Post-Apocalypse: Mated To Alphas Of Orion-Chapter 76: Why They Lost.

(Alnilam)

All five of them are struggling to connect with each other like a team should. Kacir, Mintaka and Rahria have their personal issues.

Rahria has been sidelined because of what she did.

Amaia is being targeted because they believe she lacks magic and is merely a human. When I specifically told them to keep a distance, only romantically, not to berate her.

Alnitak is still too invested in her but for all the wrong reasons.

Hence, the disastrous results of the tug-of-war. It’s a team game. Until and unless you act like one body, breathe and push as one, you can’t win.

With egos soaring and no one listening to anyone else this was bound to happen. This is a wake-up call for them.

Now the five of them guiltily stand in front of me, and strangely, it’s only Amaia I am not pissed at, but all of the rest. I saw how she set aside her ego and didn’t succumb to their level when they berated her for being human.

But I am disappointed, especially with my brother. It’s time to teach them a lesson.

So, I begin with Mintaka, since he was supposed to be the Team Leader, and discuss the strategy before starting.

He didn’t and then blamed them.

"Yes, Mintaka, as the captain, I want you to begin." I keep my arms crossed over my chest and my expression blank. Although my jaw has been set in concrete because of how tightly I have shut it.

He hesitates and draws in a breath before beginning, "I should have thought of a strategy and discussed with the team instead of jumping in blindly."

"And as a team captain are you supposed to lift your weak links or degrade them?" I ask sharply, unblinking.

"Lift them," he admits quietly but not at all looking pleased. I know he has much to say but he won’t undermine my authority in front of others. In private, he will speak his mind.

I glare at him for a few more seconds and then focus my attention on Alnitak.

"What went wrong? You were supposed to be the anchor of the team."

"We were just pushing like maniacs and then I fell down in the end. So I guess a lot of it is my fault," he admits with a shrug.

Amaia stands beside him. My eyes travel to her. She appears distraught, hardly breathing.

"Yes, Amaia. What are your views on the loss?"

She steals a look at her team and lets out a heavy breath, letting her shoulders drop. She appears so tiny standing in between the four of them, towering at her sides. Her cheeks puffed red because of all that pushing in the heat and I didn’t even let them drink water.

"We didn’t act like a team, Guild Pegasus did. We were just five individuals, pushing on the rope. Our hearts hold grudges for each other, and we are not ready to let go of our egos," she concluded, which had Rahria let out an irritating sound.

"Oh! Please, speak for yourself," Rahira retorts and I send her a death glare.

"Did I perhaps allow you to speak, Rahria?" Flustered, her eyes quickly snap towards me and she silently shakes her head, seeming embarrassed.

"Then wait your turn." Irritation rose in my voice and she silently nodded, lowering her head.

My eyes slithered towards Kacir. "Your turn. Why do you think you people lost today?"

He hesitates. Kacir is the backbone of this team; he is overly smart and intelligent, yet he has the most issues going on because of which the problems are only multiplying.

"We underperformed. Took the opposition lightly. Didn’t prepare well," he says in a small voice, keeping his head low.

Finally, my gaze goes to Rahria, who has become literally the black sheep of the team.

"Yes, speak now," I tell her.

"I think having a human female placed us at a disadvantage. At least their human is male," she says in that sharp voice of hers. Rahria has no filters, and that lands her in trouble more often.

Listening to them I understand that some of them realise the fault while others want to act oblivious, not wanting to see their shortcomings. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

I straighten up and unfold my arms.

"You guys failed because you are not a team. All of you act like you are better than the other." I take a step towards them, watching their embarrassed faces. "All of you are at fault one way or the other."

I point towards the corner best friends.

"Kacir and Mintaka. Neither of you speaks to the other. How will you communicate?" I blast at them and they further lower their eyes, keeping their hands behind their backs.

"Rahria here just wants to shift the blame to others instead of taking responsibility for her actions for the damage she has done. Do you ever look at yourself and wonder maybe you are the problem? How you have divided this team, this guild," I snap at Rahria and her face reddens in utter embarrassment.

"Do any of you ever think selflessly? Work together with the weaker links? Are they even the weak links when the problem is within you? When there is only pride and resentment in your hearts and not respect and love for your guildmates?" I raise my voice and none of them speak. They just stare at the ground.

So I continue. There is much anger bubbling inside me.

"Until and unless you resolve your issues. Until each and every one of you is on talking terms with the other, you will stay in your common room and not leave it. You won’t attend practice, sports or sessions. All of you will sit and reflect on your actions, the words you said to each other and the problems you have. Do I make myself clear?" I firmly ask, standing right in front of them.

"Yes, Sir!" They chorus in embarrassed voices.

"And no, I don’t mean you have to climb in each other’s laps, form forced couples or take on each other as chosen mates." My eyes remain fixed on Alnitak and Amaia. I know something is going on between them.

Amaia blushes in response while Alnitak tries to hide a smirk.

"What I mean is to develop mutual respect for each other. To be on talking terms. Let go of your past and move towards a future. Make your guild proud. Understood," I ask, keeping my hands at my back and strolling in front of them.

"Yes, Sir!"

"Take your sorry faces away and move to the common room. No one will leave until I say so. You will eat there, sleep there, until I say otherwise. Leave." No one objects and they begin to silently leave my office.

Only Mintaka lingers; once they are gone, he faces me and angrily bursts out.

"Weren’t you the one who was all judgmental about Amaia? She sleeps with other men, so stay away from her. And now you are acting and giving us a lecture about unity. Some guide you are. I think you are two-faced. Big brother."

His words burn me deep and my nostrils flare at him.

"I told both of you the truth because you are my brothers. I didn’t want you to make a choice you will regret later, like you are already doing. Never asked you to shun or hate her, not accept her as your guildmate," I retort back but a part of me knows he is right.

"Pleaseee, save the saint act. I am not your charity case. You sowed the seed of hatred for her in our hearts and now you want us to work with her and treat her like she is equal to us when you butchered her character. If anyone should be ashamed it’s you. At least I have the guts to say what I feel." He disappointedly shakes his head at me and barges out of my office, leaving me wondering.

Have I been wrong trying to guard my brothers?