Chapter 6

It's been an entire week since Aspro left. I hadn't seen him since then. Just his annoyingly hot brother who always got on my nerves. Speaking of annoying, Mavros had come to see me again, even though I asked him to stop coming over every day because he was making my family think something was going on between us. Him having a wolf as huge as mine doesn't help because Logan told me he would ask if he was of Alpha blood because no one knew of any Alpha with a son named Tyrion.

"Oh, hey Tyrion." Maya greeted, walking into the living room.

We had said nothing to each other since he came here ten minutes ago. I was mad at him for coming today. I didn't want people to misunderstand my relationship with him. Having my sister on my neck wasn't something I wanted.

"Good morning, princess." He got to his feet and bowed.

"Come on," she waved her hand. "No need for the formalities since we're going to become family soon."

I froze.

Family? What family? Whose family?

"We're going to be family?" Mavros had the audacity to pretend he was surprised by what Maya said. "Am I missing something?"

Maya sat beside me on the white sofa. "When is it going to happen? It's been a week already."

I feigned ignorance. "When is what going to happen?"

"The marking." She answered dryly. "When will it happen?"

"Who is marking who?" Logan.

He and Carter joined us in the living room. Just great. Since father and Zayne died, Logan became that overprotective older brother. He had been watching me and Mavros closely, saying he didn't want anyone under the sheets until I had marked him as mine. What were the possibilities of that happening?

"No one." I stood up. "I'm going to go check the construction of the orphanage."

"That will have to wait." Logan said.

"Why?"

"There are Alphas coming over to see you today." He lifted his wrist to check his watch. "In about thirty-five minutes."

"If it's about getting a mate, tell them I'm sick and it's contagious."

He rolled his eyes. "That's not the case. They said a woman has been coming by their packs to look for you."

"A woman?"

Now, I was interested. Why would she want to see me?

"Yes." He answered. "Will you be around?"

"Yeah. Let me know when they come. I will be in my study." I lifted my leg to take a step, but Logan's question that was directed at Mavros had me halting.

"Tyrion, is it?"

"Yeah." Mavros replied, calm and collected.

"Whose Alpha's son are you?"

I was done for. Expose me now. Expose everything and let them come for my head.

"Logan, is this necessary?" Maya questioned, crossing her ankles. "It doesn't matter whose son he is."

"Oh, it matters." Logan said, sounding dad-like. "We all saw his wolf. For a werewolf to have a wolf that big, he must be of Alpha blood. Even my wolf isn't that big." He shifted his attention to Mavros, who was still cool about everything. "Tell us. Whose son are you?"

"If you must know, I am the descendant of Alpha Wayne. His youngest son."

Pardon?

Alpha Wayne was one of the most powerful alphas ever known. He and my father used to be good friends before he died. Alpha Wayne's pack was attacked by rogues and they killed him alongside his mate and three sons.

"Alpha Wayne's son?" Carter raised a suspicious brow. "Aren't Alpha Wayne's sons dead?" He glanced at me. "They are dead, right?"

"Y-yeah." I stuttered.

"I escaped." Mavros continued his lie. "I couldn't have the rogues or anyone come after me, so I hid away for years. I changed my name from Ronan to Tyrion." When he said the name I had given to him, his eyes found mine. "I couldn't risk anyone finding out. I am only telling you people because I believe the royal family won't let any harm come to me."

Fucking liar.

"You're Ronan?" Carter's surprise was evident. Mavros nodded. "No one would have thought the youngest son of Alpha Wayne is still alive." He patted Mavros' back. "It's a miracle."

Miracle indeed.

"Well, he is an Alpha's son, alright." Maya's eyes twinkled with joy. "Val, I don't want you to feel pressured,"

I'm already pressured.

"But I hope you think about this. He's a nice guy. Always comes to see you." She added.

Even when I don't want him to.

I mustered the sweetest smile I could. "I'll think about it."

"That's amazing!" she hugged me. "You do not know how happy I'll be when you choose him."

I pulled away from the hug and faced Mavros. "Can you come with me for a minute?"

"Okay." He bowed before Maya before following me to my study. Once we were inside, he shut the door behind him and sat on the chair across from me. "What is it?"

"You're stealing someone's identity." I began. "Ronan is dead. You shouldn't pretend to be him."

He shrugged. "It's better than telling them who I really am. Would you want that? To be away from me? Because I'd leave if they ever found out."

"I'd love to be away from you."

His hands flew to his chest. "You hurt me."

"I'd like to physically do that."

He grinned. "Let's give it a shot. Let me train you." He offered.

"I've had enough training to last me a lifetime."

"Ah..." he turned on the swivel chair. "Because of me. Your father really did his best, though. To get you ready. It was useless, just so you know. With a snap of my finger, I can kill you or anyone who rubs me the wrong way. But to make the training useful, I can let you fight me."

"No, thanks."

"Come on," he came to his feet and walked over to me. He sat on the desk. The position made his arms bulge. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Not everyone is opportune to fight me."

"I'm so special." Sarcasm dripped from my voice. When I remembered why I was mad at him in the first place, I asked. "Why did you come here? I told you to stop coming. Now my sister thinks we are a thing."

"Aren't we?"

"No." I said. "We are not a thing. We will never be a thing."

Hurt crossed his features. "What about god-mortal thing? Isn't that a thing?"

I ignored his question. "Just stop coming."

"You hate me that much?"

I hated how hurt he sounded. He was making guilt tripping me. I wasn't doing anything wrong. All I wanted was for him to stop coming to see me. Maybe Maya would stop fantasizing about me choosing a mate and getting married.

I interlocked my fingers. "I don't hate you?"

"You're not sure." He stood up from the chair.

"Well, yeah. I don't exactly know how to feel about you."

"Because I killed your brother?"

"Maybe."

He looked at the ground and then at me. "I understand. I just thought we were past that stage. Seems like I was wrong."

"Mavros..."

"I have to go now."

Just like his brother did, Mavros walked out the damn door.

<<<>>>

I was on my way to the meeting room after Melody came to inform me of the arrival of the Alphas, who wanted to see me concerning the woman who was looking for me. When I opened the door and walked into the room, the Alphas got to their feet and bowed. There were three of them.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting." I said, walking over to the head of the table. "Pack work never ends."

"I agree." One Alpha said with a laugh. He had brown hair with streaks of gray in them. Alpha London.

Logan and Melody stood behind me. I'd asked Melody to not come to the meeting because of her condition, but she would not listen to me. She said she was my gamma and had to act as such. I admired her for that.

"What exactly has been happening?" I questioned, resting my clasped hands on the table.

"Your majesty," One Alpha began. A woman, if I may add. Alpha Raquel. Looking at her made me think there was hope for women. She was bold, outspoken, fearless, and beautiful. Her shoulder length, strawberry blonde hair shaped her face nicely and made her blue eyes even more attractive.

"This woman has been going from pack to pack demanding to see you. We have turned her away, and even warned her to stop her madness, yet to no avail. She's keen on seeing you." Alpha Raquel.

"Your majesty, there is something strange about this woman, though." Alpha London said. He glanced at the other Alphas, as if afraid to speak. "Your majesty, what I am about to ask you may come as a shock to you or even insulting to you and the royal household, but it is necessary I ask."

I was getting worried. What heavy news was he about to drop on me?

"Go ahead." I told him. "Please."

He cleared his throat. Alpha Seth; a buff man with a buzz cut nodded, telling Alpha London it was okay to speak.

"My queen, aside from the late prince, do you have another sibling? One that looks identical to you?"

"Pardon?"

He shifted in his seat. "I am asking because this strange woman resembles you. From hair, to eye color, and even the face. It's unnerving."

I looked at Alpha Raquel, then at Alpha Seth. "Is this true?"

"Yes, your majesty." They chorused.

I slumped in my seat, confused.

"Does anyone know her name?" Logan questioned.

Alpha London's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to recall something. "She did mention a name to me. What was it again?" he drummed his fingers on the table as though it would stimulate his memory. His eyes suddenly lit up. "Ah, I recall. Zariya. That's what she said."

Zariya?

I thought she was dead. Aspro and Mavros said she was dead. Could they have been mistaken?

"Are you certain of this information?" I asked, my eyes on Alpha London.

"I can't be wrong."

If he was right, then I was fucked. Badly.

<<<>>>

I paced my room for minutes, thinking about what the Alphas had said. Why would a dead woman be looking for me? Was this how reincarnation worked? I highly doubted that. As a desperate person, I did what I thought was my best chance at understanding what was happening.

"Aspro. Mavros. Can any of you hear me?" I spun. "It'd be nice for one or both of you to show up now. I need explanations."

"You look stupid."

Mavros.

"You came." I managed a smile. "I'm sorry I made you leave. It's just that-"

"I know you didn't call me to apologize." He pushed himself off the wall and went to my reading desk, where a glass of water was. "You said you needed explanations." He picked up the glass.

"Yeah." I fidgeted. "I had a meeting with some Alphas and they left me with disturbing news."

"What did they say?" he sipped the water.

"Zariya is looking for me."

Mavros choked on the water in his mouth. He dropped the glass of water and coughed.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." He cleared his throat. "What did you say again?"

"Zariya is looking for me. She has been going from pack to pack in search of me. Why? I don't know."

"That makes no sense."

"I know." I agreed. "But did she look like I do now? The Alphas said she looked exactly like me. Is that true?"

He gave me a duh look. "I told you that you were reincarnated. Who else would you look like if not yourself?"

I gripped my hair. "So she does look like me."

He held me by my shoulders and pulled me close. "Don't worry about a thing, okay? I'll find her and return her to where she belongs." He led me to my bed and sat me down. "Rest, alright? I'll be back by sunset."

"I can't rest."

"Well, why not?"

"A woman who resembles me because she is me is out there looking for me. Why would she look for me? I have done nothing wrong. How did she even leave the spirit world?"

"Don't worry about it." he lifted my legs from the floor and placed them on the bed. He went ahead to cover me with a blanket. "Rest."

"I don't want to."

"You're going to give yourself a headache."

"I'm used to having headaches. This woman is going to get me in a lot of trouble. What do I tell my sister?"

"You worry too much." He sat on the bed. "Trust me on this one. I'll find her and return her to the spirit realm. She won't bother you."

"How sure are-" I stopped mid-sentence when he planted a kiss on my forehead.

"I said rest."

So I did.