Bleeding Soul
She was the only beating heart, the only being of warm blood and flesh in those cold, lonely halls of the castle. The walls around her were undoubtedly familiar to her in the recent past, but it was now a strange maze. As this is the castle her mother grew up in and she had spent her early childhood days. The light fell on the words that spoke to no one, unaware that their audience had vanished or that the stone floor lay silent beneath no boots except her. It was as if Goddess had stopped time, removed all the distractions so she could see it for real, see how it really was, what it really was. And all she wanted at the time was another beating heart in this deserted castle, another being of warm blood and flesh, another pair of feet to walk beside hers.
Her shaky feet were giving up, unable to bear the weight of her being, of her heavy heart. Her hand clutched her chest tightly as she struggled into the first floor. Their very faint scent hit her full force as she pushed open the doors to the bedroom her parents used to share when they would visit. Even though it had been over centuries, this room was never touched except for occasional cleaning. She closes the doors as she collapses to the floor, staring at the carpeted floor as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. Moments pass by as slowly tears start streaming down her face. The silent cries become increasingly louder as she screams her lungs out, her eyes welling up with never-ending tears. Her chest tightens, and she clutches her chest in an effort to lessen the pain of her bleeding heart. She feels as if her heart was ripped out of her chest and shattered into a million pieces.
"Why did you have to be so cruel to me! What did I ever do to deserve such a punishment? What did I ever do to deserve you stabbing my heart on continuously? How strong do you think I am to strike me in such a way? Why do you give me everything only to take it away? Why! Don't you feel a smidgeon of pity? Don't you see how much pain you cause me? I can't this any longer, I can't. You should just kill me now. Maybe you will let me have some peace then!" She collapses to the floor, shaking and crying.
She wept and wept, for the wound of her heart that she had kept hidden for centuries was cut open; raw and bleeding. She wept for her shattered heart. For the person, the warmth she had just lost. For the slightest bit of company, her beasts would provide. But now she was completely alone. Even Cora was out of reach. Her beasts were so deep inside her that she could barely feel her. She knew the betrayal had affected her just as much as it had Seraphina, if not more.
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That night, the moon shone so brightly that her light danced through the darkness, illuminating the rising path. While the beasts were enjoying their dinners and went to bed cuddling their other halves, the two unfortunate souls were left alone. The moon shone brightly over them as Aiden locked himself inside his office. As he sat on the floor, his fingers ran through his hair. How did they get here? How could the dreams have fallen apart so quickly? He knew the feelings he had were with his soul and not because of some bond. At least, that's what he assumed. Was it all a trick of the light? Who would want to play such a dirty game with them? He couldn't feel the irresistible allure, possessiveness over Seraphina now that she wasn't nearby, now that her scent was fading, but he could feel it over Faye! Could it be that Faye was his true moon-blessed? But everything he felt for her, those smiles, comforts, warmth, and those addictive touches; if it were all fake then how could something so fake feel so so real?
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She could hear footsteps approaching the chamber as she lay just inside the door, her tears long dried, her body limp and exhausted. The feet came to a halt, and after a few moments of deliberation about whether or not to knock, they walked away. She knew who had been there, but she didn't wish to anyone's face. The night passed, and in the morning, those same feet appeared, and this time they knocked.
"Seraphina?" Emmerich called, but she didn't have the energy to respond.
"Mano Princesė?" He knocked again, but she did not respond. He sighed and walked away after a few minutes of knocking.
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Days passed by, as they do and life went on. The pack gradually came to know why Seraphina had left, they were feral over accepting Faye as their potential future Queen. Even so, as Nicholas and Liam were commanded, they looked out for Faye while she was still in the infirmary. It was only a cruel game of fate and the Goddess, Faye had nothing to do in all this. They gradually come to terms with the fact that Seraphina was truly gone and never coming back. Aiden was forced to leave his office when his parents came to visit after learning about all the ordeals of his moon-blessed. King Bruce had given him a good hearing concerning his duties and responsibilities. Despite Aiden's objections, his father was adamant that this pack couldn't survive without a Luna. And they had agreed that Faye would be introduced as the Luna and that they would soon take over the Kingdom. It was strictly disallowed for Aiden and the pack to unveil anything about Seraphina. It was very easy for them to keep their mouth shut because only the Royal Pack and the formal Dawn Pack were aware of Seraphina. It's revolting how shameless some people can be. The Council was reconvened the moment they learned Seraphina and Emmerich had left their land.
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No one was allowed into the castle for the next couple of days as Seraphina mourned alone inside the confines of the cold castle. Emmerich would bring her food, but she would never open the door to accept it. He'd leave them by the doors, and sometimes she'd take them in, and other times the food would go untouched.
Seraphina had barely dragged her body to the bed, and the warmth once that bed could provide her was gone, and now it was cold. Her dried eyes welled up again as she sobbed quietly beneath the duvet, curdling the pillows her parents used to sleep on. How dearly she craved the warmth only her mother could provide, the sense of security her father's shoulders held. Even the faint scent had faded after a few days, and despite her body's protests, she had dragged herself to the door, where her bag lay. She sneaked up one of his hoodies while packing her belongings. She doesn't know how much comfort it could provide, even so, she slipped it on. She lay back on the floor, clutching it close, her eyes giving up and closing on their own because of how tired her physic was. Her mind, however, was wide awake and clouded.
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At his father's command, he had brought Faye into the castle. Her legs were still weak, and he had to assist her in walking. As soon as he touched her, flames flew all over his body; dare he admit it was more intense than what he had felt! He remembered Faye's stunned expression the moment she stepped into his castle. Megan had dressed Faye in a comfortable formal dress, and he had taken her outside the walls of his castle. The beast's face lit up as he joined everyone at the dinner table with his Luna by his side. Faye had nudged into his warmth, unsettled by the sudden attention. He moved past the long table, towards the head of the table, with her by his side. Nicholas and Liam only stared at him, their eyes cold. Seraphina had commanded them to be warm with Faye, but she hadn't said anything about being warm with Aiden. He stretches his arm to pull the empty chair at the head of the table, his gaze falling on the vacant chair Seraphina once occupied, making his heart ache. Nonetheless, he drew the chair and aided Faye in sitting. He drew the other chair and sat down as everyone began eating quietly.
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