This Is Where I Want To Be

167. New Regime

Marcus

The first thing I did was send Soren away. Told him he needed to report before he came over. That left me open to breathe. The three of us started the day off with a meeting. We would be doing that every morning. I was a little distracted, knowing later that evening was my time with Juliet. My first thought was that it wasn’t enough. One night a week.

“What happened on Avrio’s island? Did you find out if his son was working in The Tower that day?” I asked to get my thoughts under control.

Louis nodded. “He is MIA… So if you were looking for the mole, I think we found him… I have a funny feeling about his mother. Her thoughts are controlled… Like Carl’s was when we first met. She says all the right things, but she’s hiding something. Isla is still there. But she’s not trained. Won’t even notice a coup right under her nose. She’s naïve and ignorant. We could ask my cousin to infiltrate. We would have to ask Juliet to lend us one of her women. If Selena was ready, it would have been perfect.”

“What did she say when you asked her if Avrio ever implanted tech in her?”

“Like I said, she gave some lame excuse that she would have known.”

“And you, Michael? Where are my brothers?”

“They are all accounted for. Made sure there is only one teleporter on each island they were on. They are somewhat scattered but still in the same region.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to start surveillance on them?” Louis asked.

“There would be no point... They would be able to counter it.” When I said it, I thought about something else. They knew most of what we were doing. I stood up and held my hand in the air. I gestured for them to follow. We traveled all the way to the compound. Went down into the tunnels that no one knew of and closed ourselves off in one of the rooms. “If I had my guess. They have somewhere they are reinforcing their weapons and numbers. But how do they communicate? We are monitoring all the feeds in The Tower?”

Michael scoffed. “They are using Earth tech… Radio frequencies… Normal recording devices that we won’t think to scan for on En-gannim, dumping normal files.”

Michael was right, “They could have bypassed the tower problems and cables by altering our tech. Mixing it with En-gannim.” He nodded. “I think we should move back. Maybe she was right. There is not enough space in France.” I ventured. “We could move our offices down here… Still, go to work and put up a front, but manage the most important information from down here.”

“Where are all Ahasuerus’s kids? What did you manage to find out.” Michael asked.

“They are also all accounted for, going on with their lives. It doesn’t really matter. They would still have to make the first move. And… If they have an army, where the hell is it?”

“Your baby is now the biggest threat,” Louis said. “The problem is that the army numbers are so low… We don’t know how long they have been plotting and training.”

“It’s time we did some reconnaissance of our own,” I suggested.

“Your army that came isn’t growing. No one is enlisting because they believe the threat is over. No one is going to kill them if they leave. We stopped forcing them into the situation.”

“Numbers are not how you win a war. We have to get to the root and pluck it out… They didn’t have two hundred years to create trust under the men. They don’t have a cause to fight for. Whoever is in charge is using the old methods of coercion. Revolution is always the outcome. We should know that better than anyone… One thing I learned from Juliet… Don’t force anyone to fight for you. If they do… The wall is unbreakable.”

“I hate to even say this. But we need Caleb. If we’re piggybacking on their surveillance, we need it planted without anyone knowing.” Michael said.

“There is only one way to find out.” Louis prompted.

My eyes were fixed on the ground. We were all perched up on the counter running along the wall. I was scared to start a fight with her before we even had a chance to talk. Louis and Michael got up to leave. Reluctantly, I followed.

***

Juliet was reading on the couch. Aries passed out on her chest. Her gaze came up. She wasn’t lying down like she used to. Her arm lifted, and she checked her wrist and frowned. All three of us sat down in our usual spots. She didn’t say a thing. “Is Caleb here?” I asked.

“Yes. He just came back from looking at some schools.”

“You didn’t go with?” Louis asked.

“My mom wanted to take him. She was just here. He’s reading up in your room.”

“Who was here with you?” Louis asked nervously. It was strange, but when I saw Liam come through the door. I had to laugh inwardly. Louis was scared of the backlash from the parents. We all got up to greet him.

“I’m going to go get Caleb,” Louis said.

They walked out together a moment later. Caleb sat next to Juliet, stroking Aries’s little head. There was a little scruff of hair around the back. Liam was about his business in the kitchen and listening.

“We need Caleb for some… Surveillance. If you will allow him to help.”

Juliet smiled. Mother and son shared a glance. “It’s up to him….”

Caleb smiled. “I want to help you guys. But I’m still a little hurt by what happened.”

I ruffled the hair on the back of my head. “If you think it will impair you to stay hidden for long periods or in a stressful situation… You definitely shouldn’t.” I ventured.

“It’s not that… My allegiance is with my mother, and you guys hurt her. You hurt me.” The three of us chuckled. Liam walked over and squeezed his shoulder. Juliet ran her fingers through his hair. “You guys even want to take Aries back… And I agree that he has to stay. Whether Fahan comes for me or not.”

I was stunned. Taken aback. “Look, Caleb. It’s not just about your safety… If we give him back. Fahan would probably give up on any other pursuits.”

“The man sold his son for a better place to live.” Liam eventually sat down, listening to the conversation. “I think Aries deserves to know who his father is. If we had talked with Jade… She never would have...” Caleb went on.

“But he did, and now we are here.” I clasped my hands in front of me. “All the coordinates are still missing. All of Ahasuerus’s mountain of information is hidden on some planet. And his scientist will probably know… It’s only a matter of time before he ends up with all the power.”

“All the more reason to keep him busy coming for his son. What coordinates do you think they will be going for first.” Caleb suggested.

Liam chuckled and lowered his head, shaking it.

“Anywhere on Earth.” I had to say.

“Anywhere on Earth….” Caleb retorted. “Where are we the safest at this point?”

I cleared my throat… “On Earth.” I croaked out and met Liam’s eye, and we both smiled. There was only pride in his.

“And above all of that. Fahan forced my father into that machine. For that, he has to pay. The fact that you are still sitting back and doing nothing… I can’t help you with that, Marcus.”

My eyes came up. At that moment, I realized I wasn’t a very good ruler at all. Yes, I wanted to be fair. I would make En-gannim a great place… But when it came to family… I found it hard to connect the two. Something Caleb did so easily.

“You killed all those Werewolf cubs and moms on Zoreah… I would rather kill Aries than give him back.”

Juliet covered the little boy’s ear on the side of his head. “Over my dead body.” She said.

Caleb took her hand. “So no. I don’t… want to help you. You made this mess. You will have to clean it up.” Caleb was quiet for a while. “I still don’t understand why you didn’t challenge him? The three of you could have killed him in a heartbeat. Even my mom and I could have killed him.”

I shot up to my feet, pointing my finger at him. “No! It wasn’t going to happen. We couldn’t challenge him because your mother needs to be there. Don’t you understand? For the next five months… Your mother will do nothing but sit there and keep my baby safe.” I bellowed out.

The room was quiet.

“Do you think your son, Marcus! Juliet’s child!” He scoffed. “Would have let you sacrifice yourself… For anything?” Caleb’s voice was rising.

“I f-ing get it, okay!” I spat out.

“Hey!” Juliet stood up. “Don’t talk to him like that.”

Caleb stood with her. “It’s fine. At least we’re getting somewhere.” He stormed off. I followed him up the stairs. I realized I had not only hurt Juliet but a lot of other people. And this whole issue wasn’t even about Chris. It was about Michael and that we would have left him there… I grabbed Caleb’s arm and spun him towards me. As his face came into view, all I saw was Juliet at that age. When I chopped off a woman’s hand because my father told me to. His eyes were watery. I pulled him closer. “You haven’t even gone to see him.” His words were muffled. “You blame him for making a wrong choice. When you didn’t even make one… You told her that you would handle it together and then left her out.”

I pressed him closer and wrapped my arms around him. “Caleb, I’m sorry. I’m going to make mistakes. For a few hundred years… I’ll probably make more. And… Chris isn’t blameless in this… I did feel that he threw away our friendship when he went back to Zoreah. When he decided that family wasn’t important enough… We all have to find our place in the world… But we’re all still half-human.”

Caleb’s shoulders started shaking against me. “I will… find out how to get your father's ability back. Even if it’s the last thing I do. But one thing at a time… You and your mother are impatient. And I am the total opposite. I play for the long haul. Not instant gratification. That will probably never change.”

I pushed him away from me and looked into his eyes. “If you let me train you… I’ll let you kill all those scientists in their sleep, leaving Fahan with nothing.”

He nodded and closed his eyes. I rubbed the tears away under his eyes. Caleb pulled out of my hands. “I need to go blow my nose.”

I chuckled softly. As I turned around, Juliet was watching us from the door. “I am sorry, Julie.”

She drew in a breath. “I have my sixteen-week check-up at the gynae tomorrow. The appointment is at ten. You better be there.” She turned to leave. I caught her wrist and spun her around. She flung me off. “Keep that energy for later.” I cocked an eyebrow. “Oh no! Not that. You will be massaging my feet, my back… A whole-body massage, and we will be talking the whole night long.”

“What will I have to say?”

“That is not my problem.” Juliet was trying, but the line around her mouth wouldn’t relax. I thought back. I didn’t understand that smile she had outside on the deck chair… Just before Chris and I went out hunting. Or the one she carried that morning after… On Palmyra… I understood it at that moment… And I would’ve done anything… If I could have her back. A woman really did put out what men put in.

“Come on. You have a long day ahead of you.” She said.

“I didn’t just come to talk to Caleb… We need to move back to the compound.”

“By when do you need it done?” It seemed that she wanted to smile.

I bent over, laughing. My hands dug into my pockets. Her head tilted, watching me. “You should stop that… You might get lucky after all.” She walked over and kissed me. My hands wrapped around her, and I pulled her into me. Her body relaxed, and her hands rubbed over my back. I thought about a few things I needed to say to her. I wanted to stay so bad and spend time with her. I picked her up, and she rested back into my arms. I carried her downstairs, kissing her. I plopped her down in the chair and hovered over her. “By tonight. You think you can manage, Mrs. Ahmed.”

She pressed her lips together and nodded. “Come on, guys. Back to work.” They both stood, and we walked to the door. “Caleb! Are you coming?” I yelled.

“Shhh. You’ll wake up, Aries.” Liam complained.

“Yes! I’m coming.” He pulled on a jacket, ran over to Juliet, and kissed her cheek. “Mom, you okay with this?” He asked.

“I couldn’t be prouder.”

He shook Liam’s hand and joined us.

***

Romero

When Charlene disappeared in front of me, taking Juliet back. It felt like my heart was ripped out of my chest. The nagging suspicion tugged and pulled on my gut… I would never see her again. There was so much we said to each other. But also not enough. Our conversation kept running through my mind the whole night. She had actually brought Juliet. To meet me. Showed me more of what was going on in her world. Wanted council, regarding me. It felt so strange… I had told her to go. Even Juliet told her to run. And she had left. I had no one else to blame. But myself. I was alone again.

My marital journey had lasted only a few days, and I had come more than halfway. When Charlene told me she had a child, my whole world spun around me. I would never have done what I did if she had told me earlier. I would have forced myself not to build a connection with her. How could I ask her to leave her daughter on a planet and never see her again? But I was not going to start dulling myself. I wanted to feel every part of me shatter. Because for me… It was for life. And I would never know the joy of having a mate. I had been alone for so long.

She not only had Kubra that branded her… But it seemed that their world had harem systems, and she was checking to see how I would handle it. Juliet had four husbands, and Charlene wanted me as a third. A third? What was I going to do? I would have taken her to the end of this journey and made her mine… She would never have seen any of them again.

I had opportunities in the past to choose a mate. It couldn’t even compare to what I felt for her. I hardly slept that night. Had no appetite when I woke up. Not like the previous evening when she walked around naked. All I could do was sit there in the sand, wondering what to do. My head hung low. When I heard the familiar sound. I knew she was back. I did not know if it was a good thing. I could not even look up at her. “I thought I told you to leave.”

“Mommy. Who’s that?”

My head jerked up.

Charlene smiled. “That is… Uncle Romero.”

“Where are we, mommy?”

“A new planet. Have you seen Daddy lately?”

Miné shook her head. Charlene put the child down. She was walking around, touching and feeling everything. Eventually, Miné came and stood over me. She held out her hand.

“My name is Miné.”

I took the little hand in mine and I knew I had made a mistake. Such a big. Monumental mistake. I didn’t know what to do with her hand, but she shook mine. She pulled me up and kept holding on to me.

“Can we go swimming? I see a waterfall. Your planet is really hot.” I wanted to smile. My heart was breaking. I held out my other, and Charlene took it. She joined us, and like a family, we walked towards the water. I picked up her hand to kiss it. A moment of more weakness. As it came closer, I smelled what I did not want to. My hand changed on Charlene’s. The red glow of my anger kindled. Her eyes implored me to accept everything her life entailed. It was not that I could not embrace it. There would be no point. There would be no us. I let go of both of them.

“Miné… Can you go to the water yourself?” My voice was strained.

She nodded and started running.

Eyes blazing, I turned to Charlene. Did she not understand how I felt. Tears fell over her cheeks as she held back sobs. “I had not had feelings for five hundred years, Charlene. I had only a few days where I could let go and be happy. I asked you to be with me, and you slept with him?”

“I had to.”

“No! You really did not have to. I told you not to come back.”

“How many times did I tell you I was not your girl. But you kept pushing and pushing. And now I’m here. You sent me away because I had a child… You know what Kubra said when I told him about you… Nothing. And the morning after. He kissed me goodbye without knowing if he would ever see Miné or me again. Do you… Understand that I love him. Do you even understand the brandings? You’ve been dancing around every issue I brought up. Even your parents avoided talking. I know more is going on than you want to say.”

“Everything changed when you told me you had a child. How could you not tell me? That is a line in the sand that no one should ever leave out, Charlene. Is that what you do on your world? Where is your honor?”

The sobs she had been holding back escaped.

“All I wanted was a few more days where I would have told you everything. To the last detail of our existence. You had so many opportunities to tell me.”

Charlene walked off, flinging her hands at her sides, probably fighting with me in her head. I was harsh with her again. Too cold. She was so young. Neither of us had the facts. She had just come into a form none of them even began to understand. It was as if they were toying with life and fate. Juliet had such a nonchalant attitude and ideas that her world was the only way. Charlene was human a month ago. I was trying to control myself but couldn’t. All I did not want was for my veins to turn green.

Charlene was splashing water on her face and rubbing her hands in the water. She had not even washed him off her. How could Kubra be so complaisant as a vampire? From what we knew, cheating was not allowed for women on En-gannim. Not even on my world has it ever happened

Miné was enjoying herself in the slow stream. Charlene came back over to me and wrapped her arms around me, holding me until I calmed down. I was not going to dull myself. I gave in to my emotions and let the anger go by itself. It was not her fault. She had given me so many opportunities to let her go. Nothing in our situation was normal. But I still could not take that step to pull her into an embrace.

“I’m staying, Romero. Miné and me. I’m not leaving till I hear every argument you can make. I want to know what has you so bent out of shape.”

“Fine. Then let us start walking.”

Charlene had packed a bag for the girl. It was large and was probably filled with things she would need. I carried it. They had a great relationship. Miné was respectful and asked a lot of questions.

“What kind of Alien are you?”

“A spooky one.” I scared her with my black shadow. Miné wasn’t bothered at all. She stuck her tongue out at me.

“I’m not scared. I’m a Werewolf. And one day, I will be a great fighter like Aunty Juliet. And mommy. She is a Werewolf too now.”

She fisted the air. I stilled at the little girl’s words, pausing in my stride. I stared down at her. She was a Werewolf. No wonder Charlene ended up here. Her father was not around. Did he die in the war?

“Where is your daddy? Why do you not see him anymore?”

Charlene did not interfere at all, watching us with interest. I took the little hand in mine. “My father is on Earth. He lives in the place there… My mom and dad don’t get along… He doesn’t ask for me to come visit.” She squeezed my hand. “My mom says I have enough family. I have Uncle Liam and Aunty Cindy. I have Kubra and Carl. Louis, Marcus, and Michael... They all love me.”

I wondered what had happened to Charlene. How had she been in a situation where she had a child with a man… Who didn’t want her or the daughter they had together. How was it that a Werewolf man did not stay with his family?

“Do you like fighting?” I changed the subject.

She nodded up and down. “Caleb and I fight all the time. And Uncle Marcus teaches us. And we practice.”

It had to be Qadir’s boy. I still had a lot of secrets that I needed to tell.