Merida
Patience's presence instantly settles the suffocating tension in the office. My heart throbs as Mother glances at Father, a silent conversation taking place. Melody calms as Mia wraps her arms around our mother, her anger gone and replaced by an overwhelming sadness.
My logical mind to give her space overrides my desire to hold her tightly. If it weren't for Mother coming in time, I could've lost her.
I clutch at my chest at the thought. She would've left and I would've lost her again.
"I want to talk with you." She asks and I see Mia nearly shatter. "Please."
"Yes....yes." Her voice barely a whisper.
The room is motionless as we watch them leave, Mother closing the door behind them with one last glance in my father's direction. I know the look from experience. She's going to want an explanation later about his outburst.
And so do I.
"What was that?" I ask frustratingly. "Why did you sell her apartment?"
Sighing, "Stephanie was going to explain it to her but instead of listening to me when I told you to wait, you ran off without permission. What if-"
"I don't need permission when it comes to my mate." Melody interrupted. Shit.
Father looked up and stared at me in shock. "What?"
Great going, Melody. If I thought explaining this to Mia was worse, now I have to find a way to explain it to our Father. "Look, Father, I didn't mean to run off like that but it's just that Melody took over and I couldn't stop him."
"Mia's your mate. Your own sister." He said each word clearly, trying to process the information.
I began to pace the room, to aggravated to stay still. "I'm not fully certain," I lie. "But I can feel the bond. I've always been able to feel pieces of it. Like that pained feeling in my chest like my heart was being ripped out whenever she was mad at me or the sudden impulse to feed her at random times throughout the day."
"Does Mia know?" He asks.
Shaking my head, I stop at the fireplace, searching the black space in between the logs for some possible solution to this mess.
"I might be wrong." I lie again. "But I'll only know for sure if Mia confirms it." I ramble on, continuing to search for responses that would make this situation more bearable but doubt gnaws at me.
An Alpha's power might be limited to their pack, but the things they can do is borderline terrifying. A mate's bond is a sacred tie that no one can interfere with nor break. But Alphas and sometimes sorceresses are the expectation.
What if he decides to force our bond apart before I even get the chance to tell her?
As if Father read my mind, he stands and takes a seat next to the fireplace. "Love, I won't do anything to hurt the bond between you too, but you must understand. It-This," He signals to the bond, "won't be easy to maintain, not like a normal bond would. Especially with Mia as she is right now. She's not going to see it the same way."
I bite down hard on my bottom lip stopping before I can draw blood. "So, I should give her time then?" Mocking the words my Father constantly told me when it came to Mia. Always to give her time.
Over the last eight years, that phase has become so unbearable to Melody and I both that we can't help but feel aggravated every time we heard it.
He nods, then looks to the fireplace, searching. "Our choices come at steep price. Mia's lived her life at the mercy of other's choices regardless of what the intention was. We need to give her time to adjust here first and then let her make her own choices."
I study him for a moment as he says this, more to himself than to me. I let the weight of those words settle for a moment before realizing what he means.
I can chose to tell her, but I can't make her accept it nor can I control anything that happens after.
Running my fingers through my hair, I breath harshly. "Fine." I tell him. "I'll wait to tell her."
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