Fated To Roman: The Almighty Alpha
Fifty Six

Cleo's POV

"Wake her up!"

"No, it's too dangerous."

"Don't give me that crap. She's his mate, she deserves to have a chance to stop this."

"You think I'm doing this out of spite, but I assure you, Layla, I'm not. Just one spike in her heart rate, and she combusts. What on earth do you think will happen when she replaces out about Roman?"

"So, what, dear father, do you plan to do? Keep her asleep for the rest of her life?"

"Don't be absurd. She will wake once the procedure is complete, and the council no longer deems her a threat."

"This is fucked up, and you know it. It goes against everything you ever taught us. Whatever happened to free will and 'our body our choice'? It's her heritage! I get we can't defy them ourselves, but I'm afraid this isn't right. She can stop them, and they know it. Why else do you think they wanted this done in the first place? They fear her and what she can stand for. You said it yourself, and so did mum. Roman was feared because he was destined to bring peace into a chaotic world. Now what if, and I mean really open your mind, father, because what if Cleo and her heritage are meant to help Roman accomplish what he's supposed to."

"The only way they will let her live is if she no longer holds hellfire. No matter what conspiracy you come up with, it isn't going to change anything. That little girl needs a mum, believe me. And before you ask about your brother, I know she needs him too, but you have to understand that the absence of a female figure in a young one's life can be catastrophic. As for Roman, his sentence will be served, and only then can he be free. Can you honestly stand there and tell me that girl can live without either parent? Because I know from experience that one is better than none."

"Of course, that's not what I'm saying; I just... I'm scared that we will follow their demands, and they still turn on us."

"I get that I do, but trust me, I know what I'm doing."

I felt paralyzed, trapped within my body, forced to hear everything around me yet unable to stop it. If what Axel said was true, then I was more than happy for them to remove hellfire from me, but they weren't having it for themselves. If it fell into the hands of the council, we would be forever living under their tyrant rule. We would be forced to walk on eggshells for the rest of our lives, never putting a single toe out of line. That's a world I know we wouldn't want to live in. As a sharp scratch caught me by surprise, I felt my entire insides warm up before a sudden chill ran through me.

"Fuck!" Hearing a crash, I knew I'd caught fire again. Only this time, I felt it. Its force was strong enough to burn out whatever sedative flowed in my bloodstream. Forcing myself upright, my heart beat rapidly as I panted for each breath. "Cleo, calm down." My eyes found Layla, who edged closer, her hands held out to show she meant me no harm. "That's it hunny, just breathe. In through the nose, and out through the mouth." Keeping my eyes on her, I did as she said. The calmer I became, the quicker the fire surrounding me went out.

"Where am I?" My words were nothing more than a tremble as I looked at my surroundings.

The walls are white, and the lights are bright. The smell of disinfectant is strong as it burns my nose. Various instruments and machines are scattered throughout the room. The kind of things you would replace in a crazy scientist's lab. It was apparent that this wasn't the hospital.

"What's going on?" Turning myself round so my legs hung over the edge of the bed, I rubbed my face only to wince as I bent my arm. Looking down, I grimaced, seeing a cannula sticking in my arm, forcing a clear substance into my body. It's funny how seeing one small thing can cause you to panic. The cannula had me instantly remembering the first time I met Roman. Being in the hospital, rogues venom was slowly killing me, and going in and out of consciousness only to finally wake with Roman's mark on my skin, the beginning of the bond that would form, acting as a beacon. One that would pull us closer together. It was not knowing what was going to happen next that scared me. Though now, the fear I felt in that one moment was long gone. Agatha's vision had played out, though not as I'd expected it to. Now the only thing I feared was being without my mate.

"I'm doing what I have to, Cleo; it's the only way to save my son." Axel's eyes bore into my own, letting his hesitation shine through. He didn't want to strip me of my birthright, but he wouldn't let his son die at the very hands of the people responsible for the demons his mate had once faced.

"The council?" Axel just nodded. "What is it they've asked you to do?"

"Bit obvious, isn't it." And it was because I'd heard everything they had said to each other. I, however, wanted him to tell it to me, to my face. I needed to see the truth in his eyes.

"Dad! Just tell her!"

"They want every last drop of hellfire out of your blood. That's what the cannula is for. It's to keep you hydrated while I perform a blood transfusion." I understood what he was saying, but part of me didn't think it would be that easy. Hellfire wasn't just in my blood but a part of me.

"What have they asked you to do with it? Should you be successful, I mean?"

"As long as they take it, hand over my son and leave, I couldn't give a rats arse what they do with it."

There laid the problem. The council could use the hellfire to create a weapon so powerful that they could use it to keep the entire supernatural world in line. There would be no stopping them if that were ever to happen.

"I want to help get Roman out of wherever their holding him, but not like this. This may be scary, but that's only because it's uncharted. Everyone before me had only ever used it for evil purposes. In case you've forgotten, I'm not evil. Give me a few hours, and I'll think of another way. Please."

"Two hours. I mean it, Cleo if you're not back here with a solution..."

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"I know. But first, I need to see my daughter." Axel took a deep breath before giving a subtle nod. He may be an arsehole, but he was a father first so I knew he wouldn't stop me being with her.

"Come on; I'll take you to her." Layla took my hand and led me from the room. As we walked through the door I realised where we were. We were inside the pack house. I had walked through these corridors multiple times, but never once had I seen this room. "It's hidden from those outside of the family. Now you've been inside you'll always see it."

"Why is it here?"

"Because my father is fucked up that's why. Anyway, I'm sorry about your sister. I know she's done some awful shit to this family, but she saved Roman, you, and my niece. She died a hero, and for that, we will always remember her." I frowned at her words. Sorry? Why would she be so... suddenly images played in my mind. Hades had his hand in Daphne's chest and in a panic, I threw the blade.

Is it wrong that I didn't cry? I mean she we had grown up together. She looked after me when our parents were killed. Yet even after thinking of everything we had been through together; I couldn't bring myself to cry. I knew grief affected everyone differently, so I knew there would come a time when I would shed hopefully more than one tear. That time however had yet to reveal itself. I wished I could avenge her, but Hades was dead. The only thing I knew to do now would be to put a stop to whatever the council was planning and then bury my sister. By saving my pup she saved me, so I owed it to her to do this.

"Thank you, Mavis, you're dismissed." Hearing Layla speak I hadn't noticed us arrive at my room. I watched as an elderly lady placed my pup into her crib before leaving the room. She looked so peaceful; her eyes bright like her father's yet framed with long thick lashes. "Get some rest because the council will be back later this evening. They are going to want to see you flame-free, otherwise..."

"I know..." Layla gave me a pleading look before turning to leave. She hoped I wouldn't run, but she also knew I was unpredictable.

As Layla shut the door my pup began to cry. Picking her up I began to rock her, but instead of calming down, she cried more. I bounced her, rocked her, and sang to her and yet nothing seemed to work. I had never been good with babies, but everyone also said when it's your own, it's different. Only it's not. I had no idea what I was doing, and the more she cried, the more frustrated I became.

How could I not settle my own pup? Was I really that much of a failure? It seemed as though I couldn't do anything right anymore. I couldn't keep my sister alive; my mate was suffering in goddess only knows what way, and I couldn't settle or soothe one tiny baby. I had pictured holding her several times, but not once had I visualized this. Placing her back in her crib I turned and ran out of the door. Perhaps I wasn't destined to have her after all.

"Cleo where are you..." without giving her time to finish her sentence I ran past Layla and out into the garden.

Nothing had happened how it should. I felt guilty for leaving my pup in the way I had, but I didn't have any other choice. With my emotions being the way they were, it wasn't safe for me to be around her. Within seconds my hands were no more than balls of fire. Clearly, Axle's extraction hadn't worked, but I now knew what he meant by me combusting. The hellfire was a part of me that needed to breathe, just as myself or Freya did. The only problem was the addictive side effects it came with.