Chapter 21

Nolan

       As soon as Jerome and I got to the HQ through a portal, Orchid and Alan ran over to me and wrapped their arms around me. "We're so glad you're okay!" Orchid said. "I don't know what I would have done if we lost you."

       "I do," Alan said. "I would have tracked down Dirk and kill him myself. Actually, Ryder will probably beat me to it. He's taking all his anger out in the training room, by the way, so you should go see him."

       "I will once it doesn't feel like I'm being suffocated," I said, squirming to get out of my siblings' hold. "Just because I'm healed, it doesn't mean I'm not sore."

       Orchid and Alan immediately pulled away. "Sorry," Orchid said before looking at Jerome. "Thank you so much for healing Nolan."

       "Yeah, of course," Jerome said. "And speaking of, I really need to get back home to rest. I used up a lot of energy. Where's Mae?"

       As if Mae heard her name, she walked over so she and Jerome could head home. He created a portal but before going through it, he looked over at me. "I'll see you later," he said.

       "Yeah, see you," I said, giving him a smile.

       He smiled back before walking through the portal.

       Once the portal closed, Orchid and Alan both looked at me. "Okay, what were those smiles about?" Orchid asked.

       "Uh, because he saved my life?"

       "Don't give us that," Alan said. "Those smiles were more than just a saving your life kind of smile. Did anything happen between you two?"

       I wasn't even able to reply because Orchid gasped. "Something did happen! You're not denying it!"

       "You literally started talking right after Alan did," I said. "Of course I didn't deny it. You didn't give me the chance."

       Orchid frowned. "So nothing did happen?"

       "I'm going to go find Ryder," I said, turning around and heading to the training room.

       My brother and sister, however, decided to follow me and grab my arm to stop me from walking. "Okay, this time you had plenty of time to deny it," Orchid said. "Tell us what happened."

       "Nothing," I said, but I could already feel my cheeks getting red.

       "He's blushing! That's a good sign!" Alan said. "Come on, Nolan. You know we're not going to leave you alone until you tell us. So..."

       "So... After I was healed, we may have kissed a bit..."

       That got Orchid to start squealing. "Oh, I'm so happy for you!"

       "That's nice, but can I stop being bombarded and can you calm down?" I asked.

       "I really not calm down," Orchid said. "It was your first kiss, Nolan. It's a big deal! Now two out of three of us have had our first kiss."

       "Uh, I've had my first kiss," Alan said.

       "Yes, and I've told you that Bennets don't count," Orchid said.

       "Can I leave now to talk to Ryder?" I asked.

       "Okay, fine, but we'll be grilling you for more details later," Alan said.

       I sighed and headed to the training area where Ryder was. He was training way too hard right now, and I could tell he was mad about what happened in the forest. Even though I survived, there was no way my older brother was going to let Dirk get away with this.

       "Ryder," I said, and he stopped training to look over. "Don't go crazy."

       "I'm not," he said as he walked over before pulling me into a hug. "I'm really glad you're okay."

       "I'm glad you're glad, but you're sweaty," I said as I gently pushed him off me. "I'm serious, though. Don't go crazy on Dirk."

       "Why not?" Ryder asked. "He almost killed you. He and his team killed a lot of innocent people. He has no remorse, so karma is going to bite him in the ass. Most likely by me and my handy sword. And I know you don't agree with us killing people but trust me, Dirk is no person."

       I was about to respond, but Orchid walked into the training room. "Hey, Martha wants all of us to go to the meeting area," she said. "Apparently, she has some things she needs to talk about."

       Ryder put his sword away before the three of us headed to the meeting area where everyone else was. Martha was standing in front of the room and waited for everyone to stop talking before she began. "I have to leave and head back to the Tribunal, but to make sure things stay in top shape here, I am leaving a new person in charge," she said.

       "Whoa, what?" Ryder asked. "Come on, my grandfather is the best person for the job. Nobody can replace him, and nothing rarely went wrong with him here."

       "Except for the past couple weeks," Martha said. "Don't get me wrong, Gene was a wonderful boss, but we need someone a bit more strict." 

       Martha gestured for someone to walk over and once I saw who it was, my heart fell.

       Grandpa Gary.

       He was our grandfather on Dad's side, and he did not get along with any one of us. Martha was right, though. If she wanted strict, he was sure to do it.

       "I'm sure you'll all listen to every word Gary says," Martha said. "If any more problems occur, I will not hesitate to come back."

       Martha then had to leave to head back to the Tribunal and as soon as she was gone, Grandpa Gary started talking. "First things first," he said. "I was informed some of you, though I don't know who, are having relationships with supernaturals. The Tribunal discourages Protector and supernatural relationships, though I know that won't stop any of you from continuing the relationship. I'm not going to stop that."

       Thank goodness.

       "Well, I'm not going to stop all of them," Grandpa Gary continued. "There is one I will stop. Which one of you is in a relationship with the sorcerer Jerome Roy?"

       I immediately looked away. Figures. The day Jerome and I get together was the day Grandpa Gary had to come in and ruin in.

       "No one?" he asked. "Come on, we're going to stand here all day if I don't get an answer." He then looked at one of the most respectful Protectors who always obeyed the head, no matter what. "Do you know who it is?"

       "I do," she said. "It's Nolan."

       I winced as Grandpa Gary looked at me with a disbelief expression. "You?" he asked and I hesitated before nodding. "Well, that will not be happening anymore."

       "Why not?" I asked.

       "Because I don't want Jerome Roy associated with the Protectors," Grandpa Gary said, which made me very confused. 

       Was I missing something? Why couldn't the Protectors be associated with Jerome? All he had been doing for the past couple weeks was help us try to take down Dirk, who right now was the biggest threat to us.

       "I don't want any Protectors dating him," he continued. "So, you will end your relationship with him immediately."

       "He saved my life," I said. "I'm not ending things with him."

       "Nolan, I am the head of this HQ," Grandpa Gary said. "I know we don't get along, but now you have to respect me and do what I say."

       I couldn't believe what I said next. "And if I don't?"

       If there was one thing about Grandpa Gary, it was that he didn't like to be challenged. He looked very angry just because there was a possibility of me defying him, which I normally didn't do to anyone.

       Spending all this time with Jerome was definitely building up my confidence to stand up for myself.

       "If you don't, then I'm going to have to ask you to resign as a Protector," Grandpa Gary said. 

       "What?" I asked.

       "You have to choose," Grandpa Gary said. "Being a Protector or being with the sorcerer."

       I couldn't believe Grandpa Gary was giving me this ultimatum. I had been a Protector my whole life. I had been training for years to start going on missions and now, I might lose it all.

       "You can't be serious," I said.

       "I am," he said. "Choose right now what you want more, because you can't have both. Though being a Prince, I assume you'll make the right decision."

       I looked at my siblings for help, but most of them didn't know what to say. Ryder was the only one who actually said something. "Nolan, you've been a Protector you're whole life," he said. "You can't throw it away."

       "Listen to your brother," Grandpa Gary said. "Are you really going to throw all this away for a sorcerer? So, what's your decision?"

       He was right.

       I made the right decision.

       I walked out of the meeting room and went to the training area before pulling out my cell phone and calling Jerome. "Hello?" he answered.

       "Hey," I said, and I could already feel the tears starting to come. "Can you come pick me up in the training room of the HQ?"

       "Yeah, sure," Jerome said. "I'll be there in a few seconds."

       After we hung up, a portal opened and Jerome walked through it. Almost immediately, he realized something was wrong when he looked at me.

       "Is everything okay?" he asked.

       "Yeah, I just need to get out of here," I said.

       However, when we were about to leave, I caught sight of my bow and quiver sitting with the rest of the weapons. There was no way I was leaving this behind, so I grabbed them before Jerome and I headed through the portal and to his apartment.

       "So, what's really going on?" Jerome asked. "You look upset, and you take your bow and quiver here."

       I sighed, resting my bow and quiver against the coffee table before sitting down on the couch. "I'm no longer a Protector," I said.

       "What?" Jerome asked as he sat down beside me. "Why?"

       I didn't really answer his question. Instead, I asked one of my own. "Is there anything you haven't told me about you?" I asked. "Maybe a reason why the new head of the HQ wouldn't want to be associated with you."

       "Not really, no," Jerome said. "Well, except for the fact that my mom hates my guts, and she's the most powerful sorceress out there."

       "Why does she hate your guts?" I asked.

       "Two reasons," Jerome said. "One, because I'm gay. Sad, I know. And two, because my dad chose me over her. He didn't want to abandon his only child just because I like guys, so they got a divorce. Anyway, I don't have the best reputation out there because of her, so that might be why the new head wouldn't want to be associated with me. Why do you ask?"

       "The new head is my grandfather, Gary," I said. "Not the one you met, but my dad's father. He's really strict and never really got along with me and my siblings. Once he found out that one of the Protectors was in a relationship with you, he demanded to know who it was. And when he found out it was me, he told me to end things."

       "And I'm guessing you didn't," Jerome said.

       "I couldn't," I said. "He made me choose between being a Protector or being with you. And I chose you."

       "So... You chose me over something you've been your whole life?" Jerome asked and when I nodded, he smiled softly before giving me a kiss. "I would have chosen the same for you."

_______________

Gary can fall into a ditch.

lol but i like drama *sip sip*

I have a grammar extension because I'm always so lazy to check over my mistakes (AND I GET SO MAD FOR MAKING YOUR + YOU'RE MISTAKES ALL THE TIME) and it's telling me to remove that second sip because it's reduntant.

hahahahah no. *sip sip*