VALE
The meeting hall wasn’t too far away from where I was, so I didn’t use a quick means of transportation.
“Vale,” I heard someone call after me.
When I turned around, Talon was on approach. “Good evening, Talon,” I greeted.
I guess any other sister would have given the Beta a cold shoulder because of what he had done to Harlyn.
To be honest, as far as I was concerned, Harlyn got what Harlyn deserved. She never treated the guy with the proper respect.
Still, I could tell that he was nervous about approaching me. Oh, Talon. I am on your side on this one.
“How are you, this evening?” he asked me.
“I’m…fine,” I shrugged. “I guess.”
“Fine?” His steps slowed when he got closer.
“Yeah, just fine. Could be better. Then again, I could be worse.”
“Ah,” he shiftily looked around before his eyes landed on me again. He had question that he wanted to ask and I already knew who the question was concerning.
“Just…ask the question, Talon,” I rolled my eyes.
He took a deep breath, and then said, “How is she?”
“Fine, considering.” I turned around and started walking again. “You headed to the meeting hall?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, come on. I don’t bite,” I said. “Or, well, at least not right now,” I teased.
Talon caught up to me. When he settled in stride next to mine, he started talking again. “So, you just came from the containment building, huh?”
“Yeah, I did.” With a chuckle, I added. “Containment building…it’s a prison. No need to spice it up, Tal.”
“Right,” he said. “Guess, I…I just never thought that….I never imagined that Harlyn would be…”
“For someone who rejected her, you sure care a lot about her.”
A dry chuckle was his response. “Just because I rejected her does not mean that I don’t care about her. Or love her even. Unfortunately…those feelings won’t simply go away.”
From a side glance, I saw the pain in his countenance after he spoke on the subject. It really did hurt him. Shame on you, Harly.
“You know…she’s suffering over this too, right?”
Talon shot a surprised look my way, and scoffed. “That’ll be the bloody day, wouldn’t it?”
He obviously didn’t believe me. I couldn’t blame him for that. How could he believe such a thing when Harlyn never really told him how she truly felt about him?
“Well, consider it the day,” I chuckled. “The girl is really going through it.”
He glanced at me again. “Ah,” he sighed, looking ahead. “It’s just the rejection pain. I’m sure she’ll get over me quick,” he said. “She bounces back pretty fast.”
“You think that she’ll be the same after this?” I asked.
“I didn’t say that.” Talon grimaced, shaking his head. “No one would be the same after going through everything that Harlyn has gone through that night. Though, she did bring all of it on herself.” he added that last part under his breath as if he was reminding himself of that fact. When he remembered who was walking next to him, he immediately shot a sheepish glance at me. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I…she’s your sister and-”
“Oh, no complaints here,” I reassured him. “It's the honest truth. I find it refreshing that you’re not blind to my little sister’s selfishness. All those years. Almost thought you were blind to it.”
He laughed. “Oh, I’ve always seen your sister’s flaws, Vale. Never blind to it. I also saw the kindness, and…how much she really cared about you.”
When he said that, he looked at me. So, I guess he knew a side of her that I never did, if he knew that so deeply.
“She talked about you a lot, Vale,” he said. “She…looks up to you more than you will probably ever understand. I guess…that’s maybe why she resented you so much. Even as an inhuman she didn’t think that she could live up to your standards.”
“I didn’t have standards,” I said.
This was the second-maybe third time that I’d heard this. Guess it was time for me to believe it.
“No wonder Penny tried killing me.”
“Nah, that was just petty jealousy.” Talon sighed. “The girl was never wound too tight.”
I laughed.
“You know…it was my idea to hook you and Tobi up.”
Now this was amusing most of all. I looked at him incredulously. “You bloody serious?”
“Yeah,” he snickered. “I just…Tobi was like…he was to me who you were to Harly. And, I just…I thought you’d be great together. I didn’t want my brother being with just anyone and I know he had flaws but…if anyone could break him out of it, you could.”
“You thought pretty highly of me back then, did ya?” I chuckled.
“Still do,” he said as we approached the meeting hall. “Sucks that he died before you two could see how it went.” he smiled at me.
There was pain everytime he mentioned Tobias. Losing him, it truly broke his heart.
“You know, Tobias feels the loss too, Talon. He’s not happy about what-”
I stopped. A breeze picked up. There was a scent in the air. A familiar scent. I looked past Talon.
“Vale? Is..are you alright? What’s going on.
He’s here
The voice echoed and resonated through me. “It’s him.” I quickly burst through the doors and rushed into the meeting hall.
Why was he here?!
When I pushed through the doors, there stood dad, and Toran.
“To-Tobias?!” Talon exclaimed from behind me.
The tall and strikingly handsome inhuman stood there with a smirk. “Hey, little brother.”
“Oh my-” He rushed to Tobias without hesitation and grabbed him into his arms.
As Tobias embraced Talon, I witnessed the tears rolling down the length of his cheek, his eyes closed to seemingly take in the full moment of reuniting with Talon.
When his eyes finally opened again, he gave me a small charming smile and winked at me. There was something behind that smile though…behind his eyes. There was concern. Fear. For who?
I realized then that Tobias wasn’t just here for a social call.
I didn’t want to interrupt the familial moment, but…if this was about my mother I needed to know.
“Vale.”
The shiver that vibrated through my entire body alerted me to had just said my name. He touched my shoulder.
“Ares,” I turned around and said. His eyes were on Tobias and he was not happy. “What is it?”
“You’re not here for a reunion,” Ares addressed Tobias.
“Alpha,” Tobias moved away from Talon and Toran. “You’re right. I’m not.” He looked at me.
I knew it. It was about my mother.
“What happened to her?” Ares asked before I could.
I hadn’t even realized that I couldn’t muster the words to ask in the first place until I tried to reiterate Ares’s question. I couldn’t. Something took over me.
Fear.
Where was she? Where was my mum?