Athena
"Aaron," his name slipped from my lips, confusion shrouding my mind. "What are you doing he—"
I never got the chance to speak as I noticed Aaron's gaze snap towards Tristan before even acknowledging Sebastian or me. "So you're that motherfucker."
And then, in the blink of an eye, it all happened. Aaron stormed towards Tristan, grabbed him by the collar, and hurled him against the wall. My eyes flew open wide with horror as Tristan's body collided with the wall, causing paintings to crash to the ground and glass to shatter.
Tristan groaned in pain, blood seeping from his mouth as he struggled to regain his composure. Despite being in a state of overwhelming shock, I ran toward him. "Tristan..."
"You're the one who called me, aren't you?!" Aaron shouted, attempting to lunge at him once again, but this time Sebastian intervened, pushing him away forcefully.
"Stop it, Aaron! What the fuck do you think you're doing?!"
Confusion was etched all over Tristan's face as he asked me, "Who is this guy?" I could see fragments of broken glass embedded in his palm, causing him further distress. "Is he mentally ill or something?"
"You fucking piece of shit. Don't you try pulling that act on me—" Aaron once again tried to pounce at him, nearly succeeding, but Sebastian halted him by slamming him against a pillar and pressing his arm against his throat to tame him.
"What the fuck is wrong with you, Aaron?" Sebastian's eyes darkened, his voice dropping to a chilling tone that made it clear he wanted nothing more than to tear Aaron apart. "How dare you barge into my house and hit him? Can't you fucking see that he's the only one helping us right now?"
"Helping?" He scoffed as he freed himself from Sebastian's grip, "You have no idea who he is. That fucker certainly isn't here to help you. Let me enlighten you. You know why I came here that day? Not because you called me, but because I found out about her damn pregnancy from a stranger on the phone who claimed to be your former mistress's mate."
"What?" Sebastian sounded shocked, almost speechless at Aaron's words. As for me, I wished I could say I was any better, but I wasn't.
What the hell was going on? It was hard to believe what Aaron was saying, and even harder after the stunt he just pulled.
"At first, I didn't think it was important to connect the dots. But then, when I gave it some thought, it became painfully obvious that the person who called me is this motherfucker. Who else would know about Athena's condition? Who else would have the audacity to claim that the medication might only be fueling the growth of that monster inside her?! How could he know all these things if he isn't someone in this house?!"
"Look, mister, I have no idea who you are or what you're even talking about," Tristan stood up, holding his injured arm. "But I can assure you that I'm not the person you're referring to. I'm just their doctor, doing my job. Besides, I don't even know the woman you claim to be my mate. Just to let you know, my mate passed away long ago."
I could see the sheer bewilderment on Tristan's face as Aaron accused him.
"Aaron, how can you be so certain that Tristan was the one who called you?" I interjected. "It could have been anyone. We're surrounded by enemies, for all we know! And as for Celine, I understand she had a mate out there, but clearly, they didn't have a good relationship. They weren't even close friends. We can't be certain if they even knew each other. If they did, he would have tried to prevent Celine from getting into the mess that led to her losing her life."
"Oh, cut the crap, Athena! You know nothing," Aaron retorted. "You're making a grave mistake by trusting this man. He's not here to help you in any way. Can't you see that? Have you noticed any improvement in your health? With such a renowned doctor attending to you, you'd expect some progress, right? But have you seen any? Maybe he's intentionally causing harm. You can't truly know if he's here to help. Have you even researched the drugs he's prescribed for you? I'm sure you haven't."
"You know nothing about her medical history, sir. So I suggest you don't meddle with my job," Tristan's voice turned serious. "I might tolerate being hit and insulted, but I won't stand for you questioning my profession."
"What would you do? Fight back?" Aaron laughed, his claws emerging and his canines extending from his gums. "I can end your life with just a few blows."
"We'll see about that," Tristan's eyes darkened.
Sebastian was about to intervene, but I couldn't contain myself any longer.
"Enough, Aaron!" I lost control and stormed toward him, the rage surging through me. "Who the fuck do you think you are?!" I grabbed his collar, yanking him closer to meet my gaze.
"Athena, don't interrupt—"
"No, I will. Because you're the one who showed up out of nowhere and created a fuss for no reason. Can't you see that he's the only one we can rely on to ensure our baby's safety? Sebastian and I are doing our best to get through this, and you're fully aware of it, yet you came here to disrupt everything," I shouted, my grip on his collars tightening. "Why? Tell me why!"
"He's not here to fucking help. You can't trust him, I'm telling you," Aaron let out a frustrated sigh, attempting to loosen my grip on his wrists, but I refused to let go. "And why are you even trying to go through with this for a monster growing inside you, huh? Just fucking abort it and move on!"
If the storm of rage I felt was intense, his last words turned it into a catastrophe.
"If there's no proof that Tristan is here to help, then tell me, where's the proof of your intentions? You want me to kill my child by claiming it's not an innocent soul but a dangerous monster. So tell me, who should I doubt first? You or him?"
Something flickered in Aaron's gaze, perhaps hurt, but I didn't care about that anymore. He had hurt me enough to make me forget that I shouldn't be hurting the one I cared for.
"I'd never hurt you, Athena. You know that..." he whispered.
"Yes, I know that, Aaron. But I also thought you'd understand me and support me through the tough times. Yet, you turned your back on me the moment I needed you," I said, my voice steady, refusing to let it tremble. "For you, it was love or nothing at all, and you disregarded our friendship in the worst possible way. You were the first person I ever trusted, even before my own mate due to the circumstances we went through. And now, you're here to destroy the last bit of hope we have? If Tristan steps away from this case, there's no one else who can help us!" I pushed at his chest, causing him to stumble and take a few steps back.
"Damn it, why did you have to ruin everything?!" I shouted, tears brimming in my eyes. "I can't even trust your words now. It doesn't seem like you received a call from anyone at all! It looks like you're lying.
"Athena, calm down," Sebastian rushed over to me and pulled me close to him, his concern evident, "It's okay. Everything's okay."
"No, it's not, Sebastian. You don't know how much I trusted him and how much he hurt me with everything he did. If he truly had feelings for me, he wouldn't act like this! He's behaving like a selfish being who only cares about what he wants," I freed myself from his embrace. "And now he's here to ruin the last chance we have. He knows how much I want to save our baby, but he's constantly trying to make sure I never get to see that day!"
"Athena, I am not here to lie. I'm telling you the truth, and if you care so much for your baby, then understand this: this proclaimed doctor is not going to help because he's not who you think he is."
"Aaron, just cut the crap and get out!" Sebastian commanded, seemingly losing his composure.
"I don't care who he is, and even if he were Celine's mate, he should have killed me by now, but he didn't. I'm standing fine before your eyes. And that day, she died because of me. I'd give my life if I had to because she took the hit to save me. It's a debt I have to pay," I said. "Enough of this discussion. You can leave now and never show me your face again."
"Athena..."
"Just leave, Aaron. Leave!" I spoke, firmly, "I don't need your damn explanations, and why would that person, out of everyone, call you when it should have been Sebastian? Huh? If you really want me to listen to you, then answer me that first."
Hesitation appeared on his face. "I can't tell you that. But—"
"Can't or won't? Do you have something to hide as well? I wonder what it is because I thought you were an open book, and now it seems like I know nothing about you at all. I don't even want to speak to you right now. Just leave, okay? The door's that way!"
"Just hear me out once, Athena. You need to choose carefully if you—"
"Fucking leave!" I screamed.
"Sebastian, he needs to leave. Athena's panicking," Tristan spoke up, his eyes filled with worry as he glanced at me.
"Aaron, please just leave right now. You're causing her too much stress, and it's not good for her. If you care for her even the tiniest bit, just leave!" Sebastian pleaded.
"Fine, I'm leaving. I have no reason to stay if my presence bothers her so much. But remember, you claim to love her, so be careful about whom you choose to trust. Otherwise, I'll have to take matters into my own hands. And if I have to, I'll damn well take her away from you, whether it's her choice or not," Aaron stormed out of the house, his words echoing in the air.
As the door slammed shut, silence filled the room, and I released a weary sigh, the weight of the situation pressing upon me.