CHAPTER 83

They went on planning, however, a knock at the door made the two stop their conversation. Max, one of Bruce’s most loyal pack members came in looking quite serious.

“I’m sorry to burst in like this Alpha,” he said “but we might have a small issue We have intelligence reports suggesting that Ema has been actively moving about and has met with some. ..uh undesirable personalities.”

Bruce and Elijah frowned at one another before saying, ‘What if it isn’t as others believe?’ Ema had been unpredictable from the time she tried to capture Amelia. If she had any hidden motive in mind, it could put pay to all their strategies and schemes.

“That’s the spirit,” Bruce responded nearly laughing aloud, “Thank you, Max.” “Watch her closely and I wish to know everything this woman does.”


When Max left Elijah sat quite limp in the chair. “This complicates things,” he said, running a hand through his hair, “Ema knows too much about us, about Amelia. If she’s working with our enemies. .. “


‘We will deal with it,’ Bruce responded in a less indecisive tone. : ‘One thing at a time. For the moment we need to focus on Amelia’s safety and her education.’

Elijah only nodded and tried to concentrate after calming himself. ‘Yes, you are right. So, here where do we begin from?’

Out of nowhere, Bruce took out a new paper on which he’d be drafting the proposal. ‘First, we require a secure training compound. Some place where the facility is difficult to breach so that no such incident as that in Seattle can be repeated.’

As they fathomed for a place to sit, Elijah’s mind went back to Amelia. What would she experience when training is stepped up? To be transferred to another remote area? But the biggest question was: how would she respond when she was told the truth about her identity?

‘Elijah,’ Bruce said suddenly breaking the planning. “I must share something with her now. .. about being her father. At least, that will help her come to terms with the reality that I know she must discover sooner or later.”


Elijah relaxed a little at the words of Bruce but again a little tension was still worth feeling. This was a secret he had kept close to his chest for so long that the feeling of being freed and at the same time scared to unveil this secret overwhelmed him.

“She knows already, I had told her when Ema had sent vampires to kill her and she narrowly escaped?” He started becoming a query all of a sudden.

Bruce paused for a while. “Soon. Before she starts the serious training. She has to go in with her eyes open. But Elijah” he said quietly “brace yourself, and make sure she settles in well, you are the one in a position to let them know.

Elijah just nodded and a tight feeling formed in his throat. ‘I understand. I just wish… I wish she could find it in her heart to forgive me for not always being there for her ’

This is the time and their strategies started to come to the form. An office compound where training is done for the pack Members who have to work from a distance from the Packhouse. A program of trainers to train Amelia in all aspects starting from the basic plan of battle and going up to the details of the best and correct magical theory to be applied. The measures put into practice expanded security, which greatly involves a network of moles to alert any looming threats.

But even as they plotted and planned, both men knew that the success of their efforts hinged on one crucial factor: It is Amelia herself, the. Would she accept what she is, what has been chosen for her, the blood of the Mordeth in her veins? Or would she go on fighting, on wanting a simple life that she could never have?

It was already getting very early in the morning, with the first light of the sun peeping through the study windows when Bruce and Elijah agreed to quit. As far as they could up to that point they had given their best. The rest, Amelia would dictate on her own.

‘Take a break,’ Bruce told Elijah patting him on the shoulder muscles. “Tomorrow, we start initiating these plans,” he said to Elijah whose eyes were at the door, “And Elijah good luck with Amelia, even if she becomes rude to you right now, it is your daughter you are dealing with and she is stronger than any plan or malice. ”

Elijah looked at me and simply nodded; happiness could be seen in his eyes. “I want you to know I’m grateful, Bruce. For all the things. ”

Having arrived in his room, Elijah couldn’t reconcile the situation: he was boiling with anger at his second. It’s like one is scared and elated, anxious and afraid – all at the same time. The new day would be the day with new problems, and new threats. But it would also bring an opportunity to tell her the truth about his daughter, an opportunity to start constructing the kind of father-daughter relationship, that he has always envisioned.

Standing outside Amelia’s door, Elijah stopped for a second to listen. All was quiet within. Was she sleeping soundly or was she awakening from one dream to only find herself grappling with her nightmares? He wished he could reach out to her, to hold her to comfort her, and to make her change her mind. But he held back. It would be soon enough to do so the next day.

”Sleep well, my daughter,” he whispered and removed his hand from the door. Conventionally we use this line in English and a more prosy manner, “the future is tomorrow”.

And as the young man at last went off to his bed, the first faint grey of dawn was in the sky. A new day was in the offing, change was imminent, truth was on its way and there would be occasions where one would be called upon to stand, to fight, to triumph. And right at the heart of it is Amelia – a daughter; at least half-blood – or the means to a future that none can fathom for themselves.

At dawn of the day, when the pack house started to stir from sleep around him, Elijah muttered an oath to himself. Amelia was Amelia and no matter what came, no matter what it was, no matter the cost he would shield her. Not just to protect her, or to teach her, but specifically, as her father. It was a role he had deprived himself of for a very long time and a role he is now willing and capable of undertaking with all its sweet and bitter moments.

As sleep finally settled down in his eyelids, the last thing that Elijah thought of was Amelia. Of the little girl that he had observed from behind the glass, of the young woman who had fled to Seattle in search of ordinariness, of the potent composite she was to evolve into, And thanks to these words, the man known as Elijah felt it was possible to hope for something he had not dared dream of for years – the possibility of forgiveness, a chance to clear his daughter’s name and earn the right to hold her hand and walk into the future facing whatever it held.