Ohnai | bxb

25. Finally

"Lyris, you need to calm down," Malek was hot on his cousin's heels as they rushed through the empty corridor of the pack house.

"Don't tell me to calm down, I'm fucking trying." Lyris barked.

"You're not fucking thinking straight, Lyris!" Malek yelled, gripping Lyris' head with his hands. "Listen to me."

Lyris shook his head, hot tears collecting in his eyes. "What the fuck, Malek, I didn't even know my mate? I didn't know who he was? Apparently there's some vampire clan called Valdev, and they're his fucking ally? And what, we're fucking royalty?! What the fuck?"

Lyris was about to lose it.

"Man, what's going on?" Kingsley frowned, walking down the hallway.

"We need to call a meeting," Lyris rasped out. "I'll explain everything."

Malek shook his head. "You need to calm down first. Kingsley, get some water."

Lyris did end up calling a meeting, and the attendees were members of Squad Q. All the boys were present, and Lyris forced himself not to feel anything personal related to his mate. He also had a pack to look after, and he was not sure about the status of his mate.

Lyris had to take into consideration every possibility. He didn't want to think about it, but his mate could be an enemy to his pack. The thought made Lyris sick to his stomach.

He stood in front of the projector screen in the conference room, looking around at the boys of the squad.

He began speaking.

"We have some new information about Operation Cheetos--it's highly likely that Viridian and Tolen have a vampire clan helping them out--Valdev. Before you ask anything, I know about the operation as much as you do, but luckily for us, we have Alaya helping us."

Alaya stepped inside the conference room with a genuine smile, and stood next to Malek.

Lyris continued. "Alaya is from a powerful witch coven called Polini, and she seems to know about Viridian's and Tolen's connections. For now, it is obvious that the two of them can't be trusted."

The room was silent as the boys appeared calm. No unnecessary remarks, no meaningless quarrel.

"An actual clan? Not a nest? A clan usually consists of everyone of the same species." Kingsley voiced out.

"Yes, the vampire clan is apparently called Valdev." Lyris confirmed.

"I thought he was a rogue vampire," Rama muttered. "He doesn't have allies according to my old knowledge."

"There's so much we don't know about him as of now." Lyris declared.

The boys at the back of the room never spoke much, but it was clear they were very much bothered by the current situation judging by their frowns, since they too, were a part of the squad.

"What does she get out of this?" Lingaa spoke up, eyeing the witch warily.

"A place to stay. It's official that members of Polini are now joining hands with Hayari." Malek concluded.

"Captain, may I say something?" Rama spoke up.

Lyris nodded.

"Without Viridian, we have no direct relation to Operation Cheetos. Our pack was targeted because of Viridian's presence here, other than that, we had nothing to offer. And still, we have nothing to offer. The Klaven pack's sole target is and was, Viridian, not Hayari, would it be more sensible to call off the Operation?"

All eyes darted to Lyris, waiting for him to react. But he was calm, and was thinking solely for the benefit of the pack, because now, he questioned everything.

Everything.

Viridian was his mate, but he was not so sure anymore.

He felt that Viridian hid so many things from him, and now he didn't even know who Viridian Yri was.

Lyris inhaled, looking around the conference room. At the faces of the boys who screamed potential.

He had to do what was right for his pack.

"Yes, you're right. It's probably best if we call it off."

--

Lyris requested that he be left alone.

He was back at the cabin that he and Viridian used to share. He slowly looked around the cabin. Viridian's things were everywhere. Even the button-up he was wearing currently.

"Dude, come home for dinner." Malek called him via the transmitter.

Lyris sighed. "Yeah."

Everyone was worried about him. Now that they'd called off the operation, he was not sure whether Viridian would even come back to him. He could have a totally different life and would have forgotten all about Lyris and Hayari.

Lyris felt tears pricking at his eyes, and he let it out in the privacy of his cabin, laying flat on his bed, that he used to share with Viridian.

He sobbed until he couldn't.

His eyes were bloodshot as he looked at himself in the mirror to was his face.

"Fuck." He cursed silently, clutching the sink.

He stripped out of Viridian's clothes and spent the next thirty minutes stripping his cabin bare of Viridian's things. An hour later, all of Viridian's things were piled up in a carboard box outside the cabin.

Lyris was relatively calm after relieving himself of his anxiety and frustration.

He clutched the necklace around his neck; Viridian's necklace.

"I should probably give it back." He croaked out.

He placed it inside a wooden box and placed it in his wardrobe.

Lyris was calm for someone in his situation.

If he was going to get rid of it, there was no point waiting it out. He would probably never see Viridian ever again, and wondered if he should get rid of their bond along with everything else he shared with Viridian.

"We're going to patrol the borders, do you want to come with?" Malek asked as they were having their dinner at the Alpha's house.

Lyris nodded.

"How about we host a small festival this year for new year? We can sponsor lanterns for everyone in the pack?" Aunt Emerald suggested, trying to take Lyris' mind off of thinking whatever she thought he was thinking.

"Hmm, it's a good idea. We can host a carnival and invite our pack allies." Lyris commented. "It'd be a good opportunity to strengthen our alliance with all of them."

Alpha Richard nodded. "New Year's right around the corner, we'll hold it around next week?"

The Hatchets agreed.

Lyris sighed.

He was going to do what he had always wanted to do ever since he was a young pup--become the Werewolf Clan's leader.

After all, that was his dream.