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Acacia/Ciarán - Age 15

Meliorist Sanctum

"Like...holy shit Acacia!" Sinéad exclaims while leaning back in her chair.

I'd been driven back to Meliorist Sanctum early this morning, and Sinéad said she had so much to tell me, along with Fae.

I'm standing with my back to one of the front tables while Fae is dancing on the chess board in front of Sinéad. She reaches out and grabs the king, humming an ethereal lullaby beneath her breath as she dances with the piece on the board.

Fae glances over her shoulder and dreamily says, "If I wasn't betrothed now-"

"-and like four or so feet taller," Sinéad laughs while her gaze flickers up to meet with mine. She nods and states, "Though, even his beta was fine as hell."

Furrowing my brows with confusion, I don't understand exactly what they're talking about.

Fae brushes her off and spins with the king piece before stating, "It was nice to see that Ciarán isn't the strongest hybrid out there."

True...there's not a whole lot of true born hybrids out there, and I've only gotten a glimpse of the ones within Elysium that are part of the Vindicator Wardens Pack...

...I don't know if they're born the same way Ciarán was and the power he innately possesses.

I walk toward Sinéad as she leans forward, grinning from ear to ear as she tells me the story, "When Dante told Ciarán that he'd be leaving the school campus...oh wow..." her voice trails off in awe stating, "Dante didn't even want to get into a fight with him when he started challenging back," she pauses for dramatic effect, "Dante called the alpha of the Vindicator Wardens Pack to remove Ciarán..." she has this amusement hidden in her voice.

What...?

Ciarán refused to leave willingly?

Of course, Dante isn't going to fight his son especially considering he'd probably lose at this point...

...nice to hear there's someone out there that can somewhat get my brother to do something.

"Well, I'm glad the alpha was able to get him to see things-"

Sinéad bursts out laughing as she shakes her head, "See things? You're joking..."

"The alpha?" I ask while Sinéad gives me this cheeky sideways look.

She giggles in return and says, "They call him, Loki."

I remember that name...those hybrids were saying something about a Loki when I was in Elysium.

Fae releases the king piece from her arms as she lifts into the air. She looks straight at me and states, "Ciarán...well, he was escorted..."

"Don't sugar coat it like what his peers are trying to make it seem like," Sinéad rolls her eyes while standing from her seat, "he got his ass handed to him before the alpha threw him over his shoulder and hauled him off to Elysium...like, I wish you could have seen it because it was soooooo well deserved after the shit he wanted to pull at our school," she scoffs while crossing her arms beneath her chest, "hopefully, he'll learn the error of his ways and straighten up."

Fae releases a sigh and shakes her head with disappointment, "What a horrible thing for the future king to believe is right...he needs to learn those old ways of the code are dead and buried...he shouldn't be digging up the past and enacting it for our future."

It's all Mercury's fault...

...he's poisoned my brother's mind, though how quickly he is swayed has me questioning just how strong Ciarán indeed is...mentally that is...

His wolf...

I ask them, "What are they going to do with the student body council?"

Sinéad winks at me while saying, "It got a revamp...there are no vampires on it now for the remainder of the year as a lesson to those that follow are also at fault for being bystanders and feeding into what 'power' is."

Well, that's good to know.

Fae furrows her brows and says, "You forgot to mention! Alumni?"

"Oh, that's right," Sinéad snaps her fingers as if Fae just brought back her derailed train of thought. She eyes me and states, "Due to what happened, along with teachers also being reprimanded, all past alumni are allowed to be present on campus to show their presence while reminding everyone what this campus stands for. They'll be helping with the new student body council along with watching out for students until everything calms down and gets back into the swing of things."

My heart drops into the pit of my stomach.

The only alumnus I would want returning that I know of is Bryant...but I know he has pack obligations and politics to fulfill and his time here was limited. Now...all I have to look forward to is more of Mercury.

Perhaps he'll stay away now that Ciarán got in trouble. Or, he might be trying to figure out how the lid got blown off...

"Hey," I hear Rian's voice from the doorway leading into the chess club room. I swallow hard before breathing out carefully, him visiting me while I was in my bed wasn't exactly what I thought would ever happen, and I still feel slightly embarrassed.

Well, Sinéad and Fae take my rosy cheeks as a sign that apparently, I want to be alone with him! Fae giggles while fluttering by me and past Rian's head. Sinéad walks right past me and throws casually over her shoulder, "Have a good evening! Remember, movie night tonight, Acacia."

I wave after her and reply, "Oh yeah..." after all the drama, it's nice to get our Friday nights back to what they once were.

Rian sidesteps into the room, allowing for Sinéad to head out into the hallway. He awkwardly walks a few more steps toward me while asking, "How are you?"

"I'm good," a smile spreads on my lips.

"Can we go out on a date?" He suddenly blurts out quickly, and I see the redness fill his cheeks rapidly.

"I...uhh," my eyes go suddenly wide at the way he is so forward and blunt. Averting my gaze for a moment, looking at the rest of the room I need to tidy, I reply, "Rian..." I release a sigh and hold one of my arms with the other, "...I...well I thought we were just...friends?" It comes out more of a question than a statement.

Rian scratches the back of his head and states, "Well...if you're my beloved," he pauses and smiles as he says this word, "which...I dunno, I honestly don't know how you couldn't be after you moaned like that an-"

My cheeks are bright red as he says this and I interrupt him, "S-Stop saying that."

"Huh?" He asks with confusion.

"I'm embarrassed..." I glance away from him and finish, "...I didn't expect that to happen."

Rian tilts his head to the side and states, "Well, my dad and mom...it's not something to be embarrassed by...I mean it's natural and all, I...if we are I mean...why can't we spend more time together?"

The bridge of my nose stings as images of Taron and Bryant fly through my mind on waves of memories I wish to bury. When I speak, my voice is watery as I tell him, "I always get hurt..." shrugging my shoulders, I wipe away the tears that escaped my eyes, "...I just..."

Rian furrows his brows with concern, stepping toward me until we're just a few feet apart. He suddenly wraps his arms around my shoulders, pulling me closer to him with strength I forget he possesses as a vampire. The warmth that passes between us instantly starts to calm my irregular heart rate.

When he pulls away slightly, he tells me, "Acacia, even if we're not meant to be together...I'll never leave you as a friend, I promise."

My watery eyes meet his, and I smile back saying, "I'm sorry I'm so emotional."

"I'm sorry you've been hurt..." his demeanor shifts as though suddenly he recalls...everything. He asks me, "Acacia, what's going on with Mercury?"

"I don't want to talk about it," I slowly pull away from his arms, shaking my head in the process.

Rian frowns and replies, "I..."

"Just...I want to ignore everything," it comes out sounding colder than I'd like, but I can't help it.

"Why didn't your dad see?" Rian continues to press.

"I don't know," I turn away and start putting the rest of the chess boards away on the side tables. Releasing a sigh, I add, "I don't even understand how you saw them..."

He shrugs his shoulders and says, "Lucky?" He walks up beside me as I set the chess board down, his hand touching my forearm and asking, "You don't like me?"

"What?" My eyes meet with his while furrowing my brows, "No, Rian; that's not it..."

"If it's about Mercury...perhaps I can help with whatever you need, I mean, your plan for the exposure was incredible and if you can do that, imagine what you could do with my cousin," he begins to place me on a pedestal that I don't deserve to rest upon.

The tears are back again as I respond, "The ones who should believe me and love me unconditionally...they call me a liar, so my word means nothing. Hell..." I shake my head at the thought, "...my blood memories mean nothing."

"If I saw them, we can figure out a way to get everyone else to see them," Rian nods his head and turns away from me. He's halfway back toward the door when I furrow my brows in confusion at him.

"Rian?" I ask.

He pauses a moment at my words and asks, "Yeah?"

"Where are you going?" I question him.

He lifts an arm into the air and challenges, "To the library!"

I cover a hand over my mouth and giggle, watching the way he turns around to stare at me with confusion. I can't help it, and the laughter continues. He scratches the back of his head and asks, "What's so funny?"

"Nothing..." I shake my head

"Can I try this again?" Rian asks.

"What, exactly?" As I ask this, he walks right back toward me, getting down on one knee and takes my hands in his.

"Acacia...won't you please do me the honors of joining me for a lovely date with the pages of knowledge?" Rian's voice turns my cheeks flaring back to light pink.

I've had my heart broken by two wolves...

...perhaps a younger vampire might not tear the remains of my heart to pieces.

Only one vampire could ever do that and has continued to manipulate the feelings I desperately want to ignore.

Mercury.

"Yes, Rian," I nod my head, and a full grin spreads across his face as he rises to his feet. He takes both of my hands and brings them to his lips, kissing the back of my hands and causing an electrical spike to disperse beneath the top layer of my skin.

I release an uneven sigh as he grins at me. One of Rian's hands slips into mine, and I bite my lower lip as his fingers interlace so effortlessly. We both glance away from one another as we walk from the chess club room, allowing me to lock the door before we start out the building toward the library.

He squeezes my hand and asks, "Is movie night like a girl only thing?"

"Hm," I tap my chin with my free hand and state, "you know, I never really thought about it...why?"

I arch a brow as he fumbles and asks, "Well...I-can...well...maybe-"

I giggle loudly as we walk toward the library on the pathway and reply, "I'll ask Sinéad if you can be my date for movie night."

Rian gasps as he looks at me and exclaims, "It is a date?!"

I nod my head, relaxing into Rian's simple touch of holding my hand...

...though I feel almost like I'm playing with fire when I catch Cypher out of the corner of my eye talking to Mercury.

💫--To Be Continued--💫
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