Untitled Episode
1993 Words
CHAPTER 3
Luca woke up to the leaked video flying all over his timeline. His fears were not for himself as he buckled up to get to school before Odessa. He knew she would not check her phone and was scared that the effect might hit her hard. He replayed the scene in his head over and over. His anger burned deep within him, but he suppressed it. Zoe and her constant youthful frivolities always earned the Tharros a spot in every blog post, but not Odessa. Apart from Mr. Atlas’s daily contracts and business prowess, nothing about their family got out. She was his only child, and she was a quiet one. Hence, there was no smoke about them. Although blogs itched for gossip, Odessa never gave them any.
“Axel, have you seen Odessa?”
He inquired as he touched down the school environment. He just wanted to see her and apologize.
“I thought you said you handled it, so what happened?”
Axel asked as he struggled to match Luca’s walking pace.
“If I knew that, we wouldn’t be here. Just try to pick her scent.”
Luca ordered as his eyes scurried past the busy path of students. He caught her scent but it was faint.
“There she is!”
Axel shouted with vigor, pointing to Whitney, who happened to be pulling her outside. Luca increased his speed but met a major road block.
“Let her be!”
The voice ordered. His broad shoulders and his brown hair which rested on him gave his height an amplified effect. It was Xandros, Odessa’s personal bodyguard. His aquiline nose and daring facials made him the dream of all the girls he ever encountered. He was also not very jovial, but he was obsessed with his duty of protecting Odessa, even Luca knew that.
“I just want to be sure she is fine.”
“She is fine!”
Xandros stumped with a straight face, he was trying very hard to hold his rage in and not let them find expression on the face of the one who caused Odessa pain. Luca raised his hands in retreat even as she watched her collapse to the ground and Xandros moving with the bolt of lightning to help her up.
***
“How can you possess so much vility and wickedness?”
Luca raged as he stormed into Lyra’s chambers, where Zoe was hiding all day. He pushed a hanger of clothes by the side in a fit of rage, causing a mild commotion of both sounds and clothes.
“Luca, I don’t know what this is about, but you won’t come in here and destroy things in my space!”
Lyra ordered as she stood firmly in front of scared Zoe, shielding her from Luca’s rage.
“I swear by my wolf, I did not post that video, Luca!”
Zoe cried behind Lyra.
“You still have the guts to lie to my face? What do you take me for?”
Luca asked with his palms burning with rage.
“Luca, at least listen to her, if she said she didn’t do it, then she didn’t.” Lyra chirped in.
“That’s a lie Lyra, she made that video herself and posted it. I thought all you were doing was just petty mischief, but you didn’t even think of protecting your own image before you fed it to the hungry bloggers?”
Luca thumped with his hands shaking from anger, not only at Zoe but also at himself. If he hadn’t let himself be baited by his pride, all of that wouldn’t have happened. He replayed Odessa’s collapsing over and over and couldn’t stop blaming himself.
“Zoe! Why didn’t you tell me that part? And not in a bid to support Zoe’s childish behavior, but why are you so concerned about this girl if you already have a marked mate?”
Lyra asked with the same confusion written on all their faces.
“So, because I have a mate, I should disregard my friend?”
“Friend? I hope you know what you are doing, little brother.”
Lyra added. Luca’s tongue was glued to his pallet as he stormed out of Lyra’s chambers. He was becoming too emotional.
***
“Vynessa, why did you post it?”
Zoe scolded Vynessa. As soon as Luca left Lyra’s room, she was given an earful and prompt remorse filled her heart. She didn’t want to post it, she just longed to have something to threaten Odessa with and have her do her biddings.
“Lower your voice, someone may hear you!”
Vynessa hushed Zoe, pulling her from the ballroom to her own chambers.
“Leave me alone! I sent you something. You should have at least asked for my permission before posting it for the world to see and make a joke of my family.”
Zoe lamented. She was attempting to hold it in to prevent her mouth from blowing off in anger.
“Permission? That’s a strange word for Vynessa Kaiser.”
Vynessa scorned letting her white hair fall over her shoulders. Her beautiful white hair happens to be one of the few things that made the whole academy rate her special. It was her mark from the lunar queen, a mark that made her special and elevated.
“I know that now!”
Zoe scoffed in apparent anger.
“Anyway, I am sorry that things turned out that way. I didn’t mean to drag your family into this stench. I just did it for our common interest.”
“I loved that, but I hate that the flames drew my family in.”
She smirked
“And for that I apologize.”
Vynessa confessed with a fake bow. She cajoled Zoe with her talks of pulling Odessa down as they both celebrated their victory.
“Goodnight, Zoe. See you at school!”
Vynessa waved as she locked the door behind her.
“I never knew I raised a shallow fool for a daughter”
The commanding full-bodied voice echoed from the ballroom. It was Alpha Kaiser.
“Father, good evening. It was just Zoe, Alpha Tharros’s daughter.”
Vynessa prostrated as her body shook in fear. Alpha Kaiser was an authoritative figure and treated Vynessa the same way, hence contributing to her sinister desperation.
“I know that, and I heard all my foolish daughter did to elevate the status of a frail human.”
He resounded.
“No, dad. I pulled her down.”
“All the more reason, I called you a shallow fool. You already have the heir to yourself. Instead of keeping his attention solely on you, you decide to elevate the human and shine his piteous attention on her.”
“I’m sorry, dad.”
“The alliance between you and Tharros’s heir must not be broken and not certainly because of your foolishness. Get out of my sight!”
He ordered with his profound baritone, sending shivers of fear all over Vynessa.
***
“Thank you so much, doctor Ryan, for coming on such short notice. I will send my token of appreciation later.”
Ethan enunciated with assurance.
“It’s ok. Odessa is like a daughter to me and I will try to be there for her.”
Doctor Ryan voiced with a spike of affection.
“And Ethan, remember what I told you the last time I was here; her heart palpitating, and you know why.”
The doctor added with a lower tone. Ethan's breath slowed down as he tried to find answers for the doctor.
“You gave me two options, and I’m trying to keep up with the second, which is to keep my daughter from any emotional rollercoaster or shock. Odessa lives a quiet life which makes it easier for me to keep her from things like that. What happened today was just an unfortunate event, it won’t happen again.”
Ethan pronounced as if pleading with Doctor Ryan not to do anything first.
“If you say so, then I’ll take your word for it. I will be leaving now; she should be up any moment from now.”
Doctor Ryan reaffirmed as he moved out of Odessa’s room briskly. He has been their family doctor and friend ever since Ethan moved to Moonstone Bay. He was the only one Ethan allowed to treat him, his daughter or any member of his household.
“Daddy!”
Odessa muffled voice rose from her sleep. Ethan rushed at her to help her up. He placed her head on his thighs and watched her pale lips curve into a smile. He dismissed everyone when the doctor arrived, and he was happy he did. He wanted to have his father-daughter moment with her.
“My princess, how are you feeling?”
He asked.
“Dizzy, daddy. I didn’t mean to scare you or anyone else.”
Odessa muttered softly.
“It’s fine. I saw the buzz on the blogs, it was enough to sink a cargo ship. I’m sorry you had to go through all that.”
“Was I wrong, dad?”
“Wrong about what?”
Ethan inquired.
“About my feelings, about expressing them… about trusting Luca?”
Odessa asked with her eyes filled with tears that threatened to fall.
“No you were not. You were true to your feelings, and I’m proud of you.”
He affirmed as he patted her shoulders. She was all he had after his mother’s death.
“So what went wrong?”
“Baby, sometimes we can control our emotions, but not those of others. Sometimes society, life and other external forces shape our choices; in all, we are just victims of the system.”
“What system?”
Odessa asked inquisitively. Ethan scoffed at her ignorance. He knew she was going to find out.
“I think you should rest now. Elara will bring some milk for you to rest and refuel.”
“Dad, please be honest with me!”
Odessa insisted.
“You are human, he is a werewolf. No matter what the damn constitution of Ursaria says, there would still be restrictions.”
“What restrictions?”
Elara’s swift barging into the room interrupted their conversation. She was panting, Ethan knew something was wrong.
“What is it, Elara?”
Ethan asked impatiently as he rose to his feet.
“Alpha…. Tharros is here!”
“What?”
“He’s in your study!”
He kissed Odessa and stormed out. He walked briskly with so much vigor and strength into his study.
“What are you doing here, Maximus?”
Ethan questioned with bloodshot eyes. It had been years since they stood in the same space.
“It’s been a while since anyone called me by my first name. I just came to see an old friend.”
Tharros affirmed with a wry smile. Ethan could hear the mockery in his voice, he had ulterior motives.
“Oh, snap out of it! Why are you really here?”
Ethan probed, provoking a sinister smile from Tharros.
“I’m sorry for what happened on the blogs today, but don’t you think this is providence bringing us back side by side?”
Tharros asked.
“Nonsense! If you don’t have anything to say, just leave. The door is open, you can get out anytime.”
Ethan scoffed as he turned to leave.
“How much longer would you seal this secret from her, Ethan?”
Tharros questioned him with a seemingly raised voice, causing Ethan to be triggered. He rushed at Tharros, pinning him to the wall of the study with his hands clawing at his neck.
“You should keep my family business out of your mouth, you bastard!”
Ethan whispered in his ears with his whole body raging from inside out. It was the secret that he would die protecting.
- Writer
