LEILANI ***Under Editing***

⚫Chapter 37⚫

"You look just like her," the Alpha said while staring at Elias. "H-How is this even possible?" Elias asked sounding concerned.

Elias' uncle sighed before telling his men to leave the room. We were currently in the throne room, Elias, Jasper, Nathan, and I.

"We'll leave you alone too," I said before walking away following Jasper and Nathan out of the room.

Suddenly I felt someone latch on my arm. "Can you stay?" Elias asked with a soft low voice.

His eyes. He looked extremely vulnerable and scared. "Sure." I placed my hand in his. He looked down at the contact and briefly smiled before tightening his grip. We waited until it was only three of us left.

"A vampire in Latum Alterum? Interesting..."

"I'll explain everything after, just talk to him," I said to the Alpha.

"Elias, she named you Elias, right?" he asked him.

"Yes."

"She loved that name. Ever since she was thirteen. You are a spitting image of Natalia." His mother's name was Natalia? That was such a beautiful name.

"I thought you were dead! You are supposed to be dead!!" Elias exclaimed with a loud voice.

"So that's what she told them? That I had died."

"That you committed suicide."

"How tragic. Well nope, I didn't commit suicide. I am still alive."

"Tell me the truth! I want to know everything!" Elias' uncle chuckled. "Where do I even start?"

"From the beginning," Elias responded sounding irritated.

"Relax..." I whispered to him. "Well, I'm Roman. It's nice to meet you, Elias," he said. "Anyway, I met Lenita at the age of nineteen. I was a sophomore at University, and she was a freshman. Your mother and her were best friends actually."

"Glad to know my mother keeps a lot of things from me."

"It's not her fault. She's only trying to protect you."

Elias rolled his eyes before whispering profanities under his breath.

"Settle down," I whispered to him before squeezing his hand.

"I told her all about us once we started dating. Your mother thought it was a terrible idea, but I didn't want to keep any secrets from her, so I told her. She was very fascinated and happy to know the truth. Our pack took very good care of her. On the night of her disappearance, it was the week before my twenty-first birthday. We had been together for almost two years. I decided to go out drinking with my friends to celebrate. Two hours in I get a phone call. They told me she was gone. We spent all night searching for her. We couldn't find her. We searched for two weeks and still couldn't find her. Her parents were completely devastated. Her brother threatened that if we didn't find her, he would murder me. Those were the roughest two weeks of my life."

"Where was my mother this whole time? Was she not at the packhouse that night?"

"Nope, she was on a date with your father. I remember calling her asking if she knew where Lenita was. She said she didn't and was pretty fearful when I told her she was missing."

I watched Roman take a deep breath before he continued.

"That Saturday morning when they found her body? A day I will never forget. One of the hunters was friends with my father. I arrived immediately at the scene not knowing what to expect. The smell was putrid. H-Her body was beaten and bruised. I just remember throwing myself onto the ground as I began to weep. For three years, I was mocked, laughed at, and ridiculed. To be honest I'm surprised I lasted that long. I wasn't the Alpha then, but I was next in line. I told my father I didn't want to become the next Alpha. He understood and allowed it."

"Geez," I muttered.

"The three-year anniversary of her death came, and I couldn't take it anymore. The only friend I had left was your mother. I told her I had to leave. She begged me to stay. She was extremely worried for my well being and I appreciated her for that, but I knew I had to leave. She then suggested I go to Latum Alterum. That way she'll know that I'm safe. So, a week later I left. She told me she would think of something to tell our pack. It was just her and your father that knew. Now you know."

"Did they welcome you here?" Elias asked.

"At first no. I picked a random domain and chose this one. The alpha then was not happy with me just showing up unexpectedly, but I told him everything. The domain took a vote and decided that I could stay. He passed away several years ago... it has been almost twenty years since I left earth. That is the entire story."

Damn. Twenty-five years was a long time. "But tell me, do they ever talk about me. The pack members and your parents?"

"They try not to bring it up around us teenagers, but every year on March nineteenth my mother always cries."

I watched Roman look down in deep thought. "Well, when you go back, tell Natalia that I'm ok and that I miss her."

Elias nodded his head in response. "Anyway, is this your girlfriend?" Roman asked him while looking at me.

"Uh..." Elias responded before blushing.

"I'm his mate," I butted in.

"His mate? But you're a vampire, how is that possible?"

"Well I was a human, but a vampire turned me, so I am a vampire now."

"That is incredible. If you don't mind, I would love to study you," he said. It was at that moment I felt Elias tighten his grip on my hand. "Don't worry all good intentions," he said with a nervous chuckle.

Suddenly the door opened. In stepped a beautiful girl, probably around my age. "Uh, sorry to interrupt..."

"No, it's ok. Isidora, come and meet your cousin!"