Chapter 9

ASPRO'S POINT OF VIEW

Realm of the gods {Alynthi}

As I watched her sit beside her Beta in a hospital room, my heart ached. She didn't deserve this. Neither did the innocent man who lay weakly on the bed. I didn't understand Zariya's anger and reason for harming Logan, and she wouldn't tell me or my brother. Before Mavros went in search of Zariya, I had found her leaving a pack after checking if Valeria was there.

When I first set my eyes on her, I was afraid of what she had become. After they split her, her usual blue eyes turned amber and her black hair turned gray. It was supposed to remain that way in the spirit realm, but she somehow managed to get access to Ichor and she drank it. Her hair and eye color had returned to what I knew, but she had a crazed look in her eyes. She was after something and knowing Zariya, she wouldn't stop until she had gotten it.

It was one thing that remained in Valeria today. During the time when Mavros was supposed to destroy her kind, she didn't stop, even when all hopes seemed to be lost. She kept fighting and eventually found favor in the eyes of Fitia. It made me wish she'd try to fight for what could have been if the elder gods hadn't punished her for loving me.

"Aspro?" Fitia joined me in gazing into the small pond I had been using to watch Valeria. "You've been watching her for some time now."

"I'm being cautious. I don't know what will happen if I look away."

"Valeria will be fine." She assured me. "All we have to do is figure out how to send Zariya back to the spirit realm. It still baffles me how she got ichor."

"Me too. It scares me what she can do now that she is partly mortal."

"Then go to the mortal realm. Once everything is sorted, you can come back to Alynthi. That way, you can keep a close eye on Valeria."

"I don't think there is a need for me to go to the mortal realm."

"Because of Mavros?" She guessed. "Is that why?"

"Yes. If he is there, I have no reason to worry."

"Do you really trust Mavros to not try anything with Valeria?"

I turned to her. "What do you mean?"

"Aspro, unless you want to lose Valeria to your brother, you'll do something."

"Mavros knows better than to fall in love with Valeria. They'll both be punished this time around."

"You're not getting my point."

I furrowed my brows. "Explain."

"It takes two people to fall in love before the elder gods can punish them. Mavros' reason for going to the mortal realm is to prevent Valeria from falling in love with you. He wants her to fall in love with him."

"That makes no sense."

"His actions will woo Valeria and she'll fall in love with him. Mavros, on the other hand, will not love her, but he'll be there for her as her mate and, if he so pleases, the father of her children. That way, he will prevent her from getting split and save you the pain of watching her die a second death at the hands of the elder gods. If you think about it, he indeed is the dark knight she called him. Doing bad things for a good cause."

"Why can't he just try to set her up with someone else and leave her for good?"

I hated the thought of my brother holding Valeria or even being the one she looks at with love and admiration. It can be anyone else in this world and I'll be happy for her. Anyone but my brother.

"Mavros has become fond of that mortal. He enjoys her company."

No. I can't have this.

"Can't there be a way around this?" I asked hopefully.

"Since Valeria does not want to have any male Alpha sit on her throne, there is no other safe way around this except for letting her fall in love with Mavros. It could have been you, but you're already in love with her. There's a ninety-nine percent chance she'll love you back. We can't have history repeating itself."

"What can I do? I cannot lose Valeria to my brother and I don't want her to be split again."

"The first thing to do is find out what Zariya wants from Valeria. After that, you go to the elder gods and try to convince them to let you be with Valeria. It pains me to say this, but if they refuse, there is nothing you can do except watch Valeria choose Mavros as her mate."

<<<>>>

After the conversation I had with Fitia, I went to Selene. She was an elder god, so she'd probably know why they didn't want a god and mortal to fall in love. Only mother would be kind enough to tell me the truth behind their refusal.

Before me was a woman wearing the moon as her crown and a garment of white. She had her back turned to me as she gazed into a bowl. Her black hair shone like stars in the sky. The woman was my mother. The woman everyone called Selene.

"Mother."

She spun. Her eyes were like two moons, and her skin was like the whitest snow. "Aspro?"

I smiled.

"I wasn't expecting you." She took my hand and led me to a bright light. Behind it was her home.

Almost everything here was white. The only thing that had a different color was the golden mirror of the gods she used to keep an eye on Fitia. She tapped her foot gently on the ground and a chair that resembled Fitia's throne shot out of the ground as though it were a plant.

"What brings you here, son?" She sat on the white throne.

I stood before her. "Mother, I have come to ask you a question."

She nodded. "Go ahead."

"I've been doing a lot of thinking recently and it came to mind you never told me the reason the elder gods were against my union with Zariya."

"You want to know why?"

"Yes."

"It's simple. A mortal belongs with a mortal and a god with a goddess. You cannot have mortality and immortality cross paths of love. It will only end in tears and suffering."

"What if I tell you it will be different?"

"No." she snapped. Mother rose from her seat. "I hope you have no intention of pursuing that Alpha queen."

I hung my head. "No."

"Better. Unless you want her to die, you'll do well to stay away from her."

"I will."

<<<>>>

For the first time in my life, I would disobey my mother. She told me to stay away from Valeria, yet I found myself opening a portal to the mortal realm. I couldn't leave her alone at such a time as this. I did not know what Zariya wanted. Her reason for going after Valeria was still unknown to me.

The first place I went to was the pack hospital and the first royal family member I set eyes on was Valeria's older sister, Maya. She bowed before me. An action I found unusual. She would only bow if she knew who I was. Realization dawned on me. She knew I was not Caelum. She knew who I was.

"Princess Maya," I motioned for her to come closer when I saw how hesitant she was. I wasn't my brother. She had no reason to fear me like she did. She warily came closer to me. "Where is Valeria?"

"She received a call earlier. She was asked to come back to the palace, so she's there."

"Is that so?"

"Yes." She answered. "Um, Aspro?" She lowered her eyes. "May I call you that?"

I nodded. "You may. Princess Maya, you have no reason to walk on eggshells around me or my brother. Just because we're gods doesn't mean we're going to treat you like objects."

"Thank you." She lifted her head, like a princess should. "My sister told us everything, Aspro." She began. "About your past life and Zariya. I don't know what your intentions are, but I trust they are pure and would not hurt her."

"My only goal is to keep your sister safe. It is the reason I am here. I will do everything in my power to make sure she's safe."

"Thank you."

"No need to thank me." I patted her shoulder. "I'll be on my way now."

Since she knew who I was, I had no problem disappearing in front of her. It was one thing I enjoyed as a god. I appeared in the living room. There was no one here. I checked her study. She wasn't there. I was about to go into a room that was labelled as the meeting room when I heard something smash. A grunt followed.

"What's the problem?" A familiar voice asked. "Too scared?"

The sound of furniture coming into contact with the floor had me sprinting up the stairs. I did not know where the sound came from, so I listened closely.

"What do you want?" I heard Valeria ask. Her voice came from the second to the last room in the hallway.

When I got to the room, the door was on the floor, unhinged. Valeria was backed up against the wall with a knife pressed against her throat by none other than Zariya. The mirror in the room was in pieces on the floor and some had blood on it. Valeria's blood. Blood ran down her arms and her face was bruised.

"Zariya."

She inhaled sharply. "My love?" She turned to me and dropped the knife. "My love, is that really you?"

Valeria's breathing was heavy as she watched Zariya and me.

"It is me." I told her. "Why are you here? What do you want?"

"What we dreamed of, Aspro." She touched her tummy. "Have you forgotten?"

I hadn't.

"You're not supposed to be here."

"Stop trying to get rid of me. Please." She advanced toward me. "Don't you love me anymore?"

I held her hand before she could touch my face. "It doesn't matter."

"What do you mean?"

"You're not a living person, Zariya. What you want; that dream—it cannot happen anymore."

"Isn't that why she's here?" She pointed at Valeria. "She's here to fulfill that dream for both of us. You just need to agree to it and then-"

"Nothing of that nature will happen."

She pulled her hand out of mine as if burned her. "You promised me."

"That was before I knew it was forbidden for a god and mortal to be together. Do you wish for the same thing to happen again?"

"I don't care." She traced her finger across my chest. "My love, I don't care, as long as that dream becomes a reality. It can only happen through her. Through Valeria."

"Excuse me?" Valeria raised her hand. "You keep mentioning my name. Care to tell me what this is about? What dream are you talking about?"

"It's nothing important." I said, "Pay no mind to her."

"It's not important?" She pivoted in Valeria's direction. "I'll tell you what our dream was."

"Zariya, stop."

"Don't tell me to stop, my love." She looked over her shoulder and at me. "It hurts my feelings." She shifted her attention to Valeria. "Valeria Romero, I am sure you know very well that you and I are the same. We are destined to love the same man and perish in the end."

"Pardon?"

"Be quiet and let me continue." She ordered.

Valeria growled in disapproval. "Don't tell me what to do."

"See?" Zariya smiled. "We are the same indeed. Anyway, in the past, Aspro and I fell in love and under a full moon, he promised we would be together and have children. That dream died when the council of elder gods summoned and punished me. I was okay with what happened because Aspro didn't get dragged down with me. But after I found out they reincarnated me into a certain Valeria Romero, I realized that dream could become a reality. Thus, the reason I left the spirit realm."

"Hold on a second." Valeria crossed her arms over her chest. "You want me to bear a child,"

"Children." Zariya corrected. "It's better if it's children. I won't complain if it's only one, though."

Valeria sighed. "You want me to have children with Aspro just to fulfill your dream?"

"Yes." she confirmed. "I am you and you are me. We are the same. My dream is your dream."

"It doesn't work that way." Valeria said, upset. "I will not have a child with him," she pointed at me. "And there is absolutely nothing you can do about it."

Zariya tsked. "I'd hate for what happened to your beta to get tragic. Would you like to plan a third funeral?"

"Don't you dare." Valeria warned. "Leave my family out of this madness."

"Then do what I want. Have a child with Aspro and I'll leave you alone for good."

"But she'll die." I reminded her. "She'll die before she can even give birth."

She faced me. "That's where you are wrong, my love." She rested her head on my chest. "The gods cannot kill their own. You know it. She'll be alive and give birth to our children."

"She'll still die."

Zariya shrugged. "Perhaps. No one can tell."

"You're crazy if you think I'm going to do what you're asking." Valeria said.

"You'll be the crazy one by the time I'm done with this household." She stood on her toes and kissed my cheek. "I'll see you later, my love."