The Alpha Emperor’s Resurrection

20: Saga

There was no point in arguing with my brother when he had his mind set on something, even if he was making a stupid decision.

That was why I didn't stop him when he left to go back home - he wasn't going to listen to me, and it was his mistake to make.

I felt sorry for Aurelia, but whatever they had decided was between them and I didn't think it was appropriate to pressure them into telling me their personal business.

It was obvious anyway - Robin was scared of commitment, and Aurelia was looking for it.

Caius wasn't upset when my brother left. He didn't think Aurelia should be with someone like Robin, because he didn't really know him.

It left me in an awkward position, though - I had been helping him to learn English and teaching him about the world, but I felt like I didn't belong with them when Caius and Aurelia needed time to figure things out. He was going to end up wherever she was, and I wasn't part of their group.

I had been the one to rent the place, and I had been looking after Caius more often than not, so I decided I would stay for the rest of the summer before leaving them behind.

There was an element of curiosity - I was expecting his former Mate to show up, and I wanted to know what it had taken to win his heart when he was Emperor. He hadn't made her sound like the most appealing person in the world, but her daughter was undeniably beautiful and I suspected Talia was, too.

It probably wasn't a good idea for me to stay there until she arrived. She wasn't going to like the way her Mate looked at me, even if he hadn't given in to temptation again.

That was another reason I wanted to stay, though. I wanted to see how she compared to me.

I felt sorry for Aurelia. Caius was sympathetic, but he didn’t like Robin, and his sympathy was only because he didn't want his daughter to suffer - he wasn’t going to do anything to encourage her to reconcile with my brother, he was going to tell her that she deserved someone better. It made me feel defensive when I thought about that - people underestimated Robin a lot, and I felt like that was partially my fault. The fact we were raised as siblings meant he spent our entire childhood being compared to a White Wolf.

I saw things differently to Caius, because I knew that my brother was good enough for Aurelia, and that he deserved happiness. They had barely given themselves a chance to fall in love, but it was obvious that they had fallen for each other the moment they met.

I almost phoned him to tell him he was being a f*****g i***t giving up a woman who really cared for him. But that wasn't my place, and he would figure that out eventually, even if it couldn't be more than a lesson not to be so stubborn.

When I finally decided I should at least tell Aurelia it was worth trying to talk to my brother after he'd had a couple of days to think things through, she wasn't there.

She left early in the morning, and the fact her car was gone made me wonder if she had contacted Robin already.

I didn't bother asking him. He wouldn't admit it, even if he had spoken to her, and I had other things to deal with.

Things like trying to introduce Caius to the modern world without terrifying him, which wasn't particularly easy.

He still hadn't left the Villa since the day I brought him back. He had barely left the room after the first time he ventured into the kitchen and found my brother with his arms around Aurelia as they waited for the popcorn they were making in the microwave.

He didn't say anything, but he was more intimidated by the microwave than he would admit, and it had been enough to distract him from Aurelia and Robin.

When I convinced him to come back out, I tried to show him the basic appliances weren't anything to worry about.

He had been so amazed by the toaster that he forgot it was unimpressive to the rest of us; he was excited that he managed to use it, and he gave Aurelia a slice of toast as if it was a trophy.

It annoyed me that my brother hadn't hidden his amusement, but Caius was more confident than he had been, and I decided to show him my laptop while Aurelia was out.

It clearly scared him, but he fought to hide his fear, and he seemed to enjoy it when he saw pictures of some of the things that he was familiar with.

I was relieved by the fact that he was making progress, and I knew Aurelia would be proud of him when she returned. It wasn't like he needed to learn how to use the internet, but it felt like a victory, and it meant he would be able to spend more time learning to speak.

He made me a cup of mint tea with leaves he had picked from the herbs that were on display in the kitchen - coffee was one thing he was not fond of, and he was willing to use the kettle, but he always made me mint tea.

I thought it was endearing - the kind of thing that would probably never change, because it had been normal for him and there was no reason for him to give it up. A glimmer of familiarity in a world that was drastically different.

As he passed me the cup of hot, fragrant tea, there was a lingering moment that I thought might develop into something more.

His eyes said more than words possibly could - he wanted me, but it was more than lust, and he felt guilty for that.

I couldn't act on anything when he was going to hate himself for touching me, but I made up my mind to stay for a while rather than leaving to go after Robin.

I was curious about what might happen if Caius finally accepted that his former Mate had sent him a very clear message when she chose not to stay by his side in his moment of need.