EKA: Tale of a Wounded Heart

Apologies, My Love

Antony smiled as he looked at Ili help Ahem in the garden. Antony sipped on his tea as he did not take his eyes away. This is where Ili belonged. This looked so right and Antony felt like a fool. But he has his reasons.

He will live through it even if Ili finally decides to move on. After all that's what Antony wants to happen. But the thought of someone else holding Ili close to them, kissing him, it left him with a sour taste.

Ili felt eyes on him and looked up and saw Antony who did not look away. Ili blushed and looked down.

"Is it my idiotic son?" asked Ahem, not looking up.

"He is not idiotic Papa," pouted Ili holding onto Ahem's arm as they walked on.

"You will say that. I don't know how many times I defended your dad's ass from his mom," said Ahem.

Ili smiled.

"Tell me more stories," said Ili. Ahem tells Ili all the old family stories occassionally.

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Ili glared as he watched one of the beta guards Celeste take an unhealthy amount of freedom with Antony. They were all walking down the stairs with her eyes on his man. Ili furiously pulled at the thread he was using to knit a sweater and the needle ended up stuck in Ili's arm making tear drops cloud his eyes.

Antony turned, looking up from the document Celeste handed him and rushed to Ili's side.
He saw the blood drops on the door.

"What did you do now?" asked Antony.

"Why do you assume that I did something?" asked Ili and pouted at Antony who grabbed his arm and ran a hand over the wound. No one noticed that the wound healed as they were all a fair distance away.

Antony turned to leave.

"Alpha Antony," called Ili.

Antony turned.

"Em- Are you and Celeste in a relationship?" asked Ili.

Antony was taken aback. He has no clue how on earth Ili reached such an absurd conclusion.

"What is wrong with you?" asked Antony.

"Well maybe you should pay more attention to how she behaves with you," snapped Ili.

Antony looked at Ili.

"Ilyes, first of all, it is none of your business and because you asked, no, we are not in a relationship. I have known her since we were teens and I had a casual relationship with her at that point. But it's been years now. It shows your immaturity that you felt something romantic or going on between me and her," said Antony and left.

Ili stood silent as that came out a bit loud and everyone heard the statement. The woman sneered at him as usual and smirked as she followed Antony out.

"He is so immature" he heard her say.

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Antony felt bad for being that harsh to Ili. He had practically insulted the Luna in front of everyone. He cursed his stupid temper. There was also the fact that the proximity to Ili was in some way affecting him more than he wants to admit.

He went home early but did not see Ili around. He was not able to sense Ili either.

"Where is he?" asked Antony, loosing his cool after a couple of hours.

All his siblings, his parents, cousins, uncles and aunts looked up.

"In his room," said France

Antony stormed up. He opened the door to Ili's room and found him asleep curled around a pillow. There were drying tear tracks around his eyes and Antony sighed. He had never entered Ili's room, or atleast after Ili started living in Uncle Iker's old room.

Antony sat down on the bed. He moved the hair from Ili's face and poked at their bond. It was maybe the sleepiness, Antony was able to finally sense Ili. It meant Ili had been holding himself back.

He could see that even in sleep Ili looked disturbed. Antony shrugged his shoes and climbed closer to Ili who wound himself like a vine around him.

Antony held him close, finally being able to feel Ili's distress. He hated himself for uttering those words.

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Ili stirred and found himself pressed against a firm body and he panicked before coming to his senses. He sighed and was surprised when he saw it is his Alpha.

Ili looked at his sleeping face and ran a hand over his hair, memorising this moment and the feel for he feared that the moment the Alpha woke up, this tranquility will be broken. Whatever 'weakness' made the man stay might just make the man leave too.

He revelled in the feeling and froze in his place in the man's arms when he stirred.
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Antony woke up and looked at Ili as he came to senses and the events of last day came to his mind.

Antony looked at Ili who looked down. He licked on his lips as they went dry. Antony has never seen anything so tempting. He bent down and took those beautiful lips into his. Ili froze but kissed back. He suddenly felt being upended and Alpha Antony was above him straddling him.
Ili groaned as he felt the kisses everywhere.

Antony couldn't stop. He kissed down Ili's cheek to throat. He left his mark all over.

Ili could feel that Antony was struggling to hold his passion at bay and his wolf was reigning free.

Ili stopped Antony with a firm arm on his chest.

Antony fell back onto the bed and sighed. He was not hard. He couldn't be. However, the wolf was going insane. He felt Ili come into the line of his vision and looked up.

"You wanted to mate. Why did you stop the wolf?" asked Antony, genuinely curious.

"The wolf and you are one Alpha and this half of you doesn't want me like that. You have said that with conviction. I don't want you to do something you don't want and live regretting it," said Ili truthfully.

Antony sighed and pulled Ili to him and hugged him tight. Ili hugged the man back tightly and held him.

"I am so sorry, love," said Antony.

"I know Alpha, I know," said Ili.

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