*Omario POV*
I sit on the bed in my chambers in a daze, trying to make sense of what happened.
The elders and prophets have sworn me in placed as the interim Alpha before the formal ceremony, but I did not hear a word that was said.
My door opens and I don’t even turn to check who it is. Only one person does not bother knocking.
“Say it.”
I know that he always has an opinion too.
“Say what?”
“Say what’s on your mind.”
I know he has something to say, it’s better if we talk and get over with it.
“You are an asshole.”
There it is! My Gamma never disappoints.
An empty laugh escape my lips. I’m not even shocked anymore. I was the second powerful person after my dad, now I’m the Alpha but none of that ever stopped Terrence from speaking his mind.
“I have no doubt that you will be good for the people but I can’t be your Gamma.”
“You are taking side and choosing Abi over me?”
I don’t even know why I ask because it’s obvious. I am hurt by his decision because he has not even asked me my side of the story, nor does he know Abi’s.
“Abi is my best friend and you are hurting her.”
I don’t bother correcting his statement. I hurt Abi previously because I didn’t know that she felt the pain when I was with Oli. I would be a monster to intentionally put her through that.
“Well, you need to find her and bring her back here.”
“I am no longer your Gamma, I don’t take instructions from you,” my rebellious Gamma responds.
His response does not surprise me either. He knows too well that he does not need to be my Gamma to take my instructions. As the Alpha I can instruct anyone to do anything, except I know that would probably not work with him. He thinks he is being defiant but it’s because of who he is.
“Abi is the only to rightful heir of this place. I am handing the crown back to her.”
My statement catches Terrence by surprise. “What?”
“You heard me.”
“You are handing back the whole kingdom and it’s riches to Abi?” he asks in disbelief.
“I would hand back the packs too if the heirs were still alive, but Abi is the only one. I don’t think anyone would mind being ruled by the rightful heir of one of the original packs.”
I have thought a lot about this previously and it’s the right thing to do.
“Are you doing this to make her feel better about your rejection? Do you think it will make up for the pain you are putting her through?”
I sigh. “You really have no faith in me. You think I don’t want Abi because deep down I still take her like the slave she once was.”
I know that’s the impression most of the servants here got. Oli’s statement about Abi always being a slave and me using her did not make things any easier either.
Terrence just stares at me. His reaction hurts more than I expected. Him and I have been through so much, I thought he knew me better than this.
“I did not reject Abi and I never will.”
He raises his eyebrow. Now I get why he attacked me.
“You just assumed that I did and reacted. Your actions were stupid and reckless. It put both you and Abi in danger. What if Nina did not show up, Terrence?”
“Bullshit! Abi would not have been in so much pain if you did not reject her. I think very highly of you but when it comes to Abi, you are….”
I cut Terrence short before he calls me names. I did not deal well with Abi when we were in the room but it’s far from what he thinks.
“I feel her, always did and now…” I close my eyes and shake my head. My life has really taken a 360 degrees turn.
“And now what?” Terrence asks impertinently.
“She’s the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen.”
He laughs and completes my sentence. “You liked her when she was really ugly.”
“Starving not ugly!” I snap at him.
Terrence lifts his hands up in surrender and I proceed.
“Now she has this intoxicating peaches and cream scent, I just want to….bask in it and make a thousand pubs.”
It’s crazy but that’s how I feel.
“Yet you chose your fake mate over her,”Terrence responds.
“I did not choose anything. It was in the middle of my union, man. I have known Oli all my life, what did you expect me to do? Break up with her in the middle of our union?” I snap at Terrence but I can’t ignore the truth.
What happened today has been playing over and over in my head. I could have handled things better with Abi.
I felt her way before she walked in. I was so mesmerised by her and her scent, I could not keep my eyes off her. The pains she told me about on the days I was with Olivia, the kiss we shared and my wolf’s reactions to her all along was more than enough proof that she was right all along. I should have acknowledged our bond there and then, asked for time to sort things out with Oli, but I didn’t.
“Yes!” Terrence snaps back.
“Maybe you are right but then what? You saw Nina, she hates me. Being with Abi means accepting that Nina will turn me into mere ashes anytime,” I ask Terrence my deepest worry and he sighs before looking sympathetic at me.
“You are scared.”
“I am not scared, Terrence. I’m terrified. I am steel and invincible to everyone else but you saw Nina,” I confess. Maybe my reaction to everything was confusing but that’s because I was confused too. Nina is an inferno with a character that is completely different from Abi’s.
“Then tell Abi that, not this impression that you don’t want her.”
“I will. I just needed to explain things to Oli first and I did. Unfortunately, Abi was gone by the time I was done,” I explain.
Yes, I couldn’t look at her in the eyes, nor could I make any promises but how can she think I don’t want her when my wolf marked her? Not only that, scary Nina marked me too. Surely Abi can’t believe that.
“You chose to speak to your fiancée first instead of your mate?”
Terrence really knows how to rub things on someone’s face.
“I know that you don’t like Oli, but she is a good friend of mine. We both believed that we were mates for years and she has just lost her last family member. I had to speak to her first before taking any steps with Abi.”
That’s the honest but not the whole truth. The other reason is I had to come into terms with everything and what it really meant being mated to Abi. Talking to Oli was hard but relatively easier compared to facing my new reality.
“She’s an orphan, most of us are and Brenda was nothing anyone should be mourning. You need to make up your mind about what you really want and stop making excuses because Abi is out there thinking you rejected her.”
“I will go and find her after the funeral, happy?”
“Yes!”
It’s not Terrence who responds but Titan.
“Its good to know that you still exist,” I sneer at him.
He’s been quiet since Abi stormed out of the courtyard. Luckily, the elders did not expect me to shift when they bestowed the Alpha title on me because I don’t think Titan would have obliged.
“The funeral proceedings should be ready to start in an hour. Don’t expect me to attend. I and all the servants are going to celebrate,” Terrence announces and leaves me in panic. I clearly recall a few months back reassuring Abi that I would never reject her if she was truly my mate. She must remember that too, right?
“You talk to her all the time. She does not think I don’t want her, right?” I link my wolf but Titan does not respond.
“Titan?”
“Not anymore, Nina has blocked me. I can’t get to Abi.”
I don’t think I have ever heard Titan so low before. This can’t be good.