Book 5: Chapter 58 – Urge To Rescue Her

Book 5: Chapter 58 – Urge To Rescue Her
Alexandrios’s POV 

Annabeth frowned as she switched on the lights. I waited anxiously for her to explain. Cerelia’s face kept on flashing across my mind. Was she in pain? Did her grandpa start the purification process? Had she forgotten me? Had she mated with a Silver Wolf? Whose hand was she holding? I was at my wit’s end, with so many questions flitting across my mind. I needed answers. 

“The black smoke you saw denotes danger. It seems your mate is shrouded in danger. The painful expression on her face denotes health issues. Maybe she too was unconscious, like you, for a long time. It points at a curse, but the white cloud looks hopeful. The evil force controlling your mate is no more. The curse has vanished. She’s free now.” 

I watched her with confusion, my mind swirling already. I couldn’t understand her. “If Cerelia’s free, can I go to Pieria and rescue her?” 

Annabeth gave me an agitated look. “No, not until the black smoke reduces. You could lose your life, son.” 

My heart and mind revolted against her advice. “I don’t care about my life. She needs me Annabeth.” I rose, unable to follow Annabeth’s suggestion. 

“Don’t go now. Have patience, Dr. Alex.” Annabeth turned towards Zephyrus and Stavros, who watched us grimly. “There’s a death threat looming over his head if he goes to Pieria now.”

Zephyrus nodded. “I won’t let him go now. Thanks a lot for your help, Annabeth.”

He paid her for the services and we set off towards home. 

“Damn!” I felt agitated, remembering the male hand I had seen earlier in the vision.

“What happened now?” asked Stavros.

“Did you notice a male hand in the vision?” I turned to face them. 

“Yeah, so?” asked Zephyrus, not understanding my viewpoint. 

“I forgot to ask Annabeth about the male. Did Cerelia find a new mate? Did she move on with a Silver Wolf?” 

“Did you feel a stabbing pain in your heart? Usually, if your mate betrays you after completing the mate bond, you feel it.” 

I gave Zephyrus a confused look. “No.” 

“Then relax. It could be her grandpa’s hand.” They dropped me off at the hospital and I trudged up to my penthouse to sleep. 

I repented my visit to Annabeth’s house. The vision disturbed me more. Her advice bound me. I felt restless and helpless. 

The next few days passed by. I was completely healed and back to my hectic schedule. Yet Annabeth didn’t give me the green signal to rescue my mate. I was desperate now. I overworked myself to forget my predicament.

Two months passed by and I was determined not to wait for Annabeth now. I called Alpha Alexios repeatedly. Yet he didn’t accept my call. Should I go to Pieria without Alpha Alexios’s help? I was in a dilemma. Why didn’t Cerelia call me? She had my number. My calls went unanswered since the day I separated from her. In fact, her phone was switched off ever since I left Pieria. Did her grandfather keep her imprisoned? 

I wrapped my pending work and returned to the penthouse, thinking about my next step, when my phone buzzed with an incoming call from Alpha Alexios. 

Excitement coursed through my body and I quickly accepted the call. “Hello, Alpha Alexios, how are you?”

“Oh, I’m fine. I just returned from Siberia.”

I felt guilty for disturbing him, but this was urgent. “Oh, I’m sorry for bothering you, Alpha. But I wanted to know about Cerelia Belmont. You were supposed to go to Pieria to check up on her and rescue her.” I felt awkward to remind him of his promise. 

“Ah, that. Well, Cerelia’s fine now. She doesn’t need rescuing.” 

I was more confused than ever. “How? Has she settled down in Pieria? Has she patched up with her grandfather?” Anger and jealousy coursed through me at the thought. Was it so easy to forget me? 

“Patched up? No, her grandfather died two months ago. A fight broke out between the family members and Alpha Cassius. They cornered him, but he took his life.”

It was the most shocking news of the decade. Yet it gave me hope. I couldn’t stop the erratic beating of my heart. 

“Then Cerelia should be free to come to Lucania. Why hasn’t she come home?” My heart sang with joy. The only explanation might be she didn’t have enough money.

“She can’t. The old orthodox supporters of Alpha Cassius revolted against the reigning Alpha, Alarik Belmont. There’s a curfew condition in the entire kingdom following Alpha Cassius’s death. Alpha Alarik has reached out to me after trying to curb them for two months. He wants the Council to intervene.” 

My heart skipped a beat at his announcement. This was the opportunity I was looking for. Could I go to Pieria with Alpha Alexios and the members of the council? “Are you going to Pieria?” 

Alpha Alexios hesitated a little. “Yes, but you can’t. So, drop your plans of accompanying us, Dr. Alex.” 

I was ready to revolt. “Why can’t I go to Pieria? I want to rescue my mate.” 

Alpha Alexios sighed. “You don’t understand the scene there, do you? The supporters will never let you take Cerelia away. It’s against Alpha Cassius’s rules. They’ll kill, die or do anything to uphold those rules. You’ll lose your life. Please trust me.” 

I understood the vision I saw at Annabeth’s house now. The dark smoke was the curfew situation. The white smoke was the hope that prevailed after Alpha Cassius’s death. I understood everything except the male hand. If Alpha Cassius was dead, whose hand was that? Was it her new mate? Did Cerelia choose a silver wolf as her mate?

The wish to seek the male out drove to crazy. I had to know who he was.

“I trust you, Alpha, but I want to see my mate. I’m going to Pieria with or without your permission. It doesn’t matter if I live or die.”

“Why are you so fuking stubborn?” He sounded annoyed, yet it didn’t deter me. 

“Then let me accompany you, please?” Strangely, it worked, and he grunted with annoyance. 

“Fine. Reach Thessaloniki in two days. I’ll meet you there. Update me about your whereabouts.” 

I wanted to jump with joy, but there was another thing I wanted to clarify with him beforehand. “Thank you, Alpha. I’m going there to rescue Cerelia and bring her back with me.” 

“If she wishes to be rescued. I won’t let you use force.” 

I rolled my eyes at the absurdity of his statement. Why would I force Cerelia? She would surely beg me to rescue her.

“Sure,” I agreed to pacify the Alpha. 

“Fine then. I’ll see you in Thessaloniki in two days.” The call disconnected, and I booked myself a flight to Thessaloniki. It was from Inuvik Airport and I immediately packed up to leave. I had no wish to inform Zephyrus and Stavros. They would call Annabeth and she wouldn’t allow me to go.

After five hours, I sat on a flight to London just like before. This time, I was fully prepared. With Alpha Alexios and the Shifter Council with me, I would surely bring Cerelia home with me.

‘Stressed?’ asked Rio. 

‘Yes, aren’t you?’ 

‘No, I’m heartbroken. I’ve totally lost contact with Lia. It seemed she broke the mate bond between us.’ I nodded, feeling the same way. Maybe she had broken the mate bond between us and chosen another.

‘Cheer up. We’ll find out soon.’ Although I was excited, a strange sense of dread gripped my heart and mind. What if my hunch was right? Could I see her with another male? Could I leave her behind and return home alone? 

The flight landed in London, and I waited for the connecting flight. After three hours, I boarded the flight to Thessaloniki and updated Alpha Alexios. 

The moment I landed, I messaged Alpha Alexios again. 

Reached Thessaloniki. Now?–Alex. 

My phone buzzed with an incoming message. 

Waiting for you outside the terminal. – Alexios. 

Excitement coursed through my body. Would we set forth towards Pieria right away? I couldn’t wait a minute longer. 

After fifteen minutes, I emerged from the terminal and saw Alpha Alexios right outside. “Hey, Doctor! You’ve lost so much weight.” He pulled me into a hug.

“Hello, Alpha! Yes, I’ve been unwell for fifteen days.” He released me and led me towards his car while I updated him about my ordeal. 

“Even Cerelia was unconscious for fifteen days. I received a call from Pieria the day Alpha Cassius died. Her grandpa’s cursed sword scraped her neck. It induced a spell on her and her mate for fifteen days.” 

My doubts were cleared now. I wondered what she had endured there in the last two months. If only I hadn’t waited for so long. Was I too late? 

The car sped along the winding roads to Pieria and I thought about Pedro. The last time, he was the one who had driven us to the mansion and back. With him nicely settled in Lucania, I didn’t bother to inform him about my trip. 

Cerelia’s scrunched-up face kept flashing across my mind. She should be better by now. Why hadn’t she reached out to me? What would I do if she refused to return home with me?