"Yeah, sure. We'll definitely talk later. It's a great job, my mighty Beta." he smiled obligated. It was the face of dependable alpha, plastered on Akrem's face. Iron had nothing to hope but that only most expected expression of Akrem. Above all, he'd be a great alpha. That was what in Iron's mind.
Iron bowed with courtesy and left Akrem with his possible future queen. He left the library with the determination in his heart that he'd be the wingman of a great alpha.
Without realizing, Akrem, Arianell and Iron didn't know that they were entering the first phase of the Triad Curse.
Green Valley, the House of the Triad.
Far away in the Green Valley, Claire could see from her crystal ball how her one and only brother started entering the first phase of the Triad Curse. She thought that she didn't need to tell her brother and letting her brother acknowledged the phase by himself.
"Finally, it's starting, brother. I'll be here to keep an eye on you. You don't need to know that you're in it. What matter the most is you'd be able to get passed this and move forward to the other two phases. Then I can be in my peace. Well, at least for this one ancient curse, this Triad Curse!"
Claire was almost swearing when she heard her dad's steps came closer,
"Are you okay, sweety pie?" Rizvan put his warm left hand on her youngest daughter's shoulder, hoping the warm of his hand could ease the storm he heard from her own dialogue to her crystal ball.
"I'm okay, dad. I'm just worried about Akrem." Claire's voice softened, better than the one she let out when she was almost cursing after she took a peek in her crystal ball.
Rizvan's light brown eyes showed a warm gaze that tried to ease Claire's agony in wanting to help her brother, but she knew she only allowed to observe and to provide guidance from afar.
"What makes you worry? Isn't it obvious Akrem has to get through it? Maybe this is his way to be more than merely a lone wolf. The ancient Triad curse can be a thing to bring him being a great alpha in the future. I know you can see that, my sweet darling daughter...," Rizvan's voice was so warm and calming with wisdom.
In despair, Claire let out what she always had in her chest,
"But, dad. You know that mostly Akrem only running when he was still here in the Green Valley. Not even once he had real responsibilities except for knowing our Akhmedov werewolf histories by heart. That worries me. I'm hoping he will stay till the end of the third phase."
"Well, he never ran from his academic lessons especially histories, right? He even grew fond of them that he took the liberty to take pictures of all the Akhmedov members and put them into books for later your descendants will study from those books. He even put engaging stories with werewolf activities pictures for the children and teenagers to learn, so they can easily get through their phases in becoming great werewolves." Rizvan reminded Claire the undoubted evident Akrem had done for the Green Valley inhabitant.
Then she realized.
"Ah ya. You're absolutely right, dad. I almost forgot Akrem's passion and love for the people especially children of the Green Valley. To think of that, he DOES sound like a good alpha. He'll make a great one," finally the storm in Claire's eyes faded to be gone completely.
"As expected from my descendants, Akrem will be a great alpha. And I thank you, my sweet daughter for being such a mighty hybrid of werewolf and a kind witch. We never thought that the magic your mom's ancestor had, would ever be passed down to you. Thank you for being special, my darling daughter."
There was a relief in the tone of Rizvan's comforting voice. It was almost like he was comforting himself.
"But, dad. Because of me, mom…" Claire suddenly haunted by the guilt she always had, then Rizvan stopped her from saying the reality that was always painstakingly crucial in their family.
"Your being born is absolutely inevitable, sweet child. Can you imagine what the Akhmedov clan would be if you hadn't been born? We would be absolutely in long time darkness since it's been a while that a mighty witch like yourself was in the clan. We need you, just like we need your mother, to deliver the greatest gift like yourself…" before Rizvan ended his sentence, a sudden female voice interrupted,
"And we'll always love you, dearest little sister." Chaital came unannounced and hug both of her dearest and beloved father and sister.
With glassy eyes and a relief in her heart, Claire enunciated,
"Thank you for being the solid core of my support systems, dad and Chaital. I don't know how I could survive being a hybrid without both of you, and Akrem definitely. He's the best brother ever."
"Yeah, it's because you have only one brother, Claire!" Chaital lovingly annoyed her.
"Aaand… because we're the Triad," Rizvan added mischievously.
"Dad… Stop it! I hate it when I remember Akrem mentioned us as the Triad. That triggered me to see the ancient Triad curse will happen to him. I still have the urge to throw a bunch of dead vampires to that silly mouth of his!" Claire looked upset.
"Now… now… what did I tell you about everything happen for a reason?" Rizvan was back at being a wise alpha of the clan.
Both of her daughters answered in sync, "to believe in the end there's always a silver lining."
"But I always believe that the Triad curse is one of the ways for Akrem to prove himself that he's worthy of being the alpha of Akhmedov clan one day," Chaital added.
"as expected from my oldest daughter and the head of the rich Akhmedov finance." Rizvan completed with a grin from ear to ear.
Three of them then gazed to the open green scenery of the Green Valley. Their minds in thought of the faraway future alpha king of the Akhmedov clan temporary hardly learned about everything to be the best version of himself in the Main Land.
In the Main Land, Akrem who was still staring at Arianell after Iron left the library, suddenly sneezed.
"Hattchuuuh…!"
"Bless you! Are you ok, 'Krem? Did you catch a cold?" Arianell looked worried.
"Neah, someone must've been talking about me. Because now my right ear is ringing…" Akrem showed flat expression knowing someone or three people were talking about him. Then in a blink of an eye he gained his composure and focus on what was before his eyes, the love of his life.
"Now, can you tell me what the A and B are about?" Akrem asked Arianell attentively, with his big smart brown eyes.
"As far as I remember… A is about the ancient Egypt, and B stands for Byzantine is about evolving Roman architecture. Did I get that right?" Arianell smiled with hopes she was right.
"You got that right!" Akrem showed his being proud of her.
"You'll make a fine queen, Anne…" Akrem whispered on her right ear. So close that his full and inviting lips slightly brushed her earlobe, sending tingling sensation down to her spine.
Then she closed her eyes, she wanted to take in the beauty of Akrem's emotions towards her. It could be relaxing after she tragically became an orphan.
Since the day Arianell met Akrem, she knew something different happened to her. She felt like she wasn't alone anymore. She was an orphan, and Akrem understood that. Not having a mother by his side for far too long, made Akrem knew how Arianell must feel.
They practically had almost the same background. They were growing up without a mother. The only different thing was that Akrem had the Triad: his dad and his two sisters, while Arianell was always alone. Akrem might be called as the lone wolf, but Arianell was always the lone one. Akrem had the urge to protect her, no matter what. As he always said, though recently only in his mind,
"Till death do us apart"
Akrem was the center of Arianell's universe at the moment, and Arianell was the apple of his eyes. Because deep down, he knew Arianell was his true mate, his true Luna.
Walking in the morning to Akrem's place was one of the habits Arianell grew since the day she met him. Unintentionally, she needed to check Akrem in the morning before they had their own classes. It was like a magnetic metal drawn to a never-ending electromagnet.
Until one day…
-to be continued-