“Kyrian, Winter-Moon pack betas just sent us the…” Rick excitedly handed the tablet to Kyrian only to notice that the man’s face still remained cold, his expression looking so lost and forlorn it startled him.
“Kyrian?” Rick touched his shoulder getting his attention.
He jolted, looking up at Rick.
“What’s going on man?
You’ve been so out of it lately, and I’m getting tired of seeing you this way and constantly reminding you to get shit done!
Why even reject her if you can’t handle it?” The mention of the rejection caused Kyrian to flinch.
His eyes darkened.
Five months…it had been five months since she accepted his rejection and disappeared.
Kyrian took the tablet out of Rick’s hand, scrolling through the files distractedly.
“Elle was…” He started, “She accepted my rejection.” He said as if it were something new.
Rick sighed, “Well yeah, cuz you initiated it.
What did you expect, she’d cry and beg you to take it back?” A sharp glare momentarily silenced Rick, but thinking about the previous Luna, even he wasn’t pleased with his alpha.
“I mean come on, you took your ex back, I’m not your wife but even I think it’s messed up!
You hurt her…” “I know!” Kyrian gritted, anger seeping through his tone.
“But you don’t understand Rick, I’ve known Elle for a long time.
No matter how badly people treat her she always gets whatever she sets her mind to.
She’s loved me even before she realized I knew she existed so why…” He slammed a palm over the desk, “…why the fuck did she accept my rejection so easily?” Rick’s face contorted in confusion.
“She never even tried to fight for me, I can’t help but think that she was in a hurry to get rid of me.” Rick sighed, “You know what man, I can’t understand you.
But since we’re on the topic of discussing the Luna, let’s talk about Claire for a second.
Haven’t you noticed something weird about her?” Kyrian closed his eyes, elbows on the desk as he massaged his temple.
“What about her?” He asked quietly.
“She goes around acting like Luna and when you show up she’s all meek like a kitten.
She came in here yesterday and sat in your chair ordering me around, you need to tell her to stop coming here.” “Claire is going through a lot, she can barely walk on her own.
Just indulge her.” “If I can indulge her, do others have to?
Everyone working here in Obsidian Tower complains to me everyday.
She is not the Luna, they’ve been comparing her to Avielle and let me tell you many are beginning to appreciate things they never appreciated about the former Luna.” Well, it felt somewhat comforting to know he wasn’t the only one constantly subconsciously comparing Claire to Avielle.
Kyrian thought.
“Tell them to turn a blind eye, let her do what she wants.” “You seriously don’t believe all that crap she fed you about Avielle kidnapping and crippling her legs do you?” “Rick!” Kyrian released a low threatening growl.
“No, Kyrian you don’t get it.
She’s making life hell for everyone.
Even at your mansion, the maids, the cooks, gardeners, drivers, everyone can’t stand how she’s treating them.
She’s being a fucking nightmare to your staff and you’re just…” “Enough!” Kyrian’s anger caused Rick’s words to halt, he looked at his alpha in disbelief for a few seconds before turning his head aside and scoffed.
“Really man?
That crazy woman is who you want to make your Luna?” “I have so many more pressing matters to attend to, I’m stressed about so many things, I can’t do this right now so drop it.” Kyrian sighed, his voice weary.
The whole pack was agitated, since Avielle left, so many issues he never even realized were being handled by her had been left unattended now and he barely had the time to take care of them himself.
People were beginning of oppose of Claire and they might not immediately accept her as Luna even though he hadn’t crowned her yet.
“As for Claire, no one will go against my orders.
Claire stays and no one will say otherwise.
When I decide to crown her Luna I don’t want to hear anyone oppose to it.” ‘Arrogant asshole!’ Rick thought but didn’t voice that out loud.
“Of course Alpha.” He said bowing his head but the sarcasm wasn’t lost on Kyrian.
“But will you care to explain to me why you haven’t made it public or known to anyone yet that you are divorced?
If I remember correctly, just yesterday you told the alpha of Blood-Moon pack that your wife was away on vacation, what is all that about?” Kyrian stiffened, not responding to Rick’s questions.
His grandparents were away right now, but it was no secret that they adored Avielle, they definitely wouldn’t be pleased to hear of the divorce.
Nor would it be easy for them to just accept Claire.
Kyrian had thought the whole thing out even before he’d given her those divorce papers, yet none of what was happening was going along with his plans.
“Grand Alpha and Grand Luna will be back from their trip in two days.
I definitely don’t want to miss the moment you tell them you divorced your wife because you can’t keep it a secret from them can you?” Kyrian felt a headache coming on.
It wasn’t helping that Rick was a number one Avielle fan ever since she once saved his sister, he wasn’t giving him a single moment’s rest on this topic.
“Seriously, Luna Avielle was the one for you.
I know I didn’t see it at first and I judged her by appearances but she has a heart of gold, and I honestly don’t even know what you see in that fake barbie doll Claire.
Avielle was beautiful, forget her scars she was just…” Rick sighed dreamily not noticing how dark Kyrian’s eyes became.
“Have you seen her address a room?
She never lets anyone make her feel less than she is, she holds her head high and stands up for herself, and her hair…
it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, lilac…and when the sun hits it, it sparkles you just want to run your fingers through it.
The goddess made her just for you, your mate, you never realized how god-damned lucky you were did you?” A flare of jealously sliced through Kyrian’s heart, he frowned.
“The goddess doesn’t have to decide my destiny.” Kyrian felt that Rick should have taken hints from the hardness in his voice, but the bastard continued.
“Fine, you’re blind.
Doctors said her scars ran too deep they can’t just be removed with surgery, but she is still beautiful.
And her body, man don’t get me started on that perfect figure.
Man you’re insane not to want to keep enjoying all of that…” “Don’t you dare…” The harsh growl made Rick flinch, this time he knew Kyrian’s threat had gotten serious, eyes flashing from black to grey.
“…
don’t you dare talk about my woman that way!” His chest heaved to control his rage.
His fingers itched, claws about to surface and the desire to hurt Rick was so strong.
He’d never hurt his own person, Rick was more than a friend, but he spoke of Avielle in a way that made something ugly and possessive rear it’s head within him.
Rick knew he was reaching the limit of pushing Kyrian now, he should probably stop if he didn’t want his head to roll, but he was indignant on Avielle’s behalf so he daringly continued, “Ex, you mean your ex woman.
She isn’t yours anymore!” Kyrian was out of his seat even before the last words left Rick’s lips, but the latter was no idiot, he knew he’d been threading on dangerous waters just from Kyrian’s expression, he dodged speedily to another side of the room before Kyrian could get to him.
“She is my mate, that will never change!” Kyrian growled, his speed lightning fast as he reached for Rick again but the latter fled once more.
It was obvious that Rick was angry about the whole thing, but he couldn’t disrespect his alpha.
“Right, fated mate bonds don’t entirely vanish even after rejection because it’s fate but you have Claire now remember?
I’m not going to claim Avielle but someone else can Kyrian and you’d have no right to stop it.
You were sane when you rejected her and now you’re acting insane!” Saying that, Kyrian suddenly stopped moving as if stunned in place.
Shaking his head Rick walked out of the office slamming the door behind him.
Frustrated, Kyrian ran a hand through his hair.
He let out a curse, punching the nearest wall and leaving a dent in it.
His life was complicated…he knew that.
More than complicated, there was so much darkness, things he didn’t want to go into at the moment.
He could remember the very first moment he was struck with the bond snapping in place.
The girl who liked to secretly follow him around thinking he never noticed her, turned out to be his fated mate.
He hadn’t known how to feel about that.
All he knew was that Avielle Watson was good, the kind of good that didn’t fit into his life.
Claire was a better fit, the good in her could sometimes be shadowed by the bad.
The Dustwood family carried dark secrets, ones that even after three years, she never knew about.
Things that if she knew of, she would have most likely rejected him herself a long time ago.
He had protected her from them every single day for two years, watching her watch him halfway across the room not knowing he could see her too.
He’d had to prevent attachment to protect her from the pain until a year ago when she tore down every guard he let up and he couldn’t stay away from her anymore.
If he knew he’d grow weak halfway he never would have married her at all, but his grandfather had given him an ultimatum to marry her or forgo all his inheritance.
Claire was his girlfriend and when she found out he was to be marrying her cousin, she disappeared, he had no idea she’d been in trouble at the time.
Kyrian had never planned for Avielle to fall in love with him, her little crush would fade away if their marriage was dead, empty and lifeless and he carried that on for two years, he would divorce her soon…he kept telling himself, but her innocence, her beauty that people failed to see at first glance, her confidence…it all seeped into him and he didn’t realize when something had bloomed in their relationship.
He’d fallen in love with her…
Kyrian weakly returned to his seat, throwing his head backwards in his seat knowing that this ache in his heart was his love and longing for her.
He still loved her…
But the day Claire returned and told him everything, something within him had shaken.
Claire had been kept captive and the men constantly mentioned their boss to be none other than Luna Avielle with orders to cripple her.
Kyrian hadn’t been able to believe it.
How could he…
Avielle was like an angel, she couldn’t hurt a fly.
But the proof had slowly presented itself.
She had been taking huge amounts of money and paying a mysterious account, he’d seen the details in her bank statements.
She made mysterious calls when she thought he wasn’t noticing.
Avielle had stooped so low as trying to get rid of Claire just to securely keep him, she must have felt that the shreds of affection he held back from her was still reserved for Claire and jealously pushed her.
Her true colors had further been revealed to him when she accepted his rejection so easily.
Only someone with a heart as cold as stone was capable of that.
The door suddenly slammed open and the simmering rage within Kyrian made him almost punch whoever came in.
“Can you not fucking knock?” Kyrian growled.
“Look, I’m sorry but you’ve got to see this!” Rick’s face looked so pale, Kyrian could hear his heart thudding as if what he was holding carried a very shocking secret.
Kyrian looked down at the tablet he held, “What is that?” “Days before the divorce and rejection was finalized, Luna Avielle had been visiting her gynecologist frequently.” Rick explained showing Kyrian pictures and footages of Avielle.
“I called back her gyno right now to get information, though she was stubborn and refused to reveal it, I got it out of her using your name.” Seeing how Rick looked so nervous to say the next words, made something tighten within Kyrian’s chest.
Elle…was she alright?
He recalled her fainting immediately after the rejection, he had taken her to the hospital himself but her aunt had stopped him from going anywhere near her after that saying he’d hurt her enough.
Claire had gone afterwards but when she came back, she cried that they’d humiliated her.
He’d heard from the omegas that Avielle had been to the hospital several days before he’d given her divorce papers but he hadn’t thought much of it then.
Was she sick?
Worry and guilt rushed into him and he snatched the tablet from Rick.
He stood up, flipping the screen and rapidly scanning it.
His heart stopped as he stared at the heading of the report.
PREGNANCY REPORT Positive!
“I got this report from the doctor.” He read the reports over and over again and got the same answer.
Avielle was pregnant!
Twins…high risk pregnancy…
All of it registered too late in his mind.
“Elle is pregnant…
she’s going to have my children?”