Bab 345: Bad plans forward
Arei let out a groan as he lifted his head from the table. "Oh… damn…" He grumbled as he stretched his arms widely before rubbing the back of his sore neck. "Assholes…" His complaints of being left at the table last night faded as a folded piece of paper caught his blurred vision. His brows furrowed as he reached across the table and retrieved the letter. His name was written in Ry's sloppy script. He arched a brow as he opened it.
'Arei, I've decided it's time. Don't bother trying to talk me out of it or trying to find me. It's what is best for everyone. I've put it off long enough. It's time you and Jos got your lives back. All I ask is that you take care of the kid in my absence. I left some things for you in my room there. I'm sure by now you've been able to guess… I love him… Take care and pray this works.
Ry'
Arei blew out a frustrated sigh as he wadded up the letter and tossed it across the table. He tugged his cellphone out of his back pocket and punched in a number. He waited impatiently as it rang, his eyes moving to the half-empty bottle of scotch in the center of the table. He was in the middle of pouring a glass when the call was answered. "You know I'm really starting to hate letters… You couldn't have come out and said that shit, instead?"
[You would have just argued with me and tried to talk me out of it again.]
"Fucking right I would have! Ry, you have no way of knowing whether this crazy plan will work at all! What if you're just giving yourself to Calypso?" Arei lifted the glass and emptied half in one drink. "What if it just activates the curse? Either way, Jos will blame herself for your poor choices."
[They are my poor choices to make… If there's any way to write the wrong I did you guys those years ago then this is it… Besides… I don't plan to stay with her forever.]
Arei frowned as he refiled the glass. He glanced toward the window as he let out a heavy sigh. "Just until she releases the curse, right?" His voice became quiet, forlorn heavy in each word. "What if there is no way to reverse it? What if she doesn't have that power? Then, what? I've lost my brother, too? Doesn't sound like much of a thing to do for my wellbeing."
A resigned sigh sounded across the other end of the phone. [It's not your choice. You're right… I'm not doing this for your well-being. I'm doing it to combat my own guilt over the past 500 years. I can't face you right now knowing there could have been something I could do to help.]
"This is reckless at best, and you know that! How do you think she'll feel knowing you sacrificed yourself on her account… especially if nothing changes?" Arei argued back.
[I guess I'm really not thinking about her either, just myself… so let me be selfish… Let me do what I feel like I must.]
Arei let out a loud puff of air. "You're an idiot… you know that?"
Ry laughed. [I've been told that a time or two…] He was silent for several seconds. [Hey, do me one favor will ya? Take care of the kid… I meant what I said in the letter. Regardless of whether he'll ever return my feelings or not… I… I love his little punk ass…]
Arei shook his head as he stared down into the half-empty glass. "You're a mess... Take care, you hear me! And if you need help, don't hesitate to call."
[Yeah… sure… Later then…]
Arei blew out a frustrated breath as the phone went dead. "Stubborn asshole…" He pressed in another number and finished the contents of his glass as he waited for it to connect.
Poseidon's tired voice rang out over the line. "What is it, son?" He groaned as he looked at the clock. "Of course, you'd call thirty minutes before my alarm was set to go off… Tell me, how can I help you."
"Send my things over. Apparently, I'll be staying with the wolves for a while."
Poseidon's eyes bugged as he shot up from the bed. "You? With your brother, I assume?"
Arei shook his head as he poured another glass. "Nope… Ry's decided to take on Calypso. Won't listen to reason either… as if that's surprising."
Poseidon groaned again as a sudden migraine threatened to ruin his day. "Of course, he wouldn't. And here I thought he'd given up that crazy idea… Though I'm not entirely surprised either. We're what… three weeks out from the werewolf coronation."
Arei grunted. "Yes, well I suppose he'll do anything to avoid a chance run-in with his ex and her brother."
Poseidon huffed out an irritated sigh as he pushed himself up from the bed. "That arrogant ass wouldn't remember something from that far back. I don't understand why Ry still hides from him."
Arei shrugged, though he knew his father couldn't see. "Maybe he simply what's to save Artemis the stress."
"I doubt your brother would ever be as considerate. Meet me in his room in ten minutes."
"You're wrong…" Arei whispered as the phone went dead once again. He let out a sigh as he stared down into the glass. "If he wasn't considerate of others, he'd never be willing to do what he's doing now… but what do you know of either of us, father…" Arei blew out another long breath before finishing off the glass and leaving the room.
Thirty minutes later Poseidon was setting on the lounge in Ry's room while Arei rummaged through the bags he'd brought over. "What are you looking for?" He asked as he eyed the decanter of scotch Arei had brought up to the study with him.
"My smokes… They have to be here somewhere."
Poseidon arched a brow. "It's been nearly a year since you quit. Why would you want to start back up now? Besides those cigarettes are bound to be dried out by now!"
"Be that as it may, I still need a smoke…" Arei complained as he rummaged through the bags.
Poseidon shook his head in disappointment. "You and Jos haven't even been split an entire twenty-four hours and already you're picking up all your old habits."
Arei sent his father an irritated glare. "Perhaps you should have thought twice about it before you helped her escape so easily."
He shrugged. "I didn't realize you were holding her as a hostage. Maybe next time you plan to force a woman to stay in your bed, you should let me know… though it's more of your uncle's style rather than mine." He gave an exaggerated shrug. "Perhaps you should call him. Who knows it may be the male bonding this family needs to get things back on track. It would sure as hell save me from working myself to death."
Arei grunted at the suggestion. "Have you gotten anywhere on that front yet?"
"Have I said I had?"
"No…" Arei grumbled as he pulled the crumpled pack of cigarettes from his bag. "Ah, finally…" He tapped one out of the pack, tugging it the rest of the way free with his mouth. "Now… where is the lighter…" He muttered as he searched the bag some more.
Poseidon rolled his eyes as he flipped his wrist and produced a lighter. "Here." He grumbled as he tossed it to Arei. "So, what now that you've found what you're looking for?"
"Now?" Arei asked between puffs as he lit the cigarette. "Now I force you to tell me where Jos is, and I leave babysitting duties to you while I get her back-" His last words ended in a coughing fit as the dried tobacco burned his throat. He frowned down at the cigarette.
Poseidon shook his head. "Not going to happen."
"Why, because you're not going to tell me where she is?" He asked irritation echoing in his words as he tugged a clean shirt from his bag, the cigarette still resting in the corner of his lips.
Poseidon let out a defeated sigh. "Because even if I tell you exactly where she is, your sister and Scylla are not going to give you access to her unless she asked for it. I'm guessing by now she's told them all there is to know about your insensitive reactions yesterday…"
Arei frowned as he switched out shirts and tucked his hair under a ballcap. "She told you about that?" His eyes were trained on the bag as emotions began to battle behind his eyes. "It must have been more upsetting than I thought for her."
Poseidon nodded. "Very much so, I believe." He gave in to the temptation of the scotch and poured himself a glass. "That is why I believe it is best that you follow her wishes for now and let her come to terms with things on her own."
His brow arched at his father's words. "On her own, you mean with the two biggest man-haters the world has ever seen, right?"
Poseidon shrugged as he took a large drink. "I left her with a piece of you. Just know if she doesn't return, it's because she now knows the real you that you've kept hidden all this time and not because of the mistakes you've made while trying to act so perfectly."
Arei frowned as he pushed up from the floor and held his hand out for a glass. "That's harsh, even for you."
Poseidon nodded in agreement. "Sometimes the truth is harsh."
***
The stiff pain in Russ's neck and tingling in his right arm woke him up. He turned his foggy gaze toward his numb arm and the weight holding it down. "Jaden…" Her name glided from his lips on a whispered breath. She'd asked him to lay down with her while they continued to talk long into the night. He'd been surprised by what he'd admitted to her once they'd begun opening up to each other. After hearing of her upbringing and knowing what he did about his own parents' lives, he couldn't help but wonder if Shelly would have gone through the same things if their parents had lived. He breathed cautiously as he carefully slid his arm from under her neck. He froze in place as she murmured in her sleep. He breathed a sigh of relief and continued toward the door when she'd simply rolled over. Russ turned the knob as carefully and quietly as he could as he stepped into the hall. His eyes moved to the faint light filtering over the top-floor balcony. A frown creased his forehead. {Damn… it's still super early…}
"Good morning, Sire." The guard stationed outside his door said with a slight bow.
Russ sent the man a nod. "Good morning… um…" The man's name slipped his mind. "Um… you wouldn't by chance know if my guests have woken up yet, would you?"
A toothy grin curved the older man's lips. "Aye, the larger fellows. Yes, I've seen them both about already."
Russ nodded. "Thanks…"
He made his way down the stairs and looked through all the obvious rooms as he went. When there wasn't any sign of either man, he made his way back to the study he'd left them in the night before. He could hear a familiar voice speaking as he neared the door. "I didn't expect you guys to be up this early after last night…" His word broke off and his movements froze as his eyes landed on the nearly empty decanter in front of the massive man. He forced his feet to move, taking several steps backward until he hit the now closed door.
Poseidon's gaze turned toward the ceiling as he shook his head. "Poor bastard…"
Arei arched a brow as he lifted his gaze from the table. "You alright, kid? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Poseidon cleared his throat. "You may want to refrain from drinking around the kid. He seems to have a bit of PTSD from the last time your brother got wasted. I'm surprised Peg didn't give you the details of that particular story."
What little color that was left in Russ's face drained. "P-Peg told you about that?"
Poseidon kicked out one of the chairs beside him. "Have a seat, kid. There's a lot to discuss."
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone