Eclipse Child |✔|

|37|

Why does tragedy exist?

Because you are full of rage.

Why are you full of rage?

Because you are full of grief

*     *     *

"I'm here to relieve you."

Henry leans against the doorway, a false smile spread across his face as he takes me in.

I push away his words, going back to the report in front of me.

"The boarder needs-,"

"Done."

"We need to set up the date for-,"

"Done."

Henry watches me, his eyes darting around my face, no doubt taking in the paleness and gleaming sweat that was showing.

"How long has it been since you went out and trained? Just relieved some tension?"

"I don't have time for that."

"If a challenger comes Soraya, you need to be ready."
I glare up at him. He moves closer taking my moment of weakness to step further in my space.

"Why don't you check on the warriors? See how the training is going?"

"You can do that."

"It's nice to let them see their Alpha."

His statement hangs in the air, waiting to be grabbed. Slowly, I reach for it, sighing at how Henry had worked his words to play into this moment. It was either a curse or a blessing that I had a beta that knew me so well.

"Fine."

I stand but pause in the doorway, watching as he reaches for the report I've left behind.

"Orion didn't ask you to do this...did he?"

"Not with words, no."

One last glare is thrown to Henry before I walk out. I can see mom outside the window, painting in the sunlight of the backyard. The regular sight is interrupted with a new addition- dad. He sits beside her, for once free and relaxed to breathe in the world and exhale the chaos from his mind. He was free from the chains of the pack, letting the steel cut into my flesh now.

I've never seen him so tranquil.

He doesn't touch mom. He doesn't reach over, kiss her, show affection or any other form that I'm so used to from Orion. Instead, he watches her, his heated stare enough to make me look away from the two.

Orion no doubt was in the nursery, playing with the children. He had left earlier this morning, not saying a word to me in his anger. It's a new thing he's started- the silent treatment. Maybe one of the children taught it to him.

Another sigh leaves me as I open the front door.

It's only instinct that takes over me- I snarl against the sudden touch of a hand on my shoulder, pushing back from the contact. Sandra holds her hands up, a look of defeat on her face.

"Soraya, dearie, it's good to see you out of the office..."

There is a pause between us before she clears her throat, "You haven't been eating your meals... I was wondering if you were...hungry?"

Just the smell of the food from the kitchen nearby though made my stomach revolt. I quickly shake my head, holding my breath away and trying to hide just how much I felt like rushing back upstairs into the office.