Liam’s POV
“I didn’t expect you home soon.” Maya snorted as I made my way inside. “I thought you would be busy being a dog and wouldn’t remember that you have a family.”
I ignored her as I walked towards my bedroom. I wondered if they had been keeping it tidy since I had left. It had been long that I had been home.
“What of your alpha? Aren’t you meant to be keeping him safe? Or have you been displaced because he now has a mate?” She continued, moving after me
I rolled my eyes and didn’t say a word. She was trying to pick a fight but I wouldn’t let her. It was Kevin’s seventh year of marriage and I didn’t understand why she was acting as if he was a newlywed and I was being cast away by the new wife.
“Aren’t you going to answer me, brother? Are you going to keep ignoring me?” She sighed. “I wonder if I’m your family or Ella is. You don’t treat me as your family at all.”
“You don’t act as my family as well. You never stop embarrassing me.” I sighed, turning to her.
“I know you are going to make it about Ella.” She cried.
I sighed. “This doesn’t have to be about Ella. Must everything in this house be about Ella? I wasn’t even referring to her but you turned everything to be about her.”
“How is she, by the way?” She asked.
I let out a frustrated sigh, wondering if she was crazy. How was it possible for her to change tracks like that? Her obsession with Kevin must have driven her mad. Sometimes, I wanted to blame Kevin for making my sister this way, wishing that he hadn’t slept with her but I had to admit to myself that it wasn’t his fault.
Kevin wasn’t in a good place after Ella went missing and was using alcohol to knock himself out and distracting himself with a different girl per night. Maya knew that and still went ahead to sleep with him even after my numerous warnings to not get close to Kevin, deluding herself that he would be different with her.
It was her fault that she chose to be deluded. It was her fault that she chose to ignore my words. It was her fault that she chose to be stubborn.
“Ella is fine. Her children are also fine.” I answered, laying emphasis on the words and hoping she would let go of her obsession. “I just came back home in a very long time. Let me have some rest, sister, and don’t disturb my peace.”
Twelve years was a long time for someone to live in delusion. Seven years was a long time for someone to accept reality and snap out of her delusion.
“One would think I’m a regular troublemaker.” She hissed.
“That is exactly what you are.” I hissed back at her, tired of always arguing with her.
She was the reason I hardly come home and stayed away from my parents’ house but rather spend my leave days at the apartment allocated to betas near the palace. I didn’t want to stay there today because I didn’t want to be around the palace as I knew Kevin would drag me back to his study to brainstorm what to say to Ella and I didn’t want to deal with that stress after spending hours thinking of names up to no avail.
“What is the big deal about asking after the Luna of the pack? How does that make me a troublesome fellow?”
“Why don’t you focus on getting yourself a mate and stop fretting over someone else’s mate?” I snapped at her.
“You are mean.” She cried. “You don’t have the right to insult me, brother. You don’t have a mate either.”
I sighed, knowing she was right and hating that she was. I should find something to do about that so she wouldn’t have a comeback next time. It was high time I got myself a mate. I also wished to enjoy the bliss that Kevin had with Ella. I couldn’t deny that they made me envious at times.
I walked off to my room, fuming in anger as I did. I went straight to the bathroom to shower, grinning as I soaked myself under the water, letting it fall down from my hair to my toes.
I had barely stepped out of the shower when I heard Maya shouting outside and wondered what had tripped her off. Maya didn’t have much friends anymore since Ella had come back and won the affection of the people. No one wanted to be found plotting with her. They weren’t interested in plotting against Ella as much as Maya did so I couldn’t guess who she was shouting at.
“Haven’t you done enough?” I heard Maya shout. “Are you here to snatch my brother away from me too?”
I gasped as I guessed who she was shouting at. I hurriedly dressed up and went out. I was right. It was Ella she was shouting at.
“Your highness.” I bowed as I stepped outside. “I apologize on behalf of my rude sister.”
Maya snorted and walked off. Ella smiled. “Don’t worry about her. I know how she is.”
“What brings you all the way here, my lady?”
“Can we talk?”
“Sure.” I said, leading her towards the balcony where no one could listen in on us.
“What do you know of the deal Kevin made with his life twelve years ago?” She asked once we were alone.
I paled as I stared at her, wondering how the hell she had found out about what we were trying to keep as a secret.