Chapter 19
Anastasia
I wondered what to say to that at first and she noticed my hesitation. Despite being sick and pale, she was still sharp.
“Don’t worry, Julian will behave” she added and I saw the way every word that left her mouth made her breath hard.
“Mom, please don’t talk. I will convey the message to her.” Julian spoke from beside me. Worry was clearly evident in his
I was also aware of how close he was standing to me. The sleeve of his shirt brushed against my skin and I tried hard not to pull away.
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“Take rest, Vivian.” I said as Victor slowly lowered the bed again. Julian whispered to him that he would return home soon and disconnected the call.
He then looked at me and asked, “Now do you believe me?”
Julian’s eyes were shining with hope. And longing.
Something I did not believe I would see in his eyes, especially for me..
I neither confirmed it nor did I deny it. I simply asked, “How long has she been like this?”
Julian answered, “A few months. The pack doctors monitor her closely, we have run thousands of tests on her and even asked help from other pack’s doctors but nobody is able to accurately pinpoint why her body is not able to receive anything
“What do you mean?” I asked nervously.
“Whatever medicine or treatment the doctors try to give, her body refuses to accept it. Nobody knows why.” Julian spoke in a defeated tone.
That was bad. She had been a loving elder to look up to and was the life of any party she attended. Seeing her bedridden like this made me feel uneasy.
“I said I don’t want to step in your pack again but seeing Vivian’s condition it is clear that she cannot travel
Julian nodded, “She can’t. Though if you are really very uncomfortable to step into the pack that was once your home, I can have a special van arranged and have her transported to any location of your choice.”
I thought about it for a second. Going back to the pack would bring back so many painful memories but could I be selfish enough to make poor Vivian travel outside just for my sake?
When I did not speak, Julian added, “I was not going to tell her you had returned. She overheard my conversation with Michael and demanded that she wanted to see you. All these months, we tried to coax her into eating her favorite food, drinking her favorite wine, you name it, I just wanted to see her laugh and smile for once. But she did not respond to anything enthusiastically. But when she heard your name, she asked me to go and get you right away.”
His voice sounded sincere. Our lives might have complications but 1 knew how much Julian loved his mother though he would often blame us for ganging up against him.
So I knew he was not lying when it came to her. But that did not mean I would immediately trust him to not imprison me in his territory again.
“I might consider coming to your pack, but I have a condition.”
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promise, your word that you will bever directly or indirectly force me to return to the pack and your life. I want see that you would never use your alpha command on me or my daughter”
expiression disappeared Easter than air from a de Bares halloon
“What kind of a monster do you think I any?” He asked.
“Ye barged into my office and gave me a 24 hour time limit to take up your offer. You practically bribed the entire city not to work with me I was living my life peacefully with my daughter but you had to ruin it.”
Juban looked at me pointedly. “I thought you did not want to talk about the past. If you do, then I can also remind you of a New thongs
1 folded my hands on my chest again because his hand brushed mine and I did not want to touch him.
“Step away, please” I said with my head turned away.
“Anastasia. I am sorry. That came out wrong. I didn’t mean to
“I said Step Away
The tone of finality in my voice made him finally step bark.
Jain looked disappointed but it was high time he understood not everything revolved around him.
“Fine, Anastasia I will give you my word that I would never use my alpha command on you or your daughter.”
The pause that he took just before saying the word daughter told me what he felt about her. He had seen her through the window of my office but he was so blinded by his fury that he did not even take a second to reflect if the child was his.
He had already made up his mind that the kid was of some other man. Granted Lea was a carbon copy of me and did not look like Julian at all but she was stubborn and strong–willed like him. Bold even.
I felt a little sad that not even once had he asked about Lea or tried to talk to her. All his focus was on me.
But I took it as a positive thing. Lea would be safe from his anger and wrath while I stood like a shield between him and her.
“That’s just empty words, Alpha Julian. I want a blood oath.”
Julian looked up at me with a shocked expression. Blood Oath was not to be taken lightly.
It was the highest form of trust and loyalty somebody could provide to the other party to show that they came in good faith and meant no harm. The consequences of breaking a blood oath were pretty severe.
The words were binding to the person for the rest of their life and they would have to stand by them even if their life was at
stake
Julian let out a breath and mumbled, “So much for not wanting to see my blood”
He said that in a low voice but I heard it. He saw me staring at him and he cleared his throat.
“Do you have the exact words of the oath ready?”
I nodded my head. I had spent the last twenty four hours trying to find a way to save myself and my daughter from his ire and recalled the ancient practice of asking for a blood oath when feuding packs wanted to ensure that the peace treaty was not a farce
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16:23 Sat, Aug 24 3 B
Chapter 19.
Julian looked at me and then added, “I would need your hand”
I let out a breath and held my palm open in front of him. Julian poked around and found a small cutter lying on the table. beside some papers and reached for it.
He made a small cut on his thumb and blood welled out. He let become a fat drop before turning his thumb down and placing it in the center of my palm..
“Do you, Alpha Julian Blackthorne, agree that you would never force me or my daughter to return to your pack?”
Julian kept looking me in the eye, “I agree”
you
“Do you agree that it would be my decision alone that you would never force me to return into your life and that would do everything in your capacity to protect my daughter?”
His eyes turned a little angry when I added that line but he repeated, “I agree”
“Very well then,” I said and I pulled my hand away. A faint imprint of his thumb was left in the center of my palm. That was equivalent to an oath signed in blood.
“Please leave, Alpha Julian. I will let you know when I find it suitable to meet Vivian.”
He opened his mouth to say something but closed it and walked out of the meeting room without a backward glance.
And I jook a breath of relief, the stress of the past 2 days melting into nothingness.
had not only ensured that he would never use his alpha command on me but I had also ensured that he would protect roy daughter, his daughter at all costs even if I had not said that part out loud.
That meant no harm would befall Lea
That meant my little
my little girl was safe.
At least, I hoped so.