Vale:
It didn’t take long for us to get the packhouse. That was where my father decided to hold the meeting as opposed to the family home. Understandably so.
I was still in a volatile mood when we walked through the door. There was no particular reason why. There was never a particular reason why I was off mood. Every little thing seemed to excite me or set me off since I transitioned into this…version of myself.
Ares Barbosa’s presence only seemed to agitate what little resolve I thought I had. I had turned in to someone or…something that I could no longer recognize. The more time that I spent with Ares, the easier it was to see.thing that I could no longer recognize. The more time that I spent with Ares, the easier it was to see.
I would not admit this aloud. At least not in front of him, but…I didn’t really like this version of myself. In fact, it…in a sense, made me feel insecure about myself.
I missed being the human vassal that was silently confident and undoubtedly compassionate and kind.
As we approached the packhouse, I found that my eyes had been consistently on Ares’s back. I had initially been taking a gander to admire how unspeakably handsome he was. Backside included.
Then without warning my mind brought back to memory, what he had said to me before we made the trip to the packhouse. He thought that I was playing a game. That all of my actions were just that. Games.
The truth of the matter was, I had become so erratic, that most of the time I never knew whether I was coming or going. This night was no different.
My mind was constantly on high alert. I always had acute awareness of my surroundings and it drove me insane more often than not. Going random places, doing random things…it all was a distraction. A distraction until I could get back home and return to the solace of my cello.
Lately, however, even the effect of my prized instrument began to wane in its useful ability to distract me.
“You have a lot on your mind,” I heard Ares say to me.
It was only then that I realized that we were suddenly at the doorstep of the packhouse.
Ares was standing there staring down at me, a look of concern harboring his expression.
I finally met his gaze but only for a moment before my eyes found the thick line of forest an acre or so off from the packhouse.
“Run…. let’s go for a run…run away! Let’s fly.”
The voices overlapped one another in loud and haunting whisper. Of late, I’d begun to hear less and less of her, but the overlapping of voices still sounded like her. It was all so confusing, and it happened so quickly, I hardly had time to process it.
It was a constant, these voices, but I didn’t like thinking about it or even talking about it. They constantly wanted their presence to be known, however. This was what I needed a distraction from. The voices. Because if I listened long enough…there would be no stopping my attempts to put these silent desires into action.
“No,” I hushed. “Later.”
“Who are you talking to?” asked Ares.
Again, he quelled my thoughts and I found myself regarding him again. “I don’t know,” I found myself saying before I could think better of it. Truth be told, I really didn’t know who they were. They, because sometimes it felt like multiple voices all speaking at once.
According to my mother, this wasn’t considered normal for the usual inhuman. Unfortunately, it was my new normal, however. I wasn’t ready to tell Ares that, though. Or at least I thought that I wasn’t. Apparently, part of me thought that I was.
“It is your other half,” said Ares. “The half of your soul that quite frankly, you never had any access to until now. Your beast.” His brow furrowed and then he tilted his head to the side. “I sense there’s a little something more to yours, however. Something more…”
“Unusual,” I rolled my eyes. Of course, I was the freak of inhumans. I missed the one voice that was a constant. I missed Fierya.
“Intricately misunderstood,” the alpha said instead. “You are not a freak, pet. Just…unique.”
Before another word could be spoken, he turned away from me and knocked at the door. When there was no answer, he pulled out a key.
“I am sure they’re in the meeting room.” He unlocked the door.
“You have a key?” I asked in slight surprise.
“I do,” said the alpha.
“So, then why did you knock?”
“Because whether your father trusts me with access or not, this is not my home, and I will not treat it as such. In this instance, however,” he opened the door and allowed me space to enter. “It is a special occasion.”
I walked into the packhouse and waited for him to close the door behind him. When I walk into the house, a few younger generation members came descending the stair. They looked at me as if I was a ghost. I found it amusing.
“Good evening,” I smiled, winked, and then walked away, and as soon as I did, they began murmurings.
She’s definitely not human anymore. Do we treat her the same? Is she…our superior now? I hear that she’s the alpha long-lost daughter, and the true heir to the Shadow Veil pack. What if she exacts revenge. Then there was that one or so who could not resist commenting on my looks. One thing’s for certain, she’s hot. She could rule me any day.
None of it, I took personally, and absolutely all of it, I found amusing.
“Sorry, guys,” I heard Ares say. “This one’s spoken for.”
When he said this, it stopped me in my tracks. I almost turned around. No, I did turn around because I simply could not stop myself from doing so. Did he just claim me in front of…
Before I could finish my sentence, he placed his hand to waist and then gently turned me toward the end of the hall leading to the basement where the meeting room was.
With his hand at the small of my back we turned the corner and as soon as we were out of eyesight, I pulled away from him.
“What are you doing?” I asked incredulously.
He was hardly surprised by my reaction to what he had done. He also didn’t play dumb like he didn’t know what I was talking about. Admittedly, I had to respect that.
“I’m telling them the truth before they inevitably think that they’ll eventually have a chance with you. Best not to give them false hope.”
“You do realize that you are telling a bunch of young adults that we are together will spread like wildfire,” I reminded him.
“And what makes you think that?” He asked and casually continued walking before I could even answer.
“They’re kids!” I exclaimed in a harsh whisper.
“Need I remind you that you are hardly older than them,” he said and kept walking ahead.
“Oh, I need no reminder of my age, old man.” My remark carried a subtle meeting, but I knew that he was well aware of what I was talking about. “But maybe you do.”
I thought that this would offend him, but it didn’t at all. He scoffed. “You are of legal age in my world and the human world, pet.”
He turned around and approached me with a grin. “So, no, I need no reminder of your age, nor….” he looked me up and down and tipped his head behind me, to boldly stare at my rear end. What a bloody tool he was.
Although, I had to admit that it was…attractive, the alpha’s boldness.
“The full maturity of your…form,” he said and then continued off. “Come, little inhuman. We have kept your father waiting long enough.”
Had he not been right, I would have responded, but begrudgingly, I followed behind.
When we finally approached the meeting room, Ares opened the door, and gave me space to enter again. He was a gentleman for sure.
As soon as we entered, all eyes were on us. I glanced at Ares and then headed into the room.
“Vale,” greeted my father.
I smiled, nothing reaching but wide enough to be courteous. Although, I did enjoy my father’s company. Even now.
I sauntered over to my father, and as I did, noticed that Harlyn was standing nearby. I was curious, and I wanted to speak with her as she had been among the wall of things on my mind.
Before I could greet my little half sister, however, dad seemed to have had a bit on his mind.
“You’re late, Ares.” There was clear impatience and frustration in his voice as he said this.
“Dad, it wasn’t his idea,” I started to say when Ares lifted his hand to silence me.
“I do not need protection, little inhuman,” he said, his eyes steadily on my father as he said this. “You know as well as I, that this version of your daughter is not as docile and obedient as she was in her past. She wanted to wander a little, and I obliged.”
“Of course, you did.” My father was not happy with Ares’s response.
“I do apologize for the delay, however, alpha. We should have been here promptly, and it will not happen again.”
Instead of allowing further conversation concerning me as if I was not even present, to continue, I shifted the subject of conversation.
“Hello, little sister,” I greeted Harlyn.
She hardly spared me a glance before saying. “Good evening, Valene.”
As I said this, there a few gasps heard throughout the room. I had forgotten for a moment that there were members of the pack present that did not know the truth of my relationship with Alastair Wade. I wasn’t too sure that they knew completely even still. Either way I didn’t openly acknowledge their reaction as much as Harlyn did and judging by her response, I could tell that she wasn’t sure how to feel about anyone knowing the truth of our relationship. Everyone outside of her immediate circle that is.
“Are we waiting on something?” Ares’ voice interrupted my thoughts as they seemed to do frequently since my return home.
“More like someone,” I noticed and remarked after taking a once over of our surroundings. There was someone missing. An important someone. The one who, as far as I was concerned, started it all. I turned to my father. “Where is she?” I asked.
The disappointment and frustration were evident on my father’s face. He shook his head. “I don’t know where she is. I’ve been trying to get in touch with her for nearly two hours now. She has not responded.”
Somehow, I wasn’t surprised. I rolled my eyes but didn’t remark further. It wasn’t my place to.
“We need to discuss what we found, and we cannot do that in full without the presence of your mother, Val,” he said. “There are some things that need to be confronted, handled, and resolved. We cannot do that without her.”
“Of course, you can,” I muttered. “You’d prefer not to but I’m sure that you can.” I wasn’t going to make things easy. Not even for my dad. They both made nothing easy for me.
“You’re right,” he said without hesitation. “It would be convenient if your mother was here. She can fill in the blanks far better and faster than I can. So,” he sighed. “Do you know where she is or not?”
I shrugged. “Maybe,” I answered, but not to be smug or anything. Truth be told, Merari Van Doren was just as flighty and unpredictable as me. “She…she has a place…I don’t know if she is there now, but she could be.”
“Tell me where it is.”
I shook my head, “No.” He was visibly surprised to hear this answer. “Look dad, me and that woman are not on good terms right now, but…that is her personal space, and I will not disclose it if she does not want me to.”
I headed for the door. “I’ll find her. Have the meeting and reconvene later. There’s no telling how long it will take.”
“I will walk you out,” said Ares.
I turned around just in time to see my father take a step ahead of him. “No, that won’t be necessary. I will take it from here.”
He then followed me out of the meeting room. After the door closed behind us, we headed back up to the ground floor.
My father broke the silence. “So, how are you?” he finally asked me. “I’m assuming that you are alright since you decided to go traipsing around town instead of heading straight here.”
I chuckled shortly, “I am fine,” I said. “I have far too many things on my mind to be concerned about the pain.”
“So, you are still in pain,” his eyes gestured to my hand. I hadn’t even realized until that moment that I had it pinned against the wound on my stomach. I wondered if I had been doing that all evening. “Your mind may not be pressed to acknowledge your pain, but your body is. Val, you have to take it easy.”
“I will,” I lied.
“You know that I know you’re lying,” he quickly countered.
I didn’t bother denying it. “Why ask me to do something that you know bloody well I cannot do?”
“You can take it easy, Val. I wish you’d try.”
I stopped when we reached the front door of the packhouse. “I have never been able to take it easy. Continuously going is all that I know how to do. Besides, it….” I stopped myself before finishing that sentence.
Mentioning-even in passing, the voices that began to plague my mind, to my father would be opening a can of worms that I was not prepared to deal with.
“What? What were you going to say?” he asked.
With a resigned breath, I said, “Don’t worry about it, dad. It’s nothing. Just…go…I’ll find the old woman.”
“You know, I wish you would fix this-whatever it is that’s going on between you two.”
Instead of reassuring him that this was just some temporary spat, I gave him a half-hearted smile.
“I’ll be back.”
“You promise?” he asked me.
I don’t know why but his question caught me off guard, though, when I thought about it shouldn’t have. I did have every means of leaving.
“This time,” I joked with a smirk.
“I’ll take that, for now.”
I walked out of the front door and started to leave when I felt him trying to connect mentally with me.
“We will talk about what is going on between you and Ares Barbosa at another time,” He added.
I couldn’t respond to that because I didn’t know how to. Talking about Ares Barbosa was yet another can of worms that I was not prepared to open.