Princess of Faerl
62. Eternally Bound

*Hephaestus*

She died. I felt the bond snap. She didn’t live. I wasn’t able to be with her. How is this child coming here claiming he’s mine. Nonetheless mine and hers. I can’t accept this. I had to leave. The walls feel like they are caving in on me. My eyes search for the nearest door. Finding it, I run for it, almost barrling through it. Once Im out of the room I let out a scream. Okay, more of a loud ass sob mixed with a strangled scream that probably made me sound like a prepubesant boy who’s balls hadn’t dropped, but I’m distraught.

“This can’t be true. This can’t be fucking true! She died! She fucking died! I saw her, felt her. She had no pulse, she was fucking dead. She was stolen from me.” My screams continued as I punched the ground.

I don’t cry. Not since the day she died. Not till today. Freely tears flowed, soaking my face and the collar of my shirt. I couldn’t comprehend it all. Before I knew it, Alke was there, standing a safe distance away from me.

“You’re going to cause an earthquake if you keep doing that.” She spoke gently. Her eyes held compassion and no judgement. “I’m sorry you’re going through this, Hephaestus. You’ve always been one to suffer more than anyone, despite keeping to yourself and staying in your lane. None of this has been fair.” She cautiously took a couple steps forward as I curled up over my knees, my forehead resting on my hands.

“She didn’t die. She had a child. I wasn’t there for her. I wasn’t allowed to be. She didn’t come replace me.” I was not sure if I was sad, angry, a mix of both. I didn’t know who i was mad at either. I was a mess.

“Hep, Selene told her to not tell you. If she had told you, Aphrodite’s punishment would have ended early, and the life time that exists now wouldn’t have been able to happen. Plus you would not have had the same bond you have now, and you would not have been able to regain it in this life time.” She put her hand on my shoulder, “I know you need to mourn the loss of that life time, but you get this one. A clean lifetime where you’re not tainted by the loss of your true fate bond. It’ll be okay, I promise.”

I looked up at her, probably looking quite pathetic and broken. I felt pathetic and broken. Footsteps approached from behind me and suddenly stopped. I stared at Alke’s face as she looked past me, pale as can be. I turned to look over my shoulder and Khalith was there, with the same look on his face.

I looked between them for a few moments, trying to figure out what was going on, but Alke disappeared suddenly. Khalith looked pained, and it dawned on me. Because he is part mortal and part shifter, he could have a mate, and that was his mate. My friend was his mate. I would have to put aside my feelings for now and help him. I took in a deep breath, “Did what I think just happened, happen?” I asked him.

“Depends on what you think just happened. But right now, that’s not what I need to deal with. I’ll deal with her later.” He was too much like me, I concluded hearing him state that so matter of factly. No denying that’s my boy. “I came out here for you. I know what I told you isn’t easy and I know its’ upsetting, but I couldn’t come to you before now. If I had you would have found mom in every life time before you were supposed to. Things wouldn’t have worked out right. If it helps at all, every life time before this one, she remembered both of us. She never forgot. Nor did she ever take anyone else as a lover or have any other children. She knew eventually she would be with you again. Just this life time, she needed to be hidden, even from herself.” His explanation made sense, even if I didn’t want to hear it.

“I just… I’ve lived so long not knowing about you, not being able to be the person I should have been to you. I didn’t get to see your birth or any of your firsts. None of it. If I were you I’d resent me as much as I resent my own father.” I looked down at the ground, remembering Zeus casting me out for protecting my mother.

“I do not resent you. I never have. Mother always made sure I knew exactly who you were, studied you, told me all about you. She let me know I couldn’t go searching for you until Auntie told me it was okay, or I felt the pull from Adalith to come and replace you both. So I waited like I was told to. But we’re all here now, and I get to say something I’ve wanted to say for hundreds of years.” He beamed at me.

“And what’s that?” I asked him. I was expecting fuck you, you’re a dead beat, or anything like that.

“Hi Dad, I’m your son.” with that he hugged me and I felt a weird happiness. I hadn’t felt anything like it before. But I also felt awkward as fuck.

“Well, uhm.. hi.. son.. “ The words fell from my lips VERY awkwardly. “I guess I’m your dad, and uhm, nice to meet you too.” I shook my head. What an idiot I am. “So uhm, tell me about yourself? What you like, what you don’t, what you do?” I’m not much good at talking about myself, so might as well get him to talk first.

We spent about 20 minutes giving each other the too long didn’t read versions of our lives, though I didn’t have to tell him much about mine. Apparently he’s an amazing stalker and already knew. But I got to learn about him and how much he takes after me. Only he gets his good looks from his mother.

“We should get back inside. Nana and Papa are probably done explaining most things to Mom, and Uncle Helios and Auntie Selene have filled in whatever gaps they left, I’m sure.” I nodded to him, taking a deep breath. I needed to go back and apologize for my outburst any way. And for the minor destruction of property.

“Okay, lets do that. So uhm.. Does this mean you’re gonna be my best man at the wedding?” I asked him. I was planning on asking Aran, but since I have a son, it just made more sense to ask him. His smile told me his answer before he did.

“Really? You’d want me to do that??” He sounded like a little kid that had just been told he was gonna get to go to an all you can eat candy buffet.

“Of course. No one better. You’re a part of me. And I hope you’re okay with siblings that are way younger than you, because I do want more kids.” I laughed a bit, “But just so you know, I will always regard you as my first born because that is what you are.”

The look of pride he had on his face was more than enough to tell me it was okay. “I’ve never wanted anything more.” With that we walked inside. The door may or may not have fallen down behind me. I guess I opened it a little too hard on my way out and it was on it’s last leg. “Oops..” Khalith muttered and laughed with me.

Maybe I’m not so useless after all. I got a pretty cool son out of all this.