"She is full of rage and I believe every word she said. Arista is not playing around. We have to take this seriously. We have to act now!" Brack has been ranting for the past hour. His worry is cumbersome.

All of us are have gathered in the office again. With the exception of Miracle. This she needs not to know. Stress lines are written all over my family faces. I pity Arista. She does not know the wrath she has unleashed.

"The quicker we deal with this the better." I unfortunately agree with Brack. Time is of the essence. If Miracle or anyone should find out the details of our families deep dark secret, all will definitely be lost.

Lives would be at risk.

This will not do.

"We must execute her, immediately. I see no other way." Looking at their stricken faces, they know it's the option.

"It won't work. Not right away anyway, she has someone on the outside, if they hear of her death they will leak the information." Now that does put us in a quandary. Brack seems so sure of this. Who would willing be working with Arista to accomplish this evil deed? Priscilla then springs to mind, but I brush it off, she wouldn't be callous enough to think she could fool any of us here. Miracles brother pops exclusively into my thoughts but he does know any of us, I forgo that thought. Trying at best to wrack my brain on who could be the culprit, I'm at a loss.

"Should we tell Miracle?" My mother ask, everyone in the room gasps. If Miracle did indeed find out she undoubtedly would leave us all. That's my first conclusion: the second being, it could mean her death. That I will not allow.

"We will not. It would put her danger, she must not ever know," I vehemently tell them. "He would kill her!" Hoping upon hope that she will not meet her demise. That my family will see reason.

"She will find out eventually Malik. She really needs to know. It's just not our secret to keep anymore. She is now the Queen, Miracle does not need to be blindsided by this." My mother informs, in-between her sniffles. She's been crying since Brack so ungraciously told us of this news. My heart breaks for her. Her pain is unyielding. Only coming second to our fathers and our very own pain.

Debating over this, concluding that she may indeed have a point. I still hesitate to inform Miracle of our secrets.

"Telling her will only upset her more. She's already pensive about the binding ceremony, we need not drop more on her full plate." Though her worry is understandable, my views on the binding vary. I do not mind preforming the ritual in front of our subjects. I rather like the idea of showing all that she's mine and none can touch her but us. The thrill entices me. I would never voice this opinion of mine to her. It will only cause her more apprehension in the long run. I do not wish to send her in a shame spiral.

"I'm with mom on this one Malik. We can't keep this from her. Sooner or later she will find out. Better it comes from us than someone else." Lucias doesn't falter in his statement. I on the other hand still remain determined.

"It's far too soon." Basically muttering my own wariness. If by chance we do tell her, will she even want to continue to reside here. To stay with us. Secrets have a way of damning your soul. Revealing them has a way of separating love.

"She loves us Malik. She won't leave!" I do not know if Baron is trying convince himself or I. Either way I still do not think indulging our secrets to Miracle will be fruitful in the slightest.

"You do not know this. You do not know her heart. This could...shatter her." For the lack of a better term, it's the only way I can convey my worries.

"She's stronger than that. You should have more faith her. She can handle this. If anyone can, it's her." Though I want to believe Talon, I'm still racked with my own uncertainty.

"How would we convey something like this to her?" The admission of my guilt over what we have done has always had me at a steady downfall. Now at this moment, I will have to confess my involvement over what I've done and to the woman I love. The gravity of it is debilitating.

"We all tell her. Not just one. All of us. It was all of us who did it. It should be all of us who confess it." Talon has always been the most logical one out of us all. What he says is encouraging, we no doubt are all to blame.

"I still do not agree with it." I tell them. Zada places his hand upon my shoulder. Accepting his comforting touch, I fall back into my seat.

"She will understand." He grips my shoulder, trying to assure me. Though the state of misery I'm in doesn't allow me to feel it.

"Will she? I can't help but feel that this is the ending. Our inevitable doom." He releases my shoulder, and wistfully sighs.

"When do we tell her? It has to be soon? Where is she right now?" More than likely asleep at this hour.

"In my room. Let her sleep. Tomorrow will be soon enough or is it already today." Baron ask us. He lets out a yawn. Showing the lateness of the hour.

"We can tell her after dinner or should we wait till after the binding. It's just a week away. She's already pretty upset over that. If we let her do the ceremony first there will be a less likely chance she could leave?" Father Yenna questions, though he does have a point. Postponing till after the binding might be more suitable. Then she will have our combined essence. There's a better chance that she won't or can't leave us. It binds our spirits as well as our souls. That would make it undefinably better outcome.

"Yes, we shall wait till then. With our combine essence and bestowing her our life source it would make it a more productive conclusion." I more than plead with them. My worries have intensified. Hoping they would realize that waiting would be the better outcome.

"We could do that. But Arista said we had only have two days?"a time limit. Could we convince her to wait? No. I think not. Arista is so adamant.

"No it's best we tell her sooner than later. But we still have to deal with Aristas threats." Father Parker insists. Death is the only thing she well deserves in my outraged opinion.

"If she's executed her accomplice will tell all. If we set her free, which is highly unlikely, she can speak to someone of her own free will or try to kill Miracle herself. We're stuck. We can't do either." Father Xavier informs us. It is what you call a high noon standoff. There are no simple answers.

"We could put her in solitary. Only one of us would be allowed to bring her food and water. That way she has no one to talk to. No infiltration." Talon suggests. Seemingly a good idea but not all foolproof.

"No, her accomplices on the outside or inside, whoever they may be, will know of the time limit she has put forth. Either way our secret will be discovered." I tell them. Unfortunately we have no choice but to reveal them.

"Fine!" Baron snaps "we will tell her after dinner tomorrow. For now. Get some sleep." At this moment I feel I will never slumber.

While our parents exit the office, my brothers linger.

"Will she forgive us?" Lucias is as doubtful as I.

"She will, in time. I should've told her the day I met her in the cell." Baron voices his regret. As we are all lost in our own.

"Under the circumstances I think that will be forgiven. You were both under duress." Trying to console him, I'm afraid my words have fallen on solemn ears.

"But all the other times. We could've told her. We've all held something back from her from the start. Luckily she forgave us. Doing it a second time to her, I'm afraid she won't." Talon shakily tells us what is so obvious to us all.

We promised her we wouldn't hurt her again, lie to her again, now we will be doing both. Again. We keep repeating our same mistakes.

"I realized tonight while talking to Arista how much I love her. I never told her, now it may be too late." Brack has his regrets as well as I. Breaking her trust is a forgone conclusion. So is breaking her heart.

"I never told her either." Feeling Talons regret, I reach over grasping his hand.

"Do not worry she knows you both love her." Trying my upmost to assure them.

"I never expressed it to her. I need to tell her." Not knowing his dilemma, I can still feel his anguish.

"You still have time." Baron explains to him. Then he looks to Brack. Hinting that they should say the words to her before we reveal our demise.

"Would it do any good now? Once we tell her, the words won't matter!" Brack angrily spits out.

"Calm down brother, it may not be as bad as we think." Lucias tries to calm him but we all know it will definitely be worse.

"We will betray her trust. Again. Don't tell me it won't be that bad! It's going to be hell!" Bracks temper keeps flaring. I'm sure his wolf side is making an unwelcome appearance.

"I didn't mean it like that! She may forgive us. You don't know!" Lucias demon side is breaking through. His eyes are red with a glossier glow. This situation needs to be placated.

"Stop! This is not helping! Let's just go to bed and sleep on it!" Baron demands. The most level headed of us all. Nodding our heads in reply. We all vacate the office.

On the way to our rooms after this long and very stressful day. Talon stops me. Turning in his direction I see the mortification in his eyes.

"I'm to blame for this. Because of me we wouldn't be going through all of this. I'm the one that told our parents to lock him up!" Understanding filters through me. Though I know he is not to blame, Talon still feel as if he is. I think otherwise.

"We had no other choice Talon, do not blame yourself. It had to be done. There was no other alternative."trying to indemnify him. This is not his wrongdoing.

"Right! I wished we did it another way though. I dearly miss him." As do I. More than I care to admit.

"Same here, Talon, do not fret, it will all work out." He nods affirmation, slaps me on my back, heading off to his room.

Pausing at Barons door, debating on my entry. Deciding not to impose. I push forward onto my own room.

At this precise moment I just want to wrap my arms around Miracle, I fear if I do, I may never let her go.

Depositing myself on my bed, I prepare for a sleepless night. Tomorrow everything will change. Our decline from love to heartbreak will leave us all in torment.

I fear I may go mad myself!

•••••

Thank you pretties.
Please vote and comment ❤️
Enjoy!