Xerxes Knight: The Alpha King | ON GOING.

|Twenty- seven|

Meryl

Tangled.

That was how I was feeling. My emotions were all over the place. I couldn't think straight. I didn't know what I was supposed to do to not lead Oren towards the inevitable war, without me having to go with Xerxes.

I spent an hour thinking about it. Different scenarios wheeled in my head but I couldn't reach to a conclusion that ends without war and with me still with my family.

It was impossible.

What Alpha Mason said was still swirling in my head. Everything he said was true and and I was the only one who could change the course of the current situation and avoid war.

Karl, Uncle Matthew and Aunt Maria were trying to stay as calm as possible and not show their agitation of waiting for the results of the discussion held in Oren's study.

But they couldn't mask their real feelings. I could feel tension rolling off of them in waves.

"Aunt Maria." Her head snapped at me. "Don't you think it will all be easy and simple if I just go with Alpha King?"

Her eyes held incredulity at my words, a frown marring on her face.

"It will be." She answered honestly for which I was grateful but the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach wasn't avoidable no matter how much I appreciated her honesty.

"Mum, what are you saying?! Karl asked with indignation.

"Maria." Uncle Matthew held her arm, shaking his head at her.

Giving me a sympathetic smile, Aunt Maria continued. "I didn't want to sugar-coat anything with you. You've matured Meryl and I know you will understand what I am trying to say." She didn't look any happy with what she was saying. It must have hurt her to say those words to me.

"I understand." I nodded.

"Mum, are you even listening to what you're saying?" Karl was on his feet, his face hard and his lips set in a thin line showing his displeasure.

"Kyle, it's okay." I held his hand which made him look at me. I gave him a small smile to show I really was okay but he wasn't buying any of that.

"It's not okay."

Aunt Maria was the one who spoke up which took me by surprised. "I know it will be better if you would just agree to go with Alpha King but that doesn't mean we will let you do that, better or not. You're still a family and you came back here for a reason. We can't push you back to the same place you ran away from, can we? Families look after each other and we will look after you, Meryl."

I felt something wet trickle down my cheeks. Without realizing, I was crying. I was so lucky to have a family who'd stand with me through the hard times and not abandon me.

"Your happiness matters the most and if for that I have to face the King of Alphas I will." Karl said with such strong determination and resolved that made me believe he'd really do what he said.

But I didn't want anyone to bargain with their live for the sake of keeping me save or happy. I didn't want that.

All the more reason why I shouldn't be here anymore.

I knew what I got to do.

Someone or the other were always putting their live on line for the sake of me and my happiness and what gave I done for them so far? Nothing, absolutely nothing.

My parents, Oren, Karl, Aunt Maria, Uncle Matthew and even some of the pack members were ready to fight for me and for my sake, were facile to face the Alpha King even when they know what the ultimate result of the war would be and the side that'd come out victorious.