When Nico walked towards his desk, Nero followed him almost like he needed to tell our brother about something. I wanted to listen in but Roman stopped me from being able to concentrate when he walked closer to where I stood.
“You look beautiful,” he whispered so Nico nor Nero could hear him.
“You don’t look half bad either,” I said in return avoiding eye contact with him just in case my brothers turned around. Roman may be the perfect match for me but my brothers were still overprotective.
“How’s your mother today?” he asked continuing the conversation. It wasn’t my favorite topic but one I had to deal with daily.
“She’s still the same,” I replied. “She wanders the Castle grounds all day, barely speaking to anyone, and then she goes back to her chambers for the night. There are days when I don’t even know if she remembers us.”
“You know she does,” he attempted to be comforting but even he didn’t know for sure.
“My gut tells me she does, but she hasn’t acknowledged any of us since the burial,” I said. “I’m starting to worry that she’ll never snap out of it.”
“At least she gets some fresh air every day,” he pointed out, looking on the bright side like he always did. “She just needs some time.”
“I know you’re right,” I silently choked trying to prevent the tears that wanted to fall from my eyes. I didn’t know it at the time, but the day my father died was the day I lost my mother as well. If it wasn’t for my brothers I think I would’ve felt abandoned. Nero may not talk as much and Nico is busy most of the day, but we still ate meals together and they tried to be as normal as possible even if we all failed in the end. Thinking about my mother going through this all alone was hard for me because I’ve tried so many times to be there for her, but it’s never enough. I’m reminded every day that it’s her choice to be like this, but I can’t help but feel like there is more I can do for her.
Distracting me from my thoughts, a bright light appeared in front of the fireplace. The hearth and mantle could no longer be seen unless you stood on the side of the portal. A circular motion within the portal caught my attention until it was interrupted by a body walking through it. It was Kody followed by Kota. Before I could see who else was coming through the red head came running towards me, wrapping her arms tightly around my neck and holding me close. My arms wrapped around her back and for a moment I could have sworn we were both crying. It had been a month since we had seen each other and normally that wouldn’t have been a big deal, but this past month was hard for all of us.
When we finally pulled apart I looked towards the portal that was closing and noticed Kory and Nathan standing next to my brothers along with their four trunks. I had no idea that Kory’s second in command was coming as well but it made sense. He was the only other sorcerer that knew about the prophecy and he was matched with Kota. I’m not sure how that relationship is going but judging by the way he looked at her, it was going just fine. I walked over and greeted my sorcerer brothers and Nathan while Kota greeted my own brothers and Roman. Nico and Kory exchanged a few quiet words before Kory and Nathan opened another portal meant to bring the vampires here. It had been so long since I’ve seen my loud-mouthed sister. It’s been too quiet without her.
It was Nathan who shared his energy with Kory instead of Kody or Kota. This eased my mind slightly because Nathan was just as experienced as Kory, which meant opening the portal should take barely any energy from either of them. Kota stood next to me as the portal grew and four bodies walked through. Levi and Declan dropped the four trunks as soon as they were all the way on the other side of the portal and then Liam and Luna appeared right behind them. Luna jumped over one the trunks, hitting Declan’s head along the way, as she ran for Kota and I. It was like every time the portal opened a piece of my soul returned to my body helping me forget about all the pain of this last month.
Nico’s study was large but with our big family it was beginning to feel crowded. My brother was adamant that no one left until everyone was here because the second they made their presence known to the castle the Council would swarm around the Alphas asking questions like they always did. They were always so suspicious and demanding. If you ask me, they seem more like a waste of space instead of guides. They didn’t guide anything. All they did was argue with my brother and fight with each other. All five Councils had this reputation and all five Alphas had a bad habit of avoiding and ignoring them, which they didn’t like. I didn’t blame the Alphas for not wanting to deal with the ‘whiney babies’ as they called them, but they couldn’t just leave them out of everything. When it came to Malachi, they don’t need to say a word, but with all the other stuff, they should probably inform the Council.
It didn’t take long for Deja and Juda to wrap their arms around me the same way Kota and Luna had. Every single person that I loved and cared about was in this room and, just like that, I was complete again. Nico addressed us, telling us to get ready for dinner and then get a good night’s sleep because tomorrow we would all be separating to search the territory. I couldn’t believe they were actually including us but after last time, they probably had no choice. If they made us stay at the Castle, they knew we would sneak out. I think they also knew that we could see and feel things that couldn’t. No one knows why this is, but we can, and it looks like our brothers wanted to use it to their advantage instead of hiding it away.
Leaving the study felt like an adventure of some kind. Nico exited first looking around the main floor for any of the Council members. When the coast was clear, he motioned for all of us to run up the stairs to our room where we could get ready for dinner. The Alpha families’ arrival wouldn’t be a secret for much longer but if Nico could stall for as long as possible, he won’t be as cranky at dinner. Half way up the stairs I remembered Declan, Nathan, Gavin, and Hudson hadn’t been assigned rooms yet and so I quickly called for Kya, my personal maid, to tell her to set up four rooms for them. Roman had a study down by the rest of the Council members so he would be able to get himself ready down there. He stayed behind to help Nico distract any Council members who questioned anything. I looked back down towards the entryway from the second floor and met his eyes. Kya had left to fix up the rooms for the others and I had no intentions of looking directly at him but, the moment I did, a shiver made my entire spine go numb. All he did was smile but that was all he had to do to make my knees go weak. His blonde hair was brushed over towards the left side of his face making it easy for me to see those brown eyes of his. They were sweet and welcoming and pulled me in closer each time I saw them. He nodded his head towards me before walking away, following Nico towards the hall that housed the Council’s studies.
“I saw that,” a voice snuck up behind me, making me jump an inch off the ground. Everyone needed to stop doing that. I don’t know how much more I can take.
“Saw what?” I asked as I stared into the silver eyes piercing in my direction. Her jet-black hair shined as it covered her back, but instead of judgement, there seemed to be an understanding in her expression.
“You’re falling for him,” Luna grinned as she took a step closer to me.
“What if I am?” I asked, hoping she would give an honest opinion instead of a snarky comment like she usually did. After the month apart, I would welcome either one, but I was hoping for the first one.
“I think our fathers found some good guys for us,” she said, surprising me more than anything else. She noticed my eyes growing twice their normal sized and it caused her to laugh. “I know, coming from me, that’s saying a lot. I’ve spent more time avoiding Declan than I probably should have.”
“Can you see yourself with him?” I continued prying because if I didn’t I would never find out. Luna could be really hard to get answers from especially if she didn’t want anyone to know about it.
“Eventually,” she admitted. “I have a lot of growing up to do and things to figure out. I’m lucky he’s a patient guy.”
“I
think, in the end, we’ll all be lucky,” I said as I motioned for the two us to head towards our bedrooms. On such short notice, I didn’t have time to set up the beds in my room like I usually did but it didn’t look like this would be a short stay and after a while, we needed our space. It was best that they went to their own rooms instead of staying in mine. Luna nodded towards me before continuing down the hallway while I entered my own chambers.
I thought about what Luna had said back by the staircase. Was I falling for Roman? I knew I liked him, and I knew that I cared about him but was I actually falling for him? That I didn’t know. I had agreed to the match back when my parents brought his name forward to me the first time because I truly did enjoy his company. I never would’ve said I would eventually fall for him though. Luna was very perceptive and saw things that other people didn’t. She had a tendency to tell other people as well, which is not her greatest trait, but she never did it to hurt us. It usually started out as a conversation and then she spills whatever she saw or heard. It’s how she’s always been, and I think we’ve all grown to accept it.
I didn’t know that Roman didn’t talk to his father. I caught on to what Nico was telling me earlier but not five seconds later we were walking into a room where Roman could hear everything. That must be difficult when his father is also on the Council. Clearly, his loyalties stood by our bloodline more than his own. I honestly didn’t know who his father was. I only knew that he was one of the Council members. I have been told that Roman takes after his mother, so I wouldn’t be able to tell that they were father and son if they stood next to each other. Roman spoke very highly of his mother. She raised him with his father up until he was six years old but after his sister was born his parents began to grow apart and they haven’t spoken in years. Roman seems to be unaffected by it all. His mother and sister were enough for him growing up and not having a father around didn’t influence the way he turned out.
He was someone that I knew would never abandon his own kids. He wouldn’t take after his father and leave the mother of his children and have some guard send money once a month. As I thought about it, I realized I would most likely be the mother of his children. I didn’t want to think about the idea of being a mother. I was only about to turn eighteen. Motherhood wasn’t even close to a priority, and yet, when I think about Roman, I can picture it. I can imagine him being the father that he secretly wanted and being the husband his father should’ve been to his mother. He was honorable and a gentleman, who showed a great deal of respect towards me. I think Luna was right. I am falling for him. I’m not sure when it started to happen, but it was in full swing now and I wasn’t sure how to slow it down. I didn’t want this to be common knowledge. If things began to progress and the Council saw it, they would pressure my brother into making me bind myself to Roman. It’s just not a priority right now. Maybe after this whole Malachi thing was over I’ll think about it but right now is not a good time. The Council would never understand my reasonings but my brothers and Roman would. Roman might actually agree with me. Just thinking about it was making my head spin and now I don’t want to go down to dinner where I would have to sit next to Roman. Why do I do this to myself?
When it was time to go down for dinner, I began to dread leaving my room because so far, the other Alpha families hadn’t been detected yet, but that would change the second we all walked down those stairs. There was no one in the hallway when I exited my chambers and I assumed they were already downstairs, or they were still getting ready. I was dressed simply, in a light blue gown that had loose long sleeves and fell all the way to the bottom, dragging slightly behind me as I walked. It was comfortable, but it wasn’t what I preferred. Tomorrow I would be able to wear pants and that brought more joy to my soul than anyone would ever know. I despised the dresses I was forced to wear.
A loud noise came from the first floor of the Castle and I knew the Council had just found out about our visitors. It really did surprise me that they were only just now finding out. I tried to listen more closely to see what they were saying but it was no use until I was on the same floor as them. They were huddled in front of Nico, Nero, and Roman who all stood tall and confident in front of the angry men that stood before them.
“Why are they here?” one of the Council members asked in a demanding tone that should not be used when speaking to the Alpha.
“They’re here because I asked them to be here,” Nico replied as if he were bored with the conversation. That probably wasn’t too far off from how he really felt about the discussion.
“But why?” another questioned, prying for a more detailed answer.
“It’s none of your concern,” Nico shot a glare at the man who dared to question his reasons. This man was an older gentleman who had probably lived through the last three Werewolf Alpha’s reigns, but Nico made it clear that he didn’t care how long he had been there.
“We are members of the Werewolf Council,” a third voice joined the whining. “It is very much our concern.”
“No, it’s not,” Nico snarled, his voice slightly deeper than it usually is. “Do you honestly think I know nothing? My father had me studying every law there is in our territory and in Medova, including the ones that explain how much power the Council members actually have. Compared to me, the Alpha, you have no power and no say. If I say that it is none of your concern, you bow and then walk away. Questioning me and plotting against me will end with you hanging from the noose should I find out about it. I have that right, too, just in case you didn’t know.”
Every member of the Council was speechless. I didn’t have any words to say that could truly described what I was feeling. I was so proud of him for standing up to them and putting them in their place but at the same time, it terrified me. Nico was already a dominant werewolf and adding the title of Alpha to him only made him stronger. He wasn’t someone that I wanted to mess with, unless it was about stupid stuff. There was no way I wasn’t going to get under his skin every once in a while. It just wasn’t in my nature to let him live a peaceful life with no drama. All the serious stuff though, that would be thought out carefully before any questioning happening.
One by one the Council members began to leave Nico’s presence, Nero and Roman wore devious smirks on their faces as they enjoyed the show. I walked up behind the three of them, each of them turning towards me simultaneously. I could feel Roman’s eyes glued to my body, looking me up and down before finally glancing away when Nico glared in his direction. They were dressed in their nicer pants and shirts than they normally wore but still casual enough for a family dinner. I noticed Roman’s muscular arms through his cream-colored shirt as he rested them across his chest, leaning against the wall on the other side of the dining hall entrance. One foot leaned against the wall while the other one was planted firmly on the tile floor. I couldn’t deny it, he was drop dead gorgeous when he stood relaxed like that. Nico glared at me this time, rolling his eyes before stomping away towards the dining table that contained many more place settings than I had grown accustomed to.
Since my mother never ate dinner with us it was usually just Nico, Nero, and I. Occasionally, Roman joined us if he and Nico needed to talk about something but for the most part, it was just my brothers and I. Tonight, however, there were twenty chairs surrounding the long rectangular table and that sent a shrill through my body and painted a smile on my face. I knew they were coming for my birthday next week, but I just loved that they were here already, even if it is because of Malachi. They’re just as much my family as my brothers and my mother are and they’re the only ones who truly understand what our family is going through because theirs are going through it, too.
Usually, Nero and I sat on either side of Nico, while he sat at the head of the table, but since Roman was joining us, he sat next to Nico and I sat next to him. I didn’t have a problem with this. I didn’t feel the need to be right next to my brother all the time especially when all I cared about was the food in front of me. Roman, being
the gentleman that he is, pulled my chair out for me and then pushed it in when I was seated. These kinds of gestures didn’t surprise me anymore but there were times when I really didn’t want him to do that for me. I am perfectly capable of pushing my own chair in or getting my own door. I tried not to fight it too much because I knew he was just trying to be polite.
When Roman sat down next to me he exchanged words with Nico and then turned his attention towards me when their conversation ended. The food hadn’t been brought out yet, but the wine had been served and that was enough for right now. Normally, we didn’t drink wine because it was frowned upon by our mother but since she decided not to grace us with her presence I took full advantage of the wine being put in front of me. Nico didn’t care either. He said that as long as I only drank it at dinner he wasn’t going to concern himself with it. The vampires’ glasses were filled with blood that the cooks got from the cows in the barn. Oddly, it looked very similar to wine only it was slightly thicker.
“You look beautiful,” Roman whispered in my direction. He didn’t get close enough to whisper in my ear because he was trying not to make it obvious, but he somehow was still quiet enough for me to hear him without the others listening in.
“Thank you,” I said smiling at him before taking a small sip out of the wine glass. “I’ll admit you look like you put some effort into your appearance tonight. It’s kind of nice.”
“Are you saying I usually look like one of the tavern bums?” he chuckled.
“Are you trying to tell me that I’m lying?” I asked knowing he wouldn’t actually take it personally. He and I have joked like this before and much more recently than usual. This was one thing I was glad we were able to do because I liked to laugh and lately, he was the only one that could make that happen. Now that the girls were here I have no doubt in my mind that there would be a lot of laughter going on, but it would never compare to the way Roman made me laugh.
Deprived (Daughter of an Alpha Book 2) Page 3