Forced Affection

As much as I want to be pissed off at Leo I can’t help but smirk when we leave the mansion, with The Ring on my finger as Skye and Mrs. Matthews arrives. Yep there was some satisfaction to knowing I won. Nothing she could do could take Parker away from me-unless she was pregnant. That bitch I can’t believe she is pregnant. Wait, what? Stop I’m getting ahead of myself, I shake my head and sigh. Me and my wild thoughts. She is not pregnant. I repeated Skye Matthews is NOT pregnant with Leo Parker’s child. I’m not sure who I am convincing now, you or me. I sigh again.
‘What?’ Leo asks me as we walk out the door.
Before I can even respond we are met with the evil itself, Skye Matthews and her mother.
‘Oh won’t you be joining us for lunch?’ Mrs. Matthews asks. Nope, I think to myself as I force a polite smile.
‘Ahh sorry not today, Hallie and I have plans’ Leo said as he grabs my hand and tries to pull me away.
‘Oh my gosh’ Skye gasps as she grabs my left hand. Leo pulls harder on my right arm but realises it wasn’t me stopping me from moving. Skye had spotted The Ring.
‘Wow, that is wow’ Mrs. Matthews says dumbstruck.
‘I didn’t realise you had chosen a ring’ Skye muttered still holding my hand staring at it. That’s right bitch it is mine. Oh god this could be the part where she tells Leo she is pregnant. I mentally hit myself, when did I get so god damn jealous? Lucky Leo could not read my mind and see the argument I was having with myself-he would love the ego boost.
‘You saw us shopping for one’ Leo stated to Skye.
‘What she means is the media haven’t got a hold of this? I mean they questioned The Ring and everything?’ Mrs. Matthews said her eyes still haven’t moved from my ring on my hand.
‘Well I only proposed this morning, didn’t I?’ Leo muttered pulling my hand as I slipped out of Skye’s grip. He led me down the stairs. Still I had not said anything.
‘You proposed?’ Mrs. Matthews said in even more shock.
‘Congratulations. You can have him’ Skye sneered like I was the one who lost.
‘Like you ever could have’ I snap before controlling myself. Leo pulled me closer to him, turned around flashed the 2 Matthews ladies a killer smile and pulled me away before me and Skye could have an argument. The nerve of that girl.
‘Seriously you can’t handle yourself around her can you?!’ Leo snapped as he opened the garage door and walked over to the motorcycle.
‘She annoys me. And besides she started it’ I snap following him to the bike.
‘Are you serious? Please do not just tell me you said ‘she started it’ like a 2 year old!’ Leo said as he grabbed me around the waist and placed me on the bike. Sitting there he kissed me on the lips. Gently at first, no tongue nothing. Just a sweet gentle kiss. It was like nothing I had experienced with him before. I could tell from that kiss I had just become his biggest weakness and sharing a lifeline with him now felt like a huge risk.
He pulled back and hoped onto the bike behind me. Arms wrapped around me as I sat at the front of the bike he started the engine. This was going to draw the media’s attention.

I wasn’t sure how it happened but sure enough the paparazzi knew that we were going to be at the cafe. I stole a glance at Leo as we arrived and he parked on the foot path, killing the engine. He smirked at me and winked as he pulled off his helmet-not that he needed it. I wanted to sigh as I took off my helmet-sure I wanted to portray a happy couple but this was not want I wanted-too be surrounded. He kissed me on the fore head and grabbed my hand leading me through the crowd towards the front door-they needless to say were having frenzy as photographs were crazily taken and questions shouted. The only statement I could hear above all the questions was ‘Oh my...is that The Ring?’ at the mention of The Ring on my finger-they all went even more crazy than I thought possible. Leo glanced back at me and smirked. I couldn’t help but smile-we were always meant to cause a scene, it was just us.

Half way through my meal I noticed Leo had stopped eating but was sitting patiently and still.
‘Are you ok?’ I ask not really concerned but curious.
‘Yeah listen, Hallie I need to tell you something’ Leo said as he glanced at me. I raised my eyebrow and looked around the cafe hoping no one was paying attention to us...who was I kidding? They were all indirectly paying attention to us in some way or another.
‘Do you want to do this here? Or somewhere else?’ I asked knowing this couldn’t be good.
‘Well um I think it would be best to do it in private but I don’t want to cause a scene so I think we should do it here. And well remember you need to be on your best behaviour’ Leo replied bitting his lip. I automatically frowned.
‘Really? So you are testing me? You know what just hurry up and spit it out’ I say getting angrier-Leo would never fully trust me.
‘I found out who ambushed Alex and Mason’ Leo said. I stopped. I stopped blinking, I stopped breathing, I stopped thinking and I’m sure my heart even stopped beating.
‘What?’ I whispered.
‘It isn’t rogues like I thought. It was three of the elders from the circle. Apparently they are trying to hold a rebellion and by hurting your family, they knew you would lash out and they want you too so the public will hate you and we won’t go through with this marriage. And well if I’m not married I don’t get powers and I don’t become the leader’ Leo explained to me. I sat still and had never been so angry with Leo. At this exact moment I wanted to kill him, even if it meant me dying. My brother and uncle were attacked just so he wouldn’t become the leader. So some stupid members of the circle that Craig trusted could rebel in secret and over throw the dynasty. I took a deep breath and wanted to yell but knew I shouldn’t cause a scene.
‘Names’ I say knowing if I couldn’t kill Leo I should definitely go after them.
‘Claudio, Drachen and Marius. They are all seniors and have hated living under my father’s command’ Leo said looking at me but worry still written all over his face.
‘I’m going to kill them if it is the last thing I do’ I say standing up.
‘Hallie, no, don’t be silly. We will deal with this but for now please stay rationale. I wasn’t sure whether or not I should tell you’ Leo said as he grabbed my hand. I didn’t stop though I kept walking. Leo pulled me to the desk to pay for our meal as I didn’t want to cause a scene but still I wanted to know.
‘Rationale?! Really? I have never been more rationale in my life! Hello? What would you do in this situation?’ I whispered to him in a tone that he knew to choose the words wisely or I would crack at any moment.
‘I have been in a similar situation Hallie. My little sister was rapped. I tracked down the 2 guys who did it and killed them out of cold blood. My father turned up too late to stop me and I have no regrets about killing those scum’ Leo replied as the lady handed Leo back his credit card and he led me out of the cafe to towards his bike.
‘But you’re trying to stop me?’ I snap as we got on his bike.
‘Wrong, I’m trying to save you. We will get revenge just give me time to think of the best way about it. Please Hallie, I can’t lose you’ he replied as we sat on his bike but he didn’t take off.
‘Fine, but I want to make them suffer’ I say as he shakes his head but nonetheless still turns around and rides away.

As soon as we get back to the mansion I make a deadline straight to our room. I don’t care that Skye and her mother was probably still here considering how short our lunch had actually went after our conversation. As soon as I got to the my room I removed my clothing, got into a my old fighting gear that I had brought with me, collected my weapons and my favourite katana that I had not used in quite some time. I may not be able to go after them just yet but I am certainly getting ready for it.
With that I walked straight to the sound proof dojo with my phone I my hand, if I wanted to track down these blood suckers I would need Billie’s help.

‘Hallie’ I called once I had pulled up at the house. From her lack of response I knew she wasn’t listening, she would only be caught up in her own thoughts and plans of revenge, which concerned me. I sighed and watched her, standing at the door way she walked into our room and then emerged transformed. No longer in her lunch clothing she was now in leather pants, sturdy boots and a black shirt that hugged her body that on any other occasion would have turned me on, however all thoughts of lust were lost as soon as I saw her hair pulled back in a high pony tail and the weapons on her belt with her favourite katana in one hand and mobile phone in another. I knew she would be heading to the sound proof dojo but I also knew she wouldn’t risk herself not without me. I knew for now she would be safe.
I took a deep breath and knew it was time to face the music. I swallowed my pride and walked up to my father’s office. I would need him for this; I couldn’t save Hallie by myself.

Knocking on the door I could only think of everything going wrong, I hear my father’s thoughts ‘Enter Leo’ I turned the handle and walked into a burning inferno.
‘What?’ Craig asked not bothering with being polite, I was his son he no longer had to impress me. I was his son and in his eyes I would follow whatever he commanded.
‘Well while your sources have been attempting to find out who did the ambush through the circle, my non circle members worked it out’ I snapped as I wondered around his office, as a child this had once been like a hidden kingdom, a window into a whole new world. As an adolescent I knew the power of everything in this room, and as a adult I had grown into only desiring everything that was in here-according to my father though I didn’t understand it and therefore didn’t deserve it.
‘What? You went behind my back and held another investigation?’ Craig snapped. I picked up a crystal glass and his bottle of whiskey, he would need it after all. I poured him a drink and then one for myself.
‘Of course I did. I’m Leo Parker. Anyway wanna know everything I know now?’ I quiz as he sharpens his eyes and from his thoughts I know he wants nothing more to know more than me and wipe the smug look of my face, but he is well aware he can’t do any of that. With a curl of his lip I know that was the sign, I wasn’t going to get anymore of a go ahead from him. So I smirked one more time, finished the whiskey and looked at him ‘You are in so much trouble...’ I started as I began to inform him of the rebellion, the plan and the ambush.

‘But they are my senior council members!’ my father roared, frustration rocked his entire body and I knew he was no longer the clam collected leader everyone had came accustomed to.
‘Want me to give you time to compose yourself, father?’ I smirked as I continued sitting on the chair in his office swishing the 3rd whiskey around the crystal glass.
‘They wouldn’t dare do this! You are wrong!’ my father snapped at me as he grabbed the glass out of my hand, finished the remaining whiskey and then threw the glass into the stone fireplace. The glass breaking into hundreds of pieces as the shards dispersed all over the fireplace.
‘Really? Great behaviour father’ I laughed quietly to myself. It was not often he lost all control like this. In fact I loved this-no longer was I the irrational loose cannon.
‘At least tell me you have not told that fiancé of yours?’ my father said after a while of silence. He had composed himself and now took his spot rightfully behind the desk and began to take control of his emotions and the situation-the way any good leader would.
I gulped and sat up straight ‘Actually I um may have mentioned it to her...’ I muttered-boy was I in trouble now.
‘WHAT?!’ my father roared again.
‘Really? What were you thinking? You know how much she is on edge. One wrong move and this could ruin both of you!’ he snapped and I sighed. I should have expected this.
‘You know what Leo; this is why you are not ready to be leader yet. You think of yourself first and then your people!’ my father snapped as he remained in his seat this time.
‘You’re wrong. I thought of the only person I love more than anything and then my people. I haven’t even thought of myself in this situation’ I snapped back and instantly regretted it. Love really? Why would I say that about Hallie to my father he would not understand it!
‘Leo, you are going to be leader and a husband. But Hallie can’t always come first’ my father said fearing that I might lose it if he said something wrong about Hallie.
‘Craig, she doesn’t have that much hold over me. I know what she is like, you can complain about her. I understand the trouble she has caused, but that was her family attacked-she needed to know to help get through the pain’ I replied calmly trying my hardest to prove this man wrong.
‘No doubt my boy, and believe me she needed to know, but if only you had told me first. And I don’t think you are aware but she has more hold over you than you will ever realise until it is too late-that is what love does to you’ my father said sounding defeated-something I had never heard in his voice before.
‘Yeah well even if this love is strong, my country is still more important, so stop complaining about the situation and work out a way to deal with it to our advantage’ I say wanting to drop the topic of my love for Hallie, that wasn’t going to save her now. We had to make a plan.

I took a deep breath, I knew where they were going to be and my heart rate had increased more than I thought possible. The adrenaline was still powering on and I had no idea what I was going to do. Sure I had promised Parker not to go after the filthy blood suckers yet, but I owed it to my uncle and brother to get revenge. The ones responsible were going to die-that I was sure off. I fell to the floor of the dojo.
Billie had given me all the information I needed without once trying to stop me, at least she knew it wouldn’t have stopped me even if she had tried. I sat on the floor. Did I really want to go against Parker’s wishes? Would it be worth it? Could I take the three senior Circle members? What would be the consequences? Would this make me feel better? I sighed and started at my katana, a week ago I would have rushed off without a second thought. A month ago well I would probably already be there fighting for revenge and my life. I sighed again, but now I had Leo. How could he loving me complicate everything so much? I lay on my back and stared at the roof. This was not how it was planned-I was to move here, not develop emotions and kill Parker, be rescued by my brother and have fulfilled my destiny while becoming a hero to my people. But nothing ever goes to plan. I look down at the wedding ring and make my decision, the one I knew deep down I was always going to make.
I pick up my katana, leave the dojo and walk away from everything I had began to love and call home-maybe it would be here if I returned but for now my first loyalty I owed to my brother.