Chapter 274 - Discovering Forever

Jos woke up with a long peaceful sigh. A soft breeze wafted through the open balcony doors, bringing a smile to her lips. She pushed the covers to the side and retrieved the robe that had been spread across the foot of the bed, as it had been every day since their first night here. She followed the rays of bright morning sun out onto the balcony where a tray of tea and fruit awaited her. A content purr rumbled her throat as she retrieved the cup of tea and leaned against the rails, taking in the perfect white sands leading down to the crystal-clear waters. [Ah... home...] Movement in the water caught her attention. Her breath caught as auburn hair broke the surface of the water. The sun caused the water in his hair and running down his ċhėst to glisten making him look every bit the son of the sea god that he was. If someone had told her she would be this happy with the man who she'd blamed for the single-handed destruction of her heart over 500 years ago, she would have never believed them... there was still a lot they still needed to work through. Even as much as she wanted to trust him now, there was still restraint in her heart... still questions she needed answered. Her smile widened and she pushed the troubling thoughts to the side as she watched him close the distance between the sea and the house. She sat the cup down and hurried from the room as quickly as she could making her way to the top of the stairs as he entered the house.

Arei smiled up at the silver-haired beauty hurrying down the stairs toward him. It had become somewhat of a routine for them. He would wake up with her tucked in his arms. As gently and quietly as he could, he would sneak from the room. After completing the most essential of his morning routine, he would go downstairs and make himself a cup of coffee and her a cup of tea. He would throw together a tray of whatever he could find in the kitchen and bring it back upstairs, living it on the balcony for her to find when she woke up. Usually, she was awake before he finished his morning swim, and over the past week, she'd been meeting him downstairs just as she was now. He pulled her into his arms with a chuckle as she flung her arms around his neck. "Good morning, kitten." He murmured between kisses. "Did you sleep well?"​​

Jos nodded as she placed a kiss to his neck. "Um, I did..." She sniffed his hair. "I love the way you smell after a morning swim."

"And how is that kitten?" He asked shifting her in his arms and carrying her back up the stairs to their bedroom.

"Of salt and sunshine..." pressed her lips to his shoulder. "It has to be some kind of aphrodisiac."

He laughed as he pushed open their bedroom door. "Maybe for sea creatures like us, it is."

"Then it's a good thing we are both creatures of the sea." She said as she tugged his lips back down to hers.

"Um, it is, isn't it..." Arei had no sooner gotten her laid on the bed and began tugging off his wet trunks when his phone on the opposite nightstand rang. He tried ignoring it, but whoever the call was wouldn't give up. He huffed out a sigh as he gave Jos a quick kiss and grabbed the phone. "Hello?" He rolled over onto his back and pulled Jos into his arms as he waited for Ry to speak.

[Hey, you're not busy right now, are you?]

Arei sent Jos an amused look. "I did have a thing, but I can wait a few minutes." He sent Jos a wink.

[I'm not even going to ask; I'm just going to ȧssume and go on. So, it looks like the vampires ditched. They've not been here for over four days. I had Peg check transport off the island over the past days, but apparently, they are either still on the island or are flying under the radar. Apparently, they haven't used their credit or debit cards either. We're having him pull their phone records next.]

Arei frowned as he shifted the phone where Jos could hear too. "All those things are easy enough to circumnavigate. All they would have to do is fly under different names; have someone else book the flight; or hell, simply turn their credit or debit cards in as lost or stolen. If they did all three plus ditch the phones, there's nearly no way to track them. Has Peg tried pulling surveillance footage for red lights and terminals around the island?"

[I'm not sure, but I'd guess not. Have you guys made any headway on those maps?]

"Some, not enough to be sure though. We can go downstairs and shoot you what we have if you'd like." He bent forward and kissed Jos's lips as he lifted from the bed and retrieved his gym shorts from the chair, he'd folded them onto earlier.

[Upstairs... should have figured...]

"Just give me a few minutes. I'll call you back when we've found what you need." Arei said as he rounded the bed and headed toward the door, lipping 'I'm sorry' as he went.

Jos let out a heavy sigh as she pushed up from the bed and followed after him. "What all does he need?" She asked as she followed him into the home office.

He caught the knotted sash of her robe and pulled her against him for a lingering kiss. "Possible exits from the palace and routes to various ports and terminals around the island."

Jos's eyes widened. "Well, they're not asking for much."

He chuckled, "Never."

"We're looking for it now, just give us a minute." Arei said as he flipped through the files on the counter. He'd called Ry back using the desktop in the office on video chat to make things easier. He lifted another folder, was it this one?"

"No, it should be labeled 'creepy-ass dungeon tunnels'." Ry replied.

"Really? That's what you labeled it?" Arei asked with an arch of his brow.

Ry sent a glare to someone off-screen. "What can I say, I didn't label it."

Arei chuckled. "Alright, do you at least know where you put it?" He cast a glance over to Jos who was still going through the wall of filing cabinets.

She met him with a shrug. "Nothing so far..."

A sudden thought occurred to Ry. "It may be in the third one over from the regular files... You may want to get it... We... um, there was some distraction in that drawer that may or may not have resulted in the file getting left in there... something you got from the kid's mom about 50 or so years ago that... um had the kid... um..." Ry whispered as low as he could as he quickly scribbled something onto a piece of paper.

Arei's eyes shot open wide as Ry held up the paper, but before he had time to stop Jos, she was already pulling open the third drawer to her right. His breath caught in his throat as he watched her lift a yellow file from the drawer. He let out a sigh as she straightened and began to turn away from it, but his stomach flipped completely when her brows scrunched and returned to the drawer. She set the file on the table above the drawer and reached in again this time lifting out the tiny black box. His worried, nervous eyes shot to the computer. "I'll call you back in a few." He quickly shut the computer down as he pushed up from the desk and made his way over to Jos. He peered over her shoulder as she opened the box.

The sight of a familiar black box had drawn Jos's attention back to the drawer she'd found the file in, but the contents of the box had her knees going weak as tears began to stream down her cheeks. She lifted her old ring from the box and studied it unable to believe it was in her hands again. "Where... how... when did you get this?" Jos asked as she turned troubled, stormy eyes up to meet his.

Arei flexed his fingers against his sides, wanting to pull her into his arms but afraid to all at the same time. "Cam gave it to me the first time I met her."

Jos shook her head. "But why?" disbelief was etched across her brows as her attention moved from the ring to Arei before resting back onto the ring. "I thought this would be lost with her..."

He gave in to the urge to pull her into his arms. He wrapped her into a tight hug as he pressed his lips to her forehead. "I wanted nothing more than to give it back to you that day..."

Zakynthos Island, Mediterranean Werewolf palace, 1970

Fern's body quaked with the combination of fear and anger as two mountainous men stood between him and the thing he wanted most. He had fled his home over 140 years ago without a fight, but not this time... He gritted his teeth with a sinister growl, glad he had the fullness of the moon on his side. "You dare hide behind the council and their pathetic excuse for bodyguards?! Fight me like a man, like a real wolf!"

"I called them, you bastard!" Cam shouted, struggling against Ales's tight grip on her waist. "We all know you're incapable of a fair fight whether Ales would be willing to set aside modern policy for old barbaric idiocy, anyways!"

"If it's so barbaric, maybe my queen should stop trying to fight him." Ales ġrȯȧnėd as he tightened his hold on his hot-tempered wife.

Arei and Ry exchanged amused glances as they remained planted between the bickering wolves. "As amusing as all this is, we have other jobs to do. Fernando Boosilis, under the present rule of Alessandro and Camila Boosilis, you have been stripped of all pack rights and titles. You can either leave willingly or we can escort you, your choice..." Ry sent Ales a glance. "Unless there are other matters that need to be brought to the council's attention?"

Cam glared at Fern, "Nothing we can prove, YET."

Ry nodded, "Very well, which will it be Fernie boy?" He fought back his own laughter when the adorable wolf queen giggled behind him at the name.

Fern snarled his lip over his teeth. "This isn't the last you'll hear of me, brother!"

Arei stepped forward. "Actually, it will be. Do you realize we could take you in for that simple threat? All it would take is one word from either of them." Arei uncrossed one arm to indicate Cam and Ales. A smile curved Arei's lips. And believe me, I'd love to drag your sorry ȧss in. It would be the highlight of my month."

"Very well..." Fern bit out begrudgingly. He turned on his heels and made his way to a waiting vehicle, not wasting the chance for one last display for prickery as he barked the tires in a fit speed.

Arei shook his head. "As old as I am, I'll never understand some individuals and their sense of righteous entitlement..." He turned just as the king was releasing his hold on his wife as she continued to cuss the cloud of dust Fern had left behind. "Are you sure you don't want to press charges? If what your wife has said is true, you have a case."

Ales's eyes moved back to the road. "He's my brother... I took a title that should have been his birth right. He has a right to be mad. In the old days, he's correct in that we would be required by the clan to fight it out... Besides, any proof of what he has tried to do has been lost to time."

"Bullshit! Go find Jos or Raven, either of them could testify in support of all of it!" Cam bit out.

Ales let out a heavy sigh. "Word of mouth would not be enough for a conviction, no matter how many individuals testify, dear..."

"He can't continue to get away with this kind of thing!" She argued.

"I doubt the council would be inclined to listen to the testimonies of two people they are currently punishing." His attention moved to the gigantic men still waiting patiently. "Am I wrong in what I've said?"

Ry nodded. "Unfortunately, His Majesty is right. We could open up an investigation, and I'm sure incriminating evidence would turn up, but word of mouth would not be enough for a conviction."

Arei could hear the deafening thud of his heart as his blood raced through his veins at the near mention of her name. "I highly recommend opening the investigation. We can start by gathering statements. I would be more than glad to collect them now as you decide whether you'd like to press charges."

Ry's eyes shot to Arei. "Thank about it Your Majesties... I need to have a word with my brother." Ry began walking away without waiting for their response only stopping once he was out of earshot. "Do you think that would be the best idea? Dragging her into a mess with the council again?"

Arei glanced around to the King and Queen who were now staring in their direction. "I doubt he'll ever press charges against his own brother, regardless of what anyone says or what the bastard does. I just want a reason to see her and this one is a perfect chance... I've waited for the opportunity too long to let it pass."

Ry let out a long sigh. "Very well, but you know well, if uncle finds out he's likely to find some sadistic way of punishing you for your discovered loophole."

Arei shrugged. "It would be worth it just to see her. I've waited too long to pass it up, I have too."

Ry nodded toward the royal pair watching them. "Good luck convincing him."

Cam studied the two large men. "Do you think one of those two is Jos's lost love... it couldn't be, right?"

Ales thought it over as he watched the two massive men speak in hushed tones only bȧrėly loud enough for his alpha hearing to register. "I'd say it's very likely, that is what they're discussing right now." He nodded toward Arei. "He is trying to convince, but the other seems to be apprehensive about it."

"Ales if that's true, we have to let them do the interviews." Cam begged.

"If she was as distraught when giving you that ring as you said, I doubt she'd want to see either of them." Ales argued.

"Oh! I nearly forgot about that. Wait here! Keep them here!" She turned toward the palace, ready to sprint toward it, but Ales caught her hand.

He shook his head. "Cam, did you hear any of what I said? Do you really want to dredge up all pain for your best friend?"

Cam scrunched her brows as she planted her free hand on her hip. "She was so upset back then because that bastard left and never came back. What if he had a good reason? We have to give them a chance." She stepped closer to him and ran her hand along the ċhėst of his well-tailored suit. "There was once a time when you and I would have done anything for a chance at love... why take that chance away from her... away from them?"

He let out a sigh as he pulled his wife into his arms. "Very well... But instead of running off like a crazy person, why don't we invite them to stay the night and work out the entire story before playing match maker."