76
I was sitting in a booth in the back, just needing some alone time and I was lost in thought as I kept seeing everything that had happened on that last assignment. It haunted me, Felix’s face just before he died. The whole setup with that ambush was puzzling me.
“Is this seat taken?” I heard someone ask and I looked up.
“Hey, no it’s not,” I said and smiled as she slid into the booth opposite me.
“I heard a rumour that you were back,” she said and smiled at me.
“Guess it’s true,” I said and she laughed.
“How have you been?” she asked me.
“Good and you?” I asked her.
“Not too bad, my classes ended early today. I usually come here to do my homework. It’s quiet,” she said as a waitress brought her coffee over.
“What are you studying?” I asked her.
“Bookkeeping,” she said and then she laughed. “How very boringly appropriate right.”
“You always were the smartest one in school, Megan,” I said to her.
“What about you? What have you been up to?” she asked.
“Oh nothing much,” I said and she smiled.
“Aren’t you bored with doing nothing?” she asked and I laughed.
“I think that’s going to change very soon. Apparently I have responsibilities here and Lucas will make some sort of announcement tomorrow night at the meeting,” I said to her.
“There’s a meeting tomorrow?” she asked me.
“He told me this morning, you’ll probably still get the message,” I said.
“Are you and Tia back together?” she asked me.
“Fuck no,” I said as she looked at me questioningly.
“Oh, I just thought with her living there and you being back now,” she said.
“I was meaning to ask my Dad why she’s there because I certainly don’t want her there,” I said.
“You’ve changed a lot Ryder, something about you seems hard and cold and unforgiving, you’re nothing like you were in high school,” she said as she studied me once more.
“Life’s a bitch right,” I said and smiled.
“I should go, assignments and such, it was good seeing you, Ryder,” she said.
“You’re actually so lucky you know, not having met your bonded half yet,” I said as I stared at her unmarked neck.
“Actually I felt him die, so I’ll never meet him,” she said and I saw pain in her eyes.
“Shit I’m sorry, Megan. I didn’t mean it that way,” I said to her.
“It’s okay, can’t miss what you never had right,” she said and stood up.
“Megan, I’m sorry, I’m an asshole for saying what I said,” I said to her.
“Now I get to choose, maybe he was an asshole too and him dying saved me,” she said and walked away quickly.
Chase picked me up an hour later and I felt like an idiot for saying that to Megan when she was clearly still hurt over it. Meeting your bonded half was something everyone looked forward to and it was supposed to be special.
“You could have warned me you know,” I said to him.
“About?” he asked.
“Fucking Tia living in our house,” I said to him and he chuckled.
“Surprise,” he said and I punched him on his shoulder.
“I met with the Elders this morning and Dad knows I was working for the Elite Unit,” I said to him.
“Shit, what happened?” he asked.
“Dad threatened my boss with exile if I returned to the unit, there’s a meeting tomorrow night to announce my return and then he’ll ease me into my duties,” I said and Chase grinned.
“I’m glad you’re back brother,” he said.
“Yeah I’m thrilled,” I said drily and he laughed.
“What’s going to happen with you and Tia now?” he asked me.
“Nothing, I’m not interested,” I said to him.
“What happened there, why are you so against bonding with her?” he asked me.
“You’re a total pussy now, what the hell happened to you?” I asked him.
“Melissa changed it all. She’s great Ry, I love her and she loves me and I can’t imagine my life without her,” he said.
“I’m glad you’re happy but that doesn’t mean that I want the same thing,” I said to him.
“What happened to you in that unit? Stella gave Dad a list of all your injuries when we found you, you actually flatlined twice, did you know that? You died twice as we sat there and watched over you,” he said to me sounding angry.
“Trust me you don’t really want to know,” I said to him.
My mother was a nutcase. I was convinced of that now, she acted like I was on the verge of dying and did everything for me. The morning of the meeting she woke me up with coffee and sat on my bed smiling at me as she watched me.
“You should learn to knock Mom, what if I wasn’t alone?” I asked her.
“Then I would’ve pretended that you were,” she said and I laughed.
“Yeah right,” I said.
“Okay fine, I would’ve hauled her slutty ass out of here,” she said and smiled.
“You know I’m fine right, you don’t have to treat me like I’m going to break,” I said.
“I’m not ready to lose you Ryder, not again,” she said sadly and I could feel my heart breaking a little.
“I’m not leaving again Mom, at least not for a while,” I said.
“I don’t want you to leave at all,” she said.
“What am I supposed to do Mom? Chase is the rightful heir to his lair, I know we always said we’d do it together but a lair can have only one Sire. I have to find my own place in this world and I did with the unit. I felt free there, like I was doing something good, making a difference,” I said to her.
“You died Ryder, I watched you die and I can never go through that again, I’ll beg if I have to but you can’t leave again,” she said to me.
“I’m not going anywhere right now,” I said and hugged her.
She left my room after that, I laid back down, and I couldn’t help feeling guilty again. Abeloth was restless in my head and I felt like I owed my family this. I needed to stay for a while to ease my guilt about a lot of things. I felt guilty about Felix too, I should’ve listened when Abeloth said that something felt off in that house.
“You’re not to blame halfling,” he said to me.
“Aren’t I? Do you even know how many people we’ve killed?” I asked him.
“Two hundred and fifty seven halfling,” he said to me and my eyes widened.
“What?” I asked him.
“I kept count, but those people were all evil, hurting others, what we did in the unit was magnificent and beautiful,” he said to me.
“And Felix? Was Felix dying beautiful?” I asked him angrily.
“No halfling, don’t you ever compare that with what we did. Felix was our brother but he knew the danger just as we did. I miss him too but you’re not to blame for his death,” he said.
I spent the rest of that day alone not really looking forward to the meeting but I knew that at some point I’d have to stop being selfish and put my family’s needs first. I showered and dressed and I made my choice. I’d be here for them, give them what they needed for as long as I could do it.
“Welcome dragonkin of our lair,” Lucas opened the meeting as we all gathered on the top floor of The Drake.
“As some of you have heard by now, my son Ryder has returned from his adventures where he served in The Elite Hunter Unit for fifteen months,” he said and I heard gasps and then wild applause.
“His time was spent ridding us of rogue supernaturals bringing harm to our world. We should all be very proud of his accomplishments and his service to all our people,” Lucas said and I looked down slightly, feeling embarrassed.
“Come on up here Ryder,” Lucas said loudly and Chase pushed me forward.
I received plenty of pats on the back as I made my way forward to where my father stood with the Elders. He hugged me tightly. “I really am proud of you,” he whispered in my ear and I could see it on his face as he let go of me.
“We’ve received the final reports from the leader of a specialized unit that Ryder was working for, sharing their regrets that Ryder wasn’t returning as he had completed his duties and will now take an active role in the lair,” Elder Cliff said.
“Unfortunately on this joyous occasion as we celebrate your success we have also received a retribution claim from Tia Malone’s parents with regards to your rejection,” Elder Victor said.
“During the fifteen months that you’ve spent away, Tia Malone has taken residence in your house, remaining faithful and waiting for your return, have you anything to say?” Elder Michael asked me.
“My decision to reject Tia Malone hasn’t changed, I won’t accept her as my bonded mate, not now, not ever,” I said and looked at my father but his face showed no emotion.
“That is unfortunate,” Elder Victor said.
“I’m ready to accept whatever punishment you deem fit, but I stand by my decision,” I said to him.
The three Elders spoke quietly with Lucas and he was arguing with them about my punishment as I just stood there watching them and being watched by everyone else.
“We have decided that a financial settlement will be appropriate along with a week detainment, no food and no water and twenty lashes per day,” Elder Cliff announced. Lucas looked ready to kill someone.
“After this punishment I will be free from this?” I asked and Elder Michael nodded. “Let’s get it over with then.”
Two warriors from the Elders’ lair stepped forward to detain me and I held my hands out for them to handcuff me. I wasn’t afraid, I’ve been through torture training, I’ve survived worse. The sooner they started the sooner I would be free and Tia wouldn’t be in my life anymore.
“Wait!” Megan shouted as they started to lead me down the stage and everyone turned to look at her.
“You bitch!” Tia suddenly yelled as I pushed the warriors to the side and leapt off the stage placing myself between Tia and Megan as Tia lunged for her.
“You’re the bitch Tia,” I said in a dangerously low voice.
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