ELIAS'S P.O.V
I had to get out of there. It felt like the walls were closing in on me. What the hell was happening? I had too many uncontrollable emotions. Rationality went completely out the window the moment I saw another man's hands on her.
"Bro, what the hell was that?" Holland asked questionably.
But how do I answer his question when I don't even know the answer myself?
"Where did she go?" I chose to ask instead.
"Which 'she' are you referring to? Because from where I stand, you're talking about a human that you can't have."
My hand involuntarily rubbed my five o'clock shadow on my chin.
"Where is Shanti?"
I was trying to remain in control. He knew internally that I meant Zola, but he didn't dare question me.
"Shanti is still at the ball."
"So, she saw?"
"E... Everyone saw."
I was afraid that might be the case.
"My mother?"
"Not too happy with your behavior. She asked me to talk to you instead."
How did everything get so fucked up so fast?
"Everything is spiraling out of control." I admitted out loud.
"I wouldn't necessarily call it that. You had a moment of weakness. One that unfortunately everyone witnessed. But do not fear, we can cover those tracks easily." I wasn't even talking about the ball, although that was a major fuck up too.
I hadn't told Holland about what originally put me on edge. Currently, only Uriah and I knew about my father's reappearance. I knew that my behavior was off due to that, but had I known then that I would react the way I did, I would've stayed away from her. I should've known better than to attend the ball after that bombshell. Aslan and I were already hanging on by a thread. But how was I supposed to know that would happen?
"What's really going on here?" He then asked when I didn't respond.
"I fucked up, Hol."
"Yeah, I know. But we can easily mask what happened tonight. Mating Shanti will correct any thoughts that anyone may have."
I closed my eyes to take a moment for myself.
"I'm not talking about my love life, Holland."
"What else could you possibly have done that I don't know about?"
I looked over at the window instead of answering him. The moonlight was shining through the curtains just right, displaying the shadow of the moon on the floor. I took a deep breath, still contemplating whether I should spill the beans or not. But come Monday, everyone and their mom were going to find out how majorly I fucked up.
"My dad..."
"Oh shit, I get it."
I seriously doubted that.
"Today is your 25th birthday. A day all Alphas cherish above all. Today was the day the fallen Alpha King was supposed to hand the reins over to his heir. You."
I guess that was another logical way of looking at why I was all over the place emotionally. But that wasn't the reason. It was far more than that.
"Holland, my father has come home."
His face scrunched in confusion before looking around the room for a camera, as if I were pranking him.
"I know it sounds crazy. I couldn't believe my eyes when he sat in front of me."
"I don't understand. Why...How..."
"I don't know all of the answers yet."
"But that's great news. Right?"
"I thought so, but now not so much."
"So, this was never about Zola?"
False. It was very much about her too. But I couldn't deny the fact that his appearance brought up all of my feelings that I'd shoved down over the years. I chose to ignore his comment, it was beside the point.
"I offered him a job."
"And that is bad, how?"
"He doesn't know me."
"Wait. You're telling me that he showed up after all these years, and he has no memory of you?"
"None of us. He is someone entirely different."
"Fuck man. No wonder you were on edge."
I hadn't even gotten to the worst part yet.
"He moved on." I finally said.
"As he should've."
My eyes shot up to look at him, disbelief written all over my face.
"Come on, E. He had his identity stripped away from him. Has no memory of who he was or where he came from. Did you expect him not to live his life and move on?"
He had a point I suppose. But that point still hurts like a bitch.
"I just didn't expect him to be alive."
"Nobody did. But you and I both know that even if we lost our identity, we'd still have the need to fuck."
"He has another kid." I said, allowing myself to admit the facts.
"Well, I wasn't expecting that. I can see how that can be upsetting."
"I haven't met this kid or his wife. When I offered him the job, I wasn't expecting the baggage."
"Baggage? Come on man, don't refer to your half sibling like that. It's not their fault."
I let out the breath that I was holding.
"How the hell am I supposed to tell my mother, who already grieved her mate, that he is alive. That he is here, and is accompanied by an entire family?"
His eyes watched me cautiously. He and I knew I was still dancing around the edge. Before he could respond he quickly snapped his head to the door and another feeling took control of his facial expression.
"You just did." He then whispered.
I stared at him, not wanting to turn around to face what just came from my mouth. The pin-drop silence became too great as I slowly turned around to look at her. Her expression was just as I'd expected.
"I was trying to find a good way to tell you, mama. I just didn't know how." I whispered shamefully.
She stood there looking back at me with wide eyes, not responding. The normal eccedentesiast feeling was present. She always had a smile on her face, but everyone knew she was masking what she really felt inside. Pain.
"Mama.."
She held her hand up to stop me from speaking furthermore. I may have been the Alpha King, but she would always be in charge on some level.
"I am glad to hear he is alive and thriving after all this time."
Did she miss the part where I had said he had a wife and child?
"No dear, I didn't." She responded to my thoughts.
How was she so calm after finding out her ex-mate was alive and had moved on?
"He still doesn't know us. I can tell him the position is no longer needed and send him to the next destination on his list?" I tried suggesting.
"He may have no memory of you and didn't have the opportunity to know Irelyn, but both of you have all the memories of him that I have kept alive. Be his friend, you deserve to have your dad."
"What about you?"
I couldn't allow him to be there if that meant that I'd be hurting her.
"Don't worry about me, bug. You create a new bond with him. You both deserve that." The fake smile appeared on her face once again. She deserved so much more than her life ever gave her.
"How am I supposed to watch him be a father to someone else and act like he is just my friend?"
"Sometimes friends are your real family, not blood. Show him the side you hide, show him how amazing you are."
I could do that. Simple task, right? I create friendships all the time. This was no different. I'm sure we could create a friendship that could one day blossom into what we call a 'chosen family'. He may be my blood, but he didn't know that. I hope that one day we will have what our family has with Novalee and Zola. A chosen family bond.
"Well then, how do we tell Irelyn the news?"
"Leave that one to me." She paused while staring at me before speaking again. "Now, let's discuss the elephant in the room."
"I thought that's what we were doing now."
"What are we going to do about Zola?" She asked, ignoring the fact that she had just found out her ex-mate was still alive.
"I don't understand what you are referring to."
"I think I made myself very clear over the years."
She has, but when did I follow every rule I was ever given?
'Always...Until now.' Aslan sarcastically piped in.
"You just found out dad is alive, and you want to talk about, Zo?" I chose to ask instead.
"Exactly. So talk. Tell me what I've always known so we can fix it."
She was facing the biggest news she could ever hear, and she'd rather rail me about Zo? How did she expect for us to 'fix it' anyway?