Chapter 275 - Baby Im Yours (1/2)

Arei couldn't help but feel awkward as he took another bite of the excellent meal the King and his Queen had prepared for them. It was definitely the best meal he'd had in a long time, but the King and especially the Queen hadn't taken their eyes off him all night. They were now at the end of the table bickering, and it would be adorably cute to watch if he didn't get a sickening feeling he was the cause of it. He'd just plopped another bite of juicy meat into his mouth when the Queen raised her hand and spoke.

”Which one of you did this belong to?” Cam asked as she held the ring up for their inspection.

Arei nearly choked on the mouthful of meat. He had to quickly spit it into a napkin as the shock of seeing the ring he'd bought for Jos in the Queen's hand. ”How did you get that?”

Cam's eyes widened and a pleased smile spread across her lips. ”Ha, I was right!”

”You can't honestly expect me to fulfill that bet.” Ales asked with a sigh, trying to hide his own amusement at his wife's growing excitement. ”I still can't figure out how you guessed as much. I'm sure you cheated somehow.”

”I do and you will! Anyways, she's my best friend. I know her type.” Cam said proudly.

”They're twins...” Ales added as if it wasn't already obvious.

”But different enough.” Cam argued before turning her attention back to the men at the other end of the table, all questions of verification pointless as one massive twin stared at the other. ”So, you're the bastard that broke my best friend's heart all those years ago.”

Just as Arei was about to answer, Ry interrupted. ”I'm sure neither of us knows what you're talking about, but it's a nice ring, Your Majesty.” Ry sent Arei a glare as he gave a slight shake of his head. ”We appreciate the meal, but really need to be leaving if there's nothing else you need from us.”

”We do need more. You said you'd like to get those testimonies...” Cam pushed.

Arei's stormy eyes met Ry's. ”We did say that, and I still want to do so.”

”That's a bad idea and you know it.” Ry bit out.

”It's my risk to take, and I'll be the one suffering the punishment, not you.” Arei replied matter-of-factly.

Ry let out a heavy sigh as he sat back in his chair. ”Very well... you're going to do it regardless of what I say anyway.” He turned his attention back to the queen. ”Yes, that was once my brother's... What of it?”

Arei kicked Ry under the table. ”What he means to say is, how did you become in possession of it?”

Cam tilted her head. ”It was given to me as a gift when the pain of you never returning became too much to bear.

At first, I hadn't realized what the ring meant, I had only known that it was a beckon of pain for her... pain you inflicted.”

”Cam,” Ales interrupted, but she didn't stop.

”Do you have any feelings left for her? Did you ever care for her? If so... the least, you can do is give her the closure she deserves.” Cam said as she slid the ring across the table to him.

Tears burned Arei's eyes. He knew the pain their separation had caused him over the years, the agony of each sunrise without her by his side. To think she'd experienced even half that pain was literally tearing him in two. He couldn't respond as he watched the ring slide across the table.

”Well?” Cam asked impatiently from the other side of the table.

”If you go to her it may only cause more problems for the both of you...” Ry whispered. ”I have a bad feeling about it.”

All the voices around him simply blurred into the background as Arei scooped the ring up from the table and made haste toward the wide double doors of the formal dining room.

Ry set back in his seat with a huff of irritation. ”Well, that happened.” He turned a glare to Cam. ”I hope you're happy. You've probably just caused more pain and heartache for the both of them.”

”What do you mean?” She shot up from the table. ”Is your brother going to do something to her?”

Ry let out another irritated huff. ”I need to use a phone.”

”Why?! You can't just not answer my question. If he's going to hurt her again, I need to know! I need to be there for her!” Cam argued as she made her way toward the giant of a man, Ales following behind her begrudgingly.

”Cam, just leave it be. If you didn't want him going to her, you shouldn't have brought it up.” Ales argued.

Ry's eyes met the short, fiery queen. ”Your husband's right, you should listen to him more often.” He arched a brow at her when she only glared at him planting her fists against her hɨps defensively. ”Do you not find it odd that two of the council's top hunters were sent here for a family squabble? How often have you ever heard of this in the past?”

Cam's defiant glare softened. ”Well... never... really... but they have gotten involved more in the ruling classes business and affairs in recent years.”

”I need to use a phone. If you want to help your friend, cooperate with me on this... I care for Josyln as well...”

Arei ran as fast as his human form would carry him, all the way to the lagoon he'd last seen his beloved. Expecting to see the brilliant reflection of the sun off her silver hair from the lagoon, he felt his heart sink slightly when he found it empty. His attention immediately turned toward the door of her cavernous home. Running to it he knocked several times, but no one answered. He tested the door. Finding it unlocked, he walked inside. ”Kitten? Are you here?” When no one answered, he continued walking around the room for any sign of her. {Have I come to the wrong place? Has she finally moved out of here and into a better home?} His eyes searched the dimly lit room. Much had changed over the years. A new picture sat on the counter of a modern kitchen area. His lips curved up as her aqua eyes stared out from the picture at him. They weren't as bright as they once were, and her smile seem forced compared to the other two women in the picture. He hadn't been surprised at all to see that she was back in the form of a young girl... but the excitement that he was so used to seeing reflecting out at the world from her eyes was gone... Heartache... He knew that expression well, trying your best to hide your feelings from those around you, but only ever managing to come off as broken... a lesser part of what you once were...

”Ah... I see it didn't take you long to disobey my orders. I'm not surprised, however...” Zeus stepped into the room forcing Arei's attention away from the picture in hand.