Dangerous Choices

Hadrian

I watched with my hands balled into fists as she was led away, my wolf was quiet and regressed into the back of my mind. It felt like he was calculating, but I knew the truth.

He was mourning.

The one person who was meant to be our other half, a fulfilling part of us, had turned out to be her. It left a sour taste in my mouth.

If this had happened 14 years ago, I would have been over the moon.

Cold hands wrapped around my wrist, snapping me out of my thoughts, and I turned to see my sister-in-law, looking up at me with wide eyes.

“What was that?” 

My gaze moved from her to the rest of the council members and they were all on their feet staring at me expectantly, like giving an explanation would alter what they saw happen before them.

“Hadrian,” she tugged on my arm, “what was that? You let her go.”

She looked hurt, her face twisted in pain. It made me think of her that very day, running out of a burning home cradling my nephew to her chest.

I exhaled deeply as the guilt hit me square in the chest. I pushed her hand away from me and turned to face everyone else.

“The meeting is over for today. Nobody is permitted to pay Aidora a visit without my permission.”

“Hadrian, you still have to…”

I ignored whatever she had to say next and walked out of the hall. Thankfully, she didn't come after me.

“We'll find a way out of this. There has to be a way, and we'll find it.” I said to my wolf, but he gave no response.

The new bond that now simmered between Aidora and I was so prominent and subconsciously I reached for it. Instantly I grabbed the wall for support.

I didn't expect that much pain. I clenched my teeth hard, why was she hurting so much? My wolf stirred at the pain pouring in through the bond, filling me with the urge to comfort her.

Before it could grow anymore, I put up a wall between us and increased my pace to my room.

I stood by the vault I hadn't opened in a decade, just staring. Everything that didn't burn down was all locked up in that vault.

My claws dug into my palm as I stared at it. Three lives, and this was all that was left of them.

It doesn't matter the pain she was in, it is still not enough for all that happened.

Bracing myself, I opened the vault and the smell of fire and ashes filled my senses. Even after so long, the smell lingered.

Ignoring everything else in the vault I reached for the book, a precious belonging of my mother. Instantly, I flipped to the page that talked about the Akatalytos bond. I'd read briefly about it.

But when I got to that section, a huge chunk of it had been burnt. My eyes however did not miss the very first sentence on the page.

An Akatalytos bond cannot be broken, unless of course both wolves are willing to die. One cannot and will not be without the other.

 I read the sentence again, then snapped the book shut.

Forcing out a laugh, I shook my head. My life cannot be tied to that of a traitor.

Heavy knocking on the door had me shove the book back into the vault, and when I opened the door, Beatrice walked In. Her eyes searched my face, and I tried to keep it as neutral as possible, but there was no hiding anything from Beatrice.

She practically became my mother.

“She is your mate.” She said and I wished I could refute that. When I didn't, she inhaled shakily.

“The moon goddess must have a blast punishing this family. When we finally have a chance, the only chance we have at getting justice, and you…” She grabbed my hand gently,  tears pooling in her eyes, “and you are being forced to choose between your mate and the desire for justice you've carried for fourteen good years.”

A tear slid down her left cheek, and I gritted my teeth.

How do I tell her it was not just a matter of my mate and my desire for justice, my life was also on the line.

She shook her head, her grip on me tightening.

“You have to choose us. You have to choose justice, Hadrian. For your mother, your father, your brother! For your nephew who grew up without a father.” Her bottom lip trembled, “please,  you cannot get distracted now. You have to get justice for us. You have to choose your family, this pack”

“Of course.” I placed a hand on hers. “it's always going to be this family and this pack before anything else.”

Her eyes flickered over my face,  checking, and when she finally realized I meant it, she nodded softly.

“You should get some rest. It's been a long day.”

She swallowed and forced a smile. “You too.” She stared at me a while longer, then tapped my shoulder before she walked away. 

Once the door closed behind her, I stood still staring at it then my wolf spoke.

“Maybe, she's not what we think she is.”

“What?”

“Aidora,” he clarified and I almost punched myself in the damn face.

“You cannot believe her just like…”

“That is how it is,” He cut in, “she is my mate. I have to believe her..”

I clenched and unclenched my fists multiple times, then a fresh wave of guilt and pain hit me, the feelings weren't mine. Aidora. 

Bracing myself, I left the room with one place in mind, the recovery room.