Chapter 11: Part 11

/Abel’s POV/

“C-Caden!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, the harsh wind swallowing the noise; the entire focus zeroed in on the beta. His gloves were sliding, and my eyes burned around the edge, a lump forming in my throat.

“I’m fine!” I heard him yell, his feet dangling in the air, and it’s not fine. The beta was this close to plummeting down into a valley we can’t even see the bottom of at this stage; he’s trying to assure me. “Keep going, all right? I’ll be fine!”

“No!” I roamed my eyes around, trying to figure out how to help him. “Hold on, please!”

From the corner of my eyes, I could see his grip loosening, the winds were pulling at his body, and he shouldn’t be reckless. At the moment, Caden’s life was hanging by just a thick branch that slowly but steadily peeled away from its roots. Without thinking about it for another second, I fell on my front, gripping the edge of the path with my right hand.

I stretched my entire body, reaching out with my left arm, but he was still too far away.

“S-Stop!” He yelled at me, looking desperate not for himself but my safety. Blood trickled from the corner of his lips, head shaking as he met my eyes. A watery smile sat on his lips. “Sod off! Alright! Leave me be!”

“I’m not leaving!” I shouted, my throat feeling raw and vision blurring. “Hold on, please…I’m almost there! Don’t you dare let go!” His right hand slipped off the branch, a curse slipping out.

“Caden! Take my hand!” I yelled and leaned closer, hopefully, close enough for him to swing his arm forward to grab. “Please! Please, take my hand!”

“A-Abel, I am so sorry….” His voice cracked, and in that second, he appeared so young and vulnerable. It seemed like time froze for a moment. I swore I could feel his fingertips brush against mine, almost convinced he was about to close his hand around when the snap echoed around.

The next second, the beta succumbed to the fall.

I was startled awake with a silent scream that still hurt up to my throat. My chest heaved, my heart pounding painfully, and the roaring of the wind followed by his screams still echoing in my ears. Lifting a hand to my cheeks, I wasn’t surprised to find

the tear tracks.

Dragging fingers through my curls, tugging enough for a soft burst of pain to pull me back into reality, I let out a breath and sat in silence for another minute before pushing away the duvet and swinging my legs over the edge of the bed.

The ground under my feet was perfectly heated, like everywhere in the tower. My eyes fell on the violin, and I immediately picked it up, almost wincing at the biting surface. It was a gift from Caden and the only thing I cherished in my vast apartment.

I sighed and lifted my gaze to the windows that showed a perfect view of a tall building, the sun tearing through the clouds. It was far too early, but I was not going back to sleep, so walking up to the balcony, I started playing a melancholy tune.

An original composition. Minutes trickled by, and the solo came to an end, easing the heaviness in my chest.

***

“Morning,” A voice said as I stepped out of my room, hair messy and falling on my forehead. It didn’t even phase me anymore.

Liam tilted his head with a smile that was too cheerful for this time of the day. As my second in command and my best friend, he had a key to this place. He crashed without even asking, and I didn’t mind because we have been friends for over a decade now.

“You look rough. Here…” He pointed towards the machine. “Have some coffee.”

I resisted the urge to check my reflection but knew how dark the circles underneath my eyes were. For an Alpha, I didn’t need as much sleep as other wolves, but I was missing out a lot. I can barely remember the time I slept peacefully.

Sitting down on one of the fancy bar stools around the kitchen island, I poured myself a cup. I added almost little to no milk, which Liam pulled a face at. I could not help it; the caffeine pulled me through the day.

“Wanna talk about it?” I raised my brow at Liam, who was putting an impressive amount of eggs onto an already loaded plate.

My stomach was still turning, and I still refused to close my eyes, scared of what the subconscious might show me then. This wasn’t something I could talk about, and I doubted I’d ever been ready to share it. “A bad dream.”

“Abel, this isn’t healthy.”

“I know.”

“Don’t be mad if I call Jade in here.”

I made a face at him. “Don’t make me regret giving you a spare key.”

“Yeah…yeah.” He huffed, busy cutting up his eggs, head bent down in total concentration. “Promise me you will at least try talking to her.”

“I’ll try.” I looked away, not daring to meet his eyes, guilt already swirling in my belly. Nothing has worked so far, but I didn’t want to disappoint him with the news. Liam cared a little too much as my beta, but I’m fine.

“Good.”

Silence hung in the air, not awkward or anything, just peaceful except for the cutlery scraping. He suddenly snapped his head towards me, brows furrowed. “So who’s that hot girl next door? When did you rent that place?”

I grimaced at him, annoyed at the mention of an omega next door. She was weird—baking cookies for me, smiling a bit too widely, forgetting her floor number—a klutz. Shaking my head, I fixed him with a stare. “Aren’t you dating Cara?”

“Don’t talk about her. She kicked me out of my own house last night.”

A frown settled on my face. Liam and Cara have been in an on and off relationship for almost three years now.

“Is that why you are here?”

“Yeah.” He sighed. “I am tired of her yelling now.”

“So what? You want to break up?”

“I’m thinking about it.”

“Isn’t this thirtieth time now? I lost count after that moon festival last year.”

He groaned, scrubbing his face. “I am serious this time.”

“Good luck!”

***

The horrible dream impacted me for the rest of the day. I snapped in the class and lost cool on Emma twice, almost regretting it instantly. She had to get on my nerves!

Leaning over my desk, shallow light glowing from the nearby green lamp, I started reading the greying copy of Mayor of Caster-bridge. The book was dense that the pages were beginning to tear away from its inside, and the spine— creased. Hardy had a way with words, something that made me want to read again and again.

A loud noise started echoing around, almost making the room vibrate, a jolt sending down my body. I sat back in my chair, spine clicking back into place, and rubbed my eyes. My eyes settled to the clock perched over on the bedside table. Twelve thirty am.

Far too late for someone to keep blaring their music.

“I need to talk to that weird omega.” I sighed to myself while standing up, the chair creaking suddenly. I closed the book with a dull thud, my legs feeling stiff.

Trudging through the hall, I stood in front of the familiar door, mouth twisting. I hesitated for a long time before knocking heavily three times.

She needs to know that it's a nuisance to play music so loud at this time. Even though I owned the entire building, I had to worry about the other tenants. They would not take kindly to such an act in the middle of the night.

Shifting on my feet, I waited as I heard footsteps getting louder, walking in my direction. I stood a little taller, raising my chin enough to come across as threatening. However, when the door opened, all of the pent up anger nearly burnt out at the sight of the person who opened the door.

My eyes widened as I saw none other than Emma staring back at me. Her cherry red lips parted in shock, the grip on the door tightening. I raked my eyes down her flimsy tank top and baggy shorts, exposing her long legs.

For a minute, I was so distracted that I had to remind myself the reason I came here in the first place. Clearing my throat, I swiped a tongue over my bottom lip. “I…” Before I could finish, the door was slammed on my face, the action causing me to still in the spot.

I opened and closed my mouth.

Emma slowly opened the door, peeking through the tiny crack. “You are real?”

“Yes, Miss Emma. Now open the door.”

***

Who do you think Caden is?