*Ch 267: Time to say Goodbye
"It's time to say goodbye." Kai declared, studying Ian's face.
Once again, that tight pang crushed Ian's heart to hear Kai say it was time to say goodbye to Lily.
"Will I ever see Lily again?" Ian asked, looking her way. On cue, their eyes connected, and everyone around them faded.
"Awe, how cute." Ian's face reddened whenever everyone heard Rome tease the youngsters as he went to stand by Kai's right side.
Jack touched Ian's shoulder and told him. "Of course, you can. Our Covens are allies. We're good friends with Levi's and Mitchell's clans."
Kai added, "Our territories are neighboring with theirs between these thick divided woods. It will be easy to visit each other."
"Oh, yes, easy, huh?" Levi teased Kai. "Says the alpha who failed to tell us you were back from your detained slumber."
Kai chuckled, "It's been hectic since then."
"We've noticed," Mitchell joked because he knew Kai had a lot going on with Victoria.
Kai rolled his eyes. Almost everyone laughed at him. He then glanced at Ian, and gave him the notion it was time to go.
Ian stared into his eyes and felt that mental inkling to say goodbye to Lily. A part of him wanted to disobey, but he didn't have it in him to do such a thing. So Ian submitted to his alpha.
Kai and Jack gave him a satisfied smile because he obeyed. Although it was typical for teenagers to wanna make the calls by disobeying their alphas or parents. For now, Kai saw Ian didn't make any fuss. Instead, he went over to Lily before she jumped in his arms.
"Thank you for everything," Lily whispered in his ear. Though she didn't comprehend, everyone heard her from their excellent hearing.
She loosened her arms on his nape, and her lips kissed him. The fact that their dads and everyone else were watching them no longer registered in Ian's mind. Initially, his brain blew up like dynamite, and his heart sparked into colorful fireworks.
Of course, watching this scene made Jack chuckle because he caught Blake's priceless expressions. Blake had the look implying he wasn't ready to share Lily with another male just yet.
"Ok, you said your goodbyes," Blake said, sounding slightly gruff in his voice. Immediately, their lips pulled apart, and their faces flushed redder to realize everyone was watching and laughing.
Levi burst out when he teased Blake, his advisor, "Look at you protecting your baby girl!"
"Be glad we aren't your enemies," Jack harmlessly teased him.
"Just you wait until you have a daughter," Blake chuckled, then he gave Ian a friendly smile. "Thank you for looking out for her."
Everyone continued to laugh because Ian's tongue was tied. All he could do was gesture a gratified head nod. Then his eyes turned to Lily, waving at him. He watched as Blake, Levi, Lily, and the rest of their clan shaped into wolves. They take off into the woods behind them. Next, Mitchell and his clan said their farewell. Then they went into the woods behind Kai and his friends.
"Let's go, kid," said Jack, but he noticed Ian was still frozen in his stance, so he went to him as everyone else chuckled. "Please, don't tell me that was your first kiss."
"No!" Ian snapped from his daydream from zoning out in that direction Lily went. "Of course not!"
"That sounds real convincing." Rome teased as they started hiking across the field.
"It's not," Ian defended, walking between his dad and Rome. "I've had a few girlfriends."
From behind Ian, Ace further teased. "A few girlfriends, huh? So this is your first vampiress girlfriend."
Ian blushed, embarrassed. "We're just friends," he claimed.
"We've noticed." Ivan teased, walking alongside Ace and Glenn.
Ian was only getting redder like a freshly ripened cherry.
Breaking the jokes, Kai asked as he walked with his guardian-ranked friends in front of everyone. "Are you able to move faster, Ian?"
Ian respectfully replied behind him. "Yes, but I only know how to run and bounce between places. I don't know how to shape into any shadows or anything else."
"Before too long, you'll learn," Jack guaranteed. "Speed up, we're going to the park to speak."
Ian began to run at a faster pace. Jack and the rest of them made sure he was in the middle once they entered the woods. The last thing they needed was for him to get lost. Around trees, they bounce and maneuver between them swiftly. Not too long, they reached the park, where they took a seat at this picnic table.
Only Kai and his advisors sat with or across from Ian while the guardians kept an eye out on their surroundings. After all, they weren't in the mood for another clan to initiate any more drama with Kai. Since after the ball, now his enemies verified he had returned. Worse they all found out his mate is the gifted human girl they prophesied about many eons ago. Kai knew, eventually trouble would stir sooner or later. Now that they had Ian alone, they gave him the basic rundown.
"Why would you think I'd try to eat anyone granted to be a bloodsucker?" Ian asked.
On his right, Jack explained. "Because your senses will only get stronger, and you'll crave blood. But I'll teach you to hunt and how to control yourself."
Ian nodded before he bombed everyone with questions. "When will it be safe to see my family? Can they know the truth that I am immortal? And when does the blue moon come, so I can transform my family?"
Jack gave a long sigh as he first looked at Kai across from Ian. "I'm sorry kid, but they can never know and you can never transform them," he painfully revealed.
"What!" Ian clamored, and his eyes burned from withholding his tears. "I can't live without my family! I'll live forever while they grow old and die!"
Kai said, being vigorously adamant with his authority as an alpha, yet he showed his sympathy. "Unfortunately, yes. We can't transform a whole family because it's far too many predators over prey. Every Coven is given a limit. Therefore I do not permit you to turn them. You must obey, or else their lives are at risk."
Ian couldn't believe it. It's like his ears betrayed him.
"See it from their perspective. How do you think they'd take the unfathomable news about vampires existing?" Ace pointed out, and Ian understood what he meant.
"How will I ever be involved with their lives again?" Ian asked as a teardrop rolled down his cheekbone.
"You'll be taught how to mentally trick the human mind to see you as young or old." Glenn shared on Kai's right.
"Then at some point, I'll have to say goodbye to them," Ian mumbled, upset.
"Yes, but not yet." Jack rubbed his back, trying to comfort him.
"How could you leave my mom?" Ian boldly asked.