva and her parents. In reality it was a laugh of irony at the situation on the whole.

    Razaar had found himself tense, unable to utter a single word, much less look into the eyes of his mate throughout the interaction. He instead found himself more invested in the consumption of his food, something that Eiva had noticed and nudged him in the arm for, causing him to speak for the first time during the exchange. 

    ‘Yes, of course. Let me know if there is anything at all I can do to help’ he forced himself to say, feeling angered at the smirk that sat on the face of his mate, who had been enjoying herself at the revelations.  

    ‘Whoever this person is darling, the flame is going to make them pay’ commented Poliana in a tone that matched her daughters. It seemed, however, that in that moment Razaar had had enough. And so he proceeded to take the conversation to a whole new level. 

    ‘Why are we all talking so much crap about this person anyways? How hypocritical is it of us to do that? I mean, if it weren’t for me ignoring the existence of my own mate and going against the flame Eiva and I wouldn’t be together and your daughter would probably be in some dark room crying her eyeballs out’ he spat, instantly turning the mood around. They were words that had caused the room to turn silent, and Eiva’s parent to sit back in shame and fear. Eiva had felt tears welling up at the forefront of her eyes soon enough, but pushed them aside, placing a gentle hand on his arm despite the hatred she felt for him in that moment. 

    ‘Darling, if you were to ever find your mate I wouldn’t want you to reject her for me’ she began, making the situation worse for him. ‘The only reason you and I are together is because you haven’t found her and we know for a fact that it isn’t a werewolf.’ Eiva forced herself to say, feeling the pain arise even in that moment despite still being the woman in his life. She had dreaded the day Razaar would find his mate, and for a majority of her life, had avoided thinking about it. Now that she was face to face with the topic however, Eiva found the true unease within her that shadowed the subject. Eiva’s parents had decided to stay silent, for they had no words to argue with against their Alpha. They had been grateful that Razaar had taken her in and given her such a position, and they would not risk the happiness of their daughter for anything. 

    ‘Of course. Jorhon, Poliana, I apologise for my tone. I didn’t mean it that way.’ He responded, placing a hand on the one Eiva had gripping his arm, his anger toning down. They shared a sympathetic look between the three before everyone continued eating, halting any major conversations whatsoever. 

    It was after the four had left that Eiana resumed her plan to win back Leron, and so found herself inviting the man into her cottage straight after the exit of her prior guests. 

    ‘Leron, please come in’ she welcomed the hesitant man. “Please take a seat, would you like anything to drink or eat?’ she offered, leading him to her living room. The man wordlessly shook his head, fearing what was to come of his leader. He had known full well the reason why he had been called over, however could not find the words to go against his leader. ‘Leron, please, I’m your leader not a dictator. You can talk casually in front of me’ she mentioned, hoping to loosen his tongue a bit. And so he found her words effective as in the next moment he released a sigh of relief and sat down on his leader’s sofa. 

    ‘How can I help you Eliana?’ he initiated, deciding to test out his boundaries. 

    ‘As I mentioned to you yesterday, I want you to take the position of my mate, and be a leader with me. I know you’re concerned about my mate, but I assure you, you needn’t worry about it.’ she finished, getting straight to the point. Eliana had been desperate to recruit the man, and found no other way to woo him than to be honest, for she had yet to master the art of flirting and seduction. The kind man looked down at his hands before deciding to take a leap of faith. 

    ‘Eliana, I know you want me to, and I would be honored. But for several reasons I must turn down your offer. Firstly, judging by what happened at the celebration yesterday I can tell that you have a mate, that you are probably on bad terms with. I don’t want to get in the way of that, whatever the scenario might be. The second reason is that I haven’t given up hope on finding my own mate one day, and I wouldn’t want to betray her this way.’ He concluded, tensing up at the silence that his leader responded to him with. ‘I would be more than happy to help you in any other way you might need me, as your security detail or even playing pretend with you in front of your mate if that is what you need to kickstart things with him, but for obvious reasons I cannot go further than that’ he suggested, causing an idea to form in the head of the leader at his bright words. She suddenly found herself smiling with hope as she faced him. 

    ‘You would be willing to fake being my mate for a while to help me?’ she asked to reassure herself of a new possibility. The man nodded, no issue crossing his mind. ‘That would be brilliant, thank you so much’ she spoke, positioning her hand on his for a brief moment. 

    ‘Do you mind me asking, what exactly happened between you two, and who exactly is your mate?’ he interrogated, tentative of the way he had posed the question. Eliana thought thoroughly before she responded, wondering if revealing the secret to another member of her community would be a wise thing to do. Though after realising her position in the community and the mere authority she had over the guard, she settled with telling him the truth.

    ‘Alpha Solonov is my mate. He rejected me seven years ago. For obvious reasons, I’m having troubles coping with him on our land, and that is why I need help to keep him at bay’ she responded, causing regret to build up within Leron instantly. Had the man known who her mate was, he most certainly would not have taken up the offer as the top guard feared the Alpha to his core. Nonetheless, the poor man kept his mouth shut, as he acknowledged the situation that he had gotten himself into. As if sensing his discomfort, his leader decided to speak up. ‘Don’t worry, I won’t let him hurt you’ her words had no effect on the man as she nodded, faking a smile on his face. He then proceeded to dismiss himself from her cottage, dashing out to feel the air through his lungs that perhaps, he thought, one day soon he might not feel if the Alpha decided to terminate his life. 

    For Eliana, it was a moment of joy, for she had found herself a solution to her problem, and a good one at that too. She had not hesitated before she called one of her nightly companions to spend the night with her and celebrate her victory. It was a night of pleasure for the leader, where she let herself loose, and allowed herself to enjoy the pleasures of the night. The leader had been an expert at keeping her nightly activities a secret from her entire community, her best friends included, as she did not wish to cause a scene or create unnecessary drama in her life that she most certainly did not need. Most of all, she yearned to keep the judgmental statements of everyone around her at bay, and so she had enjoyed these pleasures for years without the truth coming out to anyone. She had several men over the years, and sometimes enjoyed multiple men in one week, for she had decided that there had been no point in waiting for her mate now that the man had rejected her and mated with another. Guilt had never crossed the woman’s mind at her actions as she indulged in countless nights of intimate activity. But these luxuries had always been enjoyed in moments when Eliana most certainly didn’t have shadow constantly following her around and looking for her. 

    It was therefore how the great Razaar Solonov found himself patrolling outside his mate’s house as he did occasionally throughout his visit, before the moans of pleasure coming from her bedroom attracted the nosy Alpha to explore. A clueless Eliana had continued her nightly endeavours without having realised her shadow standing mere metres away outside her window, raging in all his might. 

    It was a night of peace for the leader of the hybrids, but the morning would bring challenges that Eliana most certainly didn’t want to face.