~~
Rika
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I watched as Westin stepped a little closer to my mom's office door. He was listening to see what was going on. That was probably normal for a guard like him, but in my mind, it was an invasion of privacy. I hoped that he didn't do that to me. I would hate it if he listened in on the private talks I had with my friends. I was a boy-crazy teenage girl, and he was so far removed from what was happening to me that it wasn't even funny. What was I supposed to do if he heard me talking about the boys that I liked? Or about how I made out with Clovio? That was just scary.
“Come on.” Westin interrupted my thoughts about him and pulled Clovio toward my dad's office. “We will wait in here. Lucas, please ask the king and queen to come to this office. Tell them that Rika and Alyssa are here and that perhaps King Dietrich and King Shawn should come with them as well.” While he spoke about royalty, Westing dragged Clovio into my dad's office and threw him onto the couch. Lucas led Warrick to the office and once his hands were free, Westin took Warrick's arm and pulled him in as well.
“I will be back shortly.” Lucas nodded and left. He always seemed to be deferential toward Westin for some reason. It was like he was somehow acknowledging that Westin was the stronger of the two of them. I didn't know how I felt about that. I mean, I knew that a feline was strong, and that in most cases, depending on the breed of the cat anyway, a feline could be stronger than a werewolf. It all depends on the man though. My dad was the strongest man in the world, but that had to do with the blessings of strength that he had been given, and that he was naturally strong as an Alpha.
Clovio and Warrick were looking around the office like they were curious. They seemed to think that this was the most surreal thing to ever happen to them. I mean that was probably true. They were taken by force to a castle hidden in the mountains. Once there, they started hearing different titles like princess, queen, and king. They were probably thinking that we were all pretentious rich people. I didn't want Clovio to think that about me. Even if he broke up with me, I didn't want him to think that I was some sort of horrible person.
.....
“Clovio, this isn't-.”
“This office is different than I expected.” He cut me off with a smile and his smooth voice. “I was imagining something much darker and sinister.” He laughed at that like it was the funniest thing ever, but I saw that Warrick was looking nervous. Was talking like this Clovio's way of coping? Was he nervous and taking it out verbally like this?
“Shut up.” Westin snapped at him. “I want no talking, from any of you right now.” He looked at me when he said that too. I was the one that had started the conversation, I guess. He was just not wanting to deal with me or the others right now.
It was uncomfortable, but a moment or two later I heard a loud voice call from the other office. It was so loud and angry that I was able to make it out from here perfectly.
“WHAT!?” That was my dad. “SHAWN! DIETRICH! COME HERE!” What followed that was a loud stomping of feet. I knew that was my dad. My mom, no matter how angry, wouldn't stomp like that. My dad, though, wanted to make sure that we knew that he was coming. It was an intimidation technique, and it was working. At least it was working on me and Lyssa. I saw that she was also cowering in fear as we listened to our parents approaching the office.
Those steps continued quickly out of my mom's office and across the hall. The moment that I heard them right outside the room, I saw the door to the office door fly open and splinter from the force with which it had been struck.
“RIKA SARAI GRAY!” My dad bellowed at me which caused me to squeak in fear.
“Eeep!” I was trembling when I looked up into his eyes. “U..uh..uhm, h..hi Daddy.” I reminded him that I was in fact his daughter and that he shouldn't kill me. He was supposed to protect me.
“WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO!? WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!” He was still screaming at me as he spoke. I started to cry on the spot. I hated this. I never should have done this.
“ALYSSA SHANA ASHER-CONRAD, EXPLAIN YOURSELF!” Uncle Dietrich came barging into the room next, calling out to his daughter who was just as scared and nervous as I was. Lyssa was crying harder than I was and I wanted to make her feel better. I couldn't though. I just couldn't.
“I..I am so sorry, Papa. I didn't mean to make you mad. I am so sorry.” Lyssa sobbed as she buried her face in her hands.
“Lyssa.” Uncle Shawn came to kneel in front of Lyssa at that moment. “We aren't mad, not really. We are scared and worried. How could you do something so dangerous?”
“I am sorry, Daddy.” She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. “I am so sorry.”
“I know you are, sweetheart.” Uncle Shawn rubbed her back soothingly as she sobbed onto his shoulder.
“Rika, tell me what happened. Why were you not at school? Who are these young men?” Mom came over to me and knelt down just like Uncle Shawn had done for Lyssa.
“I..I was mad that Dad told me I couldn't go out after school. A..Alexa told us to go during school and to be back before it was time to be picked up. I..I am sorry Mom. I..I just wanted to go out with Clovio.”
“Clovio?” Dad glared at the two men that were sitting with me and Lyssa. “And I am guessing that the other one is Warrick.” I saw that he and Uncle Dietrich were both looking at the men with anger and rage. Uncle Shawn and Mom were a little more subtle about their anger though, it was a little less obvious at the very least.
“Yes Sir.” Clovio smiled up at Dad. “I am Clovio Mathias and this is Warrick Abitz.” It sounded so confident and smooth that I knew my dad would find no reason to be worried about these men.
“Hmm. Don't you mean Clovio and Warrick Jaegan?” My dad used a name that I had never heard before, but I saw the moment that the name was registered with my boyfriend and Lyssa's mate. They knew that name. Why was my dad saying that Clovio and Warrick lied about their last name?
“How do you know that name?” I could hear the fear that was shaking in Clovio's voice.
“Did you think that we wouldn't know how to track down information on all of you? We are currently getting as much information on you and the others from Saint Alaric's Home for Children.”
“Is that the orphanage you grew up in?” I turned to look at Clovio, but I probably shouldn't have. He was looking at my dad with a mixture of anger and fear. What was happening? What was going on here? “Clovio?”
“Rika, you need to stop.” Mom looked at me. “This boy is not who you think that he is.”
“Yes, he is, Mom. He is my boyfriend. I..I am falling in love with him. And I just need to figure out if he's my.. if we're meant to be.” I almost slipped and said the word mate. I couldn't say that word just yet. I didn't know how Clovio would take it. “Clovio, tell my mom that they are wrong about you. Tell her that you are not Clovio Jaegan. You are Clovio Mathias. You are from an orphanage in Germany. You are here on an exchange program. Tell them, Clovio. Please.”
Why was I starting to feel more and more desperate? Why was I so scared? What was happening right now? I didn't know what was going on, but I knew that I wasn't going to like what happened in a little bit. Something told me that this was all about to go south. Something told me that I was wrong. So very wrong. I had been wrong about everything this whole time.
“Clovio?” I sobbed as I said his name. “Say something, please.”
“Warrick?” Lyssa looked at her mate with her eyes opened wide. “What is going on here?”
Warrick had a look in his eyes that spoke of apology and sorrow. Clovio's eyes were filled more with fear and panic. What was going on with them? Why weren't they speaking.
“Rika, you don't know what is going on here. I know that is my fault though.” My mom took my hand and looked me in the eyes. “I didn't tell you what was going on. Not all of it. If I had, you might not be in this situation at the moment. I am sorry, sweetheart.” For some reason, my mom hugged me tightly. She was trying to make me feel better about something, but I just didn't get it. What was happening?
“What is going on, Mom? Will someone please explain this to me.” I begged her and the others, but oddly enough it was Clovio that answered me. He finally looked at me with his panic filled eyes. I did detect a trace of sadness as well. Why was he sorry?
“I am sorry, Rika. I lied to you.”
