I Scored Myself A Mate

"I have a vague idea of what you want to say to me" Alexander said. He didn't have the courage to look at him in the eyes. He was the one who allowed him to be here but in the end of the day he had messed up everything. Even if Allias took care of the mission in the end Alexander had failed his part. 

"Really? Then this makes my job a lot easier." Allias chuckled and placed his palm at the top of his head. He gave him a few gentle pats and smiled even though they weren't looking at each other. "Good job today. You did well" he praised him and Alexander looked up as if he had been shocked with electricity. Did he just hear him congratulate him? About failing his duty?

"What? But I…"

"Didn't you just say that you knew what I was going to say?" Allias asked with an amused expression. "I came here to tell you this." He stood up and took a few steps around the room. 

"Your room is pretty. Are you comfortable?"

"Yes. It's fine. How about yours?" Alexander asked him back, not really knowing what to say. What kind of topic would be appropriate to talk about in the presence of a King? 

"It's the royal suite. It's good. There is a nice hot tub. You know that I was dead right?" Allias asked him and the boy nodded. "Well after I reincarnated I spent my life as a human, in a very bad family who hated even the fact that I breathed. I think my mother knew that there was something wrong with me. Then I met Luke and believed that I found a place I could belong. Even though wrongly he tried to protect me in many ways and every time I would curse myself.  Curse the fact that I was so weak and helpless. But even after I remembered and became a King I still couldn't find that pure King that was filled with light. It was as if my experiences that eventually led to my death and my bad human life had changed me. I was filled with rage and I just couldn't befriend my own self. What I mean is that I too have been weak, weaker even than you but at the same time I have been weak even when I was strong. My mind was weak, my heart too." He told him with a bitter smile and returned in his previous spot. Felling the cold sheets underneath his palm. 

"You? Weak?" Alexander asked him surprised. "I saw how you stood in front of that crazy vampire. Everyone else seemed lost and confused but you were…strong."

"This was not exactly strength Alexander. This was just immunity. When you've seen the things I have a woman like her would never scare you. This is not something I would wish for you. Because strength does not equal the loss of fear or kindness. You are kind and the fact that you couldn't hurt those humans it does not mean you are weak. It just means you are nice. That is something rare in our world. Even I, I am not nice. If she had threatened any of you I would have killed those people in the blink of an eye. This is not strength. It is desperation. The fact that you can kill doesn't mean you are strong. When you are able to make the choice, to choose to save a life rather than take it, the choice to forgive rather than ask for revenge then you will be strong. Yes, physically, magically people here are stronger than you. But what about this?" Allias asked him and tapped his chest with his index finger. A small light appearing on his finger tip. A smile appeared on Alexander's face as he saw that little ball of light detach from the king's finger and linger in front of his heart. It was warm. "Your heart, is filled with kindness and that is a true strength. So do not think that people like me or Theseus are strong. We just constantly fight to survive. We are cornered by enemies all the time and have too much to lose to be brave. We have schemed and lied. Would you call that being strong? Of course not. Is just what you have to do to survive and protect. Being always honest and sticking up to what you believe. Knowing how precious is a life and being good is what strength is. And you have all that." 

"I…are you sure you're not saying all that just because I am sad? To cheer me up." Alexander said still quite unable to believe the King's words. He never expected someone to say something like that. To view him as such a person. He always looked in the mirror and hated his reflection. A scared expression and a sickly demeanor, the exact opposite of what you would think of a werewolf. No strong muscles and tanned skin from running in the woods. He wasn't tall and scary he was just pitiful. Even his mother would look at him with tears in the eyes sometimes, worried about what will happen to him in their completive pack. He would get lost in the crowd or even worse become a pariah. But Allias now revealed to him that what he thought wasn't the point. He was something, he could be someone and there was something in this heart of his, who always beat shyly that was worth noticing and that on its own was shocking, unbelievable. 

"Boy." Allias said while laughing. "I have a hot boyfriend waiting for me in a hot tub and I am here letting out a super long monologue and you think I did this just to cheer you up? I person I met literally two days ago? It's because I see something in you. Something I wish I still had and something that Luke will definitely need."

At the mention of Luke's name Alexander's olive eyes widened and his cheeks turned pink. He grabbed the edges of his sweater and je stuttered a few gibberish before he could actually form actual words and sentences. 

"What…d-does Luke have to do with me?" Alexander asked. 

"Well, I did believe that you like him. Am I mistaken?" Allias asked with a grin as the boy almost fell back to his pillow.

"T-That's…I….yes" he said giving up. He was a thousand and probably more years old. There was no way of hiding his crush to someone as sharp as him. "Is that okay with you?"

"What do I care?" Allias asked. 

"I mean…you and him…"

"Oh, no, no. I care about Luke but I have Theseus. It has always been him. So go for it. Don't think about me" Allias said with a smile. 

"I don't think Luke would even spare a glance at me" Alexander confessed. That was what he believed. It would be impossible such a powerful wolf to take an interest in him. "I am just a shadow." 

"I fell in love with a shadow. I am sure that Luke can too. But to be honest, you are not the shadow." Allias told him and caressed his cheek. "Luke is. That's why he might need you, even if he doesn't know it. He tends to lose himself so take care of him for me, okay?"

"I…I don't know what I can do for him. We are not that close actually. He sees me as a child."

"Well to him, you kind of are" Allias joked. "But in all honesty sometimes being by someone's side is enough. Taking the time to understand him. I was surprised when I saw how worried he was when he held you in his arms. You probably let his more humane side out."

"Luke is not a bad person" Alexander said, wanting to defend him in some way. He was aware of what people said. He had heard the rumors about his madness and cruelty. But no matter how hard he tried to understand he just couldn't see that. 

"I know, I know. Don't worry. It's just that he has a lot more on his head that you or I can understand. I hope your love gets returned though. Unfortunately I think you will have to try a lot for it." 

"I will try. As much as it takes. Thank you. For your words and you advise. You made me feel much better." 

"No problem." Allias replied with a bright smile before he left. 

Alexander was left for a while alone in their room to think. There were a lot of things he needed to consider. Allias' words had been an encouragement but at the same time a realization. He realized that something needed to be done. Not only about himself but about Luke. He would never get anywhere just by stuttering and averting his eyes. He had already given him the wrong idea once. Thinking and thinking made him feel dizzy so he stood up and decided to take a shower, let the warm water calm his tense muscles as he organized a plan to find courage. After he was done he wrapped his lower half with a towel, the room service had left. It was white and smelled pleasantly of flowers. He felt much better and as he walked outside the steamy and slippery bath he felt quite happy, with a faint smile on his lips.

"Your talk must have been a good one." He heard Luke's voice. He was lying on his bed, checking out a magazine. "Do you feel better now?" 

Luke was here, Luke was right in front of him while he had spent hours thinking about him. He flinched and took a step back surprised. They locked eyes for just an instant before he just blurted out the first thing that came to his mind.

"Please let me be by your side!" he said his eyes closed as he spoke. 

"Huh? Alexander, your towel is on the ground" Luke commented.