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"Better," Ismena answered for all. She even tried to twist her cheeks into a smile. and failed woefully too.

It was a lie, they don't look better at all. "I know this might not be what you want to hear, but I think you all should be close to Alfred at this stage."

"He never told me the truth. He lied to me...all these years. I almost killed myself when I couldn't find my daughter—when I'd lost hope I'll ever find her. He was there, he knew w-what had happened to my daughter but...he never said a word..." Her voice trembled at the very end.

"Please, stop crying, mama. Your health is important too. You've been crying for a long time." Valentina said passionately, wiping the tears from her mother's eyes. "Just stop!"

Amelia shook her head miserably, "I don't think I can ever forgive him for this. God, he worked for them. He worked for these animals. H-He gave out drugs that killed people." Tears pooled from her eyes, her head banging really bad, "Just because they are different does not mean they should die!"

Alphose felt for the woman. He can literally see her breaking apart. He can literally feel her sorrow.

He wanted so badly to console this woman in one of the ways of his people, but she's human. Humans might take it the wrong way.

So, he walked closer to the older woman and placed a comforting hand on her head, "I'm sorry for your pains, Mrs. Crane."

"I lived with this man for eighteen years." Her voice shook so badly, "It's breaking me apart that I l-lived with the man that has a hand in the h-horrible k-k-kidnapping and r-raping of my eight-year-old daughter. It's b-breaking me apart that even after everything, I still l-love him so much!"

"Oh God, Mother." Sandra cried, reaching out to grab Amelia's cold hand and squeeze it with her free hand while holding Ismena's hand with the other one. Ismena was weeping softly beside her.

To hell with this.

Alphose bent down and scooped the woman into his arms. She smelled like roses, and weighed almost nothing. He held her to his chest, pressed his lips to the hollow of her neck, and rocked her gently like a child while she cried her eyes out.

He whispered soothing, calming words to her in an ancient tongue of Naturiah which no one probably understood, but it doesn't matter.

"So, Mr. Alphose, d-does it m-mean that you are not human?" Amelia sniffled, her voice muffled against his chest.

"Yes, ma'am."

"And, Mr. Throne too?"

"He is our leader."

"Oh, God..."

Alphose was expecting her to ask something else, even as he dreaded the answer to that.

How does he explain to this woman that Wolfaraine never meant to brutally rape her daughter and he did it because he was placed under the influence of those powerful, lethal drugs?

Alfred did explain it, but Amelia is Ismena's mother. No matter how it's explained, judging from the kind of pain rolling out of her, the woman must really be hurting for what her daughter went through.

He dreaded the questions and the guilt that'll come with them. But, thankfully, Amelia didn't ask them. Instead, the woman wept like a person whose life was coming to an end.

He held her all through it.

When she finally calmed down, she wiggled slightly. He took it as his cue, letting her down carefully until she found her footing.

She pulled back and smiled up at him, gratefully, "Thank you so much, Mr. Alphose. I feel much better now."

"It's not a problem, Ma'am. Can I give you a little bit of advice then?" He asked, softly.

She nodded, wiping her eyes again and peering at him through swollen, red eyes.

"Your heart loves him so much and it yearns to forgive him. Give into your heart, Amelia. Might not be now, because the heart is still hurting but do not hold forgiveness away. Yes, Alfred worked for shady people who treated others like dirt and killed my kind ruthlessly, but he saved Ismena's life. Twice."

"He saved her life when he took her from that lab and escaped with her, and he saved her life when she literally died in the hospital. In the end, he is the reason she is still alive. He kept you strong all these years. Even after everything you've been through in life, you still have the radiance and softness that comes from a pure heart and a strong soul—most of it, is because Alfred was right by your side. But now, he's dying and he needs you."

Fresh tears rolled down from the woman's eyes. She was staring through his chest—blankly. Without really seeing him.