Lykos ✓

Chapter Eighteen | Questions

Micah kept reading the same line over and over again of the report, but nothing made sense. It wasn't the lack of understand but rather his mind wasn't here. His mind was on Sandra.

Ever since she had stepped into his life again, he had struggled to keep his mind on track. It was so much easier to imagine that she was out there living her best life with a man who would put her first. Instead, she was so closer yet so out of reach. She didn't want to be around him. Micah wasn't a fool.

At some stage she could've said he was the one, but he had put her as two, next to his family. He was addicted to her presence, so he insisted she check up on Aiko, but now he was running out of pretence to keep her coming back.

The reports held an analysis of the drug that had been in Rafael's and Aiko's system. The analysis didn't give the answers of who was behind everything. Rafael was keeping quiet about everything he knew but Micah wasn't as stupid as to withhold information. That's how empires had fallen before them.

Since the drug hadn't hit any markets, it was harder to trace it. They had men scattered around the globe acting like buyers for anything that had a promise of putting the Lykos out of business. Micah wasn't sure if Rafael would be able to survive another shot. It was urgent that they find the lab and burn everything down.

Micah sighed, gathering up they papers to talk to his brother in his office. While their relationship had improved when Micah moved back into the estate, things had definitely changed since Aiko arrived. He had never seen Rafael give another being a moment of thought since their sister's death.

"Rafael, the labs sent back the reports. I'm sure you've seen them," Micah said, entering the office without knocking. He had walked in on Rafael doing just about everything under the sin, so nothing shocked him anymore.

"Yes, I did, what's the problem?" Micah placed a copy on Rafael's desk which he instantly scrunched up. Rafael was disinterested in the reports. They didn't give him the blood that he was out to spill.

"The problem is that we are getting nowhere with tracking down whoever is behind this drug," Micah urged, unfazed by Rafael's behaviour. The memory of despair was still fresh in his mind. Losing one sibling was enough but losing another sibling would be the last straw for him. Everything would collapse in grief.

"Patience dear brother. It's a matter of time someone makes a move." Rafael was also on edge, but he was keeping the facade of a calm leader. The last thing he needed to do is alert his enemies of a weakness. Some cracks in his defence, he couldn't even show to his brother. The unspeakable lied between him and Aiko.

"Pride is the downfall of man but arrogance will be the downfall of you."

"How harsh of you Micah. Your moods have been so erratic recently. It can't be due to a certain doctor now, can it?" Rafael loved pouring salt in wounds when someone insulted him. No one was allowed to question his authority but apparently Micah had learnt nothing.

"She has nothing to do with this."

"She has everything to do with this and you don't even realise," Rafael murmured, but Micah could hear him clearly with his heightened senses.

"Rafael," Micah warned. He had made the mistake of letting Rafael push him in the corner but this time he wouldn't let himself commit the same one.

Rafael laughed, but dropped the subject.

They were going around in circles, getting nowhere.

~*~

Many hours later, Rafael entered his bedroom, leaning against the door frame and found Aiko by his bedroom window. She had permanently moved into his room some time ago, but they didn't cross paths often. Aiko shrunk into the corners of the room whenever someone else was round, but right now he wasn't sure if she had heard him come into the room as her presence took up all the space. He loved it when she was like this.

Careless.

Confidence.

Comfortable.

Rafael was wrong. Aiko had noticed his presence when he entered her room. She was just far too deep in thought to be bothered to move. There were a series of awkward events that had taken place between Sandra, Micah and Rafael that she had noticed. However, she hadn't managed to pick up the nerve about it since Aiko didn't want Sandra to be dismissed.

While Micah was probably an excellent doctor, she felt far more at ease with Sandra looking over her. The compassion she had shone through with each meeting, but Rafael's hovering hadn't allowed them to talk any more than the basics.

"Rafael, what is Sandra's and Micah's relationship?" Aiko said. The seemingly innocent question made Rafael pause before answering. He knew the type of family that Aiko had been brought up in and she would be no fool to fall for a lie.

"It's complicated," he replied. The simple answer covered all the bases of the relationship. Rafael knew he was a catalyst from most of the complications. He needed Micah at his side. Everything he saw happening between reminded him of the past.

He was adamant that the past to didn't repeat itself.

"Why?" The question that Rafael had heard a thousand times before brought up his defensives before he could think his actions through.

"Matters that you wouldn't understand little girl," Rafael instinctively dismissed her voice. As a leader, he was not obligated to answer to no one.

"Understood," Aiko curtly replied. She stood up from the window, brushing invisible dust off her white cardigan. Refusing to look at Rafael, she left the room. That night she didn't return and slept in a guest room, much to Rafael's disgruntle.

He hadn't answered to anyone in a long time, but he wished he had answered her.

~*~

Finish the sentence: Rafael is _______.