Aaron
"In that case, you're going to die too, doctor," I seethed, my rage crawling up my skin like venomous spiders. I was ready to explode at any moment; the thought of anyone harming her made me want to destroy everything. "She is mine, and anyone who dares to hurt her shall die."
"My life's not so dear to me anyway, Aaron," he had the audacity to laugh. His calmness and casual tone made me wish I could tear his throat out and pull every last strand of veins from his body. "But her life is dear to you, isn't it? I know it is."
"You fucking—"
"Shouting and cursing won't get you anything. In fact, everything you do will be futile because I have already seen how Athena kicked you out of her mate's house today," he continued, his tone mocking. "She chose to trust an unknown doctor over you. That's how little importance you hold in her life. You are useless to her, just like you were to everyone else."
"Cut the crap. I know what you're trying to do, but it's not going to work," I retorted. "I still won't let you harm Athena. I won't let you succeed, Tristan. You can fight tooth and nail for your mate, but let's face the truth—Athena's life isn't worth sacrificing for someone like Celine. She was a fucking whore and she abandoned you, didn't she?"
He fell silent for a few seconds before he spoke up, his voice dripping with malice. "I am the one who decides whether seeking revenge from all of you and giving each of you a painful death, one that even death itself would fear, is worth it or not. I am the one who gets to determine how long your precious Athena will live before meeting an untimely death. I hold the strings of all your lives in my hands. So, the next time, mind your words when you speak about my mate," his voice dropped to a low, menacing tone, revealing the deep-seated hatred within him. "I am kind enough to spare you a little bit of time to spend with each other, but it won't be enough to stop me from changing my mind after hearing someone talk shit about my mate."
Amidst his threats, I couldn't help but laugh. "I don't know if anyone has told you, but you don't look or sound dangerous to me, Tristan. I am not afraid of you. I've played far too many games to be fooled by this feeble attempt of yours. So, do yourself a favour and give it a rest."
Tristan's chuckle echoed, devoid of any humour. "I will give myself a break, don't worry. But that will be after I've killed all of you. You see, I happen to appear harmless, and that's precisely why I can inflict the most harm." His words sent a chill down my spine. "However, I was thinking, since you've been so arrogant, how about I disclose your deeds to your dear Athena? She might not be very pleased to hear about them, but it would serve you right, wouldn't it?"
My heart raced as a sense of unease washed over me. "What... What are you talking about? You can't utter a single word, because you know you'd be doomed if you do so."
His tone grew more deliberate as he enunciated his words, relishing the effect they had on me. "I was talking about what you did to Celine or how you betrayed Sebastian. I am actually referring to what you did to your former pack members."
Hell, this bastard....
"I did nothing to them, so stop bluffing and--"
"Oh, but they thought of you as useless, didn't they? You were the weakest in strength and wits, a disgrace to your parents as well," he taunted. "You sought revenge on them for the insults you endured your whole life. You robbed them and fled, leaving them penniless, destitute, stripped of their lands, and forced to become rogues. It's like a scene from a movie, isn't it? A bitter reality."
"How do you know all of this?"My caution grew.
This bastard knew way too many details. He could fucking risk my whole plan, all the efforts I had made to get close to Athena and wrap her around my fingers.
"I haven't entered this race empty-handed, Aaron. I know my game and opponents, and you are the easiest target. So easy to ruin within seconds," his voice dripped with satisfaction. "I hold your strings just as you once held my mate's. I know all your secrets, Aaron, every last one of them. It's about time you took my words seriously instead of thinking I'm here to play around like a fool."
"You won't be able to do anything. If you decide to say anything to Athena, it'll only raise suspicion, and—"
"It's only natural for a victim to research the one who has harmed them," Tristan interrupted, his tone laced with a chilling certainty. "You made it easy for me by causing a scene at her house, and I'll make sure you pay dearly for this mistake. I'll strip away the image you carefully constructed before Athena's eyes, though you've already lost a significant amount of it by raising your hands against me," his laughter sliced through the air.
Oh how badly I wished I could just kill him right away.
"Cat caught your tongue, Mr. Lozano?"
"What the hell do you want? It's clear that your intentions go beyond simply killing us," I spat
"Of course, it's more than that. I want to witness your suffering, your agonising downfall. There are too many things I desire, too many to enumerate in a single day. But when I envision them in my mind, they seem insufficient. I want to see Sebastian in despair as he watches his mate die before his very eyes. I want Athena to feel helpless as her own child becomes the catalyst for her death. I crave tears, blood, screams of agony, and the destruction that will consume all of you. And for you, Aaron, I yearn to unleash the inner monster you've been desperately trying to suppress. I know it's clawing at the surface, and when it finally breaks free, that will be the end for all of you. I hope I can make it a spectacle worthy of my mate watching from above."
"You won't succeed, Tristan. You speak of awakening the monster within me, but you fail to acknowledge the awakening of the beast inside Sebastian," I retorted, a chuckle escaping my lips involuntarily. "If you can sense my monster, I can sense your fear as well. You're playing a cautious game because you know that once the cursed beast reveals its true colours, it will tear everything apart."
Tristan hummed dismissively, trying to undermine my words. "So, you're trying to threaten me by mentioning your alpha? Still playing the loyal dog, I see," his taunting words hit their mark, making my grip on the steering wheel tightened. "Yet, after all you've done, you possess but a fraction of what he holds. Besides, he has Athena, and who knows, he might be fucking her already. Did you not notice the radiant glow she had today? Or are you too blind to see?"
A surge of rage consumed me, "I am going to fucking kill you, Tristan," I growled.
"We shall see, Athena's sidekick," he laughed sadistically. "And yes, in my boundless generosity, I offer you one final chance. If you wish to save her, do it before it's too late. The baby is growing at an accelerated rate, and her due date will arrive within a week. Save her if you can. That 'monster' you refer to will fully awaken in just a few hours, and if you can't remove it from her before then, not even a miracle can save her."
"Wait, what?" Panic gripped me, my voice betraying my fear. "What are you talking about?"
But before I could extract any more information, Tristan abruptly ended the call, leaving me desperate and restless. I frantically tried to call him back, but to no avail.
"Damn it!" I cursed, my frustration boiling over. I hurled my phone at the back of the car with all my force, the impact creating a dent in the rear glass. "Fuck this shit!"