19

“I doubt that. I don’t think someone has taken her. Rather, I think she’s taking shelter with someone she loves.”
“Loves? Who could a fourteen-year-old possibly love at that young age?”
“You would be surprised. I lost my virginity at fifteen. It’s no big deal.”
“That’s a year’s difference. She’s too young to have a lover.”
“Don’t be so sure about it Sia. Wonders shall never end.”
“Since you’re so sure about yourself, use the guest list and find out who this imaginary lover is.”
I frown. He’s mocking me.
“Just watch and see,” I say, looking through the guest list. Most of the people Ruarc had invited to his party were old people. I don’t think she would be into old men. A smile breaks out on my face, when I come across a name.
“Sia, I think I have found the imaginary lover”
“Really? Who is it?”
“Eloive Lancaster. Sixteen years old.”
Sia pushed me away as if I had burned him. I don’t really like being pushed around but Sia has been doing that a lot lately. I didn’t fall over this time, just rolled away from him.
“What is wrong with you? Did I do something wrong?”
He doesn’t answer, breathing heavily, eyes wide.
“Why does that name affect you so much?”
Was Eloive an enemy? Sia was acting really strange. Why did he push me like that?
“Nothing.”
“It can’t be nothing. If you hadn’t realized, you pushed me away like I’m useless.”
He ran his fingers through his hair repeatedly. “Eloive is not the type of person to involve himself with commoners. He’s too stuck up for that.”
“You seem to know him well,” I muse, climbing into his lap again. I just hope he doesn’t push me away again.
“That’s because I do. Eloive is bipolar and fucked up. It’s just that I haven’t seen him in a long time.”
“Maybe if you hadn’t turned rogue, you guys would still be in touch.”
“I doubt that,” he says, nuzzling his face in my neck.
“Why do you say that?”
“Eloive doesn’t like me for a reason I don’t understand.”
“How can anyone not like you?”, I ask, my voice laced with sarcasm.
I can feel him rolling his eyes. “You liked me enough to sleep with me.”
“What is Eloive to you? Friend or foe?”
“None. Eloive is simply my nephew.”
“Nephew? So, you’re an uncle? Wow, who is the unlucky father?”
“It’s best if you don’t know.”
“I’m sure I can handle it. So, tell me, who out of your many brothers is responsible for an irresponsible teenager?”
“Eloive is very responsible. He helped us build this cabin.”
“I thought you and Anita built this alone?”
“Eloive was desperate for muscles. I couldn’t refuse.”
I tried to picture this Eloive of a guy, but I come up blank.”
“Did his father support it?”
“Eloive never needs Ruarc’s permission. He’s too stuck up to even ask for it.”
Rustic is Eloive’s father? He has a son. Well, I didn’t see that coming.
“Ruarc has a son? With whom?”
“If I didn’t know any better, I would say that you’re jealous.”
“I’m not,” I defend. But I am very jealous. I don’t know why but I don’t want to share my Ruarc. My Ruarc? Why am I getting possessive over a man I barely know? “I’m just surprised that’s all. It’s weird to think that a stuck-up man like that can have children.”
“Your eyes are saying differently.”
I snort. “You can’t even see me.”
“I know you enough to know that deep down, you’re not happy. And Ruarc finds it very hard to have children. Eloive is his only offspring.”
“So, his wife couldn’t give him more children?”
“Wives,” he corrected. “Ruarc has six wives, and they’re all a barren mess. Even their marital affair is a waste.”
Six wives? Six rings? I don’t see the point if all are barren.
“Then who is Eloive’s mother?”, I ask curiously. Sia is braiding my hair now. He’s such a darling.
“One of Ruarc’s concubines. Ruarc’s paternity is still in question though. Sure enough, she wanted to be Ruarc’s seventh wife and was banished for treason.”
Treason? What did she try to do? It’s a good thing Ruarc didn’t fall prey to her charms.
“I feel bad for her. She wasn’t allowed to spend time with her son.”
“My brothers were not happy with his decision but they couldn’t revolt against him.”
“Your brothers. Just how many are they?”
“A football team,” he says chuckling.
Holy shit! Who is the unlucky woman? I can’t even imagine myself birthing a child, let alone a team of rascals.
“Eleven in number? Wow, that’s just too much.”
“You forgot the coach.”
“And I’m guessing Ruarc is the coach? Who seconds him?”
“Not me. Eleanor and Elvis. Izal is before me.”
“So, you’re the fifth? Who is the youngest?”
“Our goalkeeper. The first five are offenders. The second six are defenders. Massa is our goalkeeper.”
What an interesting team.
“No girls?”
“The triplets are dead, except for one.”
“What’s her name and how old is she?”
“You seem very interested in my family.”
“That I am. So, tell me who she is.”
“Waxlyn. She’s Thane’s only child.”
“Wow. Just how many of your brothers have children?”
“Just Izal, Thane and Ruarc. Not all of us are interested in settling down. Cocci who is after me is gay.”
Cocci? What kind of name is that?
“That must be hard for you guys.”
“He keeps hitting on Massa, so he relocated. Only a few know where he is. He’s the playboy among us.”
I’m guessing Sia is one of the few. I’d love to meet Massa and Cocci. The others, not so much.
“Whew, what a genealogy.”
“Massa is our main focus right now.”
“And why is that?”
“He is Cecilia’s godfather.”
I’m guessing the girl is Cecilia.
“How old is this Massa anyway that he is already a godfather?”
“Age is just a number for us. It holds no importance in our lives.”
Well, that’s surprising. I should have expected that.
“Anyways, I think Cecilia is with him.”
“Can you just forget the possibility that she might be in love and see things for what they really are?”
“Still, I strongly believe Cecilia is with him. And even if she isn’t, he would know where she is. You think Massa is with her?”
He slowly nods. “He made a promise to her mother to keep her safe.”
“Was he close with her mother?”
“He loved her. Ruarc thinks he might have killed her out of spite.”
Why would he do that? But that’s possible since Davidson was trying to do that to me. We were having a good time, discussing his family and I just had to spoil it. Like always.
“So where does Anita fit in all this?”
I can feel his muscles tense beneath his shirt.
“Don’t bring her up, we can talk about her later.”
“If you say so. So, when are we going to meet Eloive?”
“We are not meeting anyone.”
“Why? You have to fix things between you and Eloive to get him to spill the beans. Secrets can’t remain secrets for long.”
“My relationship with Anita was never a secret.”
“I thought you didn’t want to talk about her?”
“We have to meet Massa first to find out what he knows,” he easily changed the subject like a pro.
“Well, you can meet him alone. I don’t want to go.”
That’s a lie of course.
“It’s not like I want you with me in the first place.”
I am beyond hurt but I don’t want to show it.
“Fine, go without me. It’s not like I care,” I say, moving away from him.
“Goodnight Crinka. We would talk in the morning,” he says leaving me to go do his own thing. I’m not looking forward to the morning, because the sunrise will bring its own problems.
Me getting collared again.
?
I eye the collar with disdain. I should have destroyed the collar two days ago, (Yes Sia had given me freedom for two days) but I got carried away with our conversation. Very soon, when Sia is done showering, that stupid thing will be on my neck again. If it wasn’t coated with silver, I would have snapped it in half.
“Don’t look at it so much. It’s not poison.”
I scowl at him. Sia is half dressed, only wearing slacks. He didn’t towel off, water dripping from his hair. He peered at me.
“I wish it didn’t have to come to this. But honestly, I would rather take poison and let it digest than have that thing back on.”
Why is silver not affecting Sia? What type of wolf is he?
He picks up the collar, approaching my shaking figure. He pushes a strand of hair back.
“Sia please,” I beg. “I’ll do anything just don’t put that thing back on me.”
“My hands are tied Crinka, you know that.”
“You look rather free to me,” I pointed out, leaning against the wall. He cups my cheeks, looking deep into my eyes. “Why are you doing this? You don’t have to do this.”
“You know why. I have to prove to society that I am capable of handling you.”
“I don’t care what society thinks about, Sia. I don’t want to be collared again.”
“I’m sorry,” he whispers, bringing the collar closer.
I should run, fight him even, but I don’t. I have finally come to terms with my fate. I won’t fight this. He is so close, and I am beyond shocked when he retracts his hand. The one that is holding the collar.
“Fuck I can’t do this to you when you’re looking at me like that.”
I’m happy my expression discouraged him, but I know it will only be a little while before he comes back to his senses.
I’m surprised when Sia snaps the collar in half.
“Why… why did you do that?”
“The damned thing was preventing me from marring your skin with hickeys.”
I recovered quickly, throwing my arms around him. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
“There are a million ways to thank a man,” he whispers in my ear. “How about you thank me the way you thanked Ruarc?”
I slapped his chest, laughing. “You’re so dirty.”
He gives me an innocent look. “I just showered, but I won’t mind doing it again,” he says hoisting me up. I lock my ankles around his waist.
“Kiss me.”
“Needy doesn’t suit you. It makes you look like a whore.”
“I don’t care at the moment Sia, this is the only way I can forgive you.”
“No. This is blackmail and it’s not going to work.”
“Then put me down,” I say annoyed.
He smacks my arse, and when Sia is just about to fulfil my desires, there’s a knock on the door.