Chapter 116 - Chapter 116: Intermission One - Part Two

🕯️Trigger Warning:

This chapter contains references to past psychological manipulation and coercion, strained family relationships, emotional distress, and controlled interactions with an individual associated with prior harm.

Koba

As the elevator rose, I relaxed against the mirrored wall, closing my eyes as I realized I felt…nothing about not joining Minette for the evening. Usually, I would feel a pull to spend time with Minette if my Mother and Father were not home, but today I felt repulsed by her. The sound of a spray bottle triggered my curiosity. When I peered through half-lidded eyes, I saw Colt aggressively spraying the elevator with neutralizing de-scenter. He was apparently waging war against Minette's biochemical-warfare-level scent.

When he noticed I was watching him, he gave me a stiff salute. A snort of amusement escaped me. I saluted him back, smiling. I never imagined how enjoyable it would be to have an assistant like him. He reminded me a bit of…how Nyxara used to be when we were young. The thought immediately dampened my mood. Before everything somehow went wrong, we were the best of friends. We supported each other and were inseparable. 

Colt must have sensed my mood shift. He put away the spray bottle, then primly positioned himself behind me just as the doors opened onto Mama Azalea's floor. Even my down mood could not resist the warmth that emanated from the space. Actual warmth. From the tension headache I was nursing to the essence flowing through me, it all eased being in this place I've quickly come to consider as my second home.

 Because of her vampire nature, Mama Azalea always kept the apartment warm. She joked that Papa Sullivan being a shifter is one of the reasons she chose to be with him. He's like a walking heater whenever she needs warmth.

Colt immediately settled my items in the front closet, then excused himself to the charging station in the living room to recharge while I spent time with my family. I followed the scent of spices and the low hum of music from an older model speaker. Papa Sullivan was laughing at something I was too far away to hear over the music.

When I entered the kitchen, Mama Azalea reached me first. She wrapped me in an embrace that was neither performative nor strategic. Just pure maternal love. "How was your week?" she asked against my shoulder. "Tiring," I admitted. I disengaged from Mama Azalea to greet Papa Sullivan. Papa Sullivan clasped my arm, then pulled me in for a one-armed hug. "First full week back from isolation. All reports say that even though you have been out sick for almost two months, you still proved yourself academically—maintaining your rank 1 position. For the combat ranking, they are giving you until next week to regain your rank 1 position. Well done, son."

I cracked my neck, feeling embarrassed about how good it felt to be genuinely praised. "I'm barely hanging onto my academic rank. Zenaida Salgrave has come out of left field like a dark horse, challenging my position like she has a vendetta against me. With her tutoring Nyxara, when Nyxara returns in the spring, I'm seriously worried the two of them will make me work even harder to maintain my academic rank 1 position for our cohort year. Combat-wise, we will have to see. Elias Cress has always stayed in the top five, but the instructors all believe if he really tried with his combat experience, he could easily be rank 1."

I sat myself at the counter, then dramatically slumped against it, looking all pitiful. Mama Azalea gave me a kiss on the head. Papa Sullivan, however, flicked my forehead. I pouted and rubbed my forehead. Mama Azalea got back to cooking the elaborate meal she had decided to make for our three-person dinner. She quickly got me caught up with what she had done to get to this point in the meal creation. I recorded everything she was saying so that if I got the chance, I could attempt to make this for Nyx or the others in our future mating circle one day. Mama Azalea has been teaching me how to cook over the past month to help me better my chances of getting back into Nyxara's good graces. 

If there is one thing I do know about Nyxara, it is that she loves food and a good drink. I will learn all of Mama Azalea's tricks if it will help me win her back. My chest warmed happily while I daydreamed about cooking for my own family one day. My daydreaming ended when Papa Sullivan was swatted by Mama Azalea because he was hovering over her shoulder too much. "Go sit with Koba. You are in my way."

He patted his chest confidently. "I'm supervising. Mama Azalea gave him a look I could not see from my seat, but he quickly found himself a seat beside me without further delay. Before he was kicked out of the kitchen proper, Papa Sullivan's hand had often found the small of Mama Azalea's back when she passed him. I love the way she subconsciously leaned into his touch each time.

Their open affection has been showing me how I want to be with Nyxara if we become mates. Before the breaking of the Velintra, I thought Mother and Father were the super close pair in their mating circle while Mama Azalea and Papa Sullivan were the more distant pair. Both of them always showed more affection towards Mother and Father than they did towards each other. I had been told from an early age that their mating circle was a political arrangement, but I hadn't realized the harmony I thought my four parents had was fake and unbalanced. 

Now that they showed me how loving and in-tune with each other they truly were, I suspected that Mama Azalea and Papa Sullivan were fated mates. I just didn't know how my other two parents fit into the equation. If I based my assumption on just the clues I've picked up over this past month, I would honestly say Mama Azalea and Papa Sullivan hated Mother and Father. With a level of hidden animosity that made me wonder if they ever liked either of them. Which said a lot, considering Father is Papa Sullivan's biological brother. I have to get stronger so they will trust me with their truths. I don't like building plans based on assumptions. I liked making plans. I needed them now more than ever as I rebuilt my life.

Mama Azalea had finished making dinner, and we were carrying the dishes to the table when the sound of banging on the elevator doors began. Hard and relentlessly. Mama Azalea paused mid-step. Papa Sullivan placed down the bowl of mashed potatoes, looked at me, then down the hallway that led to the elevator with a sharpened gaze, then back at me. 

No question was asked but the look in his eyes was asking a question regardless. I shrugged slightly. "Colt locked the elevator from this side." His brows rose. Mama Azalea's expression was a mix of amusement and concern. "I want to relax with my family. I don't want to have to be around her tonight." I added, my body beginning to tense in preparation of them pushing me to go see her.

Papa Sullivan nodded once, understanding without further explanation. A small sigil was drawn, then flicked towards the elevator. The banging sound cut off instantly. Blessed silence. My body instantly relaxed and I wiped away a tear that escaped. They are willing to protect my peace.

 We all sat down and began filling our plates. Only when I reached for my napkin did I notice the fourth place setting. Before I could ask, there was a knock at the balcony door. Papa Sullivan crossed the room and slid the door open.

Finn stepped inside like he was used to stopping by for dinner. He was displaying a level of comfort that was not in line with what I would expect from an external enclave member in the apartment of the Third Crown Consort. He wasn't hiding his scent of something older mixed with spiced clove and black cherry from me like he has in the past. I took it in with the night air that came in when the balcony door was opened. What I previously thought was incense or a candle when I came over has turned out to be faint hints of his embedded scent.

He is here so often his scent is as woven into the apartment's base scent as Papa Sullivan's is. I will not make any assumptions but I will speak to Mama Azalea about this later. I understand hiding what I suspect is going on from Mother and Father but as a shifter and someone who lives here when Mother and Father are gone, I seriously doubt Papa Sullivan doesn't know another man has been spending time with his mate. I will find time to get clarity later.

"So, my good people does anyone want to enlighten me as to why Minette is trying to break into this floor?" he asked mildly as he shed his outer suit jacket. "Has she finally lost all common sense and is hunting you all down like the rabid goblin we know she truly is under all the sparkle and shine?"

Mama Azalea's amused smile and the way her body stayed relaxed was another hint that there was more to the dynamic here than I previously understood. It was taking me a moment to adjust to Finn's comfortable attitude. I pretend to not notice my parents and Finn observing my reaction to his unexpected presence. I said nothing as Mama Azalea gestured for Finn to sit in the open seat between me and her. She then responded to his questions with a single answer. "Koba chose peace." 

Finn's eyes flicked to me, "Ah." Finn laughed under his breath sitting down and immediately started dishing food onto his plate. "Abandoning your goblin of a sister now, are you?" I accepted the jab with a faint tilt of my head. "Temporarily."

For the rest of the meal we enjoyed each others company as we ate and talked about our week. Finn poured wine for the rest of us while Papa Sullivan made a drink that smelled of cinnamon and something fruity for Finn. Mama Azalea kept refilling my plate without asking. I kept putting foods I had noticed they liked on their plates and each one of them including Finn looked pleased with my efforts.

We were clearing the table for dessert when Papa Sullivan's phone started going off with multiple notifications. I had turned my phone off when I reached Mama Azalea's floor. All my calls were now being routed through Colt. He was supposed to notify me if anything urgent came up. Colt, who was still charging in the living room, hadn't said a thing so I thought Papa Sullivan's notifications had nothing to do with me. 

I was wrong. Papa Sullivan read through the notifications. Then looked at me with a grim expression that tightened his whole face almost imperceptibly. If he was looking at me because of a security issue that he isn't sure how to handle that would mean the issue involved her.

Minette was escalating and I needed to handle the situation. I can already feel the headache that had gone away coming back. "Tell her I will visit her in forty minutes," I said faking my calm. "I need to shower and change." Also I need to devise how I can get in and out of her lair as quickly as possible without falling under her enchantments. I forced myself to breathe slowly even as my heartbeat picked up and my right hand twitched.

Sullivan studied me. He understood what he needed to say to get her to back down since the prize of me coming to her was now guaranteed. I'm biding my time till I'm in a position to not have to cater to her whims. At that point I will help Mama Azalea and Papa Sullivan leave the enclave if that is their goal. "I'll handle the message," he said sending a message to Minette's assistant as we spoke. Within thirty seconds, all the security notifications stopped and Minette's assistant texted back that Minette was counting the minutes till her big brother came to visit her. 

While Papa Sullivan and I handled the situation, Mama Azalea and Finn were setting dessert out on the heated balcony. Very tempting to just jump over the wall and hide out at my apartment but it would not feel right to leave my parents to handle the fallout of that choice. If we let her escalate her tantrums, Mother and Father would come back early. I didn't want that to happen. I still had questions, and I needed answers to them without direct interference. I will sacrifice now so I can reap the rewards later. I have to play the long game if I want to take back control of my life.