Of Hearts That Wanted to Unlearn

[GREALOR]

Alpha Ashton was furious with all that was happening, but even he was smart enough to know that nothing he tried would work. 

His warriors were already dead right outside and his son and the warriors in the room were forced into silence, not to mention Tamiko and Igor were still kissing each other, like they hadn't caused enough chaos.

Toshiro was wearing a smirk, even as he watched the Lycan warriors ready to strangle the life out of everyone in the room. Something out of his control was happening and Alpha Ashton was confused for the first time in so long. 

The man who was parading as Toshiro was different and way too familiar. 

Alpha Ashton could have sworn that Toshiro was the Lycan king, but then he knew King Zaffuto. If the man knew that his son was alive, Grealor would have fallen. So, this was just not making any sense to them.

"Why do you want a wedding so bad when it's clear you don't want to let go of Tamiko? He is an outcast and he is your erasthai. By now everyone already knows that. 

"What are you hoping to get by marrying your soulmate off to my son?" Alpha Ashton asked, forcing Igor and Tamiko to break the kiss and turn to him. He couldn't understand, but perhaps Igor was done playing defense with the alpha, right?

"You want me to spell it out? Fine. Everyone, take your positions," Igor said and the warriors went back to their original positions, while Toshiro slowly faded like he hadn't even been there. 

Tamiko had learned over the course of the previous week that Toshiro was just a soul roaming the palace, a soul that took care of people and he had been the third one to see him.

Of course, Lord Sadako had been the one to give the ridiculous explanation to the young Lycan, and while Tamiko had his suspicions, he never once asked about them. Perhaps that was also why when Toshiro faded into nothingness, Tamiko was still composed.

"What the fuck was that? Where did he go?" Gabe asked, clearly not understanding shit, but he wasn't alone this time.

"That doesn't concern you. What you need to know is that the wedding is happening. All the werewolves must acknowledge the fact that Gabriel Grealor got a mate on his twenty-fifth birthday. 

"That is one of the conditions that Lord Sadako gave, in order to hold back from attacking Grealor, thanks to the Lycan you all were stupid enough to murder. He knows Tamiko is my erasthai, but he said something along the lines of letting fate do its job. 

"So yes, Tamiko will marry Gabriel, and yes, the wedding will be taken care of by the Lycans of Kawai and yes, the Lycan King may come to see for himself since he met Tamiko thrice in the last week," Kosta said, his heart so heavy. 

However, he knew that with the mention of Lord Sadako, Alpha Ashton didn't have an option but to give in to the demands. They knew they were no match for agitated Lycans. They are no match for even normal Lycans. 

Hell, even Tamiko would be able to take out an entire army of werewolves on his own if he mastered his abilities well.

"So what? You expect us to just forget that you killed our warriors and threatened our lives?" Alpha Ashton asked and Igor let out a chuckle, like he knew something that they didn't. 

It was a sinister chuckle, a reminder that no matter what they did, this was the one thing none of them was ever going to be able to get out of.

"Exactly. As we speak, the Lycans are in the process of resetting your memories, and the memories of everyone who knew that we came here today. We are not going to bring back your warriors to life, so good luck explaining that to your people. 

"Just so you and I are on the same page, Ashton, your memories will remain intact. You must remember what is at stake, and be sure to advise your son well, because if he fails to adhere to the demands by Lord Sadako, then we won't be to blame.

"Especially when the entire Lycan army mauls your pesky wolves and wipes out the entire pack and probably race out of spite. You will decide," Kosta said as he watched Gabe, Galya, Zakhar, and Judd fall unconscious as their memories were erased. 

They would wake up with no memory of Tamiko. 

If anything, they would only remember their last conversation before today, which wasn't something that would be worth noting. It was hell that was knowing their door, and they had to tread very carefully because otherwise, they would pay a price so big.

"You can't do that," Alpha Ashton said as he watched the four kids be carried back to their rooms. It was crazy that they were using his memories to transport his son, and the warriors to their rooms. 

In the end, it was just Ashton and the Lycans left in Tamiko's shelter; just like it would be.

"I just did. There is nothing you can do about it. Consider this a fair warning from me. If your son hurts my mate or even thinks of hurting him, I will kill you, to teach him a very special lesson on not messing with family. 

"Your wife is dead, so that will leave your dear brainless son an orphan and a direct target of my barbarians," Kosta said casually and Tamiko who was watching the whole ordeal had gone back to sit sometime when Igor was busy threatening Alpha Ashton. 

Granted, the conversation had seemed normal, but even Tamiko could sense the warnings and the cruel promises that Igor had made to Alpha Ashton. 

For a moment, Tamiko wondered how this whole wedding thing would turn out. It was one thing to warn the alpha, but then it wasn't like they would expect the whole of Grealor to be kinder to him. 

He had endured a lot in their hands and he walked taking himself right back to the same place. It was like a cycle of doom and would be a little hard for the shotgun Lycan to explain. 

But who would he explain anything to, when the alpha was already aware of what was happening?

"This kid is the reason we are suffering like this. I should just kill him, so you kill me and put an end to all of this," Alpha Ashton said desperately, the anger so obvious. 

Tamiko understood where he was coming from, but there was a glint in Igor's eyes that told the alpha to think and think carefully.

"Riiight. I was forgetting you at the genesis of all this chaos. But hey, maybe you can explain that, yeah? Or should I tell Tamiko? Perhaps I should walk over to the dark king and tell him of how a Lycan kid suffered in the hands of a mere werewolf pack? 

"Oh wait, I should tell him that Tamiko is twenty-five years and three weeks of age, and his birthday dates back to the same knight of the tragedy at the palace. Right? 

"You do realize that there were a hundred kids born that night, yeah?" Kosta said to Alpha Ashton whose eyes widened in shock and surprise. If he wasn't careful, he would lose his mind at this rate.

"Perhaps I should let you explain to Tamiko why he has a blue star on his chest, given he hasn't lived his entire life in Kawai, right? 

"Or will you explain why the fuck a Lycan kid grew up in Grealor and you never once bothered to tell the kid he was a Lycan, much less that he was the bab—" Kosta added.

Ashton had just had enough, because he interrupted the Lycan chief who was raging and at the same time, enjoying the misery that alpha Ashton was experiencing right now. 

Alpha Ashton was smart enough to know that the clues were a little too much at the movement. He should have backdated Tamiko's birthday, or maybe Zula would have hidden the blue star, right? 

But then there were just some things that had to be left for the fates.

"Okay okay, I get it. You are in power. I will suggest Gabe marry the outcast and even conceive him. Are you happy now?" Alpha Ashton said defeatedly. 

He was already trapped and as he watched Tamiko's eyes flicker between gold and black, Ashton knew Tamiko's Lycan had had enough. Was it wild that the alpha was hoping the Lycan wouldn't show?

"I'll take my leave with my warriors, but remember my promise, Ashton. I will make your life worse than what Lord Sadako will do to you if he finds out that the kid he's taken a liking to, the kid he is so ready to protect and love with all of him, is hurt. 

"Don't make me come back in fury, Ashton. You know and have seen first-hand what I can do alone. Remember what would happen if I came back with the backing of the Lycan army, an army thirsty for war, alright?" Kosta said and Alpha Ashton sighed. 

He had broken bones and his entire body was hurting. He knew that there was nothing he could do other than give in to what Kosta had said.

"Fine. I get it. Go, leave before Gabe wakes up," Ashton pleaded at the same time that Tamiko spoke.

"No one is leaving," Tamiko said, his voice so different that even Kosta had to do a double-take at his erasthai.

"Well, fuck. I'll see you at the wedding, baby," Igor said before he created a portal that he and the lycan warriors went through, not waiting for Tamiko's next words.

And then it was just Alpha Ashton and Tamiko's growling lycan in that shelter.

****

[A/N]

* Someone's ass is about to get kicked... or not. But did Tamiko join the dots about the blue star? Did he make the connection with the massacre that he read of in the books?