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Acacia/Ciarán - Age 18

When I release a breath after telling Lailoken...

...I turn to my side and take a few steps away.

He follows me again, and he says, "You're coming with me, Ekáti."

My eyes narrow at him and I retort, "I'm not your mate, I will never be your mate! I will never be yours!" Just like that, all the anger and hurt I've pushed down rockets to the surface.

I've seen the so-called mate bond from both Mercury and Taron...

...the last thing I need, is this true born hybrid to top it all off. After how terrifyingly powerful Ciarán is physically, I don't want to be absorbed into this man who's also so much older than myself.

Lailoken tilts his head to the side and asks, "Fine, and then I'll throw you in Elysium for releasing a highly dangerous prisoner," when I glare at his remark, he takes a threatening step toward me before I scrabble back and away. I hit a tree and grab the sides of the trunk with my hands, the bark rough beneath my touch.

Lailoken corners me, and I look away from him, trying to keep my breathing even as he regards me, "Why are you frightened of what's drawing the two of us together?"

"You're a true born..." my voice trails off as I continue to avoid eye contact with him because those irises bring back bad memories of my brother.

"And?" He asks this as if it's the ridiculous thing he's ever heard. He's quiet for a moment while I say nothing, though I feel his fingertips make contact with the side of my neck. I exhale quietly when he traces over Mercury's mark before he questions, "You've been claimed by your beloved?"

The way he says it...

...he's not angry and actually...hopeful?

This causes the bridge of my nose to sting, the tears I've been fighting off for a long time are close to finally breaking through again...for what? For this man who claims I'm his mate?

"It's complicated," is the only thing I can say as I'm still making sense of what Nimue told me. Swallowing that pill is a hard one.

"Ekáti, look at me," Lailoken's voice surrounds me, but I don't and continue to keep my gaze sideways and toward the forest. I feel his fingertips leave my neck, only to entrap my chin and bring my gaze back to meet with his. His eyes stare into mine as he asks me, "Who hurt you this badly..." it's a look of...pity that crosses his features.

I don't want his pity.

They don't know that the ones they've been looking for, are the same ones who hurt me...

I push his hand away from my chin, and I retort, "Who hasn't is a better way to start..." my voice trails off as he looks at me with confusion at the way I don't fall into him. My eyes narrow and I tell him, "My name is Acacia Arin-Valentine...stop calling me Ekáti."

Lailoken's features shift slightly as he notes, "The Hybrid Queen's daughter..."

"Yes, now I'm going to leave and go home to-" I'm cut off a second later after I try to move to my side, only for Lailoken to pull me back against the tree trunk.

There is a hardness in his features when he says, "I've almost lost you...twice. I'm not going to let you go unprotected. You will come with me as I don't trust anyone else to keep you safe."

"No, I will not!" I shoot right back, but when he moves forward slightly, a fear surfaces for the first time since I shut everything down. The fear that he'll hurt me, just like Ciarán. My defiant stance shifts and I press back harder against the tree trunk as I don't want to be hurt again. The air leaves my lungs when his hands grab my waist, my voice losing its strength when I cry out, "What are you-" a second later, he throws me over his shoulder, my waist making contact with it before he holds the back of my knees tight with one arm while the other presses against my lower back.

"The Vindicator Wardens Pack lodge isn't far from here," Lailoken reassures me, but my eyes are just wide open, and I'm in slight shock of what he's just done.

Anger rushes through me, and my hands draw into tight balls before I slam them against his back and cry out, "Let me go!"

The pressure on my lower back from his hand when I try and press upright becomes much, much harder a second later, almost feeling like he's going to break my spine. I cry out, and my hands release their tension, only to have my nails practically digging into the upper back of his flesh.

"Fuck!" Lailoken immediately releases the pressure he has on my lower back while I draw in a ragged breath. It's more to himself when he says, "I'm sorry...I didn't realize how easily breakable you are..." regardless of his 'apology,' I wipe away the few tears that managed to escape, pinching the bridge of my nose as I steady my breathing.

"Let me g-"

"No, I won't," his voice is sharp and harsh when it cuts mine off, though I feel fear for the unknown and what he's doing. We've been walking for just a bit when he tries to lighten the mood with me as his captive when he says, "You're a lot lighter than your brother when I carried him off to Elysium."

My eyes roll, though he can't see them. I rest one of my elbows on his shoulder while letting my chin sit on my open palm, staring at the forest around us. My brows furrow with confusion as I start to see different bushes moving ever so slightly, twigs snapping now and then before a scream leaves my lips the second I see two individuals pop out from either side of the trees.

It doesn't even faze Lailoken, and instead, he says, "Anysa, Kermie, meet Ekáti-"

"MY NAME IS ACACIA!" I shriek at him, trying to pull myself up and away again only this time, Lailoken isn't as forceful when he keeps me in place.

The two walk behind us, one of them giggling. She has dark black curly hair with light blue eyes...as she giggles, she says, "It's nice to meet you, Acacia...I'm one of Loki's hunters, Anysa."

"Brilite is the lead enforcer," the second one speaks who has gold hair with green eyes, though there is a light dancing across them when she nods, "I'm an enforcer myself, Kermie."

I frown when I can't escape Lailoken's hold, slamming my fist against his back as I give up again. While blowing a few strands of hair that had fallen in my face, I reply, "Hi."

Anysa and Kermie glance at one another before they both start giggling again.

"What?!" I finally snap at the two of them.

Anysa shrugs her shoulders and states, "Either Loki's gonna punish you or he's gonna break you-"

My eyes widen as I feel Lailoken's grip tense slightly when he chastises them, "Enough, the two of you."

Kermie tilts her head to the side when I release a frustrated sigh, "Well...he can't break what's already broken."

Anysa and Kermie glance at one another quickly before the two of them simultaneously exhale, "ooooohhhhhh."

Lailoken's muscles tense at my words, feeling the way he shifts his grip while he tells the two of them, "Back to your posts."

Anysa and Kermie both wave goodbye to me while Kermie mouths out, 'good luck.'

"Ekáti-"

"Acacia," I interrupt him while glaring into the distance, the ground we are covering a little quicker as I can see the sun beginning to set over the tops of the trees.

He releases a sigh and says, "You're not broken-"

"Don't even begin to tell me what I am and what I'm not," I cut him right off again. Shaking my head while emotions continue to rise, I tell him, "You don't know anything about me, so stop pretending you understand me just because you're staking a claim on me..." I mutter out with anger, "...you wouldn't be the first to force something on me."

Lailoken is silent after that, and we continue our little 'journey' to his pack lodge without another word said between us.

The only reason I know we have arrived is when I start to hear other voices, some of which are louder than others, some laughing and having a good time, while others are more whispering. Before we even reach the steps leading up to the pack lodge, he halts and says, "Mami, head to Castle Valentine and then to the respected lands, notify all the council members that I'm in possession of their princess, and she'll be furthermore protected within my domain."

"Possession?!" I cry out, lifting myself again, only this time I see who he's talking to. She has short black hair cut into a pixie with blue eyes...though a moment later, I see the way a golden glint reflects off them.

Hybrid.

"Alpha Loki, what if the Hybrid Queen says-"

Mami is interrupted a moment later as she's on edge when he replies, "I don't care what she has to say, because her daughter, is my mate and I'll take what's mine and protect it far more than she's ever done."

"I'm not a possession! I'm not property!" The bridge of my nose stings again at the way Lailoken is talking about me, and it frustrates me more when it doesn't seem to faze the rest of his pack.

Mami nods and is already running through the forest, out of sight as she must be his messenger...

I groan when he pulls me tighter slightly, and Lailoken immediately releases the tense hold before stepping inside the lodge. I lift my gaze to glimpse around and notice it's not as large as Grandpa Keir's...but then again, there aren't as many pack members from what I've seen and what I know. Besides...this pack is usually out policing the world wherever my parents send them...

...so why aren't they searching for those who hurt me?

Has it been too long of a gap and no one can find them?

Pity.

The Vindicator Wardens Pack isn't as chalked up to how it's been glorified to be.

Lailoken stops for a moment in the living room and turns to two more individuals...

...one of them he regards and says, "Jazbi, have the grounds and lodge been taken care of before our arrival?" He questions the hybrid with light brown chin-length hair, her brown eyes gleaming with that of her wolf's eyes for a brief moment.

Jazbi nods and replies, "Yes Alpha Loki. I've even taken the liberty to move some of the more feminine products and clothes to your room for your...mate."

"Thank you," he responds, and I'm just continuing to stare at them all dumbfounded by how they're all acting. It's not a second later that he regards the second individual, "Vitna, I'd like you to meet Ekáti-"

I think steam is coming from my ears when I lash out, "Acacia! Acacia! ACACIA! What is so hard about that?!"

Vitna cups a hand over her mouth as she giggles slightly at my reaction. A second later, I recognize Em 'n Em stroll up to the side of Vitna and wrap an arm around her shoulders while introducing, "Hey! I know Acacia!" She pauses a moment before introducing, "Oh, Acacia, this is Vitna, our lovely omega, and my little prodigy!"

Lailoken dangerous asks, "Em 'n Em...how do you know Acacia?"

"Alpha Loki," I recognize that voice and her presence is made known a second later as Glofish, "Dante threw her in Elysium during a family spat...I don't know the details, but-"

Lailoken suddenly vibrates with an energy that makes my eyes widen as it's even more powerful than that of Vexy. Those pack members of his around him...they take a few steps back at the sheer energy exuding from his body. A moment later, he asks with anger, "Dante threw my mate in Elysium?!" After a moments pause, he lashes out at Glofish and snaps, "You couldn't find her, and she was right under your nose the entire time?!"

"Hey, hey, let's all just relax," I hear the airy voice of Brilite before I see her, seeing the nervous look on her face before she says, "evening Alpha Loki...with all due respect, how were we supposed to know what your mate looks like? Hm?"

Em 'n Em releases a sigh and nods, "It's not like you even knew what she looked like..."

As her voice trails off, she sees she isn't going to win against her alpha and quickly looks away. Moments pass by, and the energy soon dies away as Lailoken asks, "Where's Oracle Sha?"

"She's in the middle of a deep trance at the center of the forest," Samami comes closer to me, seeing the way Lailoken is holding me before she asks, "did you hurt her?"

"Yes...it was unintentional," Lailoken responds with a pang of guilt in his voice.

Brilite laughs halfheartedly before asking and looking at the rest of the pack members, "Why are we not talking about the fact Alpha Loki needed to bring home his mate like a sack of potatoes strewn over his shoulder? Hm?"

"Goooooooood question!" Em 'n Em giggles nervously...that is until Lailoken turns his attention to her and she quickly pulls her lips into a thin line.

Lailoken is silent for a moment before he instructs, "Jazbi, please make a small dinner for Ekáti and I...we won't be dining with the pack tonight."

Jazbi nods and replies, "Yes, Alpha Loki...understandable," she eyes me on that last note before walking around and to the kitchen area. My gaze follows her while I release a small sigh, feeling like I'm a piñata on Lailoken's shoulder.

"Samami, please assist me," Lailoken is moving once again, though this time, he's carrying me up a flight of stairs. I'm resting my chin on my hand, Samami offering me a weak smile while I wave back at her sarcastically with my other hand. This whole meeting...

...I'm leaving the second I get a chance.

Lailoken won't even listen to me.

He won't even say my name.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

Song selected by KnightStar26 as a perfect fit to Acacia and Lailoken's situation.
Too Good at Goodbyes by Sam Smith

💫--To Be Continued--💫
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