Chapter 20: The Void Left Behind–1
Chapter 20: The Void Left Behind
(Ethan’s POV)
425 Puntos7
The world tilted and swayed as I stumbled through the front door of Moonlight Manor. My driver had practically carried me from the car, his face pinched with concern that I barely
registered through my drunken haze.
“Alpha Ethan, do you need help getting to your room?” he asked, steadying me as I lurched
against the doorframe.
I waved him off with a dismissive gesture. “I’m fine,” I slurred, though the floor seemed to be
moving beneath my feet.
The house was silent and dark as I made my way up the stairs, gripping the banister to keep from falling. Each step was a monumental effort, my body heavy with alcohol and something
else–something that felt suspiciously like emptiness.
When I finally reached my bedroom, I didn’t bother turning on the lights. I simply collapsed onto the bed, still fully dressed, and surrendered to unconsciousness. The last thought that flickered through my mind before darkness claimed me was how quiet the house felt without
her
A searing pain tore through my stomach, jolting me awake. I gasped, curling into myself as the familiar agony of my chronic condition gripped me. Disoriented and half–conscious, I reached out blindly to the other side of the bed.
“Liv, my stomach hurts. Bring me my healing herbs,” I called out, my voice rough with sleep
and pain.
Silence answered me.
“Liv, Liv-” I called again, more urgently this time.
The emptiness of the room crashed down on me like a physical weight. Olivia was gone. She
had moved out. The realization hit me with unexpected force, leaving me breathless in a way
that had nothing to do with my physical pain.
I clutched my stomach, gritting my teeth against another wave of agony. For three years, Olivia had been there every time this happened, appearing at my bedside with her special healing herbs, her gentle hands supporting my head as she helped me take the medicine.
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Now there was no one.
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Staggering to my feet, I lurched toward the bathroom, frantically searching the medicine
cabinet. Nothing. I moved to the kitchen, throwing open cupboards with growing desperation.
Where were the damn herbs?
In my frustration, I knocked over a glass, sending it shattering across the floor. The sound echoed through the empty manor, emphasizing my solitude.
With trembling hands, I pulled out my phone and dialed Martha Jenkins. The clock on my
screen read 4:07 AM.
“Alpha Ethan?” Martha’s voice was thick with sleep. “Is everything alright?”
“Where are Olivia’s healing herbs?” I demanded, not bothering with pleasantries.
There was a brief pause. I could almost see Martha sitting up in bed, rubbing her eyes, silently
cursing my midnight demands but too loyal to voice her irritation.
“The healing herbs are in Miss Winters‘ room, in the first drawer of the cabinet, Alpha Ethan,” she finally replied, her tone professionally polite despite the hour.
hung up without thanking her and made my way to Olivia’s room, leaning heavily against the wall for support. The door creaked open, revealing the emptiness within. The room that had once been filled with her scent, her belongings, her presence, now stood bare and lifeless.
Supporting myself against the furniture, I staggered to the cabinet and yanked open the drawer. Inside was a small wooden box filled with neatly labeled bottles of herbs. I stared at
them in confusion.
Until now, I had never needed to know which herbs to take or how much. Olivia had always handled that, measuring precise amounts, mixing them with warm water, watching me carefully as I drank.
Pain twisted through my gut again, forcing me to make a hasty decision. I grabbed two bottles that looked vaguely familiar, shook out a couple of pills from each, and swallowed them dry.
“My body’s healing should handle it anyway,” I muttered bitterly, slumping against the cabinet.
Eventually, the medication began to take effect. The sharp pain dulled to a manageable ache, and I dragged myself back to my bedroom, collapsing onto the bed. Sleep claimed me again, but it was restless and unsatisfying, haunted by the void Olivia had left behind.
When I next opened my eyes, bright sunlight was streaming through the windows. My head throbbed, a combination of hangover and medication, and my mouth felt like it was filled with
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cotton. The clock on my nightstand showed it was already past noon.
The manor was eerily quiet. No sounds of Olivia moving about, preparing her healing broth,
humming softly to herself as she worked. The silence pressed in on me, almost suffocating in
its intensity.
I reached for my phone and called Martha again.
“Alpha Ethan, are you feeling better?” she asked, concern evident in her voice.
“I need food,” I said bluntly. “Something for my stomach. Make me some of that healing broth.”
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