A Queen's Dark Prison

Chapter 5: Going For A Run

-Valerio-

My brother knew just what to say. He always did. Or perhaps he hadn't known what to say when we were younger, but he had grown up. He had become smarter and knew just the right way to manipulate me. Damn him!

But he got his way, and I nodded. “Fine.”

He smiled like he had won some kind of game, and I stood up. I was a little taller than him, but he still appeared so pleased with himself.

“Wipe that smug smile off your lips, or I am staying,” I warned him.

He continued to smile as we walked over to the door. We descended downstairs and entered the dining room, where the others were seated. Everyone seemed surprised that my brother had managed to coax me out of my office, but he had.

However, he still wore that smug smirk as he walked over to Selene, kissing her briefly before sitting down. I headed to my own seat at the end of the table. Everyone continued to stare at me as I poured myself a drink.

“What?” I asked as I lifted the glass and took a sip.

“Nothing,” Garrett replied before everyone began to eat.

I remained seated. While I had chosen to come downstairs, food still held no interest for me. I needed Octavia. Without her, eating or sleeping had no meaning. Without her, nothing had meaning. I needed her, and I wouldn't find the strength to eat until she was beside me.

Losing your mate was dangerous. It messed with your mind, and you couldn't seem to relax. My mind was constantly conjuring up horrible scenarios of where she might be or what might be happening to her. I simply couldn’t focus on anything else.

“At least eat a little,” Damian urged.

I shook my head, sipping the scotch in my glass.

“I'd rather not,” I said.

“Here.” Evan tossed an apple my way. I caught it and looked at the green fruit, puzzled.

“It's what I mostly survived on for a while,” he explained before leaning closer to Maddy with a tender look. “Before her.”

Maddy blushed and placed her hand on his chest, as if to push him away, but he didn't move. Instead, he kissed her on the cheek. I sighed and reached for the knife in front of me, cutting small pieces that I ate right off the blade.

It tasted like nothing, as I expected, but somehow it was easier to eat. Maybe it was the small size of the apple that made it easier, or maybe I was simply tired of fighting this subject and wanted them to drop it.

“So, when do you plan on leaving again?” Isabella inquired.

“Not now, little wolf,” Damian answered, shaking his head.

“I just want to know if you are leaving too.”

Her eyes held so much worry. Damian was never far from her. Those two worked with the half-bloods in the area and even from other countries, making them feel a part of the community and helping them feel safe. Isabella knew better than anyone what the world was like for a small half-blood all on their own.

“Soon,” I replied. “When I know I can go without everything going up in flames.”

“Are you going to remake the council?” she pressed.

“I am planning to,” I confirmed.

“How?” Maddy asked.

“By giving those who deserve it a seat. I am going to make changes. It won’t be like the old days, when the most powerful alphas of the country had a seat. I’m still planning on having Evan there,” I informed her.

She nodded, and so did Evan. He knew when I dissolved the council he wasn't the problem, and I knew he would gladly take on the seat again if I formed a new one.

“And I want you there too,” I added.

Isabella, who had been looking at Evan, whipped her head around and stared at me, shocked.

“W-What?” she stammered.

“You heard me,” I affirmed. “You hold a lot of power.”

“Over half-bloods, maybe...”

“More than that. Other wolves come to you as well. Lone ones. And let us not forget who your father is.”

“A traitor,” she stated.

“I might have taken over everything he owned when he and your brother died, but I didn’t know you were alive. I am considering giving you back some of those possessions. Restoring your status,” I explained.

“I... I never had a status,” she replied.

“As your father’s daughter, you did, and I trust you, so I want you there,” I insisted.

Isabella turned to Damian, who just smiled and nodded.

“Lara, you're joining too,” I announced.

“Just say where and when,” she replied, and we all chuckled a little, with James running his hand down her hair and kissing her on the temple.

I wasn’t expecting anything less from her, and I was glad to hear she was fully committed. I planned to fill the rest of the seats once I had decided whom I could trust and once I had gotten my queen back. But for now, this was the best I could do.

***

“Where are you going?” As dinner ended, I headed back to the office, but Garrett caught up with me.

“Work,” I told him.

He shook his head and smiled.

“Work can wait,” he insisted.

“No, it really can’t.”

“It can. Come on.”

I looked at him, puzzled, as he waved me along. I glanced behind me, torn between my desire to continue my work and my curiosity about Garrett's intentions. In the end, I decided to follow him, and I soon found myself outside, where the other males from the house had gathered. All of them.

“What is this?” I asked as I descended the stairs, leading to the large green yard behind them.

“We're going for a run,” Garrett said.

“No, we're not. I am working.”

“Come on, Alpha,” James said. “You need this. We all need this.”

I shook my head. It was already getting late, and the sun was slowly setting. We were only at the end of March, so it was quite chilly too.

“What I need is to finish my work so I can go find my mate. Are my words getting through to any of you?” I asked, annoyed.

“We hear you,” Damian said. “But you need this.”

I shook my head. They were impossible.

“I went along with the dinner because it was clear I needed to be there so you could all eat. Now I just want to finish this.”

“And then what? You're pushing yourself too hard. You barely eat or sleep,” Garrett pointed out.

“Well, if it were any of your mates who had disappeared, you wouldn’t want to sleep or eat either.”

“We don’t deny that,” Garrett acknowledged. “But we will always have your back. We will always try to help you, and right now, you need help to see that you work better when you are less stressed.”

They weren’t wrong. A run did sound good. When was the last time I had just gone running in my wolf form for fun? It had to have been months, before Octavia disappeared. The thought was painful, but I knew they would try to stop me from rushing into things.

I needed to take care of myself first before I could take care of my mate. When I found her, I needed to be strong for both of us. She wouldn’t be the same, and I needed to give myself time to relax, even though I felt guilty for doing so.

“Well?” Garrett prompted.

“Thirty minutes,” I agreed.

“Two hours,” Garrett countered.

“An hour!” I compromised, not willing to turn my mind off for longer.

Garrett looked at the others, and they all seemed to agree, nodding. Then, I stripped off my t-shirt, and we ran towards the woods, undressing as we neared the edge before continuing to run in our wolf forms. It was true. I really needed this.