Or For The Love Of A Lost Love?

Persephone sighed, watching Caramia fidget in her seat. She didn't fault her for her restlessness. She had barely acknowledged her until now. How they managed to get to this exact point was remarkable, because she was supposed to be aboard a jet with Reginald going to Italy where she would be accepted by his grandfather to enter into a matebond with Reginald. They would have a large public ceremonial ritual, because Reginald had always demanded to be the center of attention.

Instead, she was being chauffered in Derrick's fancy car. She had received a text of gratitude from Orion when she informed him that she was taking Caramia to him. Her eyes took in the beauty in front of her. Their blood cured Caramia and her true natural beauty was breathtaking.

Cowardly, her eyes dropped when Caramia glanced at her. She didn't know how to be anything but what Reginald crafted her into. Except the moment her phone alerted her of an incoming text, her entire body warmed merely at his name. Her heart thudded, racing in her chest as she checked his message. It had been years since he messaged her.

Thank you, Persephone. I can't repay you for what you've done.

It was simple words, but it was the first time, Caleb had truly spoken to her beyond sarcasm and bitterness. She wasn't ready to form a truce yet with him. Perhaps, she was too scared to accept his olive branch, because she truly could never be friends with him. Her heart longed for him.

If Valient truly desired you, he would've made you his mate. He didn't, Persephone. He abandoned you. He didn't want you...Do not make a mistake of turning your back to run to a past that has nothing for you. No matter how vicious Reginald's words were, they were painfully true. She wasn't naive to believe that there was anything other than gratitude.

____

Orion could finally breathe, because his family was joining him. Caramia would soon be by his side. His father had arranged for the ladies to take one of their family's private jet. Persephone was finally coming home and hopefully to Caleb if those two would stop keeping secrets from one another. His eyes shifted to his oldest friend, watching him as he stared at his phone.

"If you're waiting that long for her to respond, you might as well just call her," he told him with a smirk.

Caleb rolled his eyes. "I was simply thanking her."

"You do realize what her actions meant," he said as Caleb glanced up at him. "She turned her back on Reginald on the most important trip of her life that would secure her future." He raised an eyebrow at him. "I know my sister loves me, but she also knows we're perfectly capable of tracking Caramia down."

"Orion, stop beating around the bush," he growled out, obviously knowing what he was already implying.

"She dropped the ice bitch act when she heard your voice. Don't you dare tell me you didn't notice that." Orion got up to pour himself and Caleb some whiskey. He placed a glass in front of his friend. "You can't deny what we both know is the truth. She did this for me obviously, but she mainly did this for you. Her loyalty had and has always been to you. Don't you think it's time to embrace that truth and do something about it?"

"It doesn't mean that she and Reginald are through," Caleb pointed out. "A vampire like him prides himself on beautiful trophies and prizes. He won't let her go truly without a fight."

"I don't give a damn what he does." Orion downed his whiskey in a gulp. "She was never his to begin with. Perhaps, you should take a page out of his book then -- fight for her. Show her you're better for her."

"I'm not better for her. He can offer her so much more than I ever could."

Orion shook his head. "See, that's where your problem is right there." He sighed and gave him a strained smile. "Persephone has everything she could ever want. She was born into wealth. Everything he could give her, she already can get by herself. Don't mistake the difference between wants and needs, Caleb." His eyes stared straight into his best friend's green eyes. "She hasn't been the same since you left, is it truly that difficult to see?"

Caleb swallowed, staring into his eyes. Orion watched his best friend shakily grab his glass of whiskey and downed it without flinching. He placed the glass down back on the coffee table in front of him. He sighed before he finally responded to his tirade.

"Orion, she hasn't even texted me back for thanking her," he told him brokenly, shaking his head. "It's not that I don't need her. I'm not that oblivious to know that truth, but I'm the one that left not her. I pushed her away. I didn't fight for her. I have no true right to pursue her after what I did."

"It's not about what's right," Orion asserted. "I had no right to sire Caramia and have no right to establish a matebond after what I did to her, but it has nothing to do with being justified. It has to do with the fact you'd die without them by your side. I meant what I said that I would've followed Caramia into death if that was what she truly wanted, but she wanted me and I'm going to spend lifetimes making it up to her for all that I put her through." He gave Caleb a pointed look. "You fight for her, because you can't live without her. You're her mate, Caleb. You're pretty blind to not see she's absolutely miserable with Reginald."

Orion turned from his best friend to walk over to grab the whiskey bottle. He placed it in front of him with the empty glass of whiskey and smirked at Caleb's questioning look before he departed to prepare for his family's arrival. Orion knew his friend's history with drinking away his problems. If Caleb wanted his only companion to be liquor, he would supply him that, but he hoped he wouldn't to bury his emotions and finally embrace truth before Persephone did something as foolish as establish a matebond with Reginald.