CHAPTER 13 - RICHARD
"I asked for a world where I can be with Jane again. I never said anything about meeting Ray or my family. What the hell is going on?" I demand sharply.
"It's a whole different world, Richard. And maybe here, you and Ray had a fallout and your family is dead. But there, I think it's all different…" she explains calmly.
"Yeah. Fucking different. Ray is my best friend -slash-work buddy-slash-Beta. And my father and brothers are all alive. How the hell am I supposed to deal with that?"
The fact that this whole crazy idea came from my head doesn't excuse its absurdity. I don't want to go through the trauma of dealing with my overly-demanding and stuck-up father. Or the competition of trying to beat my other brothers.
I went through that shit once, it fucked me up, and I killed them all. I don't wanna do that again.
She sighs, going over to sit on an ancient chair that looks like a throne.
"My sisters will be here soon so let's be quick. We've got a ritual."
Well, that explains the worms, the dead body lying in a corner, oozing with blood, and the blood in the chalice on the table. Mages certainly are the darkest beings to ever exist. I love them for that. There's just something about the dark ways that fascinate me.
"Sure," I nodded. "Do you mind briefing me about the parallel universe you tossed me into?" I pace slightly, waiting for her explanation.
"Like I said, you're an Alpha CEO. Your brothers are alive there, all nine of them…"
"Nine?" I repeat. "Including my illegitimate half-brother who has my throne in this world?"
"Yeah, him." She nods her head, grabbing a knife and an apple. I hate how relaxed she seems when I'm almost losing my wits. "But just so you know, he's not illegitimate in the other world. He's as much as legitimate as you are."
"Am I…the fourth son again?" I hold my breath, awaiting her answer.
"No. You're the first."
"Come again?" It feels like I didn't hear her clearly enough.
"You're the first son, Richard." She repeats with a sly smile. "Don't you love the sound of that?"
As a matter of fact, I do. Being a first son has always been one of my biggest desires. And in this world, I failed to achieve that. I was the fourth and I killed off my brothers out of rage.
But now, it's different. In this new world, I'm the first…
"A very loyal, obedient, prim and proper, filial first son." She adds, hinting at all the qualities.
"What?" Her description knocks out the excitement. Fury splashes over my expression. "Loyal to who?"
"Your father…"
"Bullshit!" Again, I'm fucking pissed.
If I could meet the other me who'd been living in the parallel universe, I'd knock some sense into him. What the hell is he being loyal for? That geezer who donated his sperm for my birth will never love me, despite how loyal I am to him.
But then, I can't meet the other me, because he doesn't exist anymore. When Flair cast the spell, she killed him off, and I have to play both roles of me in the two worlds.
"Yeah. The other you was a more cool-headed version. A good son. No scandals. No partying. No smoking. He's yet to have a mate but he doesn't fuck around." She stretches out the word 'fuck' and that earns her a scowl from me.
"Good thing you killed him off. He was being so stupid when he had all it took to spin the world off balance." I snort. I could be a demon with my antagonistic ways but that's the only way to truly survive in any universe.
Being fucking good and loyal gets you used and played. I'm never gonna be like him.
"You'll have to try and act like him," Flair says, standing from the seat and coming to me.
"That's impossible," I say sternly. There's no way I could be that good.
"Richard, that's a different world. To them, nothing has changed. Nothing happened. You're the only one who knows that I messed with their world. If you try to be too reckless, you'll cause major damage. I'm not asking you to be the perfect son. But try to avoid scandals and unnecessary attention, until you adapt."
"Where the fuck is Jane? I'm yet to see her in the other world." I snap, changing the irritating topic.
"You've only been gone for three days…"
"Three days?" I look at her with a sharp glance. "It feels like hours."
"Yeah. It's a different time count. A day in the other world is four days here. So do the math."
I'm silent for a while, trying to understand the time difference. My gaze goes to Jane who's locked in the tube. Her skin has a red shade and she's unconscious, like in a trance. I can't believe it's already been three days since I took her.
Flair locked her up and placed her in some sort of hibernation so she doesn't go about wandering off in this world. It'll ruin everything if she returns to her family.
When everything goes as planned, we'll kill her off in this world and the only existing Jane would be the one in the other world. A world without Vishal or her nuisance of a daughter or her friends.
A stinging thought hits me immediately and I turn to Flair. I point a finger at her as a warning gesture.
"There's no Vishal in the other world, right?" My voice drops into a menacing whisper. The venom in my voice is obvious, and she cowers in fear.
"N – No…"
"Be honest!"
"No, there isn't!" She cries out, cowering further.
I pull her to myself, holding her in a chokehold. She squirms to release my grip but it's impossible. Our faces are close and she shuts her eyes in a whimper.
"I hope you're right, for your sake. 'Cause if I bump into him in the other world, I'll come back here and rip your head off."
"He's not in the other world, I swear it." She says amidst coughs, patting my grip.
"I hope so. I can fucking endure having to live in the same world as my miserable father and brothers. But I don't wanna see the silhouette of Vishal. Make sure of that."
"Yes – Master…" she coughs out again, her whimpering becoming more audible.
I hear approaching footsteps and I let go of her. She falls to the ground, panting and heaving.
"Why can't I have my powers in the other world?" I ask her in a rush. I don't want her sisters to meet me here. It'll get a bit uncomfortable.
"Because you have your wolf in the other world and you're a lot richer. That just equals whatever powers you lost."
"Parker…is with me in the other world?" Emotions drip in my voice at the thought of reuniting with my wolf. It's been long years without him and I've missed him each day.
"Yes. He is." She nods frantically, glancing over my shoulder to check on her sisters. "You want them to meet you here?"
"Fuck, no." I take in a sharp breath, ready to say the spells, and return to the other world.
But first, I mentally calculate everything I'll be encountering in the other world.
Over there, I'm an Alpha CEO who's still best buddies with Ray. I have my wolf. I have my family and I'm the filial first son. I'm fucking famous but free of scandals. And I'm without a mate. I'm almost a saint and I don't fuck pussies.
It's both good and bad, but I'll be fine as long as I don't see Vishal in that world.
"I hope this works out," I mutter breathlessly. "And don't tell Lucy about this."
"I won't. Just try to focus on winning her over. You've got just three months. Don't forget that." Flair reminds me. Her expression shows just how anxious she is about the whole thing.
It makes me feel even more skeptical.
"Three months…" My heartbeat increases at the realization of the short time I have. I hope I don't fuck this up. This is my only chance to get to be with my mate.
The approaching footsteps get louder and I immediately say the spells. In a flash, I'm back in the other world, ready to be whoever I should be. It doesn't matter, as long as I get to be with Jane again.