Athena
When I reached home, partially panting due to how fast I ran from where Cora had stopped me for a conversation, just to get here as fast as I could, the last thing I had expected when I turned on the light was to see a tall figure sitting at the edge of my bed as if he belonged there. A loud shriek left my mouth, and I involuntarily pressed myself against the wall behind me.
However, as I noticed the person's face and the worry began fading away.
"Aaron," I said, my breathing rushed and the pace of my heartbeats not falling behind with the rush of adrenaline, "What are you doing here?"
He looked around the room, especially the items remaining broken on the floor in a mess in a manner that could turn out to be a danger for any individual stepping inside barefoot. I knew he must have been looking and inspecting it for quite a while.
"What's going on, Athena?" It did not take him any more hint to get straight to the point that— I. Was. Fucked. Up. Without even having to let out a word, he had already perceived the crisis.
"You don't have any idea?"
It was hard for me to believe that he was getting that something was wrong but, despite being the beta of the man who was the main reason behind this upheaval, he still did not comprehend anything relating to what was actually going on.
"What are you talking about?" He stood up and walked closer, seeming oblivious of any of the shit I'd been putting up through these past few days when he'd simply chosen to turn off his damn phone perhaps because it seemed like the best option to him.
"Why did you keep your phone off, Aaron? Tell me."
"What?" He looked flabbergasted by my question, more likely by the doubt that spoke louder than I did, "My phone was dead. I thought of calling you through another number but then I got stuck in business meetings and shit."
"Oh really? Or you simply thought it was better to avoid the situation?" I walked past him, not knowing how to process my mixed emotions.
"What are you even saying, Athena? What is there that I'd try to avoid and what has suddenly happened that you are doubting me when I don't even know what is going on?" He followed me as I walked inside the kitchen, pouring myself a glass of water.
I somewhat believed water would save the burn in my throat as well as the ache in my heart. But, little did I know, it'd not help any of that.
"Will you please tell me what is going on?" He asked, loud.
I clutched onto the glass tight, holding my breath in only to not end up in tears and show him any sign of weakness. I hated being weak.
Nothing was more pathetic to me than letting someone know about my wounds and allowing them a chance to laugh at my face.
"Sebastian's here," I finally let out, all bones in my body were on the verge of collapse just by a simple utterance of his name.
"What?!"
It didn't take anything else for me to be assured that he knew nothing about Sebastian's sudden arrival in the town. His expression I could see from the reflection on the glass of the closed window of my kitchen and the bewilderment in his voice said what I needed.
"Yes. He is here and I thought you'd know about that, after all, no matter what, you are still a friend of his."
"Wait..." Aaron suddenly began to seem restless, "Did you two meet or you just saw him?"
Maybe it could be a concern or simply fear. No matter how changed Sebastian might be for now, none would find it worth trusting the man who still had blood all over his hands, maybe not visible to the eyes of the mass. But it could be felt, anyway.
"Both," I looked at him and released a sigh I'd been holding onto for a long, speaking at an abnormal speed, "He was there as a guest at the recent charity event held by the Children And Youth association this month and then, we met again at the hotel the very next day which was basically yesterday, totally by coincidence. Before he finally showed up at my apartment last night."
"So he broke all of these things?" He asked as he walked closer to me and grabbed my hand, "Did he hurt you by any chance?"
The concern flashing in his eyes made me feel guilty. I did not know why but it just did, keeping the reasons unknown.
"I am fine, Aaron. He didn't hurt me nor did he break these things. I did— I broke all of these objects for my satisfaction."
"Why?" I'd seen this coming.
"Because I saw him with another woman in the hotel room." I turned my head away, unable to meet his gaze because I felt ashamed for what I was about to say next, "And...I just can't see him with anyone else. Never. No matter what. It has always hurt and it still does."
He fell silent upon my words before he opened his mouth
"Do you still love him?" This time his voice was low.
It was hard to say the truth but it was even harder to accept the truth.
"I have tried a thousand times and I have failed even more— It'll always be him....I'd always love him even if I don't want to, even if it's exhausting and painful. I can't stop loving him."
This time the hush that fell between us was unnerving and long. Neither I knew what went on in his mind, nor could I get a hint from his silence, maybe because I wasn't ready for it.
"Why?" His voice broke through, a simple question at first that asked more than hundreds of questions alone, "Why do you still love him?"
This was when I finally got the courage to turn around and face him.
Indeed it was shameless on my part to still be in love with him but the reasons were not invalid nor they were not enough.
"Isn't that obvious, Aaron? He is my mate," I said, "I wish to stop loving him. I can try wiping him off of my heart, I can try forgetting his and his memories, but I'd never ever succeed. I love him and I'd always keep loving him till my last breath, this is how fucked up it is— It's the bond that doesn't let us be apart."
"Then reject him. If it's hurting you so much, then reject him," He grabbed my arms, and stood closer, looking deep into my eyes whereas he could only see the love I had for Sebastian, "It's not worth bearing the pain. You have done it once, going back on the same road won't bring you anything."
"I can't. I have tried it after I got my wolf. Then when I had met Sebastian, as you know, I didn't have her so I'd thought that I am incapable of rejecting him but once I got her and began to feel her presence even though I still can't shift, I became aware that I can't reject him because every time I tried, nothing happened, not even a single change in the way this bond hauls me towards him," Instead of pulling away, I gave him the answer he looked for, "This bond can't be severed."
"Let me take you far away from here," He spoke up, moving hands to cup my face as he pressed his forehead against mine, "If you are not happy then come with me, away from all of these. It doesn't have to be the way it is now, just give me a chance. I can fix everything."
I froze on the spot. An unknown shiver ran down my spine— Jolting anxiety and fear.
"What...what are you saying, Aaron?" I pulled away and pushed myself into the corner of the counter, the cold edge of it settling against my lower back.
"I want to take you away from this mess, Athena. Come with me, just take my hand and let's go. You don't have to live like that, you don't have to fight anymore. It's all gonna end, trust me," He said, his gaze soft and words gentle, "We can go far away and none will know. You'd never have to face him again. I can make you happy."
"You have lost your mind," I blurted out, "Stop putting yourself at risk to keep me safe and ensure what's best for me. You have better things to do rather than waste your life for charity."
I made a move to walk away but he grabbed my hand and pulled me close, my chest hit against his and our bodies pressed together as slid his hand around my waist and closed the last inch of distance between us.
I was too shocked to even react. It was all of a sudden, the closeness and change in his conduct, it was hard for me to take it all in.
"It's not charity, Athena. I am here because I want to, I come to you every time, follow you around like a crazy being because it gives me peace knowing you are safe and sound, and lastly, I want to take you away from all this pain and suffering not because I feel some sort of pity for you, but because it'd be a privilege to be the person pulling you out of this hell and it will be my greatest joy to put a smile back on your face," He said, meaning every word, "I didn't want it to break it to you so soon but, what I feel for you is beyond everything. It's not just small little acts of kindness that you consider them, that's just what's on the surface. I can live for you and I want to live for you, Athena. I want to dedicate the rest of my life to you. Just let me do it, please."
The sincerity in his eyes almost made me wish that...I could say yes to him. Made me wish that I was capable of letting someone in.
"This is wrong, Aaron," I pulled myself away from him, "This is wrong, for both of us and especially for you. Stop doing this, I have nothing to give you. Holding the hand of a woman and trying to see the world with her, whilst her heart would always run back to the roads, will soon become a burden for you. And that's the least of it."
"Listen to me, I don't care what will happen next. I don't want to think of the odds, for now, all I want is for you to trust me with this and take my hand. We'll see it together, we'll fight the odds but at least give me a chance," He came closer and held my hands in his, "Please."
"What'll you do when you find your mate, Aaron?" I let out, loud and clear for him to actually understand instead of sinking into the struggle to convince me, "And before you say the same old damn shit and recite hundreds of promises of not leaving me and stuff like that, let me tell you this—You would be willing to lay your life in front of their feet if they ask you to. Nothing else in this world will matter to you, not even this temporary connection between us. I have been there and I know how it fucking feels! So don't waste your time and just go or else in the end, none of us would be left with anything."
Instead of what I'd expected to be a strong and evident reaction of some sort, it was a bitter chuckle that left his mouth.
"I can never have a mate, Athena. Some wolves just aren't blessed with mates."
And once again, he succeeded in leaving me speechless.