A month has passed and nothing from Dante. Even Hera has begun to show signs of worry. She’s always looking at her cellphone, while I keep glancing nonstop at mine. I can barely waddle and still the baby insists on staying warm and safe in my belly. I rather stay in bed but Mother Earth insists that I walk to make the labor go faster and easier. Can’t argue with that!
All three of us are in my living room. I claimed the sofa. Hera is sitting on the sofa’s armrest, and Mother Earth is actually in the kitchen. She’s preparing some lunch for us, while Hera and I pretend to watch TV. Suddenly the very silent phone rings making us both skittish with anticipation.
“Dante?” Hera answers. “I see.” There was a long pause before she replied, “Ok. I’ll wait for them, and then I’m out. But are you sure about—.” Another pause. “Yes of course it is. Yes alpha.” Hera ended the call without passing it to me. She looked relieved, but I still wanted to speak with him. After all this time of not knowing whether he was still alive or not and he doesn’t even bother to ask for me?
“Call him back Hera.” I ordered her and for a second she looked surprised by my tone. Why is she surprise? Of course I’m pissed! I have every right to be.
“He’s fine princess.”
“Yea, well I’ll like to hear that for myself if you don’t mind. Of course you don’t mind.” I gave her a look that brooked no argument.
“He didn’t ask for you.” She held up her hand to silence my protest. “But here. I don’t agree with him this time. Maybe you can persuade him.” Hera handed me her phone which was already calling. I left to my room and closed the door behind me, breaking record of my fastest waddle yet.
As I’m struggling to sit myself on my bed, Dante answers the phone. “Hera. Is everything alright?” He asked anxiously. My whole body relaxes at the sound of his voice, anxious or not. His voice, just the balm that I needed. And then I remember that I should be angry. Very, very angry.
“No. Nothing is alright.” I hissed.
“Brea…” He breathed my name and I almost forgot my bout with him.
“I’m surprised that you remember my name at all, since you forgot to ask for me when you called before.” My words were laced with bitterness.
“Brea. It just that… Argh. I must go. I am overly busy.”
“Ok, I’ll see you there.”
“No!” He shouted almost too quickly. “You cannot come here.” I knew he was trying to use his alpha voodoo to order me around, and that only served to infuriate me further.
“Oh. I can’t? Watch me!”
“Do.not.come. Brea” He said through clenched teeth. Oh how I missed that, even if at the moment his words are hurting me.
“Is that what you want? I see. Goodbye Dante.”
“Bre—” I end the call before he could get another word in. He was very clear on what he wanted and I’m very clear on what I want.
Just as the phone starts ringing again Hera knocks on the door. “Get in!” I call to her, as I fight to get myself up. She strolls in and hurries to my side to help me up. Once up I hand her the phone and head into my closet without pause. I find my luggage bag and bring it out into my room. I place it on my bed and head back into my closet to get some of my clothes.
“He wants to talk to you.” Hera says as I walk back into my room and she is holding her phone out to me. “What are you doing?”
I ignore the phone and continue to pack my stuff. “I’m done talking. And I’m packing, I thought that was obvious.” Hera sighs and reluctantly brings the phone back to her ear. I can hear Dante’s furious shouts though I can’t make out what he’s saying. If he heard, well, then good for him.
“No Dante—I don’t know—I can’t lock her in—and I said that I don’t know… Fine! I’ll try…” I tried very hard to ignore them and continue with my work at hand. “Well this time is your fault if she does.”
Hera turns to look at me with pleading eyes. “Please, Brea, talk to him.”
“No thank you.” My tone was petulant and I couldn’t care less.
“Dante she won’t grab the phone and I won’t use force on her to make her speak to you.” She leaves the room but I heard her resign voice as she replies to something he says. “I’ll try my best, but hurry…”
I finish packing as much as I needed and fitted into the small bag. I’m great at packing so it was more than enough. The only thing I needed was a small bag of toiletries. I grab my small luggage and stride out of the room and to the door that will lead me out, that is if Hera, who is currently blocking it, will let me. Oh but she will, there’s no other way.
“Brea stay!” She commands as if I were a dog.
“No. You move!” I charge back. Her intense eyes pierce through mine as if by doing so she would make me comply. She should know better. Been there done that… She sighs and I win as I watch her shoulders sag, or so I think.
“Brea he ordered me to keep you here. Now don’t give me that look.” I don’t know what look I was giving her but if it’s rude or intimidating then I will keep it up. “I don’t agree with him.”
“Then let me go if you don’t agree with him.” I challenged. I heard her deflated sigh yet again.
“Look, is not that easy. You might be able to resist his command. Hell even your friend can, since her mate is stronger than Dante, but I am not as lucky. My brother is my alpha. I do what he commands. There is no I want to follow or I must follow his orders, it simply is I complete them. I’m bound by his words, there is no way around it, even when I don’t agree.”
“So you would help me—if you could, that is.” An idea was forming, one that will get Hera out of my way.
Hera squinted her eyes, scrutinizing me. “It all depends, I guess…” She must know I’m up to something but has yet to refused, after all I did not hear a no.
“Depends on what?” I said quickly, not wanting to lose whatever ground I just gained.
“What are you—” She shook her head. “No that’s wrong. More like where, yes that’s it. Where are you going?” Her gaze held mine as she waited for my response. My decision. One I was for once appease with. The moment I thought of it everything felt right in the world, or perhaps it seems that way because he is my world…
“I’m going home Hera, to my mate.” The smile she gave me was part mischief part relief, with that I knew that she was going to go along with whatever I come up with. In fact I could see her eyes twinkle with eagerness.
……….
Dante’s POV
“Drake, where in the sun is Alastair!?”
“Whoa! Calm down brother. I’m right here.” Alastair strides in wearing a fool’s grin. One I was much eager to greet with my fists. We are currently in the house’s library, can’t call it home. This will never be home again, not until Brea is here. “And call me Al. You know how I hate my name.”
The reason I wanted to be in the library instead of my study is because in here I can still see her wearing that delightful dress, avoiding my gaze. Her lips turned up into a pout that I wanted to kiss away. I can feel her in my arms as I pleaded for her forgiveness, begging her to stay with me, to be mine. Now she is leaving, leaving me a second time. I cannot allow it.
“I’m not in the mood for such trivial matters, nor do I have the time. You will stay here, Alastair, and you will help Drake keep everything in order. I don’t have the need to elaborate any further, as I’m sure, however I do hope you know I am referring to our guests.”
“Yes alpha.” For once he knew not to question my authority, which was odd for his character. “Where are you going?” Ah there it is. What I expected. Unfortunately for my younger brother I am in no mood to deal with him, or his inquiries. I’m in no mood for anyone. I only want Brea in my arms.
My territory it’s flooding with males, the reason as to why I cannot and will not bring mine here.
Mine. My wolf is restless, surrounded by too many males in our territory.
Yes wolf, she is mine. The moment that I find her I will mark her. It won’t be long now. She is mine.
“Alastair.” The look I gave him was enough to make him cower, taking a step back and bowing his head in submission. “I’m sorry alpha.”
I sent them away to deal with our unwanted guests. Our allies to which I owe my life, and I would feel grateful if they weren’t the reason my Brea is away. Our guests are the Spensierato, their friends, and Draco and Anacca along with the other dragonites and beasties. The alpha of the Spensierato pack has an uncanny interest in my Brea. He inquired about her. Went as far as to demand seeing her. Seeing my Brea. Mine! Demanding to see my Brea in my territory. Me, the alpha of the Red Moon pack. He did apologized for the disrespect, however, he is still insistent on seeing her. I can assure you, I will not allow it.
……….
Running in my wolf-form to reach the portal faster, I am stopped by the scent I catch in the air. I growl knowing what this new presence is. The bats. They dared to come into my territory. Although we won because of them, they used us as a distraction, a decoy, for their victory. While the enemy was distracted by us, the bats ambushed them along with the Grimm’s clan, an infamous clan from the underworld.
Word traveling through the whispers of the wind is that they are as powerful as Hades. I did not get a chance to see it for myself. I thought I had died, thought that I would never get a chance to hold Brea in my arms again. The beasties who call themselves friends of the Spensierato pack, healed me back to life. Gratitude is not something I take for granted, it is why I allowed them to come into my territory, however, Brea is mine, and mine alone.
I’m wasting time here. I need to find my Brea but I cannot leave my pack now. Not with the bats here. Curses to Venus!