Shadows of Destiny

128 After Treatment

~Leo~

I was the first to wake up in the infirmary. Everyone was still asleep. Erik was there, and it seemed he

had sat there all through. We really did not need his attention to be divided. We just had nine more

days to go.

" You are up," Erik said with a smile, and I nodded.

"Shouldn't you be in your lab?” I asked him, and he smiled.

"I have set up the production of the old formula. I do not need to be there. My assistants and Nelson

can handle the rest. I will return there to attempt the upgraded version," He said, and I nodded.

"It took you an hour and thirty minutes to recover, Leo," he said, and I frowned at him because I did not

see how important that was.

"It took Devin three hours. The minimum recovery time for alphas is three hours. Your body recovered

in half the minimum time required, nor was your rash as severe as the others even though you and

David have concentrated Alpha genes," He said, standing up and walking towards me.

"You are also a Stepanov, Leo. You are also a part of my clan," He said. Honestly, I did not care about

things like that.

"Your DNA has adapted the best of both bloodlines well. Albert's bloodline is perfection,* he said, and

he was creeping me out. There was a glint in his eyes that screamed mad scientist, but I kept my shit

together. Somehow I was used to Erik already.

"How is my mate? Did she come here?" I asked him to change the topic, and he shook his head.

"Tamia did, though. She came to check on the King and then checked on you. I haven't seen Amelia,

and I doubt there will be any need for that, seeing that you are okay," He said. Just then, Amelia walked

into the infirmary. I wondered if our minds were in sync.

She had a broad grin on her face when she saw me. She came with clothes that looked like mine.

"You are up,’ she said, smiling, and I opened my arms. She rushed towards me and hugged me.

"I would have come earlier, but Tamia told me you were still sleeping.

Hope you aren't mad, but I felt it would be impolite to leave Gezel alone with Alexei and Clay, knowing

she is here to see me," she said, and that was when I remembered the mad woman that had come to

see her.

"Your mother," I asked, and she broke the hug to look at me.

"Alexei confirmed it was her. I believe them because of their conversation about the past and their

correspondence. Apparently, she took care of them. It even seems like my father married her for her

money. She had to send funds to Alexei and Clay until she could no more. She is an Alpha, you know,"

she said, and I held her to my chest.

Amelia was rushing through her words, but there was hurt she was trying to disguise. I did not plan to

discuss it with her in the infirmary. It was something that needed to be done in private.

"Luis did not marry Gezel because of her money, Amelia," Erik said. Amelia broke the hug and looked

at him.

"I know your mother, and I am glad she has finally come out of hiding. Yuri hunted her. He wanted her

money, and he wanted to mate with her. He believed he could have a child like you with her. Not all

Alpha genes are compatible with Steponov genes; Gezel was a unique case. That is why you are more

special than your brothers. It wasn't you that Yuri wanted Amelia; it was Gezel. She had to go into

hiding, and there was no way she could go into hiding with you," He said and sighed. 1

"Ever wondered why Yuri did not snatch you all these years? He kept an eye on you, hoping Gezel

would reach out to you, and then he would take both of you. He tried to recruit you, so Gezel would

reach out to you. She has come out of hiding now; she isn't safe anymore," Erik said, and I felt stupid

that I did not ask Erik about Gezel. Alexei had told me that Erik and Yuri knew her.

" Luis and Gezel were fated. Ingrid Kuznetsov divorced him when she found out the cult was after him.

She felt she and Alexei would be safer that way. He left Emma Newton because she was pressuring

him to join up for peace. The only woman that stood by Luis's side was Gezel. She was with him

through thick and thin until the bitter end. I tried to help her when Luis died, but even I knew I needed to

watch my back. So I did not actively search for her, so Yuri won't find her. I hoped she could forgive me

for not helping." He said with a tinge of regret.

"So you mean if you see her, you will recognise her," I asked Erik, and he smiled.

"I saw her when they were ushering her to the common lounge. I could not bring myself to face her. I

could not bring myself to be reminded of my failure," he said with misty eyes, and that was the

confirmation I needed to know the woman claiming to Amelia's mother wasn't a fraud.

I collected the clothes Amelia had brought and put them on. Amelia and I left the infirmary together.

"Do you mind if I meet your mother?" I asked her, and she shook her head. Erik's words had softened

her a bit. She led me to the common lounge, where Alexei and Clay were chatting with a black-haired

woman. Clay looked at me and smiled.

"You've recovered," He said, laughing at me, and Alexei turned and laughed too.

The woman turned towards me, and Amelia looked nothing like her at first glance, but if Amelia dyed

her hair black and wore blue contacts, there would be no mistaking that she was her mother because

Amelia had her nose and the shape of her head. The rest of Amelia's features was definitely Luis's

because Clay and Amelia looked alike.

The woman was gorgeous, and it was believable that Amelia would come from her.

"Albert! You look so much like Richardo," She said, and I frowned at her. Did she know my father?

"I walked towards her to greet her, and she stood up. She pulled me into an embrace that shocked me

a bit, but I tried to relax.

"Thank you for taking care of my daughter.Thank you so much, Alpha Albert. Your family have always

been there for Stepanov in need. Thank you for everything,* She said, and I relaxed a bit. She broke

the hug.

"You look so much like your father. He helped Luis a few times. Luis couldn't have escaped Hayland

when he was with Emma if it weren't for Richardo. Emma had sold him out because she wanted him to

join up badly," She said and looked at Clay apologetically.

"That was what Luis told me," She told Clay, almost pleading with him. I knew Clay was surprised, but

he controlled himself.

"Honestly, you can't blame her; she wanted all of you to be safe. That was why she did it. That was why

Luis ran away from the East to the West. We met while he tried hiding and blending in the West. His

oud wood scent was strong and enthralling,* She said, reminiscing but soon snapped out of it.

I could see the tears threatening to fall. She still missed her mate but was trying to be strong. I

wondered how she had stayed alive all these years and not given up somewhere along the line. I did

not need to guess that finding Amelia was her reason.

"I am pleased to meet you, Alpha Westwood," I told her, recognising she was an Alpha even though

she had no pack.

"I am Mrs Ivanov. Westwood is my maiden name," she said with a smile, and I already knew that, but it

was okay that she spoke up about it.

"Soon, you will be free once we rid this world of Yuri," I said, and there was a sudden rage in her eyes.

"Mikhail too. He killed Luis. Luis had the upper hand but made a foolish mistake of sparing the bastard;

he slit his throat,* She said, tears streaming down her cheeks. She was reliving the horrors of the past.

Her words confirmed what Erik had said about Andrew's father being Yuri's hitman.

"Erik executed him," I said, and there was relief in her eyes.

"I am glad he is no longer breathing. I can't even tell you the things the bastard tried to do to me. I

could not hold Luis when he was dying. I had to run away. He took everything from me," She said and

looked at Amelia.

"Everything," She repeated, and Alexei got up and held Gezel. The woman was still broken.

"Please take her to her room so she can rest," I told Alexei, and he nodded.

"Amelia," Gezel said, reaching, and Amelia held on to me.

"Go with her, Moonlight. She needs you. You can join me later," I linked to Amelia, who was reluctant to

go wither her mother.

Amelia pulled away from me and went to her mother. I watched Them leave the lounge, leaving me

with Clay, who was still shocked at what Gezel had told him.

"My mother never told me that part of the story. She said he ran away so we could be safe. She never

told me she sold him out," he said, and I knew he was a bit angry because he had been robbed of

having a father.

Somehow I suspected Alexei's mother did not tell him she had divorced his father too. I did not blame

the women. It would have been hard explaining to them that they drove their father away so they would

be safe. Alexei and Clay wouldn't have been understanding. The only person who did not drive him

away ended up losing everything.

"I am sure her decision is why you are still alive," I told Clay, and he was silent. I turned around to head

to my room. I wanted to shower and get into the day. Time had already been lost, but it was still

morning