Sacrifices

..."Aunt Freya ! a portal, now!" 

He spoke loudly. 

____

Through the portal, he could see her on the other side right in his living room, keeping watch and ensuring that the portal remained open. With April in his arms, he walked into it , moving to place her on the sofa .

"What happened ?"

Freya asked, worried seeing April in an unconscious state.

"He was there, so was she, they were there, Bledig and Rene.. they are working together. She shapeshifted into Luna , had me fooled, tried to hurt April" 

Stace said in one breath, having laid April carefully .

"Hey..hey..calm down…"

Freya said , touching his face.

"No ! .. having transformed, she attacked me, she is stronger than any opponent I have had to deal with. Your hypothesis was right. You are right. How could I have been such an idiot , how didn't I see this coming?!"

He said disorganized.

"It's okay.. it's fine.. we'll fix it, we'll find a way"

She embraced him.

.."how much did she see or hear?"

She asked him, having flashed her eyes on April while pulling from the embrace . She peered into his eyes almost to detect if he lied. 

"Too much.."

Stace voiced sadly. Freya placed a hand over her mouth and her other hand, she placed on the side of her waist as she turned away from him as though she was trying to think hard.

"There has got to be another way"

Stace said not willing to conform to reality . She slowly  turned back towards him.

"But you know there isn't"

She whispered sadly, fixing her eyes back on his.

" And you know I can't… "

He replied to her breathing heavily.

She held onto his arms .

" You love her don't you?" 

She asked him.

"Yes I do.. you know I do.."

He replied.

"Then understand that this is love. It's how it works...You must learn to sacrifice for the ones you truly love. Even when it means sacrificing your own happiness just to ensure that they are okay.. "

She told him. Stace shut his eyes .

…"Yes...it will hurt like hell.. but understand she is better safe than dead "

She concluded. He opened his eyes and then took one more glance at April.

"I sense she will awaken soon. Permission to prevent it?" 

She asked him.

"Yea "

He replied.  Freya moved closer to April and gently placed a hand on her forehead. She shut her eyes as she did so and after a few seconds, she was up, turning towards Stace. 

"Someone's coming.." 

She said calmly .

"I'll take her upstairs" 

He said in a low tone, lifting her up by his arms once more as he proceeded up the stairs.

Ding-dong..

The doorbell rang. Freya turned towards the door moving to see who it was. 

"Walter.." 

She called out in a low tone . 

"Freya…" 

He voiced . His eyes met  with hers while she held the door open, they stood lost in each other's eyes, their hearts raced , their lips tried to say words they couldn't say, Freya's eyes twinkled , and Walter's danced all over her .

Stace , climbing down the stairs, saw her by the door , inquisitive, he moved towards her. 

"Seriously??"

Stace asked sarcastically standing behind her. Startled, they got a hold of themselves.

"Oh, I'm sorry.. come in .." 

Freya said to Walter , leaving them by the door and rushing up the stairs almost like she didn't want to get stopped.

Stace watched them for a bit and rolled his eyes, moving to sit on the sofa leaving Walter to shut the door.

"Precisely the reason I didn't tell you she was here "

Stace said as he sat.

Walter seemed to have been humbled by Freya's presence . His countenance had changed as he took his seat directly opposite Stace.

"It's been so many years..she didn't change one bit.."

He muttered  . Stace sighed.

" You do realize how very uncomfortable it would be if you began talking about your escapades with my aunt right?" 

Stace asked.

"Yea.. I know.."

Walter replied , sad.

"Good . Don't ."

Stace  stressed with a straight face.

" You don't look good yourself" 

Walter told him.

"Hmm.. how can I? I met with Bledig, and Rene" 

He replied .

"So your hypothesis was right. "

Walter said.

"Wasn't really mine, was Freya's. 

She shapeshifted into Luna. Had April kidnapped. "

Stace explained lazily.

"Shit.. how is she?"

Walter enquired .

"Upstairs in deep sleep. She heard and saw too much"

Stace replied. 

" That's not good"

Walter voiced.

"Yea.. "

He replied weakly.

"Is there no other way?"

Walter asked.

"You know there isn't "

He replied. His eyes looked heavy like he hadn't slept in weeks. 

.." plus it's the only way to keep her safe. " 

He added.

" Hmmm.. that would hurt. Badly"

Walter said to him. 

" yea...I remember you asking why I was always so unlucky in love " 

Stace simpered.  Walter  smiled briefly.

"Yes, over the years its been like a curse  "

He confirmed.

"We are cursed . If i had a normal family like other boys, life would be much easier and better. "

Stace said.

"And you'd have been long dead"

Walter assured .

.." perhaps you'd have died way before you ever became a man , possibly in a bicycle accident, you've always been terrible with those "

He added. Stace smiled briefly .

"If she is unsafe now, it's because of me, I have no other choice. After I do this, I am turning off my humanity for a long time "

Stace told him leaning forward from the chair, like he was about ending the conversation.

" For your enemies? It is necessary but if it is to escape the pain of losing her, you won't, the pain will only be hidden , somewhere inside, and whenever you're ready, it will be ready as well to consume you , there is no escape from pain, you should face it now.  "

Walter advised.

" I'm aware . Those two are up to something. Warm up the pack. Everyone needs to be ready for what's coming "

Stace replied, getting up on his feet. 

…"I need some alone time, will be in my room "

He added walking away. 

Walter understood his pain, he sighed , watching him proceed up the stairs almost like he could relate. He sat there in deep thought and when he could see no trace of Stace , he got up, walked to the bar area, and poured himself a drink. Taking a gulp of it all, he poured another, drank half of it leaving what was left.  

He walked in the corridor , it's never been hard for him to track her, she always had this scent that smells like jasmine mixed with gardenia . He trailed it till he was standing before  her room door , he became nervous. indecisive, reluctant, he shut his eyes, and turned the knob.  

Lifting his head, his eyes met with hers. Seemed she had been standing there for long . She turned to walk into the inner room slowly. Walter shut the door.

" Why did you do it?"

He asked, pacing slowly behind her.

She stopped to turn, holding on to the tip of her long braid with her fingers. 

"I had no choice.."

She told him,  avoiding his eyes.

"Really? That was it? Or was it that you were ashamed of me?"

He asked further moving towards her.

"Walter.. I know I hurt you, but you were  too young ...for me , felt like I was a pedophile.."

She said,

"We are not humans , the laws of humanity have no bound on us,  I am a wolf, I don't age. How older do you think I would get for it to show in me? Quit lying to me already and f*ckn tell me exactly why you left me all these years without a word like I never meant anything to you, like you didn't care, you just left , like everything  we shared didn't matter , tell me ! What did I ever do to you?"

He asked further rather  upset.

" I wasn't supposed to be your lover but a mother to you, I have no idea what happened, it was out of my control.."

She said moving away from him nervously.

…"All of this that you see , isn't real.. I use my powers to keep this look, this you know.. "

She added.

"Then take it off "

Walter said firmly. It shocked her.

"Are you crazy? No.. "

She said,

"Then what exactly is your problem? I am aware of the age difference, I still fell madly in love with you, I still am till date. I am not complaining, I never complained , why are you?"

He asked, confused.

She turned her back to him .

"Answer me!"

He yelled startling her.

"Because I couldn't!"

She yelled back, turning her face back to his.

.."I couldn't…. "

She repeated with a deep sigh pacing away from him .

…."when Vladimir died.. whenever I looked at you all I saw was him...I couldn't see my son in you and still f*ck you…"

She added , her eyes had become teary from where she stood . Walter's face showed shock.

" Why didn't you tell me? You really don't see how much I love you, do you? "

He asked .

.."I would have understood, you only saw things that way because you were grieving , any mother would. I would have helped you heal.. "

He added moving closer to her.

"I didn't want to !"

She yelled.

…"I didn't… I just didn't want to forget him ever… my pretty boy, he was always there , trying so hard.. too hard to love me because I lost my way, when his father died.. I didn't see all of this.. until he was gone, forever… so I couldn't Walter, where would I have begun? "

She said breaking down in tears as she allowed herself  fall to the floor.

He swiftly caught her in a tight embrace. 

…"I was barely ever there for him… "

She muttered amidst tears.

"Shhhhh… don't say that.."

Walter spoke in her ears..

…"it's true… it was always about me… I forgot I had a son… you.. you became the reminder of my mistakes.. whenever I looked at you, my conscience wouldn't let me be… it was as though.. you became my punishment.."

She said, fixing her teary eyes on him having pulled away from him. He looked at her, he understood, he became saddened, and moved closer to her once more.

" I am not him.."

He voiced reaching for her hand with his.

…" I am Walter… the man that loves you unconditionally… I feel your pain.. believe me I do… but you cannot go on like this.. you have to live for him long enough till you can be with him again… if he was here, he would tell you these exact same words.. he was always about your happiness.. always.. you owe him that much, allow yourself to heal and be happy..and allow me help you..no more running.. just open up.."

He said to her, holding onto her hands .

Just then they heard a knock on the door. 

"Aunt Freya.. it's time…"

Stace voiced from behind the door. He looked like a lost soul trying to put himself together but was failing, like a man without hope , a man without choices,  he turned, walking back to his room.