28. A race against time

"Harvey's done something, hasn't he?" Mom asked, worried.

I am sitting with my parents at Harvey's place. He left after dropping the 'we are leaving' bomb. I shouldn't have come out to him. I thought he would support me. I don't even know if I should blame him.

"Do you know what's going on with him?" Dad asked me "He tells you everything, doesn't he?"

"We aren't leaving" I told them "Harv's just really stressed. Don't take him seriously"

"He is serious" Dad interjected "He wouldn't specifically mention the Atlantic province if he wasn't serious. If he has a place in mind, he thought hard about it"

"Can you leave everything behind, dad?"

"If he broke the law and is running from it, no" he replied "But if he has a reasonable justification to it, we will support him. Harv's usually a calm headed person. If he wants all of us to leave, there has to be a solid reason for it"

"I don't want to leave" I said "Harvey's right in wanting to leave. It will do us good. But I still want to be here. Do you think I'm a fool for that?"

Mom rushed over to me and sat down facing me "It's about you?"

"He wants to leave because I'm facing hardships here" I nodded "But I want to stay and see an end to it. I want to do something rather than run from it, mom. I want to stay"

"Tell us what happened" Dad said.

I shook my head silently.

Dad stood up "I'll go talk to Harv" he said gloomily "Harold's alone back home and if it's something inevitable we need to be together in this. I'll request Tusk to drive Harold to the city. This issue seems to be deeper than we first assumed. We will talk about it in the evening as a family. I want the whole truth"

____

"Harvey talked to us yesterday" Mia broke the silence in the room.

"I know"

"We think what he's suggesting isn't a bad idea" she continued "You should leave for a while"

I gritted my jaws together but remained silent my eyes fixed on a particular dirt spot on my office carpet.

"You can return as soon as the issue with Leoline cools down" Sophie said from the other side of me.

"Let me see if I got this" I spoke low "Our plan is to accuse Arthur of stalking and harassing me and then leaving the province. I then wait for both mine and his people to punish and ridicule him until he is broken or dead. And then I return to get back to my life. I got the plan right?"

Mia looked away from my hateful glare.

"It's either you or him" Sophie said "He has a chance of surviving this. And it's not like the accusations are wrong. He has stalked and harassed you for years" She emphasized "It's sad that you don't see it because you are used to it"

"You don't have to worry about it Amy" Mia took my hand comfortingly "The predator's law will protect him from any legal issues"

There are two different constitutions, two different governments in our lands. They have coexisted for a little over two hundred years. The predators used to rule over all of us prior to that. To the humans we seem like any other nation with strict citizenship laws. But our province in the south pacific along with the four other shifter island provinces in the five different oceans are the only places where all kinds of shifters can get a free pass into. There are shifters among the humans too but they are scarce.

Each of the five shifter nations is called a province and they have unified laws. The humans see us as different nations scattered across the five oceans of the globe but we actually have a set of ten representatives running the affairs of the shifter provinces and consider ourselves as a part of the same country. Five of the members are predators and five non-predators who are constantly at war among themselves. We have the strength of population with us and the predators have the strength of power and wealth with them. They mostly run the army; we do the civil talks with the humans. We need each other. It's a pretty balanced world.

"Michael Forest basically calls the shot in the predator's council" Sophie said "You think he'll let anyone point a finger at his grandson?"

Michael Forest is Scarlett Leoline's father and is a retired army veteran and now a politician with a wide following. With his political prowess and the Leoline wealth, Arthur shouldn't have an issue in the legal front.

"What about his lion?" If that's what they all want, I'll give them that "I'll go away if it doesn't kill him"

They had no reply to that.

"You really don't care if he dies, do you?" I stood up angrily "This is a f*cking mess" I hissed moving away from them towards the door "Not that I can blame anyone. It's all my f*cking fault"

______

"Amelia! What a surprise" Rhea grinned opening the door to her home wider.

"Hi" I smiled sheepishly "You said I could come visit you sometimes"

Spirits! I'm such a fool. Out of all the places I could go, why did I choose to come here? I know I'm trying to run from my people but to jump straight into the lion's den.... I must have lost my mind.

"Thank you so much" she said grabbing my hand and pulling me into her home "You made my day. Sit sit sit" she pushed me towards the caramel couch in her living room "What would you like to have? Coffee?"

Umm excited much? I can't be that lovely of a companion. I'm pretty boring I have to admit.

"Water?" I suggested.

"Water?" she frowned then smiled "Of course we can have coffee later. I'll bring you water" With that, she rushed out of my sight leaving me wondering if she has always been this exciting. I dislike people with confusing personalities.

She returned ten minutes later. I think she dug a hole into the soil in her yard to bring me fresh underground water.

"I'm sorry I kept you waiting" she apologized taking a seat across me after handing me the water "My mother called. You know how moms are" I do.

"It's okay" I smiled and pointed at the bridal magazines on her coffee table I was going through "They kept me busy"

"Ah! Art's mom came by earlier today to drop them here" she replied.

Art. Of course.

"How are the preparations coming through?" I asked politely.

Her reply was an excited grin "There's so little time you know. Seventeen days to go. Just seventeen" she emphasized dramatically "It's all a rush. But the families are helping out. Oh! That reminds me" she leaned forward excitedly "Will you come to see the dresses with me? I got a catalog and can't seem to choose. There are so many"

Don't. Do. This. To. Me. WOMAN.

"Sure" I smiled through gritted jaws "If my schedule allows me"

"I'm jobless at the moment" she said "We can go whenever you are free"

I chuckled "I'll let you know"

We talked for a while. It was mostly her filling my flaming ears with wedding details and me trying not to tell her to shut up. The doorbell rang to indicate an end to my torture.

I spoke too soon.

I got a whiff of him as soon as Rhea opened the door. How lovely of him to find time to visit his fiancé in this busy office hour.

And how unfortunate of me to chose this hour to visit her? After I left him at angry at my place last night, I don't know if I have it in me to face him. What if his anger outs us?

"I was close" I heard him say "I thought I should check on you"

"Come on in" Rhea replied "Amelia's here. She agreed to go with me for the dress selection" She dutifully informed him.

"Great you have someone to accompany you"

I held my breath as their voices got closer until they were right there in front of me.

"Mr. Leoline" I nodded politely at him.

"Amelia" He smiled back warmly.

I was taken aback. Wasn't he supposed to be angry or at least indifferent? I quickly looked away.

"I'll go make that coffee for us now" Rhea said "Art, will you be a sweetheart and entertain my guest?"

"Of course" He said eyeing me "Take your time"

How could he say that to her? He sounds so shady right now. I would have totally doubted his intentions had I been his fiancé. Rhea just grinned and trotted away, happy to be making coffee like that's the best job in the world. She's so clueless.

"It's a surprise seeing you here" Arthur took a seat next to me.

I scooted back a little "You should go sit over there" I said pointing at the couch opposite to me.

"Nah, I'm good"

"This is your fiancé's place" I reminded him "Unless you want to out us, you should keep your distance"

"She wouldn't care where I sit" I guess he's right, Rhea's pretty naïve.

"It's still not right" I muttered.

"I don't care"

"You should" I glanced at him and looked away immediately. He was studying me unbothered by where we were "I thought you would be angry" I said "after last night"

"I wanted to" He replied softly

"Why aren't you?" I would like the devil Arthur back. He made me feel less selfish.

"I don't have the luxury" he said "I don't have much time left with you. Any day could be the last time I see you. I wouldn't want our last meeting to be ugly. I want to leave you with good memories. I told you yesterday, didn't I?"

My eyes snapped to his and for the first time since he arrived, I took a good look at him. He looked tired. I wanted to run a hand through his disheveled hair to fix it. He has always been so fussy about his hair.

"I wouldn't leave you with pain I promise you that" I said "I wouldn't leave you to go feral"

"Sounds like you are promising a forever here"

I blinked. That's not what I meant.

"There will be a day when your animal decides to move on" I explained.

He smiled "That's a possibility"

"That's what I was talking about" I smiled even though the thought didn't please me. There will be a day when Rhea will wake up to those piercing golden eyes staring at her like she is the only one that matters. My selfish heart doesn't like the idea of that.

"But then that will still be only half of me that will move on" his words broke through my jealous thoughts "What about the human me?"

"The human you?"

"Yes Amelia" he nodded leaning forward "Even if my animal moves on, I'll still be hurting for you. What are you going to do about it?"

Don't do that to me.

"I need to leave" I stood up abruptly"

I couldn't take one step away. He was gripping my arm the next instant, stopping me from moving.

"Not again" he growled "You aren't leaving me again. I wouldn't let you run away this time"

"Arthur" I hissed "Rhea's here"

"I don't care" He pulled me closer and held me steadily "You aren't leaving until I get my answers today. I don't have time Amelia. We. Don't. have. Time" he spelled the words out.

"What do you want from me?" I finally gave up n keeping my voice down. Considering how loud Arthur was being, there's no way Rhea didn't hear him.

"You" His fingers curled against my nape "I want you. Anything short of you will kill me Amelia, no matter how hard you try" his eyes glowed amber, his voice boomed against the walls of the house "There's no middle ground for me anymore. I'll go feral without you because without you, I'll have no fight left in me to control my animal"

I struggled against his hold "Arthur" I warned him with the little sense left in me "Stop"

"I love you" He ignored my warning and uttered the words I was dreading "I f*cking am in love with you, you stupid woman"

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