Alpha Zaelah | Book One: Realities Demise

TWENTY-TWO

Z A E L A H

It didn't take more than a minute for us to find my family who was sitting in the living room.

"Malik, are you leaving now?" Dante asked softly, earning a nod of confirmation.

"We are," Malik responded, silently telling them I'd be leaving too and they quickly caught on because their eyes moved from him to me.

"We?" My mother questioned and I could tell by her tone she was trying to make sure she had heard him right.

"I'm going with him." I clarified, bringing nothing but shock and confusion to my family.

"Why?"

Arielle was the one to raise this question.

"I need to sort out an issue with our supplies and because I want to," I disclosed.

"How long will you be going for?" My mother inquired and I glanced at Malik who had suggested I stay for 2 days earlier, but something told me I'd stay longer because if I found it this hard to let him leave, I could only imagine how hard it'd be to choose to leave him.

"A few days."

"This is very abrupt," Kai noted.

"Did I ruin an assassination plan?" I remarked in a questioning manner.

"Zaelah." My mother voiced with a warning tone.

"I'm kidding."

I wasn't.

"Can I come?" Dante asked Malik with a pout.

"I cannot make such a decision for you, D." He replied and this didn't lighten my brother's mood.

"D?" I inquired amused and Malik smiled slightly.

"He told me to call him that." He explained briefly and I had to say it was cute how easily he and my brother bonded.

"Mommy, can I go?" Dante pleaded as he climbed onto my mother's lap.

"No, Dante." She told him, gaining a bigger pout.

"Why not?"

"Because I won't be there and Zaelah can't watch you all the time." My mother explained which had him huffing in defeat.

"You can join us if you'd like," Malik announced.

"Even me?" Kai inquired.

"Why not?"

When Malik said this, it shocked me as I would have never expected him to allow Kai to step a foot inside his kingdom.

"I'll have my security watching you every hour of the day," Malik added.

Now it made sense.

"Sounds extreme, but I'd like to go." My mother confessed while moving Dante off her lap, so she could stand.

"We leave in a minute." He informed them, glancing at his simple yet unique watch.

"But our clo—"

"I'll have my staff prepare a closet for each of you, don't worry," Malik assured them and I stepped outside the living room for a second to converse with the guard in front of the door.

"Please inform General Giana that we'll be absent for a few days and I'd like her and Nina to lead in my stead," I instructed him and he gave me a nod before making his way toward her office.

"Have you already called for a carriage, Zaelah?" Arielle asked the second I entered the room again.

"No need, he—" I started, but was cut off by a whooshing sound outside.