Chapter 100: I Don’t Trust Him
Koda;
I didn’t realise how much I missed him till now.
But as I watch him sleep, I can’t shake off the fear of who might try to take him from me...
No.
I can’t let that happen. I can’t let anyone take him away from me. I have to protect him.
I’ve found something innocent... and precious. I’ve never been more certain of my need to protect someone. I will keep Elian safe. No matter what.
That’s what being my omega means.
"Stupid... Alpha..." He mumbles in his sleep, and I raise a brow.
Now, who is this little troublemaker cursing out in his dreams?
He sinks himself deeper into the bed in search of comfort, and a smile finds its way back to my face.
I stare at his cheeks, and a little warmth clothes me as I take my fingers to his face. I gently caress his cheek, and it gladdens me to realise that he’s put on a little more weight.
That’s at least one good thing to hold on to. He’s eating well.
"I’ll pack his things," Alana says behind me, and I nod in agreement.
I stare at Elián, wondering whether to wake him up or not, and just then, I hear a crash. I turn around and find that Alana accidentally knocked over a flower vase.
"I’m so sorry." She apologises as she quickly stoops and starts cleaning the mess. The noise, however, disturbed Elian’s sleep, and he sits up, rubbing an eye.
He sees me and blinks at me in groggy confusion.
"Alpha Koda?" His scratchy voice questions, and I tilt my head as I stare at him.
"Good morning." I greet him as I sweep his hair back from his forehead, and he yawns like a child.
"You look better than I remember." He mumbles, and I chuckle.
"Is that sleep talking?" I question, and he nods as he lies back down with yet another yawn, and I scoff in amusement at how adorable he is.
"I’ve come to take you away from here. Will you come with me?" I question, and he pauses.
He sits back up and stares curiously at me.
He’s beyond half asleep. How tired is he? Did he truly not sleep at all last night?
"Where are we going?" He questions, and I move closer to him.
"To my home. I think you need a break from here. Will you come with me? My mom would love to meet you."I reply, and he blinks at me.
He nods sleepily, and I smile again.
"Come on, then," I speak as I stand up, expecting him to follow, but he just stares up at me with half-opened eyes.
Why is he just staring at me? Isn’t he going to get out of...?
My thoughts come to a halt when he suddenly opens his arms, and my brows shoot up.
I can’t help the chuckle that escapes me when I realise what he wants.
"You want me to carry you?" I question in bewilderment, and he nods. Not fully conscious, and I’m almost certain he’s not fully aware of what he’s currently doing.
Either way, I’m not letting the opportunity pass me by.
Without a second of contemplation, I move closer to the bed and pick him up. Carrying him like my mother usually carried young cubs in the sleuth.
He clings to me like a koala. Legs wrapped around my waist, arms around my neck and face buried in the warmth of my neck.
When I turn around with my arms securing him against my chest, I find Alana watching us with her face red in a blush and her jaw on the ground.
She quickly looks away, and I huff before cradling Elián’s head, which is resting against my shoulder.
It shouldn’t be a topic of amusement that I’m carrying my omega like this. He’s sleepy and wants to be carried. Whatever demands he makes for his comfort, as long as I can give it, I will give.
So if he wants to be carried like a baby...what’s stopping me from doing so?
"Thank you..." He mutters, and delicate spasms travel through my chest.
It’s good to have him back. I’m sure Mom would love to have him over.
She’ll spoil him rotten, and I can’t wait to witness it.
After all the trauma he’s faced here... I think it’s only fair he gets proper pampering.
I walk out of the room and head straight for my carriage with him.
*****
"Is he alright?" Father questions as he stares at Elián, who’s still asleep in my arms, and I nod.
"Hmm. Alana said he didn’t sleep last night. I think his body is just exhausted." I respond, and Father nods.
He stares at Elian in silence for a few seconds, and I let out a breath before moving closer to him.
"I’ve asked you before, Father, and you didn’t give me an answer. However, before I go, I need an answer so I know exactly how severe the situation at hand is." I begin, and Father’s blue eyes study me in silence.
I’m pretty sure he knows what I’m about to ask.
"What do you want to know?" He questions, and I take a deep breath.
"You knew an attack was going to be made on Eliàn. That’s why you sent him here with Rhydian. You did it to protect him... didn’t you?" I speak, and he stares at me in silence for a few seconds.
He steps closer to me and buries his fingers in Elián’s hair. Gently stroking it in silence. Then he looks up at me.
"Yes. Protecting him from that attack was one of the reasons I sent him here. I knew Lindria would cause trouble, but she never really was a threat." He replies, and my brows knot as he takes his hand away from Elian’s and begins to move away.
"But she almost got him raped," I retort, and Father smiles. The kind of smile he usually gives when I’ve said something that makes me seem naive.
"That’s not a threat to him. It’ll take a lot more than that to break him. He’s a special kind." Father replies, and my brows knot as I look down at the snoring boy in my arms.
"You should get going. At this rate, you would not be able to make it to Gravemaw today." He adds as he turns his back on me and starts walking away.
I stare at him in silence with his words replaying in my head. What does he mean Elián is a special kind?
"Koda." Rhydian’s voice snaps me out of my thoughts.
I turn to him and find a little bag in his hands,
"Breakfast... For Elián. He hasn’t eaten anything today." He says, and I stare at him curiously as I take the bag from him.
"You’ve changed," I note, and he gives me a tight smile.
"I guess he has that effect..." He replies, looking down at Eliàn, and I watch him.
Has he fallen for Elián??
Well, that’s... intriguing. The mighty Alpha has fallen. What spell did this little one cast?
"He... uhm... he has an internal bleeding in his abdomen. The doctor here didn’t get the chance to treat it during his stay. Maybe your mom can look into it. The doctor said it’s not serious yet, but I don’t want it to develop into a problem." He speaks again, and my heart skips a beat.
"Internal bleeding?!" I demand, and Elaine jerks in my arms.
I hold my breath as he stirs. He tightens his arm’s wrap around my neck and turns his face the other way.
Rhydian and I do not dare say a word until he visibly relaxes back into my arms and falls back to sleep.
"What do you mean, internal bleeding!? How did that happen?" I scold in a whisper, and guilt costs Rhydian’s face.
"It was... uhm... that time that I got my men to beat him up... our doctors missed it at the time." He replies, and I sigh.
"I’ll get my Mom to look at it," I assure him, and he nods.
He stares at Elián for a while and turns to leave, but he stops.
"When he wakes up, please tell him I’m sorry for how I spoke to him last night." He says as he looks up at me, and staring at his eyes, I can see so much longing and guilt swirling in them.
"Tell him that I never replaced him, and I never could. I wish I could be there for him, but I think he needs you more right now." He adds, and I nod slowly.
This is the most open Rhydian has ever been with me. He’s currently an open book, and that’s odd for the brother who has always been closed off and guarded about his feelings. He opens up a bit with me... but never this much.
Never enough for me to be able to tell exactly how he’s feeling.
"Do you want to hold him?" I question, and his eyes flick up at me, with a little bit of joy colouring his expression.
"Can I?" He replies, and I smile.
"He’s knocked out. I don’t think he’s waking up any time soon, or will notice that you held him for a bit." I reply, and he smiles at me. The first smile I’m seeing on his face today.
He moves over to me, and just as he lifts his arms to carry him, we hear a crash in the distance.
When I look up at the source of the commotion, my eyes land on Bram, who’s now on the floor with a mess of spilt food before him.
In the blink of an eye, Rhydian rushes from my side over to Bram, and my brows knot.
"I’m... I’m sorry. I only wanted to give Alpha Koda some food for the road..." the boy whimpers as Rhydian checks his hands for burns, and the sight nauseates me.
I hold Elián properly, and Alana walks up to me.
"I’ve packed our things for the trip. Do you want Elain to ride with me, or should he stay with you?" She questions, and an idea hits me.
"You’re not coming with us, Alana," I speak with my eyes, never leaving the two in the distance.
I watch Rhydian pick the boy up, and as he carries him back towards the palace, a shiver runs down my spine.
"You’ll stay here. Keep an eye on both of them. Especially that boy." I add, and Alana follows my gaze.
"Keep him away from my brother. I don’t trust him."