A Father’s Opinion
ZAIA. “I wouldn’t have expected this from you, Zaia,” Aran says as he sits behind his office desk in the Pack Building. His jaw is clenched, and his eyes are harsh as he sits there, watching me.
“I do apologise, but you have been refusing to answer my calls or to meet me and there is a lot we need to discuss,” I say, walking in and shutting the door behind me. The sound of my heels is loud in the silent room.
“And what exactly do we need to discuss? You have already disobeyed me, and you have been visiting Sebastian when I gave strict orders not to. So why should I bother to talk to you when there is nothing to say?” he asks coldly.
I tilt my head, taking a seat opposite him and I lean back, crossing my legs. “Because you are Sebastian’s father and no matter how much you two clash, he is still your son.”
He scoffs. “So, he hasn’t shared with you that I am not his father?” Raising an eyebrow, I play with a strand of my hair.
“Not his father? How can you not be his father? Yes, he told me you had a sperm donor, but that doesn’t take away the fact that he is your son.
Whether a child is adopted, or created via a sperm donor, any child you take in and raise as your son or daughter is yours. Sebastian is your son, no one else’s.”
There’s a glint of something in his eyes before he looks away and he swallows, adjusting his tie, but he does not reply. “You and Sebastian are far too alike, and that is why you clash,” I add.
They have a lot of differences, but they do have similarities and I don’t know why Aran is so against him, but I am not here to make things worse but to try to fix them. He sits back and scoffs as if what I have said is amusing.
“We have never seen eye to eye, yet despite everything I have done for him, he has done nothing but show me arrogance and disrespect. in return. Why should I acknowledge him?”
“You did acknowledge him when you first made. him Alpha. Why is it that things got worse between you two after my divorce?” I ask.
I’m not a fool, and although he seemed angry at me when I finally did decide to come back, our divorce was the starting point of things getting worse between the two.
He doesn’t respond, staring at me as if wanting me to say what I have to and leave quickly.
“Look, I know Gerard is your cousin and you two might be close, but the way you had Sebastian arrested without hearing what happened was not right. He is your son, and you know him. Would he really harm someone like that?”
“He was possibly angry at him. He had reason to be after all. I know the way Sebastian works.” “What reason could there have been, unless he was instigated?”
“He was instigated. Didn’t he tell you?” He raises an eyebrow before he lets out an arrogant scoff. I mask my feelings, wondering what else Sebastian is hiding from me. What does he mean he had reason to be angry at him?
“Tell me what reason?” He refuses to answer, and I suppress my annoyance. “Well, I don’t think his reason has anything to do with it, because I was the one who pushed Gerard.”
My words are soft but clear, and this time he isn’t able to keep his mask of indifference on his face.
“Do continue.” “It’s a long story. Allow me to start from the beginning. But first, tell me, Mr. King, how much do you know about the Blood Born? The Sable and the Sublime, two triquetras to either guide our kind back to our goddess or the other sent to ‘cleanse’ the planet or, in other words, destroy our kind.” I ask. “I may have heard of it in passing,” he says. casually, but I have a gut feeling he knows more.
“Of course, you would have. I have not hidden it and although you weren’t at The Crystal Shadows Pack the night that the Sublime Triquetra was formed, your allies were. And I know word has spread. I know you know that I am the final piece of the Sublime, the side that I chose. And Gerard, well… not only was he the shooter when I was abroad, but he is also part of those who believe and support the Sable…”
Jai had confirmed that there was not a mark on him, which meant he was just on their side, not one of the three points. Aran frowns, and there’s a glimmer of surprise in his eyes.
So, he didn’t know about Gerard. He needs to know everything. I realise that if I need to get through to someone as stubborn as Aran King, then I need to be firm and clear.
Feeling a little more certain, I continue, quickly telling him how Sebastian had divorced me because of the threats, how his life was threatened and so was mine. The poisoning whilst I was pregnant, Atticus, Valerie, what the man had said to her. I tell him everything and return to Gerard.
“…he admitted to being the shooter, and he threatened me. He wants me to stay away from Sebastian and that he is the reason Sia is sick.
Before my babies were born, he had someone inject me with something. God knows which visit or where this happened, but he attempted to blackmail me. If I stay away from Sebastian, he will give me the antidote Sia needs.”
For the first time, there’s concern on his face. ” There’s something wrong with her?”
I nod, “We have tried so many avenues, even tried to heal her naturally. So many tests have been performed. Attempted treatment, nothing has worked. She is extremely weak.” I explain, my heart clenching at the thought of my little one.
“And so learning of Gerard’s involvement, you pushed him?” he says frowning.
“Not entirely. I pushed him after he kissed me forcefully and in my rage, I pushed him off me. Sebastian only took the blame to protect me,” I say quietly.
“Then you should be in prison, not him,” he answers. “Maybe, but Gerard is a monster and Sebastian and I are a team and will always protect one another, no matter who hates us for it and that won’t change.”
He shakes his head, smirking humourlessly. “It’s too late. Far too late.”
Those words again, I’m sure he’ said them that day it all happened too. “What do you mean?” I ask. He sits back, pressing his fingertips together.
“The thing is, Zaia, you two never should have split. Your relationship will never be the same. When something is broken once, it cannot be whole again. Those cracks remain. I’ve always disliked your family, but I knew you were the one who could save Sebastian, and so I approved of you.”
He now sits forward, his face as hard as ever, but his voice isn’t so hostile. “But it’s too late now.”
Is that regret in his tone?
“What do you mean?” He shakes his head. “I was told by someone long ago that there was a possible darkness in Sebastian’s future… and as long as he united. with his fated mate, he will be safe… but if they were ever to break apart, then he is doomed.”
His words send a wave of fear through me, and I frown deeply, but they also confirm he knew a lot more than he had admitted.
“No… I don’t believe that.”
He exhales sharply. “You don’t need to, but it is the truth. I knew that day it wasn’t Sebastian who pushed Gerard. He wasn’t in the room long enough and with the door open, we should have heard it and we did not. I knew you did it, but the thing is Zaia, when you chose Sublime, you ultimately tipped Sebastian’s scale to the dark side.”
“No. Don’t say-”
“Don’t speak the truth? No! You wanted to hear it, so hear it. I may not have believed it all wholeheartedly, but to stay on the side of caution, I took the necessary precautions. It made sure you two were united. Things may be different now, but several years ago, I wanted to protect my son at all costs.”
I don’t want to hear this! “We can still help him. He may have the Blood Born symbol but-”
“So, it’s already too late… Then, like myself, you need to see Sebastian as the enemy because the moment you two rejected one another was just the start and nothing can ever change that.” My heart is thudding. I don’t want to hear this. I can’t…
“I will give you one piece of advice, Zaia. Sebastian is better off remaining in prison. because if he is set free, I can assure you not only will you be making a grave mistake, but you will damn us all. The choice is in your hands.”
