Chapter 205 My Peace
>>Seraphina
Azef and I came back to City A with Eris after a few days. She started going to school again while Azef went to work. I had some free time, so I came here.
I stepped into the cold, dimly lit visiting room, my heart pounding in my chest. The room was filled with the murmur of other visitors and inmates, the smell of disinfectant hanging in the air, sharp and sterile. A table separated me from the man I had come to see, and for a moment, I hesitated before sitting down across from him.
Allen, my father, looked aged beyond his years, his hands cuffed and resting heavily on the table. When our eyes met, the silence between us was suffocating.
"Hi, Dad," I said, my voice trembling with a mix of emotions.
"Hi," He replied flatly, not even bothering to meet my eyes.
"How have you been?" I asked, my voice tinged with bitterness.
"How do you think?" He shrugged, finally looking up. "It's prison, what do you think it’s like here for me?"
I took a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill. "Do you know what it's been like for me? The debts you left me with... the constant calls from creditors. The constant fear of encountering them- having to run from them!! It's been hell, Dad. HELL! I had to deal with hell while you were God knows where!"
He didn't react, his expression blank. "So what? I was out making money, I was going to win it all back and pay back the debts."
"Win it all back?" My voice rose with anger. "By gambling and drinking away everything we had? You left us with nothing, Dad. Do you have any idea what I’ve been going through??? It was all your fault!!”
He shrugged again, looking bored. "What's done is done."
"Words don't mean much now, do they?" I said bitterly. "I never got to go to college, I barely got myself a highschool diploma just to work full-time, just to pay off some of your debts. I looked at the kids around my age living normal lives while I had to work to survive another day,” A tear slipped down my cheek, “I lost everything trying to clean up your mess."
He leaned back, the cuffs clinking against the table. "Can you get me out of here?"
I stared at him, incredulous. "That's all you have to say? You want me to get you out of here?"
"Well, yeah," h\]He said, as if it were obvious. "I can't do anything in here."
My anger flared, a hot, consuming fire. "Do you even understand what you've done to me? To us? I cried myself to sleep for years, wondering how we would survive the next day. And you just sit there, asking for more from me?"
He finally met my eyes, his gaze cold and unfeeling. "You do what you have to do. That's life."
I stood up, my hands shaking with a mixture of rage and despair. "You don't get it, do you? I don't owe you anything. Not anymore. I came here to try and understand, to maybe find some closure, but I see now that you're never going to change."
He said nothing, just watched me with that same indifferent expression.
"I hate you dad. I absolutely despise you. And I’m only here to say goodbye."
As I turned to leave when he called out, "So, you're not going to help me?"
“You can’t get out of here.” I said as I looked back, “Just stay there Dad, and let us live.”
He stared back at me, “...”
I turned to walk away, “We’ve removed you from the registry,” I said before I started making my way out, “We’re no longer family,”
“...” He didn’t say anything. I turned to glance at him and saw his face down, staring at the floor.
I then left.
This was my decision. When Azef asked me what I wanted to do with my father, I chose to have him sent to prison for life. This was the best option I could think of.
He had no chances of parole and no other chances to ruin my life further.
Although it hurt to see him again because all I remember is him being the cause of my pain.
But now I’m finally free from him.
My steps were heavy but resolute. As the door closed behind me, I felt a mixture of sadness and relief.
I knew I had to take care of myself now, to start rebuilding the pieces of my life that had been shattered.
I’ve been thinking about many things now that I have so much free time.
I placed the blanket over Eris who was fast asleep now. I watched her sleep and a smile spread across my face. I’ve been taking her to Kindergarten and bringing her back too. It’s a pleasant routine. I enjoy it, but I want to do more with life too.
Especially with Azef. Before we came back to the city, the pack members had told me a lot more things about werewolf customs. One of which was marking.
I noticed that calliope was marked. I saw it on her nape. I’m not gonna lie, that made me a little jealous. We’ve pretty much settled down from all the stuff that was bothering us and recently, with all the free time on my hand, my mind is filled with Azef.
I felt my cheeks get a little hot as I thought about him again.
I wonder if he plans on marking me? He should, right? I am his mate. I smiled at the thought.
‘His mate’
The word made me feel giddy.
That’s when I heard the door get unlocked.
OH!
That must be Azef
I wanted to greet him, so I went downstairs.
I have so much to be thankful for when it comes to Azef. He kept his words and gave Eris to me. I now have her permanent custody. He had arranged a lot of ‘proof’ against Ariel and he made sure no one could say anything against it.
I reached the end of the stairs as he stepped inside the lounge
“Hi!” I said and he looked at me with a smile
“Hey! You’re still up?”
“Yea,” I walked towards him, “How’d it go with Ariel?”
“Oh!” He stepped towards me and I stopped by the three seater couch’s side, “She won’t bother you or Eris.”
“You didn’t do anything bad, did you?”
“Bad?” He raised his brow at me, “Me?” He pointed his index finger at himself, “Oh no, we just talked and she understood.”
‘Talked’
I couldn’t help but smile sarcastically.
I’m sure he threatened her but whatever keeps her away from us.
But still, I couldn’t contain my happiness.
“Thank you,” I felt my own eyes sparkle when I was looking at Azef. It’s been like this for a while. I feel like I’ve fallen so much for him that just looking at him gets my heart pounding.
"Say," Azef began, “I have been wondering about something.”
“Yes?”
“Back when Somi took you, why did you suddenly decide to tell me it was a trap? You were probably hating me out of your mind then."
His question hung in the air, and for a moment, I was at a loss for words. I could feel his eyes on me, waiting for an answer. After a brief silence, I managed to gather my thoughts.
"Uh, it’s not really a complicated answer or anything," I replied softly, feeling a rush of nerves as I glanced at him, "Just because,” I said, “It was you." I bit my lip, suddenly feeling vulnerable under his gaze.
“Hm?”
There was a pause, and I could sense his curiosity growing. Gathering my courage, I continued, "Because..." I hesitated, uncertain how to express what I wanted to say, “I was angry, but I couldn’t hate you…” His eyes searched mine, urging me to continue. "And the thing is, I had fallen far too deep." I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper.
“What did you say?” He smirked, “I didn’t hear that.”
I was avoiding looking at him, "I love you way more" I murmured, my cheeks warming with embarrassment, “Even when I was angry and felt like I had been betrayed. My love for you was stronger than my anger.”
Afterall, I hadn’t forgotten all you had done for me!
"Hm?" His curiosity piqued further,
“Yes,”
He let out a soft chuckle, “Why are you still up though? It’s late.”
"I wanted to see you," I murmured, feeling a flush rise to my cheeks,
“You could have seen me in the morning.”
“No,” I said and then quieted down. Silence enveloped us, and I nervously peeked at him.
"What?" His voice was gentle, tinged with curiosity
"It's..." I trailed off, this was a little hard for me to bring up, “I heard about ‘marking’”
The revelation hung in the air, heavy with unspoken desire and vulnerability. I dared to glance at him again, feeling my heart race in anticipation of his response.
“I see,” He paused, trying to understand what I meant, “Do you want me to mark you?”
Why is he asking me that?
“You’re not going to?” I asked, feeling a little disappointed.
He let out a sigh, “I didn’t bring it up because I thought you might need some time,” He smirked, “I didn’t take you for an impatient one.”
!!!
“I’m not impatient!” I said, “I just said, I heard about it, I didn’t say anything else.”
Azef stepped towards me, closing the distance between our bodies, “If I can,” I felt his hands go around my waist, “I would take you right this moment,” Then he pulled my body into his.
!!!
My heart skipped a beat at his words and then it began to pound. I felt so utterly nervous, I felt like my chest would explode.
“Tell me,” He said, “Give me the signal.” His eyes grew hungry
I met his gaze briefly, feeling a rush of bravery, "I want to... be with you." I placed my hands on his chest. My words echoed in the quiet room, filled with a mix of longing and uncertainty.
Right the next moment his lips were on mine. He moved his lips roughly right from the start and I did the same thing. I just love it so much when we do this.
I love kissing him, so much so that I want to do it whenever I see him.
Something carnal awoke in both of us and he picked me up with his hands, bringing me closer to his body. I wrapped my legs around him as I opened my mouth to let him in. I felt myself melting into him, my hands finding their way to his shoulders, then sliding up to wrap around his neck.
He smiled, “You learn fast,”
I didn’t answer him and let our lips do the talking. He carried me to his room, we didn’t take a break till the moment he laid me down on his bed.
I breathed heavily as I gazed up at Azef, feeling his weight above me, his presence both powerful and gentle. The room was dimly lit by a lamp, casting soft shadows. His breath was steady against my skin, his warmth enveloping me as I lay beneath him.
"Ready? It will hurt you a little" He whispered, his voice barely audible in the quiet room.
I opened my eyes to meet his, feeling a surge of emotions that mingled with nerves and anticipation. "Yes," I replied softly,
"If I mark you," he said, his voice gentle yet firm. "We become one. You can’t take it back.” He then gave me a smile that showcased his sharp canines, “Not that I’ll let you.”
!!!
This sly wolf!
“Then, don’t let me,” I replied, “I’m ready," My voice trailed off, my heart pounding in my chest as I prepared myself for what was to come.
Yes. I was told that in werewolf culture, marking is like getting married. So, I guess this is like signing the marriage papers.
He extended his fangs, a primal gesture that both frightened and excited me. "Don't be afraid," he reassured me as I moved to present him with my neck. My hands trembled slightly as I bared my neck.
!!!
I felt the sharp sting as his fangs pierced the back of my neck, a jolt of pain that seemed to last forever. It hurt like hell but I didn’t want to scream, so I bit down my lip. Luckily the pain quickly faded into a warm, tingling sensation. His essence flowed into me, marking me as his in a way that words could never fully express.
After withdrawing his fangs, he licked the spot tenderly, soothing the residual discomfort. I shivered at his touch, overwhelmed by the intimacy and significance of the act we had just shared.
“We’re done,” He said and I turned, he moved closer to my face and gently pressed his lips against mine, kissing me softly at first before deepening the embrace. I responded eagerly, my body reacting to his touch with a mix of desire and newfound closeness.
“I love you, Seraphina,” He said in between the kiss, “The thought of being away from you drives me crazy!”
My stomach fluttered at his words.
“Me too,” I responded and suddenly broke the kiss,
"I'm at my limit," He murmured against my lips, his voice thick with emotion. "I can't hold myself back anymore."
I knew what he meant. I could see the lust in his eyes.
I swallowed nervously, meeting his gaze with a mixture of anticipation and understanding. "Okay," I whispered back, my voice filled with the same desire that burned within him.
As soon as I gave him the green light, he grabbed my clothes and ripped them off of me, making me gasp.
He did the same to his clothes and I saw his toned body underneath that only added fuel to the fire. I was more than ready, my body was on fire and I wanted to receive him.
We locked our bodies in together, I felt a heat in me that only seemed to quench when it came in contact with him
Before I knew it, everything was off and there was no turning point.
And I’m glad that there wasn’t one.
I slowly woke to the soft, diffused light of dawn filtering through the curtains, casting a gentle glow across the room. The air was cool, and I felt the warmth of Azef's body next to mine, his strong arms wrapped around me protectively.
My eyes fluttered open, and I found myself nestled against his chest, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat a soothing reminder of the bond we had solidified the night before. His breathing was slow and even, his face relaxed in peaceful slumber. The faint traces of moonlight still lingered, casting a serene aura around him.
As I took in the sight of him, I felt a rush of tenderness and love. His tousled hair, the slight stubble on his jaw, and the soft curve of his lips—all these details seemed to make him even more beautiful. I couldn't help but smile as I gently traced my fingers along the lines of his arm, careful not to wake him.
Next to him, I felt a sense of completeness and belonging that I had never known before.
His arms tightened around me slightly, even in sleep, as if he sensed my thoughts. I nestled closer, savoring the feeling of his warmth and the security of his embrace. The scent of him, familiar and comforting, surrounded me, making me feel cherished and protected.
I watched him sleep, memorizing every detail of his peaceful expression. The world outside seemed distant and irrelevant compared to the quiet, sacred moment we shared. As the first rays of sunlight began to peek through the window, I realized just how profoundly my life had changed and I love everything about it.
Deep inside of my heart, in the arms of my mate, my lifetime partner, I felt so peaceful and content that I couldn’t even describe it in words.
With a contented sigh, I closed my eyes again, letting the gentle rise and fall of his chest lull me back into a state of blissful relaxation.