21
Chapter 21 Alek
The arena was in chaos.I didn’t like it, not one bit. After the peace I’d found in nature, surrounded by the people I cared about most in the whole wide world, this was overstimulating, almost too much for me. I should have been used to this, it wasn’t like every day at Gemini Liquor ran smoothly, but today, I craved some more of that inner peace. I craved Karly, and the guys as well. Life was just better when I was around them. I didn’t want the camping trip cut short, but it was probably for the best that it had been. The Bear King had all called everyone to an emergency meeting in the reception hall, and we all had to wait underneath our respective banners until we found out what was going to happen.
The rumor mill was buzzing. Some believed the Astro Games would be cancelled, others that the prize would change, some thought the whole thing was invented and just dumb. But one look under the Aries banner to see the storm cloud surrounding Jason, and I wasn’t so sure. As a man who feared being burned by love, I recognized that very same expression on his face.
I caught Karly’s eye as she stood talking to Ben in hushed whispers, waiting for the next segment of her news broadcast to go live. This whole debacle would likely boost her career tenfold. She would be more than the queen of morning TV, she would be everyone’s goddess. God, I would be so freaking proud of her if that happened. I wouldn’t be able to contain my joy. That was a journey I would love nothing more than to experience alongside her, but, of course, if I wanted to be there for her, I would have to make the decision that scared me. It really was the choice I wanted, that I knew would lead to a good life, but that I was scared to accept in case everyone else got hurt in the process. I always put way too much pressure on myself, and this was the most pressure of all.
Then I glanced over to the Leo banner to see Rory leaning close to Finn. Rory had a content, breezy expression on his face, like he wasn’t too concerned with the outcome of this meeting, but Finn was raging. I could see him burning with irritation. Perhaps that was the way I would have reacted as well, if my interests had been elsewhere. If I still had the mindset I started the Astro Games with, this scandal would have crushed me. I would have hated knowing the woman I was supposed to marry had feelings for someone else. But I wasn’t bothered at all, I felt much more like Rory did. I guess I just wasn’t bothered about becoming the Bear King anymore. I didn’t feel like I needed to do the “right thing.” How freeing was that?
Hatcher had his back to Casey underneath the Sagittarius banner. He had the blank eyes of someone who wanted to be anywhere else in the world other than here. I almost laughed because he looked so funny like that. Both Chase and Cody looked uninterested, their arms folded across their chest. The Virgo banner might as well have not been hanging up because they so clearly didn’t want to be here. Not many of us did. Even Drew and Sly didn’t look impressed.
What were we fighting for? What was I fighting for? I couldn’t make any real sense of it anymore. I didn’t want it, didn’t need it. Even if I were to win now, I wouldn’t want to hold Azariyah’s hand and pretend I wanted to be her husband, and I wouldn’t care as much if I were to become the next Bear King. Yes, I wanted to keep the system to keep the same as it was, I didn’t want the Unaligned clan to win, but I wasn’t the only one. None of the other eleven clans did either. Much as it seemed like I was the only one who could defeat Drew, that didn’t really mean no one else could do it. It was arrogant of me to even assume there was no one else who could even come close. Just because Drew and his father cheated their way through everything, didn’t mean they were destined to win.
Would it be the worst thing in the world for me to take that pressure off my shoulders for a moment and think about myself? Would it be horrible for me to just be happy? I had spent way too long living for other people. It had to change.
I stood to attention as the Bear King finally swept into the room. I was actually surprised to see Azariyah behind him. I thought she might have hidden away to not have to face this, as it had to be really embarrassing for her, but she was here with her chin jutted out and her head held high. Her cheeks were a little pink, but she wasn’t going to let this defeat her. That was pretty cool of her, not that it changed my opinion on everything.
“Thank you all for coming here today,” Mobius started in a very grave sounding voice. Yep, this could definitely go either way. Interesting. “There have been some concerns about the Astro Games today and the future of them.” Murmuring buzzed around the reception room, but it quickly shut down the moment the Bear King glared at everyone. This was serious and he wasn’t about to let everyone forget it. “Well, nothing is going to derail the games. Especially not some silly rumor.”
Wait, what?It wasn’t just a rumour, was it? Ben told Karly there were photographs and everything. What the hell was going on?
“These alleged photographs and the silly talk surrounding them will not continue,” Mobius practically yelled. He was desperately trying to keep everything together before it spiralled out of control. “The Astro Games are some of the most important events in the Zodiac Empire. We cannot let something affect them now, it isn’t right. Not when things have already started. This is something we absolutely must work together to ensure.”
Funny how my supposed rule break was so harshly treated, even though I didn’t really do anything wrong, but the princess was allowed to do whatever she wanted. This was starting to feel farcical to me. Thank goodness I was already mentally checked out of the whole thing.
“We need assurances,” Sly yelled out rudely. But then he didn’t care for politeness or the rules. He didn’t seem to think he was the sort of person who needed to listen to what was right. “Assurances that the princess is still going to follow the rules of the Astro Games. There is no point in all these young men competing when the prize might change her mind. They were promised Princess Azariyah’s hand in marriage, and I’m sure the Unaligned clan isn’t the only one wanting to know what the end result will be.” He turned his attention to Azariyah herself. “We want to know that these rumors are all lies. We need to know that you are going to keep your word.”
Azariyah took some time to come forward. It was clear this wasn’t something she was interested in doing. I recognized parental pressure when I saw it. I actually felt sorry for her in this moment; whatever was going on had to be horrible. But I was also very grateful for it not to be my problem anymore.
“I am keeping to the rules,” Azariyah said carefully, like she was considering each and every word before she said them out loud. “I would not to do anything to affect the Astro Games because it is such an important event for the Zodiac Empire.” She repeated her father, practically word for word. It was almost as if she had been trained to say those things. “Such rumors are a mere distraction from what is important and have no place within the competition.”
I couldn’t help but notice her eyes flicker over to the Aries banner for just a second. I wondered if she could see the same thing that I picked up on, the burning in Jason’s eyes. Too many people were getting hurt here, whether these were rumors or truth. It didn’t feel right.
“You have to make a firm stance,” Sly called out, refusing to just accept that he’d gotten the answer he wanted. He was going to keep pushing no matter what because that was just his awful way. “It’s only right for the man in question to be disqualified.”
“Why?” Azariyah snapped before she could control herself, not that she could disguise the redness burning in her cheeks. “Why when we have no idea where the rumor started?”
Sly smirked, clearly delighted. “Well, we wouldn’t want to be worrying about favoritism now, would we?”
Sly was exhausting, which I guess was why he was here. He was determined to do whatever he could to wipe out the competition. And I was starting to think this wouldn’t end once the Astro Games finished if Drew didn’t win. If this was what life would be like as Azariyah’s husband, I really didn’t want it. It would potentially kill me. I was really starting to come around to the idea that the Zodiac Empire could be saved by anyone, that it really didn’t have to be me. Especially when I knew for sure that my heart wasn’t going to be in it no matter what. I couldn’t spend every single day of the rest of my life fighting for something that I didn’t even want, that wouldn’t make me happy.
But the idea of fighting for Karly, and the harem, energized me. Nothing had ever felt as good as when I was all alone with them. That really was my happy place. If I were to decide to forgo all of this once and for all, I knew I would be at peace with that decision.
The argument surrounding the rumours spun around me, but I easily blocked it all out because I just didn’t care. Let them argue it out and fight among themselves. I was freaking bottom of the leader board now thanks to Drew’s cheating. It wouldn’t be too hard for me to lose my place in the competition completely. Then I could really start my life. I could have everything I wanted and so much more.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out my cell phone to secretly fire off a group text. I sensed Lance’s curious eyes on me as I distracted myself from the chaos, but he didn’t question me on what I was doing. He had to be thinking that with me out the picture, he stood a better chance of winning himself. And good for him; he should win, so long as he didn’t mind his bride being in love with Jason.
With my text to the group I invited them all out to dinner with me tonight. It was time for a harem date, time for us to put everything out on the table, time for us to choose happiness at long last.