Chapter 181 He’s gone
>>Seraphina
A heavy feeling settled in my chest, a sense of sorrow and despair that I couldn’t shake. The thought that he might only be dating me because I resembled his mate gnawed at my heart, each breath I took amplifying the ache within me.
I paused and thought about it. His behavior at the beginning was very harsh but it changed slowly. Did it change because he began to see his mate in me? As the realization sank deeper, I found a headache coming in. The image of her face, the one I had, overlapped with my own reflection in my mind.
Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision
But he said, he was ready to move on… He said he wanted to be with me! And he was so sweet to me too! How could he do this?
No!
I tried to control myself. Before assuming anything! I should ask him!! But ask him what? I stared at the picture. Ask him if he’s with me because I look like his mate?
But, there could be another story, right?
There has to be!
I looked at Lila, “Can you find out where Azef is?” I held my tears in. I have to know the whole thing before I start bawling my eyes out!
“I’ll ask the beta where he is!” She stepped back, closed her eyes and tried to link her mind with his. I waited, holding the photograph in my hand.
I kept staring at it.
There was a weird sense of familiarity that came with it but along with it was the nauseous sense of churning.
“He’s out of reach…” Lila said and we looked at each other. After seeing my expressions she seemed to panic, “I’ll try and ask someone else to see if they know where he is!” She said, “He was with Raye! I’ll contact him!!” She looked away and focused while I looked back at the picture.
Something was wrong.
Something just felt wrong. Then all of the sudden, something clicked in my mind.
It can’t be,
Can it?
The more I stared at the picture, the more my mind was flooded with other possibilities. But if it is the way I’m thinking it is, then what? It still wouldn’t change the fact that he is seeing someone else in me. On the contrary, it makes things worse.
I gulped
It can’t be…
“Raye is out of reach as well,” Lila looked at me hesitantly
“Maybe he told someone where he was going?” I spoke softly as I looked at Lila
“Could be!” She stepped towards me and grabbed my hand, “Let’s go ask,” She dragged me with her and I let her do it. I was confused at the moment and I knew that the answer to this question was something only Azef could provide.
“Wait,” I stopped in the hallway, “I need a little time to myself,” I took my hand away from her
“Miss Sera,” She was clearly worried and that helped me.
“It’s fine,” I frowned, “There’s something that-” I paused, “I just need to lie down for a while.” There’s something I need to think about. I turned the other way and walked away.
Closing the door to my room, I went and lay in my bed for about an hour. With my back up, and my head out sideways, I stared at the picture. The window was open and a gentle breeze was making its way in, softly fluttering my hair.
…
I wonder what Azef has to say about this? The picture seemed to have been taken in a room. It looked empty. Was this Azef’s place when he was a kid? Did his room not have many things? Well, it’s not like I can tell from a single picture.
I was pretty shocked when I first looked at the photograph. But the more I focused on it, something started to come to mind. It tugged at the cords in my brain. Maybe I didn’t immediately recognize it because my brain didn’t want to accept it.
Azef had said he never met his mate’s family. So it makes sense if he didn’t know at the beginning, but he must have figured it out later.
I stared at the picture as a few tears rolled down my cheeks. My chest felt constricted and my heart felt stuffy, like someone was trying to grip it to a halt.
I can’t believe I didn’t recognize her at first glance. It’s been so many years since her death after all
“Sarina,” I whispered my sister’s name, “You were Azef’s mate?” I talked to the picture, feeling a turmoil of emotions inside of me. I felt angry and so full of despair at the same time.
Sarina’s death was the start of our family falling apart. It all started when she died and it seems even in her death she’s taking things down with her. Her death led to my mother getting sick, more fights in the family and eventually the death of my mom as well. Dad became an alcoholic, he would go and gamble, fight and even beat me up!
Then he knocked up Eris’s mother.
I crumpled the picture in my hand and sat up.
I let out a few deep breaths.
I need to talk to Azef
I quietly walked downstairs and made my way to the kitchen, but before I could go in, I heard the conversation that made me stop outside.
“The Beta said he was living for the city with Raye,” It was Loid’s voice.
“So he’s already gone,” Lila sighed, “That’s why I couldn’t reach them…”
“Did anyone else notice that scent though?” Ben looked a little worried.
“What scent?” Lila asked
“Don’t tell Miss Sera about it,” Ben lowered his voice
“What is it?” Hoor said
“The Beta’s scent was high!”
“I noticed it too,” Runy entered the kitchen through the other door, “I can’t believe he left in that condition.”
“What condition?” Loid asked,
“He was oozing out the scent of his rut.”
!!!!
My heart skipped a beat in horror when I heard that.
“Why would he leave if he was going into rut!?” Lila asked, “He should be here with Sera, shouldn’t he?”
“Do you think he has someone else he wants to spend it with?” Hoor replied.
“Doesn’t he?” Tuilum said, “He spends with rut with whoever, especially that Chinese lady,”
“What?” I entered the kitchen when I heard that and all of them paused, “He’s in rut?”
My heart fell to the bottom of my stomach. Did he go to spend it with that woman again? That woman who took him last time?
Xia-Lin?
>>Eris
My eyelids fluttered open, and a shiver went down my spine despite the warmth from my skin. The room was dim, the only light seeping in from the small gap in the curtains.
I felt it before I even saw it, I felt a presence that set my heart pounding and made me feel weird. My eyes went around the room. I was breathing heavily but my breathing stopped for a second when I spotted a dark figure standing at the edge of my bed.
!!!!
He loomed there, tall and silent
I panicked and my chest felt stuffy! My heartbeat got louder, so loud, I could hear it in my ears.
"Who... who are you?" My voice was very very weak
The figure didn't move, it didn't respond either, it just stood there, his features obscured by the shadows. The monitor beside me beeped steadily, the only sound breaking the tension-filled silence.
I wanted to move but my body felt heavy and sluggish from the fever and medication. I could barely lift my head, let alone get the strength to run away from the creepy person. My eyes strained to make out his face, but the darkness was too heavy
I forced myself to take a deep breath, trying to calm the wild racing of my heart. The room spun slightly, and my vision was a little bit blurry.
I blinked, and for a moment, I thought the figure had moved closer, but when I focused again, he was still standing there, eerily still. The pipe and needle were attached to my body and it was making me sleepy.
I slumped back on the pillow and my eyelids got very heavy.
From the corner of my eyes I saw the figure move but I couldn’t stay awake.
>>Azef
“Xia-Lin,” I called her name as soon as I entered my house.
“Hi~” She was waiting for me, “I’ve been waiting for you,” Sitting on the couch with her legs crossed, she waved at me flirtily. She has the passcode of the house, so she tends to come in whenever she wants.
“I know,” I said, I was the one who called her over after all. My breathing had gotten heavy because of my rut. “Come here,” I extended my hand towards her, “I don’t have much time, let’s get this done with.” I felt the heat in my body get higher and I heard my wolf make a fuss.
She grinned, “No,” Her eyes were full of mischief, “You should come to me,” She stuck out her tongue at me, “You’re the one who needs me to quench that heat inside of you.”
“Xia-Lin,” My gaze got sharper, “I can’t control myself,”
She chuckled, “Then don’t,” She opened the buttons of her blouse, “I’ve come for you, what are you waiting for?”
I let out a deep breath, then walked over to her.