~ISSA
I tried to remain calm as I watched Leia follow Yulia outside.
I knew that it was probably to warn her off. She was wasting her time. Nothing had happened between me and Yulia… yet, so they had no cause for creating any drama.
“You are playing a dangerous game, Issa,” Andrea said to me.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“That girl does not belong here,” Iris said. She was the eldest and most insane.
“She belongs to me,” I told them with a finality that shocked them.
“Is that why you are flaunting her in our faces?” Andrea asked
“You know me so well,” I said as I picked up an apple.
“Aren’t we enough for you?” Andrea asked angrily. “It’s bad enough I have to share you with my sisters and here you are trying to add another one to the rooster.”
“I hate sharing him with you, Andrea,” Iris said in a factual tone.
“Ladies, please, no fighting, there is no more me to go around,” I told them, knowing fully well that this would stir up problems in the room.
“You can not and will not put a stop to what we have because of her!” Andrea snapped.
I would have been shaken had I not known Andrea before but I was not moved.
“With this behavior and attitude, I do not think I want to keep doing anything with you.” I looked them in the eyes and watched as their expressions further darkened.
“She slept over in your room, Issa,” Iris said in a low tone, totally ignoring my words. Sometimes, I asked myself how I got myself involved with them in the first place. “Something you don’t allow us to do with you, why?” She continued.
“She is special to me,” I said with a shrug, deciding to end the ruse and cool off the space. “She is the daughter of my sister so she has more rights than you and anybody else.”
“You’re an uncle?” Andrea’s brows lifted in disbelief, as if she never once thought that I was capable of being one.
“Very much so and you were all lewd and dirty to the poor girl,” I said, turning the tables around on her.
“We had no idea.” There was relief in Andrea’s voice, as if she had told herself that the competition was gone.
“Of course you had no idea, after all, you were not raised to ask for names,” I said. “You were just trained to attack, that’s why you have not found a mate yet.”
“And who says we aren’t your mates?” Iris dared to dream.
I was sure that if I let Iran back into my mind then he would be mocking for thinking it could be them.
“There has been no wolf imprint on any of you and me, when the bonding happens you will feel the imprint,” I said.
“It will happen when it’s time,” Andrea said stubbornly.
I shook my head. It was pointless arguing with Andrea. It was not just her but the Craven family as whole. They always try to control everything even if it is beyond their reach.
“I will not advise you to be hopeful, Andrea.” The least I could do was warn her that it could never happen.
“Hope has nothing to do with it,” Iris answered. “We just have to wait.”
I sighed. It was like I was talking to a wall.
“I don’t get it, Issa,” Andrea said. “If she is family, why does she not have her own room?” Her question showed how suspicious she was.
Honestly, I had no reason to lie to them but I needed them off my back. The Craven Sisters had no idea about boundaries and that was how it had been since we were cubs.
“Nightmares,” I said with a shrug.
I suddenly felt Yulia getting farther away from the house. Where the heck was she going?
“There is something more going on between the two of you.” Andrea narrowed her eyes on me.
“You can believe what you want, Andrea. It makes no difference to me,” I replied.
“Then you would not mind if I do my own research on her,” Andrea said.
That was not good. I was suddenly worried about what she would find. I hardly knew much about her myself.
“Do what you have to,” I said instead even if I felt Iran stir with disapproval from the corner I kept him.
Emilia, the old and head maid came to the kitchen. “King Issa, we should begin to prepare for the evening event, guests are on their way,” She said.
It seemed like the Announcement was happening whether I liked it or not. Andrea and Iris beamed happily. I had a feeling that they were hiding something.
“Alright, I will start preparing,” I said.
“Please wear the tuxedo I picked out for you,” Emilia said fondly.
“I will,” I replied and got up. I needed to get to Yulia before she got any farther.
I could feel Iris and Andrea’s eyes on me as I left the room but I cared less about them and more about Yulia. So I followed her scent out the back door and passed through the garden. I met Leia on the way.
“Your pet is tough, I really like her,” She said with an amused smile.
“No pranks, Leia,” I warned her.
“Me? Prank? I don’t know what you mean,” She replied with feigned innocence. I was familiar with her game- her deadly game.
Leia was the youngest and the most mischievous. She had played deadly pranks on my casual flings with other women just to discourage them from forming any lasting relationship with them.
“I know you, Leia, back off,” I said and left her where she stood.
I knew that my words had fallen on deaf ears. I found Yulia under a tree looking far away lost in her own thoughts.
I sighed as I realised she was probably thinking of her mother. I had to admit though that she was handling it perfectly or she was just good at hiding her true feelings.
“I never asked how you were doing with your mom’s passing.” I came to a stop beside her and decided to look ahead like her.
“I still do not believe that she is gone.” Her voice came out quiet- too quiet and I saw the way she suddenly shivered. “I guess that I have not really come to terms with her death.”
I was suddenly filled with the urge to protect her from the cruelty of the world. I wanted to comfort her. I wanted to assure her that she had me but I suddenly realised that I couldn’t tell her these things.
Who was I kidding? We were always at each other’s necks. Who was I to promise her all these things?
In the end, I settled for the safe path. I was going to give her an opening and hope that she would take it. “Just know that I am here if you need anything.”
She suddenly shot me furrowed brows before relaxing again. “It’s weird to see you being kind.”
“I am kind… Yulia,” I whispered and she shot me a disbelieving look. “Only to the people that deserve my kindness.”
She corked her brows this time before falling quiet and facing the horizon again. We both fell silent and it started to get so awkward that I knew if I didn’t break the silence now, it would make me shrink into a baby.
But Yulia beat me to it. “So? Are you tired of dealing with your harem?”
I frowned in confusion.
“Your fuck group,” She said.
“We are not a fuck a group, and I am always tired of them,” I corrected her.
The sun was setting already and I remembered the second reason I came for her.
“Let’s go prepare you for the party, it is almost time,” I told her.
She started to turn away from the horizon to head back to the house when she stopped abruptly. “The announcement? What’s that about?”
“It’s an event where an Alpha or in my case, a Lycan gets officially recognized by the Order,” I explained.
“The Order?”
“A group that oversees the affairs of all night creatures,” I replied.
“Politics. Got it.”
Her curiosity seemed to be satisfied for now. So I led her back to the house.
As I was about to enter, a small gust of wind blasted my way and something hit my face. When I retrieved it and recognized what it was, I froze.
Sitting perfectly in my palm, was a black rose petal- just like the one found on the body.