Post-Apocalypse: Mated To Alphas Of Orion-Chapter 90: Boulevard Of My Broken Dreams

(Amaia)

"Vampires are not ranked with age like the common myth. If you are 200 years old, it doesn’t make you strong. Instead, it’s the hybrid nature of vampires and royalty which makes them strong," Kacir explains, putting all his nerdy knowledge before us.

"Yes, the vampires belonging to royal families are the strongest in existence. Hathial Kane is said to be the strongest vampire in existence. He belongs to the renowned five, just like our father. He is ruthless, though, and rules with an iron fist," Mintaka adds in his dry, humourless voice.

I listen and absorb everything they say.

The Renowned Five are the kings who rule our supernatural world. King Orion is one of them and Hathial Kane is another.

"Do you think this new guy could be his relative? Can’t be his son because the last name is different. And since he is a special recommendation, someone high up pulled strings to have him here," Alnitak concludes, casually throwing the bone in the plate.

Being a royal, one would think Alnitak would eat using proper etiquette, but he is as wild as one comes.

"Could be. We can ask him nicely. Maybe he is not as bad as he appears," Rahria offers, placing some spaghetti in her mouth.

"Excuse me, he is a Pegasus. How can we ever expect one of them to tell us anything or speak the truth?" Alnitak rolls his eyes.

Guild Leo and Guild Pegasus don’t get along. The poor Guild Serpen just gets squeezed in between their rivalry.

"I think we should remain cordial with everyone," I offer, and the twins shake their heads at me. Their scents have mingled to create a cocktail of aroma for me, which I keep greedily inhaling.

"Not with trials soon coming up for Inter Guild Wars. Everyone will be at each other’s throats," Alnitak tells me.

"I wonder which guild will be selected as the representative," Kacir says, playing with vegetables on his plate and not really eating.

"Ours, we need to ensure we do our best in all training sessions and not lose any more points over petty fights," Alnitak announces like a leader. Mintaka just nods at his brother.

"True, we need to show Sir Alnilam that we are serious about this," I add, finishing the jelly dessert first like a greedy person.

The boys discuss strategies while Rahria and I join in every now and then.

"Why don’t we celebrate tonight since all of us are finally on the same page, it calls for some drinks," Alnitak suggests, getting up from the chair and almost toppling it.

"We have classes tomorrow," Kacir calmly says.

"We will wrap it up quickly. I will go get some booze from Marta and meet you guys in the common room. What do you say?" Alnitak is all pumped up.

Rahria shrugs her shoulders. "I am in, I can have a few drinks since we don’t even get drunk by normal booze, it won’t hurt."

"I am in too. I need some wine in my system," Mintaka lazily raises his hand.

"Count me in too. It’s not against the rules to drink, right?" I tentatively ask, my eyes drifting to all of them.

"No, we are adults. But arriving drunk for the sessions is prohibited. One can’t concentrate so you will have to drink wisely," Rahria says, finishing the last of her spaghetti.

She is referring to me, since they believe I am a human and my metabolism is slower than theirs.

"Kacir, why don’t you come with me? Marta always melts seeing you," Alnitak teases, getting up. Kacir’s visible left cheek goes crimson.

"She is just nice because she thinks I don’t eat properly," Kacir mumbles and I understand how he always gets food at any given time including delicacies.

"I will tag along too," Rahria announces, dropping her fork in the empty bowl and standing beside Kacir. She watches him with tenderness but doesn’t try to touch him or push herself like she used to do. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"Alright, we will see you two in the common room." They leave the dining hall and I find myself alone with Mintaka.

Quietly he gets up. "Come, let’s go." I follow him, keeping in step with him. His strides are controlled, almost metronomic. There is no rush or joyful skip in them unlike how his brother walks. His shoulders edge slightly forward making his back curve just a tinge to indicate as if he is carrying some unknown weight.

He has that melancholic feel about him that tugs at my heart through the bond we share.

"So what do you like to do in your free time?" I ask as we leave the dining hall.

"Just enjoy my solitude mostly. Sometimes I play guitar to keep myself calm."

His scent is not simply that of the ocean for me. The freshness of it melds with the saltiness and faintness of an approaching storm. Clean and yet with undertows of something dark and unseeable that lingers in the ocean’s depths. Mintaka is an unexplored ocean for me just like his scent.

"You are into music?" That is something common between us. I love listening to old songs, which bring back the nostalgia of our old world, hum them too.

"Yes, my mother used to play old records for us and gifted me a guitar on my eleventh birthday. It became a permanent part of me after that," he answers but there is something melancholic about the way he has said it.

"Can I hear you play it tonight?" I carefully ask, staring at the sharp line of his profile and observing the curve of his cheek and jaw.

"We will see." We arrive at the staircase and begin to climb.

"How about you? What are your passions?"

"I do like listening to music. From the old world and new too, apart from reading and watching movies." We climb the stairs, shadowed by the dim light of the torches on the walls. My hand slides against the wooden railing.

"What’s your favourite song?" He asks and his head turns to watch me, a gentleness and a tinge of curiosity he holds.

"Boulevard of my broken dreams. It’s an old song from our destroyed world, maybe you haven’t heard of it. My mother used to hum it for me and my brother," I confide in him, the memory comes crashing down on me and my mood saddens.

"Then I will play it for you. I have heard of it. Green days was a legendary band," he says with a reassuring smile and I find myself smiling back at him.