38. More Confessions
Aleiraah
The husbands-from-hell have made themselves at home on the castle grounds. I haven't seen them since that emotionally charged encounter.
It took a few hours of Butterball's bubbly company to lift my spirits.
She had been rolling around on the carpet surrounded by her myriad plushies, when she spotted me.
Immediately started bouncing on her tiny tush with a gummy smile, arms raised in demand, until I'd picked her up.
The snuggles that followed had patched up the crack in my heart.
I’m fairly certain she's my emotional support pet.
I just finished chatting with the will-o'-the-wisps, requesting them to keep an eye on that human trash, Malakai. Meanwhile, I need to decide which guards to use for relaying my message to him. Right at that moment, Zenith steps into the library.
"Who have you been conversing with?" He asks suspiciously.
"No one." I say evenly, studying my nails, currently unvarnished. Ah, I miss Bastet and her vast collection of nail paints.
Thankfully the will-o'-the-wisps winked out just before Zenith entered. My connection to them is something I'd like to keep a secret.
He observes me skeptically for a moment, then lets it go. "Your mates have requested your presence in the visitors' lounge again. What would you like to do?"
I tilt my head back on the couch, staring at the ceiling with a sigh.
"Why can't they just leave me alone? And for your information, Zenith, they are not my mates!"
"Fine. Husbands then." He shrugs nonchalantly and deadpans, "They're obsessed with you.
I'm afraid I get drenched in their despair and love pheromones every time I go near.
They truly seem to regret their actions, fueled by ego or the Veilmoon is unclear.
Whether they've learned their lesson, remains yet to be seen. "
Hearing Zenith defend them fills me with quiet despair.
"They raped me, Zenith." I whisper, saying the words out loud for the first time. And something cracks open inside my chest, the hurt leaking out, leaving behind devastation.
There's stunned silence for long moments before he takes a seat beside me and gingerly takes my hand.
"Do you want me to kill them?" He asks in a voice devoid of emotion.
I close my eyes, shaking my head as tears roll down my temples. Then a sob breaks out, followed by a wail. Zenith gathers me in his arms, stroking my hair. "Shhh. It's ok. You're safe, Aleiraah."
I cry for a long time. Mourning my love, my marriage, my hopes and dreams. My shattered heart splinters into smaller pieces until only my hiccups interrupt the silence in the room.
"I'm ok." I duck my head, feeling embarrassed but lighter.
"I didn't know, Aleiraah. I thought they cheated. But.." Zenith trails off looking contrite.
"Only Ispahan knows. And my friends back in Duat. They were punished. It's just, I can't find forgiveness in my heart. Please don't ask that of me."
"I understand. I'm sorry, Aleiraah." He says solemnly.
"Not your fault." I wipe my eyes with the kerchief he offers, making me smile. Ispahan's charming General.
"Tell me, did you feel any differently during the Veilmoon?" I ask, feeling curious about the cursed moon's effect on mated pairs.
"Yes. I think I lost myself for a bit and fucked Han into the ground.
I blacked out after an entire night of intense coupling.
Han had been insatiable too, demanding I impregnate him, which we know is not possible.
Hara acted like she was in heat, wringing us dry, even though pregnant butterfly shifters don't experience heat.
Hara went into labour the very next day from all the rough fucking Han and I did.
We're worried that we had unknowingly hurt Butterball.
But thankfully she was born healthy and happy.
Looked at us in wonder the moment she opened her eyes.
" He smiles fondly remembering that moment.
So that blasted Veilmoon rattled other mated pairs too.
"It's up to you if you want to meet them, Aleiraah. But if you ask me, you'd benefit from giving those males a chance to explain things. At the very least, it'd offer you closure." Zenith advises sagely.
"You know, you could be a part-time therapist." I bump his shoulder with mine.
"Thank you, I have my hands full right now. But I might consider it in the future." He grins with a twinkle in his green eyes.
I shake my head and stand up. "Let's go see what fresh hell awaits me today."
Zenith stands and pats my back lightly. "There...there." And I burst into surprised laughter, remembering how I’d managed Ispahan the same way. Seems like a lifetime ago.
Ifrinn
Aleiraah’s laughter floats to us before she walks into the visitor’s chamber looking radiant in a white pleated skirt and an aquamarine off-shoulder top matching her eyes. Her deep red hair is draped on her left shoulder in a thick braid. She looks so beautiful, she steals my breath away.
Her laughter dies in her throat as her gaze falls upon us. We stand up, automatically leaning toward her like a heliotrope sensing the sun.
The moth shifter stands beside her watching us carefully. There's a hardness in his eyes that wasn't there the day before.
He arranged a big tent with amenities for us to stay here comfortably, sounding way more reasonable than that arrogant Nephilim fucker.
Aleiraah straightens her spine and walks into the room, taking a seat opposite to us and folds her arms across her chest. I'm distracted by the sight of her plump breasts that seemed to have grown slightly bigger. I should know since I've spent hours fondling and suckling at them.
The male takes a seat to her left indicating we'd have to spill our guts practically before a stranger. Again. The Nephilim is thankfully not in attendance.
No one says anything as we silently devour her with our eyes. Hungry for a drop of her affection.
"Well?" She lifts a deep red eyebrow as we resume our seats. "You all wanted to talk. Here I'm. So talk."
My sassy Flame is making an appearance today. I'm glad, since it's better than her subdued version. But her puffy red eyes tell a different story.
"Aleiraah, I want to begin by saying, I'm sorry. We're sorry." Baz takes the lead.
"No amount of apology will make up for what we did.
I made a conscious decision to put that Chain of Chastity on you, to stop you from using your magic.
And you're the bigger person for not flinging us right out of this room.
You could've physically attacked us in Duat yourself when we were at our weakest, but you chose not to.
That's more than I can say for myself. Since that chain sapped all your magic and had begun to feed on your life force.
" Baz looks at her mournfully, sorrow weighing down his shoulders.
Aleiraah's eyes widen indicating that she's unaware of the chain's property.
"Did you know?" Baz queries quietly to confirm.
Aleiraah shakes her head once, looking thoughtful.
"I'm not sure where you got that chain from, but none of us knew what it's truly capable of. Azael discovered while healing you that it was draining your life force and destroyed it right away."
Aleiraah's gaze snaps to Azael, a look of scorn in her eyes.
Baz continues, disgust etching his features.
"We acted like animals, swayed by our baser instincts.
Giving into pack mentality. I'm ashamed, Starling.
I don't deserve to even touch your shadow.
But heaven knows that I'll turn into dust if you don't take me back, take us back.
You're the sun we revolve around. It was wrong of me to even meet another dragoness for the breeding pact my mother was trying to rope me into.
Aleiraah’s face remains carefully blank as Baz continues to plead.
"I tried to dissuade her, but she threatened to coerce you into convincing me.
I didn't want her to drag you into her political machinations.
Believe me, Starling, I didn't cheat. I just met the candidates to keep my mother off your back.
I considered being a donor to shut her up once and for all.
But I would've come to you to discuss before actually doing anything.
And if you didn't agree, that would've been the end of it.
I wouldn't have let it go beyond that. You're far more important than my Flight.
You're the most important thing to me in the world.
" Baz’s voice catches toward the end. Aleiraah studies him with a fixed gaze, as if trying to measure the veracity of his words.
"All I hear is would've, should've, could've. It doesn't prove anything." She remarks flatly, shrugging uncaringly.
"Please believe him, Moon. Believe us this once.
" Archie chimes in earnestly. "We'll prove with our actions that there's no one in our hearts other than you.
Belle, is my past. I mourned her, yes, but grief doesn't just randomly stop one day. It grows fainter with time. You mended my broken heart, a match for the me who’s a grown wolf.
Not the pup I was when I'd found Belle. I fell for you because you were her complete opposite.
And I'm beyond glad because you compliment me perfectly.
You're the day to my night, sweetheart. One cannot exist without the other.
You asked me to use the 'Heart of a Hollow Star' to resurrect Belle.
But given a choice, I'd have you back in my life rather than have her returned to me. "
Aleiraah frowns at his passionate declaration as a fully engrossed Zenith absorbs every word.
"It was bittersweet when I found out that Baz had the artifact all this time.
I had wasted so many years in search of it before I met you.
But after Baz showed it to us, it didn't even cross my mind to use it once.
I was too focused to reach you. My heart was in shambles remembering how I had taken you without a care.
My wolf driven moon-mad. You must've been so hurt, sweetheart.
And I just kept going at it, injuring you callously.
" He hides his anguished face with his hands, shoulders trembling with quiet sobs.
The back of my eyes burn with an onslaught of tears as I watch Aleiraah drop her gaze, staring fixedly at a whorl on the table’s wooden surface. Zenith watches us with something akin to pity in his eyes then turns to Aleiraah, squeezing her arm.
Suddenly, the door flies open and Ispahan barges in carrying a tiny baby girl––with blonde curls and vibrant green eyes, seated in the crook of his elbow.
Aleiraah's head whips in their direction and she shoots to her feet as the baby half-flutters, half-springs into her waiting arms. Zenith sighs exasperatedly as Ispahan aims a death stare at us.
"Were you listening in from outside, Your Majesty?" Zenith asks pointedly.
"Of course not!" Ispahan replies, appearing chagrined.
He points at the tiny baby bouncing happily in Aleiraah's arms. "Butterball was demanding to see Aleiraah, and she's already spent enough time today with this ragtag group of rogues.
It's play time! Come on, darling!" He ushers Aleiraah and the baby out of the room at lightning speed, before we can get a word in edgewise.
Zenith exhales heavily then walks us out of the castle to our tent. Our confessions today weigh heavily on the soul like unfinished business.
"While I offered to kill all of you, and Aleiraah declined, I'm beginning to see your side of the story too. However, I don’t condone what you all did.
So understand that I'm watching you. One false move, and you're gone.
" He says in a chilling voice and I wonder how much Aleiraah has told him about that night.
Bile threatens to surge up my throat and I look anywhere but at him.
"Having said that, be patient. Keep trying and your words just might touch her heart." He leaves us with that parting shot.
What stays with me long after is the sight of Aleiraah holding that tiny baby in her arms. Remembering the pretty picture they made, my heart spasms with longing.
Aleiraah
"Ispahan, I know what you're doing. I don't need rescuing." I grumble standing in the flower garden he has dragged us into.
"I know. I know. I just couldn't take another sob story today. Everyone had gone so quiet that I was concerned for your safety. Zenny by himself is fine but with you in the mix, I'm not sure how those seven would behave. I don't trust your husbands, so I decided to interfere."
Sighing heavily, I bounce Butterball as she twists this way and that to watch the flowers in the garden.
"Thank you, Ispahan. It means a lot that you're watching out for me.
It's difficult, rehashing everything and listening to their side of the story.
Zenith asked me to hear them out and I hoped it would help me move on. "
Ispahan scoffs and I narrow my eyes at him as Butterball points at a flower babbling something.
"Yes, it's pretty, darling." I agree, then pivot to Ispahan, "What's so funny?
"Move on, Aleiraah? Really? The way they track you with their eyes, they'd follow you to the ends of the earth if you 'moved on' or fled.
When I say I don't trust them, I mean they might abduct and steal you back to your mansion.
They're like sharks, swirling around you, looking for an opening to snatch you away.
And I'm not going to let that happen on my watch.
But you're delusional if you think they'll let you move on.
" He tickles Butterball who flutters from my arms into his waiting ones while cooing, "Auntie Alee has hit her head hard on a broomstick, isn't that right, Butterball? "
I glare mutinously at the father-daughter duo as Butter gurgles in happiness. But Ispahan’s observation makes me slightly nervous. Everytime I cross their paths, the seven look ready to throw me over their shoulders and carry me off. They've always been possessive but not to this extent.
Archie and Baz sounded sincere. So had Alistair, Silas and Zien from the other time. They'd kept things from me but slowly they're opening up. I can't believe it took us a decade to get here. Shame that they realized my worth only after losing me.