Fidelis stared at the clock in his dad's study. They were relaxing after a long day at the office. He hadn't felt anything else from Sera through their bond. Worry was eating at him. Was she okay? Was she hurt again? What was her father doing to her?
He was concerned, too, about Amy's reaction when his father had refused to bow to the malicious girl's demands that Sera be removed from the internship. It didn't help that the twins' father catered to Amy's every whim while harming Sera. He angrily gritted his teeth at the thought of Mr. Holland.
Amy was cut from the same cloth as her father. Malicious, manipulative, and arrogant. All undesirable qualities in a potential partner. He wondered what woman in her right mind had willingly married Mr. Holland. Of course, if she hadn't, the twins wouldn't exist, and he'd never have met his fate. But still….
"Fidelis?"
He blinked his gaze, focusing on his father. "Yes?"
"Our guards just informed me that Liz has arrived."
"Ah, that's right. She did say she'd come by this evening."
Ten minutes later, Liz arrived, her Alpha energy preceding her. Fidelis smirked. Liz allowing her energy out meant she felt comfortable in his home, unafraid to show her true self.
When they'd first arrived on Earth, they were surprised to find shifters here. The shifters were similar to the Figura Muta of his world. The difference was in the shapes they took. Earth shifters were able to do only animal forms. The Figura Muta were able to shift their shapes as long as they had touched the creature or person at least once, absorbing a portion of their essence. That's why they made excellent assassins and spies.
Liz was a wolf shifter. She was a powerful, rare Alpha female wolf, strong both physically and in Alpha energy. The Virginia packs deferred to her pack and wisdom. Fidelis had much respect for Liz and her prowess. He was glad she was an ally and not an enemy.
He watched her smile and wave at his father before plopping down on the couch next to him.
"Hiya, Romeo."
He tilted his head in greeting, an amused smile playing on his lips. "Hi, Liz."
"So what's going on with Sera? Where was she?"
Fidelis tensed, then sighed, making himself calm down.
"Her father has trapped her at home, citing the lame ass reasons that "she's behind in her studies," and "that she's being overwhelmed by school." Can you believe that nonsense?"
Liz frowned. "Sera, behind? Bullshit! Isn't she ranked second at the moment?"
"She is. That's why I'm worried about her safety. Her father and Amy aren't above physically harming her. I know they emotionally abuse her, too. I want to get her out of there. So far, I've been unable to convince her to let my father and me help her."
Liz shook her head. "That girl! I swear, Sera is too nice for her own good. I'm sure she thinks she's inconveniencing you by mentioning her family's problems. I've known people like her. They're convinced that if they keep trying to appease their family, something will change. Sera is like that. She loves her family, even if they don't love her back."
Fidelis knew she was right, but he didn't like hearing it. "I know, that's why we need a plan. We have to help her, even though she is reluctant to make a move herself."
"I agree. So what is the plan? How do we get her out of there?"
"The first thing we need is her address. Her real address. The one the school has on file is not where she's residing."
"That is a problem. I can get some of my wolves to follow her when she leaves school. That would be the easiest way to do it. She won't see my wolves, so she won't be scared."
Fidelis smiled. "I don't think she'd be afraid of them. Animals seem to really like her and aren't like people. They don't hurt her." His voice became soft with those last words before he shook himself.
"Liz, do you have Al's number?"
"Yeah, why?"
"I want you to try calling him and see if he'll tell you the real reason why Sera wasn't at school today."
She shrugged. "Sure. Putting it on speaker," she said, whipping out her phone and calling Al.
The phone rang twice before Al's irritated, "What?" broke the silence.
"Yo, Al, what's up?"
"Liz, did you need something?" he growled.
"Well, good evening to you, too, Mr. Grumpy," she teased.
"I don't have time for games, Liz. I'm busy. Spit it out. What do you want?"
Liz dropped all pretense of being friendly. "Sera. How is she? I tried calling her today, but she didn't answer. She always answers when I call."
"I don't know what to tell you. Maybe she's tired of you calling her all the time. You and Penelope are always glued to her side. Maybe she feels suffocated," retorted Al.
Fidelis frowned. So Al wasn't just rude to him. He seemed to have a chip on his shoulder toward anyone who cared about Sera.
"Someone's turning green. It's not a good color on you, sweetheart," drawled Liz, her eyes blazing.
Fidelis almost laughed at her witty retort.
"Whatever, Liz. Nobody likes a shrewish woman. Remember that," snapped Al.
Liz's eyes narrowed, and a growl escaped her throat. "Want to say that to my face?"
"Sure, I'll say it to your face tomorrow. Stop bothering me. Stop harassing Sera. She doesn't need you nosing around in her business. Leave her alone. I don't know why you people can't just listen when people tell you to quit with your nonsense!"
"Now I see why you don't have many friends other than Sera. No one likes a jealous, obsessive friend. Careful Al. Sera just might kick you to the curb when she finally gets tired of your toxicity."
Al scoffed. "She'll never get rid of me. I've always been by her side. That will never change. Unnecessary baggage, however, has an expiration date. So easy to discard," he countered. "Bye." He hung up.
The silence was loud in the room before Liz's furious cursing filled the air.
"That annoying bastard! How dare he!" she seethed. She surged to her feet and started pacing.
Fidelis sighed. "Well, at least I know he isn't rude to just me."
"Aargh!" Liz's eyes glowed as her wolf momentarily rose.
Fidelis stood and tapped her shoulder. "Let it go, Liz. Raging won't change anything. We need to be smart about this and get her out of there."
She let out a breath, her eyes returning to their normal blue hue. "Alright. I'll get the recon set up for tomorrow. We should have more information soon. We can plan after we get it. Agreed?"
"Agreed," said Fidelis and shook her hand. "Now, come on, let's go eat."
~***~
After Liz left for the night, Fidelis and his father were back in the study discussing the day's events. Fidelis caressed his fated mark and listened to his father recount the conversation he'd had with Sera's father.
"So, he said she wasn't allowed to come to the internship for two weeks?"
His father nodded. "Yes. I'm assuming she'll be at school but has to go straight home afterward."
Fidelis stroked his chin and thought about it. Based on Al's reactions and his father's story, he wondered if that was the case. He had a feeling that things weren't going to go as planned tomorrow, and it made him uneasy.
"Father, can you call Michaelus here? I need to ask him something with you present."
His father nodded and sent the call. Twenty minutes later, the high priest arrived.
"Your Majesty. Your Highness. How can I assist you?"
"Michaelus, today at school, I synced with Sera again."
Michaelus's concerned expression wasn't lost on Fidelis. He continued explaining.
"I barely managed to make it to the bathroom before our senses completely entwined. It felt as if my sense of self merged with hers. I couldn't tell where I began and she ended. It was beyond anything I've experienced before."
Fidelis felt the gazes of his father and the high priest on him. They both looked worried.
"What? What's wrong?"
His father spoke first. "Son, fated marks are a blessed thing from Autem. They bond us to our other halves. They can protect us, heal us, and complete us. I must admit that I've never heard of an entwined bond like yours and Sera's."
"I must agree with His Majesty," said Michaelus. "A deeply soul-bound bond like yours and your fate is unheard of. Your Highness, I worry that this might not be a good thing for you both."
"Are you trying to say that I should break our bond?" demanded Fidelis, stiffening in rage.
His father held up his hand. "No, my son. We are saying we are in uncharted waters. Our god, Autem, has a plan for you and Sera. We have to figure out what it is and protect you both."
Fidelis calmed slightly at his father's words. He turned to Michaelus.
"Is there a way to control our sync and possibly give her help, strength, power, something, anything that will aid my beloved?"
"I can train you how to channel your power in such a way to help her, Your Highness. We can begin the lessons later this week."
"Thank you, Michaelus." Fidelis gave the high priest a slight bow. "Father, I shall take my leave. I have homework to finish and much to think about. I'll try to call Sera again. Maybe she'll answer this time."
"I understand. Have a good night, my son. Good luck with reaching her."
Fidelis smiled and left. He would do what he had to. He would save her no matter what.