Reborn: The Rejected Luna

#17 - Not So Simple

"You had Irabel’s family killed?!” The door to his study flung open, revealing a very furious Nykka.

“Good morning to you too.” Romaldo couldn't hold back the sarcasm while his sister totally ignored it.

“Tell me you didn’t.” Her voice was somewhere between a plea and a demand that left Romaldo at the edge of snapping at her.

For once his sister's interruption would have been a perfect distraction. If only her words didn't include the name of a specific someone he wanted to forget. Wasn't a sleepless night enough torture?

He leaned back in his seat wanting to drain out more effects of that torture that bubbled with his sister’s accusation. “You know for a princess such etiquette is necessary before you go about throwing baseless accusations.”

“Baseless accusations?! Is that all you have to say for yourself?” She waved a finger in front of him angrily, forcing him to think about what she was really asking.

“Should I be saying something else, maybe?” Obviously Irabel’s family was safe, so he wondered what Nykka was on about.

“How about denying the whole thing in the first place?” Calmer than she had been when he came in, Nykka crashed in the seat in front of him. “You are many things Rom, but I wouldn’t think my brother was so heartless as to murder an innocent girl’s family.”

“Wait, what on earth are you talking about?” The brokenness on his sister’s face made him realize that she actually believed what she was saying. This wasn’t just some rumbling of hers meant to piss him off.

“You took her family from her, this makes you no different from–”

“Don’t you dare go there!” Romaldo roared, hating that Nykka of all people, would think he’d stoop so low as his twin.

“And why the hell not? You had her locked up, tortured–”

“That was a mistake.” He mumbled, regret and shame washing over him in front of his sister. She’d never judged him before, but he totally understood why she did it now. Hell, even he hadn’t spared himself after what he’d done. “I did take her family, but it was not to have them killed.”

“Then why make her believe they are dead? I could see it in her eyes, Rom. That pain was very real and still too raw.”

“Damn it, I don’t know, okay? I know nothing about her.” He ran his hands through his hair feeling frustrated about the whole Irabel situation. Because she would now be living at the Crystal Castle and that he was definitely interested in her, Romaldo had ordered a full background check on her and the report had come back to bite him. He was wrong. They had found nothing, literally. No link to Maxith or anyone for that matter, that is until about three years ago when the woman whom she now called her mother had found her in the woods near the Green Forest Pack. The then fifteen year old was found left for dead with no memory of who she was. She’d been attacked or abused. He wasn’t sure by who. The wounds that covered her body would have been fatal too, but thanks to her mother’s knowledge of herbs that had saved her.

“You’d be surprised how much you’d learn about her if only you’d quit treating her like the enemy or a subject you have to study to determine what level of threat she is.”

He got what Nykka was saying but with how he’d treated Irabel, it would take a miracle and one hell of an apology to make that happen.

“And if she’s our luna–”

“Nykka…”

“If she’s our luna.” His sister moved closer and took his hand, stroking it gently, just like his mother did when she wanted him to really listen to her. “She’d make the perfect sister I never had.”

“It’s not that simple.” The look on his sister’s face both warmed him and saddened him. He wished it was that simple to undo what had already been done. To turn back time to the man he was before his hands were tainted with blood. Before he’d watched a part of him wither away when the one he loved the most was ripped from his heart and his world.

“I can see the wheels turning in that head of yours.” Nykka cupped his cheeks and smiled. “It doesn’t have to be that hard. Amelie would want you happy too. I want you to be happy and so does everyone in the pack.

“Vieva is going to be the Crystal Moon’s luna.”

A scowl rested on Nykka’s face, but she said nothing over his declaration. “You should let her see her family.” She said quietly as she got up, surprising him over her decision not to press him on the matter.

“I should do many things.” He came round his desk and reached for his sister. He was glad when she didn’t move away. “For what it’s worth, I’m not proud of what I did to her.”

“I know you aren’t. It’s not you.” She leaned into his embrace. “But you did and she’s hurt. And this is not me trying to make you feel bad.”

“I know.” He nodded, feeling like the worst person either way. It was one of the reasons he’d had a sleepless night. For hours on end, he found himself thinking of how to make it up to Irabel, just because he knew that an apology, a few words from his mouth, would never be enough.

"What's that for?" Nykka frowned at the bank card he held out in her face. “I told you that I don’t need any more of those.”

"It’s not for you, but for Irabel."

“Is that how you intend to apologize to her?” Nykka suddenly pulled back, eyes narrowed and arms folded.

“I don’t think your wardrobe is exactly appropriate for her and I guess she’d love to have her own stuff.”

“Why don’t you give it to her yourself?” Nykka eyed the card like it was the plague, but Romaldo could see right through her. He should have known that he couldn’t beat her at her own game. She was the master of getting people to do her bidding after all. “Or better yet, take her shopping yourself.”

“I don’t think my company will be welcome.” Why did he sound like that was such a bad thing?

“I might be of help with that.” Nykka chirped, making him realize she got exactly what she wanted. “But first Irabel’s going to have to accept your gift.”

“It’s not a gift.”

“Oh, it’s definitely a gift, brother.”

It wasn’t. A bribe maybe. Something to give him an opportunity to speak to Irabel. He could demand for her to listen, but somehow he just felt like he needed to make the effort.

“Nykka, damn it!” Romaldo glared at his sister when she forcefully dragged him out of his office. “I’m perfectly capable of doing this by myself, you know?.” He protested as he was forced to rush towards her room.

“Do you want my help or not?”

“Not if you are going to parade me like a child in front of my people. And you do look like a spoiled princess yourself.” That brought them to a halt.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Will this do, your majesty?” She bowed in an exaggerated fashion before offering him her arm.

“Of course, my lady.” She cringed, making him laugh. “Mother should have known that you were a lost cause.” He draped his arm over her shoulders instead and they walked in comfortable silence after being glared at by her.

“Do you feel that?” Nykka suddenly asked after passing a group of the castle’s maids that had been chatting happily.

“What exactly?”

“The castle. It’s alive again.” His sister leaned into him, making him smile. “I know you don’t believe in all this stuff, but I bet this is going to be the best year ever.”

Romaldo pulled her in. He didn’t know about this being the best year ever, but he’d definitely felt the change in his castle’s atmosphere. He didn’t want to believe that it was because of Irabel, but with how he felt every waking day after that incident at the market, it was hard not to say that his prisoner turned guest was responsible for it all. “As long as you are happy, I’m all good.”

“As long as we are happy.” With a wide grin Nykka stopped in front of her room and gestured for him to go in.”

“You call this help?”

“The first installment.” His sister let out a chuckle before getting on her toes to place a kiss on Romaldo's cheek. “Don’t blow it.”

I kind of already did. Now that he was alone and only a piece of wood in the form of a door seperated him from Irabel, he became nervous. Some alpha king he was.

Clearing his throat, he lifted his hand to knock but hesitated, thinking about what his sister had said.

This was the second time Irabel was calling him a murderer and he didn’t understand it. The first being back at the Green Forest Pack when she refused to leave with him. Could he have encountered her before? Or had it been during the time he took over her pack. But that did not make sense either as he was sure no fighting would have ever taken place when taking over a weak pack like that one. Or was she mistaken, perhaps?

He shook his head and finally knocked on the door. He was here with hopes of being forgiven and somehow letting thoughts of his twin brother cloud his senses would end this whole attempt at being forgiven in a total disaster.

A teary ‘come in’ had him almost knocking the door down as he rushed into his sister’s room. A quick scan of the place revealed no presence of an intruder, making him relax. Irabel was all alone and sad.

She had her back to him and was staring at her own reflection. She’d been crying and the evidence of that made him want to pull her in and just hold her. The sadness in her eyes roused a deep need in him to right whatever it was that had brought her so much pain. Even if that happened to be him.