Chapter 57

**Allister POV**

I stood there watching as the door behind Alex closed, and I couldn’t say I blamed him for running away the way he did.
I wasn’t too happy to learn that my mate has another one, but again I had more time to adjust to the situation.
A sound of a sniffle reached my ears, making me look away from the door and back to Nerissa, who was silently looking the same way I was looking a second earlier.
A small tear fell down her cheek, and it broke my heart to see her, my mate, so sad.
I wasn’t sure what was more troubling for me. Was it that she was sad or the realization that hit me like a train, that she has developed feelings for Alex too?
Gently, I grabbed her chin, making her turn her eyes to look back at me.
Placing my palms on the side of her face, I used my thumbs to wipe away any traces of her silent tears, leaning my forehead onto hers.
I felt her wiggle out from my hold, so I gave her the space she needed, noticing her discomfort as she had her eyes look everywhere but at me.
“I-I…” she tried to say something but was struggling with words.
I exhaled loudly, looking away from her at the window and the mountains that could be seen, far away in the distance. Forcing myself to say the words out loud, even if it burned my tongue like acid. 
“If you are trying to tell me that you two mated, then there is no need to tell me that because I already know that.” The words were like poison as I said them, but what was the point in pretending if I knew the truth.
I heard her gasp before her barely audible voice reached my ears, saying, “H-how do you know?”
The question made me turn my head back and look at her.
Even before I could say anything, she noticed my raised eyebrow and the silent look that said, ‘Do you really need to ask me that?’ she rushed to speak before I could even ask that question.
She said, “I’m sorry, Allister. I never wanted to hurt you.”
I knew deep down inside my heart that what she said is true, so I raised my palm and caressed her cheek, noticing her leaning into my touch, which brought a small smile on my face, I said, “You have nothing to apologize for, kitten. I know you would never hurt me, at least not on purpose.”
Her eyes flashed hearing the endearment I used, bringing a smile on my face as she said, “You are not upset?”
I looked her in her eyes and answered, “I can’t lie to you Nerissa, I was upset when I found out, and yes I wanted to kill him at that moment…” her eyes grew wide as I just confirmed to her my intentions that I was sure she was already suspecting already and that is why she stopped us from killing each other, so I continued, “I didn’t care then if I’ll die together with him as long as I had my revenge but you stopped us both and I can’t speak in his name but… you are our mate… we or at least I can’t stand to see you in pain. So no, I am not any more upset, and it is what it is.”
She looked at me for a moment in silence before she looked back towards the door, asking, “Do you think he will be ok and come back?”
As much as I would love for him to never return I could see he was important to her so pushing away arrogance I was feeling and answer I would rather say, I took her hand and gently squeezed it, trying to comfort her best in my capabilities, answering, “He needs some time to process what he just found out.” 
Her eyes looked up at me sadly, but she understood as she slowly nodded her head.
I said, “It is not easy, especially for males as he and I are, to find out that we are not the only ones in our mate’s life, but I am sure he will come back. He is too arrogant not to.”
The last part I said with an eye roll making her giggle, which was instantly warming my heart.
Her palm pressed right above my heart, surprising me by the action, as my eyes looked at hers, holding my breath, feeling afraid if I was to take a deep breath her touch would leave and the tingles and warmth that were present would go away.
Her lean fingers caressed and played with the necklace I had, making the blood inside my veins burn to life by the slight touch she made.
She said, “Were you upset when you found out Alex is also my mate, just like you are?”
Thinking back to the day when I found out about the prophecy, clearing my throat, I said, “I knew about our situation even before we meet so I was not surprised by it but again when I meet Alex and realized he was the other male, a second mate to my mate, I wasn’t too happy but definitely can say I was better prepared than he was.”
“What do you mean? How did you know about our situation before we even met?” She looked at me with curiosity shining out from her eyes.
“My clan’s Shaman revealed to me that my destiny is different from others, such as my father. She said that there is a prophecy about special mates, a princess born from the fire and she is blessed by the Goddess with multiple mates and one of them is me.” I said, remembering the day when I was eager to learn about my mate, that is until I learned that I’m supposed to share with another.
“When I was in the Dark Fae world, I saw an Oracle that told me about prophecy and fate.” Her voice sounded distant, making me wonder what exactly was playing in her mind as she finished her sentence and was deep in her thoughts.
Not being able to hold myself back anymore, I wrapped my arms around her frame and pulled her small body closer, pressing closer into my chest, kissing the top of her head, I said, “Don’t worry, kitten, everything will sort out and be ok.”

*****

**Nerissa POV**

I pressed my nose in his neck, feeling the warmth that was giving me comfort, putting my disturbed mind at ease.
The light knock came from the door, making Allister and me look up.
The door opened and the moment I saw him standing there in the doorway, my breath hitched while my heart painfully squeezed inside my chest.
“May I come in?” Alex asked, having his eyes set on Allister and me.
I noticed his eyes fall down on Allister’s arms that were still wrapped around me, and I was sure he would lose control and storm inside, but instead, he surprised me.
He swallowed hard, tearing away his eyes from Allister’s arms. He looked at me with a sad look, making me feel the need to get up from the bed and run to him and try to comfort him.
“Come in. This is your house after all.” Allister said, making Alex look at him, but keeping silent.
I noticed he wouldn’t enter if I didn’t let him, so I cleared my throat to get rid of any emotions that were clogging my throat. I said, “Yes, please come in.”
His eyes inspected me for a minute and I feared he would turn around and leave, but then I saw him barely nodding his head as he took a step inside and closing the door behind him. 
Allister slowly removed his arms from me and said, “Maybe I should better leave you two to talk in private.”
I knew he was not too happy about that idea, but it warmed my heart to see that he was trying to do the right thing.
Reaching my hand up, I grabbed Allister’s making him look down at me since he stood up from the bed. I said to him, “Thank you.”
A small smile showed on his handsome face as he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on my forehead before he gave a silent nod to Alex and walked outside the room.
Alex and I were just looking at each other, the tension-filled the room making us both speak at the same time; 
“I’m sorry!”
“I’m sorry!”
Saying the same words at the same time made us both smile at each other.
Alex wasted no time moving fast and in the next moment I could see him sitting on the edge of the bed I was in, keeping the distance but still being close to me. 
He said, “I’m sorry, love. I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did and hurt you that way, it was just unexpected and…”
I reached my hand out and took his hand in mine, stopping his words as his eyes that held sadness looked up into my own.
I said, “I understand. Something like that was thrown at you so your reaction was expected, I’m just sorry if I hurt you.”
His hand touched my cheek, caressing it gently as he said, “This is something that is out of our control and not something that you choose by yourself, and in that way hurt me. This is higher than just us and I will have to learn to accept it.”
My eyes grew hearing his words, not believing I heard him right, I asked, “You… would accept it?”
A sad chuckle sounded from him as he looked at me, and I could see honesty and love shining in his eyes. He said, “For you, I would do anything, my love. Whatever makes you happy, I would want to keep you that way, because your happiness matters the most to me.”
My heart swelled with warmth and happiness hearing his words, making me jump into his arms and press my lips onto his.
He returned the kiss instantly, deepening our kiss as his tongue probed inside my mouth, caressing and dancing with my own.
The clearing of a throat sounded, making Alex and I to part away and look at the person we didn’t even hear entering the room.
The moment my eyes landed on Allister, seeing him raise his eyebrow up, looking at us both, my cheeks flared with red as I crawled off Alex’s lap.
“Well, glad to see you two made up,” Allister said.
“Thanks for giving us a moment to talk in private,” Alex said to Allister, standing up and offering him a hand to shake.
Allister looked at his hand then back down at me, taking his hand, and I watched as both of my mates made a silent handshake.
Allister exhaled and looked at Alex and me, saying, “As much as I am glad that the truth is out and we know what we all are to each other, we could say I guess… There is a matter that needs to be dealt with.”
Allister had his eyes look from me to Alex, who stood next to him in silence, letting Allister finish his thought.
Allister continued, “Nerissa, there is no easier way for either one of us to ask this, so I’ll just say it.” Looking at me, I could see a struggle in his eyes. He continued, “I believe both Alex and I wish to know who you will choose to be with?”
My throat went dry, while my heart started to race, looking at both of them there, standing side by side, looking at me, and waiting for the final judgment.
Once again my first and last meeting with Oracle brought back the woman’s words, making me think hard about what she said until I heard Alex talking with Allister.
“Why are you asking her to choose now?” Alex asked Allister who looked at him and answered, “It doesn’t matter will it be today or some other day, so why to prolong the inevitable.”
My eyes looked up, watching them both when Allister turned his attention back at me, saying,
“Who will you choose? Alexander or me?”