Kurt did not know how he did not sink to the floor and sob. His love, Alannah, had just told him that she wanted to be with another man. Not only that, she had said that she never loved him.
"He's really got into her head. What is she thinking? " Theo roared.
"So Bruce, what did she say?" Ethan said.
"What do you mean? You were right here with me! " James said, patronisingly.
"Dear God, Probie, you are seriously clueless!" Aiden snapped.
"Ahh, of course!" Anastasia said with a smile.
"Can someone fill me in?" Xan snapped impatiently.
"Bruce and Alannah were fighting partners for years. When you are like that, you form certain signals that only you two know. It is handy to communicate in a fight, "Tao said."
"Except their language is super-secret, which we have been attempting to decipher for years! Did you pass on our message? " Ethan moaned.
"Yes, she knows we are coming and that we love her. Can you play the meeting again? I will tell you what she says. " Bruce said. James nodded and replayed the meeting.
"Stop here!" Bruce ordered, and Alannah said on the screen. "Yes, I have gone with him by my own free will!"
"She is lying there. He forced her but not by violence," Bruce said.
"Oh yes, that Akihiko was a clever sod! He streamed the whole situation on the roof to his phone. He conveniently showed it to Alannah when you said you loved Grace and could not bear her to die! It was quite easy for Akihiko to then say you couldn't bear Grace to die and she was your second choice. Of course, he would guarantee Grace's release and no harm to anyone. " Anastasia confirmed.
"Right move on... OK, play this part!" Bruce ordered
The screen showed Alannah saying, "But you are not mine! It has always been about you, Kurt. It's always been me having to save you, James, or even Grace. When was the last time you saved me or put me first? "
"Alannah is lying at the start, and then she starts telling the truth. So basically, she is pissed at you, Kurt, but she still thinks you are her other half. " Bruce explained.
"Are you sure?" Kurt said, feeling hopeful.
"Yes, but you've got some serious make-up to do. I mean, big time, mate! Carry on, please James. " Bruce said.
Bruce asked James to stop at the part where Akihiko was saying, "It does not matter, Darling, there are other ways you can become my Empress. Like having my baby, for example. After seven years of us being together, we will be common law married anyway! " Akihiko said. Alannah put her hand on her stomach and closed it.
"Yeah, she is saying she would rather be physically sick than have any of that happen. In fact, the kissing and all the love stuff are lies. Alannah is playing him like a fiddle! " Bruce said with a smirk.
"Alannah is a clever girl!" Theo said proudly.
"You don't know the half of it! She also says that we are being spied on through our technology! " Bruce said.
"What?" Xan said, and he looked at Kurt.
"I am on it, as soon as this meeting is over!" Kurt said.
"How can you be so sure that that is what she meant?" James said.
"Because we have our own language. Trust me, I know what she meant! " Bruce said firmly.
"Are we going to just accept the word of the cursed ones?" James said.
Anastasia chuckled and said, "You two don't have a clue, do you?"
"About what?" Kurt said, tiredly. He did not want to play games; he wanted to get his Alannah back. He wanted to explain what happened and beg for her forgiveness. He also wanted to skin Akihiko alive, but that was a different matter!
"Who the Nine-Tails really are!" Anastasia said, simply.
"They are the cursed ones, aren't they?" Grace asked.
"Not exactly, fire sprite!" Xan said, slowly. He knew this day would come, but he hoped it would be further down the line.
"What?" Grace said, "Confused."
"Fess up lads!" Anastasia ordered, and there was a silence as the Nine-Tails looked at each other.
Fine, I'll do it then, shall I? Bruce's last name is Sanderson, and he is next in line to lead the Bloodstone Gang and the Australian Syndicate. Anastasia explained.
"Anastasia," Bruce said with a sigh.
"What? I gave you a chance! Next to Matt, or better known as Matto Maldonado, Heir to the Sun God's Gang and the South American Syndicate. Well, when his father decides to step down, Anastasia said.
To be fair, my older brother was supposed to take over before he decided to be stupid! Matt snapped.
"You are kidding?" James said. Bruce and Matt were in line to be some of the most powerful gang members in the world.
I would not dream of kidding about something like this! Now we get on to those two fools! " Anastasia said, looking at the Twins.
"Look, old lady, they don't need to know!" Ethan said.
"Oh, I think they do. Ethan and Aiden are the Canadian Princes. They will one day take over the Canadian syndicate. God help us all! " Anastasia remarked with an eye roll.
"Hang on a minute. Canada is a close trading partner of the UK. Susan's and John's twins were kidnapped years ago. We were involved in the search! " James said.
"We were kidnapped and sold as "cursed ones." We would have been killed, but Alannah saved us when she could have freed herself, "Ethan said.
"We then wanted to carve our own path for a while. "Mum and Dad understand; they know we will be back to take over when needed," Aiden said.
"Susan and John let you?" Kurt was astonished.
"Coping with the princes of pranks and mischief is no easy task. Susan and John are wise enough to know that this was a way for them to learn the importance of responsibility and the value of family. Once they knew they were safe, they were happy enough, "Anastasia said.
"And Adam?" Grace asked.
"I am surprised you didn't recognise him; he is Andrew Livingston's younger brother!" Tony commented.
"You are Andrew's brother? But you are so different! " Grace gasped.
"You mean I am not a total nerd? Yeah, I know! " Adam snapped.
"But, how?" Grace asked.
"I got into trouble!" Adam said with a shrug.
"I still don't understand. You guys could have paid off your debts easily and be free!" Kurt said.
"But, then we would have to leave Alannah!" The Twins said it in unison.
"The majority of the debt is hers; her arsehole brother keeps adding to it." We paid off everything except a thousand dollars so that we could continue to be cursed. The rest of our winnings go to pay off Alannah's debt. " Bruce explained
"But, Alannah said you had a family, Bruce. Don't you want to see them?" Grace said, and an expression of pain crossed Bruce's face."
"I had a family. They died before I became a Nine-Tails! " Bruce explained
"Basically, Bruce has been punishing himself," Anastasia commented.
"Be a quiet old woman!" Bruce snapped.
"I apologise, Bruce. I overstepped. Every person should have the right to a personal life! " Anastasia said, and Bruce nodded.
So, let me get this straight. You are all incredibly wealthy and powerful individuals who, for whatever reason, became cursed ones and members of the Nine-Tails, and for some reason, have stayed that way. Even when you had a choice? " James was amazed.
"The reason is very simple: we could not leave Alannah," Matt said, and the Nine-Tails nodded.
"What?" James asked, confused.
"Are you deaf? We could not leave Alannah! " Adam said.
"But, why not?" James asked.
"Would you leave someone who had saved your life countless times? Or, who has shared what little they have with you countless times? Or, did they sacrifice themselves and their happiness to make sure you were OK? " Bruce asked.
"You all love her, that is why you didn't leave!" Grace suddenly realised
"It took you that long time to figure it out? They are all hopelessly in love with her." Anastasia said with a smirk.
"Yeah, as a sister, nothing more. Well, apart from Adam, maybe! " Ethan said, earning him a glare.
"I was close as well before Kurt came along!" Adam's trumpet
"Mate, you did not have a chance! Bruce and Matt had more of a chance than you ever did! " Aiden said.
"Can we please stop talking about who had the best chance of sleeping with Alannah?" Kurt snapped.
"You just realised, haven't you? Alannah has been with probably the most eligible men in the world and won their hearts. Each one of them would offer a place in their homes and possibly a place at their sides as well. " Anastasia said.
"What is your point?" Theo asked.
"No point really, Kurt just needs to realise that Alannah has a hell of a lot of options now!" Anastasia said, looking at Kurt.
"I know I screwed up. I should have gone to Alannah first. I just thought Alannah could look after herself, "Kurt said.
Anastasia brought her fists down on the table, making everyone jump. "Alannah was going to be your Queen and wife, you snivelling stream of infected Yak piss. Her safety and happiness should always be your first priority! Grace has her own dragon to look after her. No one else will tell you this because they are related to Grace, so I will: if you had done your fucking job, there is no way Alannah would have gone willingly with Akihiko. Tell me, when did an Anderson descendant become more important than a Medvedev's? " Anastasia snapped.
"That is not true!" Tony snapped.
"Isn't it Tony? You all went running to Grace, leaving Alannah exposed. I can understand Tony, Xan, and the Nine-Tails..but the rest of you? Not one of you bothered to go see her! " Anastasia said.
"That is not fair. Grace was in immediate danger, we did not know Alannah was!" Chris shouted.
"Oh Christopher, I am just getting started with the Evan's! You knew her mother's name and that she was a Medvedev! You kept a direct descendant and my only heiress away from me! You then treated her like a second-class citizen! " Anastasia shouted.
"Please, darling... calm down... it is not good for you!" Demitri said soothingly.
"They kept Emily's baby away from us. If we had known, we would have protected her and made her feel wanted! " Anastasia said sadly.
I am so sorry! This is all my fault! " Grace said as she started to cry.
"Oh stop it! Typical Anderson, making it all about them! " Anastasia snapped.
"That is enough, Anastasia! I know we have made mistakes, but you won't speak to my granddaughter like that! We need to work out where she is and we need to rescue her! " Chris said angrily.
"It is not your fault, Grace, it is mine!" Kurt admitted.
"Dam right, you piece of maggoty meat!" Anastasia snapped.
"It is a good thing we were looking out for her then, wasn't it?" Aiden said with a smirk.
"What did you do?" Theo asked.
"Oh, we might have slipped Alannah a tracker. We knew that they would make a move! " Ethan said smugly.
"How did you manage that? Alannah is pretty observant. " Xan asked.
"We might have made her changing room really hot!" Matt said.
"Which then made her have a headache; she always gets a headache in a hot room!" Bruce said with a smile. This suddenly made Kurt extremely jealous.
Don't even think about getting your hands on Alannah. She is going to be my Queen! You would be wise to remember that! " Kurt growled.
"Oh really? Alannah had broken off the engagement if I recall, and it is hardly like you did a good job protecting her. " Bruce snapped. Bruce had enough of this shit, and it would do Kurt the world of good to let him know that other men might be interested in Alannah. Even though it may not necessarily be true, Alannah was like a sister to him.
"What did you say? I am the chairman of the British Syndicate! " Kurt said, standing up.
"And I am next in line for the Australian one! I know Alannah and care about her much more than you do! " Bruce snapped.
"And I love her! She is mine! " Kurt said, squaring up to Bruce.
"Seriously, Kurt, you are squaring up to a professional fighter and a Nine-Tails at that? If I remember correctly, you got your arse handed to you by Alannah when she only had one arm! " Bruce said with a smile. Kurt tried to throw a punch, but Matt caught it in mid-air.
"Bruce, don't do this mate! I know you are worried about her, but taunting Kurt won't help! " Matt said. Bruce grumbled and nodded as he took a step back. "Now Chairman Blackwood, maybe we could get back to saving the Princess?" Matt said, releasing Kurt.
"You were saying?" Chris said with a sigh. Evans' women always won the hearts of men, and it seems his granddaughter was no different. Theo was going to have to fend them off with a stick!
"Yes, we gave her two paracetamol, except one of them was a tracker!" Ethan said proudly.
"So, where is she?" Theo asked.
"Going back to Japan as expected!" Bruce said, still glaring at Kurt.
"We will know the exact destination when they land," Mat said.
"Let's go!" Theo said, and Kurt nodded.
"No, wait! I have an idea! " Anastasia said.