Book 5: Chapter 48 – Separated

Book 5: Chapter 48 – Separated
Alexandrios’s POV 

A sudden jerk made me open my eyes and focus in front of me. My head felt so heavy, I felt dazed. Where was I? 

Then I remembered my last ordeal before I blacked out. Alpha Cassius had injected something into me to make me unconscious. He had ordered his guards to throw me into the Pieria Canyon to die. Fear gripped my heart, and I sat up with a start. 

Thankfully, I was still in a car that had halted. Were they about to throw me in the canyon? 

“Good, that you woke up. We’ve reached Thessaloniki Airport.” Pedro’s voice greeted me and I blinked to find myself in his car. How did I get here? Weren’t they about to kill me? 

“Airport? But they were about to throw me into the Pieria Canyon.”

Pedro gave me a sad smile. “Yes, I defied Alpha Cassius’s order. I sabotaged the camera installed in my car and brought you here instead. Go home, doctor. Save your life.” He emerged from the car and unloaded my stuff. 

I got out in a dazed state, but I couldn’t leave without my mate. “I can’t leave without my mate. She’s just eighteen. She needs me.” Tears of helplessness pooled in my eyes. I had no idea how to get Cerelia back. 

“She’ll be fine here. Ms. Belmont is the only female child in the family. Alpha Cassius will pamper her, protect her, and care for her like a princess. You can’t get through to her. Please save your life while you can. Go away to Lucania. You might not get a second chance the next time.” He looked agitated as he handed me my stuff before walking away towards his car. 

I realized I had no other option but to leave. Cerelia was in safe hands. She didn’t need me. Maybe I would seek Zephyrus or Alpha Alexios’s help to rescue her later. Right now, I couldn’t do a thing all by myself. The best option for me was to leave.

“Thank you, Pedro, for saving my life. I owe you.” 

He smiled sadly. “Have a good life, doctor.” 

“You too.” 

He drove away while I walked inside the airport with a broken heart. I could have returned home earlier, but I wanted Cerelia to accompany me. I was sure I could convince her to return with me.

Her sweet, innocent face flashed across my mind. The way she gripped my hand and wanted me to accompany her everywhere, it didn’t seem she wanted us to separate. She would be so shocked to know I left. Would her evil grandpa tell her the truth? Would he tell her how he threw me out? 

He had forcefully separated me from my mate. Surely the Moon Goddess would curse him. I wanted her to. 

“Where to, sir?” I blinked the tears away and focused on the staff at the counter. 

“London.” I couldn’t stop myself from remembering the last time I was there with Cerelia. Why didn’t I muster enough courage to ask her about her plans? I would have known where I stood with her. 

“Luggage, sir.” I booked my luggage and went ahead for the security check-in. 

As I waited for my flight, I tried Cerelia’s number, but her phone was switched off. I closed my eyes and tried to mind link with her but I couldn’t connect despite trying repeatedly. What was stopping me from connecting with her? After we mated, our mate bond had strengthened and we could even feel each other’s heartbeats. Then what changed now? 

‘Even I can’t reach out to Lia,’ said Rio, feeling as restless as I did. 

‘How? Is it because of the distance?’ I was perplexed now. 

‘I don’t think so. Maybe they’ve fed her something to weaken our mate bond. Remember Alpha Cassius’s words? He was talking about purifying her.’

The boarding announcement reached my ears, and I rose reluctantly. I couldn’t do a thing now. I had to go back to Lucania and plan this well. 

‘Don’t worry, Alex. We won’t give up. We’ll be back,’ coaxed Rio, comforting himself and me.

‘It would have been different if she asked us to leave, Rio. But she didn’t. She was clutching onto my hand like her life depended on me. She needed my support.’

‘I know, Alex. She wasn’t ready to part with us. When she realizes we left, she’ll be shattered. I don’t think her grandpa will tell her the real reason. I just hope she doesn’t misunderstand us.’ 

I trudged towards the terminal absent-mindedly, going through the formalities like an automaton. Who wanted to leave when every cell of my body wanted to run to Cerelia? 

After a while, the aircraft took off while I watched out of the window until the highest peak of Mount Olympus disappeared from my view. 

My heart was crushed as realization set in. I had lost my mate. I was separated from her forcefully. My heart wanted to howl in pain, but I was amidst humans. I couldn’t do a thing. 

Throughout the flight, I sat like a corpse. I was too devastated to eat or drink. My heart ached for my mate. 

After what seemed like an eternity, I reached London and boarded my connecting flight to Inuvik. 

I reached my house in Lucania in the wee hours of the morning. I wanted to fix my broken heart first before I could face everyone at the hospital. My life had no meaning now. For a month, I had dedicated my time to saving and chasing Cerelia. Now that she was missing from my life, I felt hollow inside. The house made me even more lonely. I hadn’t been here for almost a month, living with Cerelia at the hospital. That felt more like home, with all her memories around the apartment. I longed to go there. 

Thankfully, no one noticed my return. Not that I cared. All I wanted to do was run wherever my feet took me. Rio wanted to howl with grief, and so did I. 

I just let go, running out, and letting Rio take over. 

‘I miss her, Alex! I’ll go mad if I don’t have her.’ He howled more while we raced against the icy wind. I knew how he felt because I felt the same. The icy blast of air against my face was invigorating. I should feel on top of the world at being back home after so many days. Yet all I felt was the pain of separation. It was worse than the pain of rejection, which shattered a wolf momentarily. But the pain of separation crippled a wolf and killed his soul. It wasn’t a momentary feeling but persisted as long as he was separated from his mate.

I couldn’t function like before. What would I do? 

Rio suddenly stopped, and I looked around me. How did I get here? It was my parents’ house, where Leonardo lived now. The only time I had been here was when I wanted to meet my twin.

I trudged ahead and buzzed the doorbell. It was morning already, but the midnight sun was still at its lowest. Was Leandros back yet? The last time he had gone missing for a few days and Zeph had to rescue him. His mate, Lyra Andreadis, had returned to Lucania with him. I didn’t want to disturb them, but tonight, I needed my brother.

The door opened at last when I was about to give up and go. I found my twin looking as devastated as I did. “Alex! When did you return?” His voice was broken and lacked all enthusiasm. This wasn’t the Leandros I knew. 

“Just.” I walked inside and shifted. He threw at me some clothes to put on. I pulled them on and slumped to the sofa. “When did you come back? Where’s Lyra?” 

He walked over to the kitchen. “Coffee?” 

“Yes. Black.” I needed it so much. After separating from Cerelia, I realized I had nothing for the last twenty-two hours. 

He brought coffee, toast, and eggs and I helped myself to the food hungrily. “I needed this, dude. So you haven’t answered me. Where’s Lyra?” I looked around, feeling much better after giving my body some nourishment. 

“She left me. She has gone back to her uncle, Felixe Andreadis. I lost her, bro.” His admission shocked me. How did we face the same fate? Even I was struggling with separation woes and so was he. 

“Oh, why?” 

He shook his head, unable to talk about it. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you some other time. So where were you? Did you rescue Cerelia? Zephyrus told me all about her. She’s a spy, right?” 

My body reacted the moment the words left his lips. I sprang to my feet in a fit of rage. “No, she isn’t a spy. She’s a Silver wolf from the Silver Trails Pack, Yukon. Originally, her father belonged to the Silvermane Warriors of Pieria, Greece. They’re way above our league, Leandros. I can’t understand why Zeph doesn’t believe in me.” 

Leandros shrugged. “I think he has some proof to state otherwise. Why don’t you sort it out with him? I’m sure he’ll see the truth once you furnish proof of her innocence.” 

I nodded, knowing what I would do now. “Yes, you’re right. I’ll do that. Thanks for the breakfast, bro. I’ll see you later.” 

I walked out of his home and picked up my phone to call Alpha Alexios. He was the only one who could help me clear Cerelia’s name.