Chapter 6 Over Again

• "He's in here, Your Highness."
• Lior heard the words first before his eyes fluttered open. He looked around him, wondering why his room looked different before he sat up, meeting two palace guards standing at the door and his Elder brother walking in.
• Lucas had on his royal wear as well. With a disappointed look in his face. The Crown Prince looked around, his eyes flashing a colour of amber before he said, "There was someone else here. Search around."
• The guards went to work immediately. Scanning all around the room and the bathroom before returning and saying there was no one else.
• Lior, on the other hand, had no idea why everywhere was spinning and looked entirely different than he remembered it. "W-What's going on?"
• "I should be asking you," Lucas shot back. "Running off on your own birthday and putting the Royal family in absolute panic. Setting off your phone and the tracker in your car. Going off radar. Lodging in a hotel which by the way, we would have never found out if we didn't get informed that you used your royal credit card."
• "What?"
• Nothing Lucas was saying made any sense. Lior wasn't the type to—
• Images of what happened yesterday flashed through his head. From the second he walked out of his room, Ora and Kenji, and he—
• Sophie.
• Her words screamed loud in his head, causing him to hold it from the pain. She had— She had rejected him, and he had been hurt by it. He remembered that, but after, there was nothing else.
• "Set his clothes down, and you," Lucas said, face still set in a frown."Shower, dress and meet me down in ten minutes, and do not, waste a second more." And stormed out of the bathroom, a guard following after.
• Lior did as he was told, and as he dressed, tried to remember what happened last night but came up with nothing. Yet, in as much as it frustrated him, he didn't also want to find out. He had a feeling he wouldn't like it.
• When he was done dressing, he walked out the room with the guard still behind him and got the elevator then outside the hotel to the car that had his brother waiting for him in it. As he sat in beside Lucas, the male turned to him and said, "Don't you have anything to say?"
• Lior didn't. What was he supposed to say? That his Mate, who was also the love of his life had rejected him? That she did so, because she had feelings for his brother and thought he didn't deserve her? That he felt like clawing his heart out?
• "Lior."
• "Lucas,"
• "I could tell you had drank last night. It still lingers anyway," Lucas' voice no longer held the anger it had before but sounded calmer. Like he was trying to be understanding now. "Being twenty three, is a big deal. I get that, but running away—"
• "Why are you making it such a big deal?" He asked, quietly. He didn't sound sarcastic, or rude. Just tired. "I go missing a lot."
• "Not like this," Lucas said, exasperated. "Mother was truly worried."
• ""About me? Or what the useless prince would do on his own that would send the tabloids after us?"
• "Don't call yourself that," Lucas said, now looking at him. "What brought that up? Who called you that?"
• "No one has to say it," Lior said, now closing his eyes and resting back. "I've always known but I forget. I just— got reminded."
• "Tell me who it was."
• Lior ignored him.
• As they got to the palace, both men walked out of the car, Lior walking ahead before he felt someone hold his wrist causing him to turn and look at his brother. He had never realized it before, but Lucas was handsome. With his perfect looks, and charming personality, it was no wonder anyone would rather want him.
• Just like his Sophie did.
• Lior snatched his hand away.
• Lucas seemed awed at the reaction but recollected himself as he said with concern in his voice, "I know... I know it's a bit hard, but if anytime, you want to talk—"
• "It would be with someone else." Lior completed. Seeing the shocked and hurt look on his brother's face had his anger at him toning down but he couldn't help it. Lucas always had everything, and he had never for once, gotten mad about it. Sophie was... Sophie was the one thing he could call his own, and yet she had chosen HIM.
• Without saying anything else, he walked ahead into the palace. As he did so, walking into the hallway, his legs seemed to freeze as it smelled something that he craved more than anything else.
• "Lior!"
• He was suddenly wrapped into a hug by his Mother who behind her, had both Leonard, his Father and Sophie, whose eyes held something close to worry in them. His heart beat at the thought. Had she been worried about him? Had she perhaps changed her mind?
• "I was so scared!" Elizabeth cried, grabbing his cheeks. "Did you get hurt? Are you—"
• "He's fine, Elizabeth. Let him go." King Leonard's gruff voice, as always, held no emotions behind it towards Lior except disappointment and disapproval. They had never managed to see eye to eye on things, probably because he was not his Heir and Lior avoided every effort his Father made in trying to get him more open towards people. Which meant Lior had to be next to Lucas to show everyone how he glowed compared to his younger brother.
• Elizabeth, who as always, never disobeyed her husband, did as he asked. Not that it surprised Lior. Whenever his Mother tried getting close to him, Leonard always forbade her from doing so. Many times, when Lior had wanted his Mother, she refused to be with him because his Father didn't approve of it.
• Approve of a failure like he was.
• "Lior?"
• Lior's head rose up as he turned to the voice that had spoken to him.
• "Can we—" Sophie seemed to fidget, as if saying those words scared her. "Can we talk in private?"
• He nodded.
• Again, just like before, she held his hands, excusing his parents before pulling him away again. His Wolf seemed to sigh in content at smelling her, being this close to her, but just like before, she let him go and moved far away, the nervous look on her face replaced with one of anger. "What in fuck's name is wrong with you? Going missing? Sending the whole Palace into a panic? Coming back smelling of alcohol?"
• Lior flinched at the words. Of course, she was angry. How couldn't she be? He was supposed to have stayed and tried getting her to change her mind. Want him. "I'm sorry—"
• "Sorry?" She asked and scoffed, face in a snarl. "You're a little attention seeker, you know that? Just because I rejected you, you decided to do whatever the hell you want. How immature can anyone get?"
• Again, he flinched at the words but tried to stand his ground without breaking to tears. "I'd do better. I'd be better enough to deserve you. Just tell me what you want—"
• "You sicken me," She continued. "Throwing a tantrum. Like a selfish child. And you expect me to actually like you? Someone like you deserves no one, Lior."
• At those words, he held her hands. He didn't care of her words. He still loved her. He would always love her, no matter what she was. All she had to do, was see how much she did and take him back. "I promise on the Goddess to be better—"
• And got cut off when he felt the sting on his left cheeks. For the first few seconds, Lior tried to understand what had just happened, but when he looked at her, and saw the hatred in her eyes, knew she had just slapped him. "Don't you ever touch me again." And storm away.
• Leaving a Lior with more tears falling down his cheeks.