Vincent
"Where could it be?!" I scoured every corner of the room that my sister had once lived in. Each belonging I touched, felt like a piece of my soul leaving my body. She had degraded herself into being someone's... object, all to avenge a duty that was never meant to be hers in the first place.
I had failed as a brother. First, I couldn't save my wife and child, and then my sister— I had failed as a brother, a husband, and a father. Perhaps, at some point, even as a son, the day I emptied all the bullets in my gun into my mother's body.
What else could I have done? She wasn't the mother I once knew, or maybe she never was. She’d become just a wife, a woman consumed by revenge for her husband's death, stooping to any level she could.
"Fuck, I need to find it!"
"Do you really think she wrote about it in her diary?" Cora's voice was laced with frustration, mirroring my own. Despite her wound, she'd insisted on coming with me. Seeing her struggle and fight through the pain just to be here, forgetting her injuries to focus on Tristan's intentions, made it clear—despite being rejected, this woman truly loved him. Maybe even more than Celine did.
"Yes, I'm sure," I searched through the closet, "She had a habit of jotting down everything in her diary. Every single detail. She couldn't write about that night's events, because she..." my voice faltered as memories flooded back, "she passed away. But I know she always had doubts about our plans and everything we were doing. Even though she convinced herself it was right, deep down, she remained the same person— the one Tristan loved, and still does."
"I wish she were alive," Cora sighed, "If she were, Tristan might never have become this person."
"But we can't change what's already happened. We have to save ourselves from further damage," I looked at her, sympathy in my eyes. Despite knowing the odds of success were slim, she still longed for him, "We need to protect Athena and her child. If anything happens to them, Sebastian will fucking die."
"I know.." She sniffled before continuing searching.
The belongings around us seemed untouched, still carrying my sister's familiar scent. It was the exact same scent she’d when she was just five years old, often jumping into my arms.
It was hard to suppress my tears as I continued searching for her diary. I knew that within its pages, I might find words that would point to me as the one to blame, the one at fault. After all, I had pushed her into actions she wouldn't have taken if not driven by the all-consuming desire for vengeance.
God! How had hatred led all of us to this point? We were all nothing but broken.
I had to prevent further damage, no matter the cost.
"Vincent... I think I found it," Cora's voice broke through my thoughts.
I turned my gaze towards her and hurried to her side. In her hand, she held a diary.
"Where? Let me see," I took the diary from her, my sister's handwriting coming into view. Each page contained a few notes, each one of them had a date, a puzzle piece of events yet to unfold, and some didn't yet I could tell which one they were.
Starting from the day she left Tristan.
"This is the one, Cora. We've found it..." I flipped through the pages, unable to restrain myself as I read her words. And at the end, there was a picture— a picture of Tristan that she’d carefully kept.
God, she loved him. And all I’d focused on was my own thirst for revenge, forgetting that in seeking to avenge our father's and my mate's deaths, she was leaving her entire world behind. She didn't deserve this.
"Hey, it's okay. She must have forgiven you," Cora offered me a gentle smile, "Take it easy. Living in guilt and regret won't lead us anywhere."
"Yeah, you're right," I wiped away my tears and closed the diary, "Let's go. We need to reach them before things spiral further out of control."
***
Athena
For the first few seconds, my heart seemed to stop beating right then and there. It was sheer terror that coursed through. I sat there in shock, taking in the sight of the blood, even though my own hands were stained with Tristan's blood.
Maybe it was the fear, or perhaps, the thought that Sebastian might be harmed for no reason in this chaos.
Somewhere deep within, I didn't wish for Tristan's death. I understood the origin of his hatred. He’d lost his mate, someone he possibly loved more than his life. Such a loss is not something one can easily forget or move on from.
However, in the next instant, my eyes registered the scene before me. I watched as Tristan was grappled by Sebastian, his wolf's teeth sunk into Tristan's hand. The struggle for freedom was evident on Tristan's face, the pain visible through the blood and the sound of cracking bones. Yet, he didn't seem to care as much.
It was a strange realisation – Tristan appeared to have lost his attachment to life, much like Sebastian had once. The time when Sebastian had forsaken any love for his own life, waiting for it to conclude as his sins burdened his soul, chaining him to this world.
"You can kill me, Sebastian," Tristan laughed, a hiss escaping his lips as a growl rumbled from Sebastian, revealing his firm intent to tear Tristan's arm apart, "But you still can't save her. You've made it even harder for yourself by coming here. Now you'll have to witness her death, you'll see your child taking your mate's life, see... the claws have already emerged," his gaze flicked to me, a mocking laugh slipping past his lips.
I noticed Sebastian's gaze shifting towards me, fixating on my stomach—the tiny scratches left by the claws evident. His dark eyes held a mixture of horror, worry, and, most notably, that familiar emotion of his—guilt.
God, he won't be able to live without me. Everything will fall apart.
"Please... please... please, hold with me," the words involuntarily escaped my lips as I placed my trembling hands on my belly, channelling all of my strength to withstand the pain, "Please trust your mama. I will keep you safe."
"He can't hear you, Athena. He wants to live, even if it comes at the cost of your life," Tristan interjected, "I'm sorry, I know you didn't deserve this, but I can't forgive you. I can't forgive anyone who has wronged my mate."
"My child didn't," tears streamed down my face, "Yet you're punishing him by trying to turn him into a killer. You're punishing him for something that's not even his fault."
It was at that moment that I witnessed Sebastian releasing his grip on Tristan's hand and shifting back, immediately.
Thank God. At least I would get to see his face one last time.
"Athena..." he rushed to my side.
"Sebastian..." I sighed, lifting my trembling hand to caress his face, "I'm happy you're here. You promised to stand by me, till death."
"Nothing will happen to you, Athena," he insisted, his voice wavering, "I'll do something... I'll—I'll find a way."
"It's okay..." I managed a weak smile, struggling to breathe, "You've done everything you can. You'll be an amazing father, Sebastian. The best parent in the world. I trust you."
"No, it's not okay. You can't leave... I won't let you go," tears welled up in his eyes, his restlessness palpable. His breaths came raggedly, as if he couldn't catch enough air.
"I'm not going anywhere. I'll always be with you, believe me."
"No, Athena. This isn't how it's supposed to be. I promised you... and I can't lose you. You know I can't live without you."
I struggled to respond, a pained hiss escaping my lips, "Sebastian, I know this is hard but—"
"Love, please don't talk right now. Please, please, please..." he pressed his forehead against mine, his tear-stained face filling my vision, "I'll take you to the hospital immediately. We'll figure something out."
"It's too late," I sniffled, my voice quivering, "And if I don't talk now, I might never... again."
"You will. God can't be so cruel," he whispered, his eyes locked onto mine, helplessness swarming in his orbs.
"Perhaps it's our fate. Maybe it was always meant to end this way from the start. You and I, the hopeless romantics foolishly thought we could make a difference," I managed a small chuckle, my words strained, "I'm sorry. I'm trying to fight, but my body isn't allowing me anymore."
"Do you know what, guys? This was the sight I longed to witness from the day I felt Celine die, when I discovered how she perished with a bullet piercing her chest, with half of her life's blood drained out," Tristan's voice quivered, his eyes glistening with tears as he stood up, holding his now broken hand, "But... I don't understand why, now that I see you two like this, after days of orchestrating and plotting, turning an innocent into a vicious monster, I still can't find the relief I thought I would. What the hell is happening to me? Am I losing my sanity?" He asked the last part of himself.
"I will fucking kill you..." Sebastian tried to stand up, but I gripped his hand, restraining him, which Tristan's observant didn't miss.
"Don't. It's not his fault," I whispered.
"He's the reason why you and our child are now—"
"I know, but... you also know that everything he's done is to avenge his mate's death. He believes we killed her. It's likely he would seek revenge. Maybe even you would have done the same thing, and perhaps, if I were in his position, I might have ended up doing the same," I drew in a breath, feeling my heart rate slow and the warmth drain from my body, "So it's not his fault. Don't hurt him."
I saw Tristan's gaze harden; there was a complex emotion in his eyes as he looked at me, his expression unreadable.
"Why, Athena? Why are you like this?" He sighed, his tear-filled eyes locking onto mine, "If you hadn't been the kind, naive woman you are, you wouldn't be stuck with a monster like me. Maybe your life would have been different. I'm so fucking sorry. I promised to protect you, but I failed... again."
"You haven't failed, Sebastian," I smiled through my pain, gripping his hands with mine, "The time I've spent with you has been the best. Those moments have given me happiness that nothing else in the world could provide. The time with you is worth living a thousand lives. I love you. I always will, no matter how far apart we are."
"Athena, no... I can't let you go," he sobbed, pressing his lips against my hands, "I can't. Please, don't say things like that."
"Listen, you have to raise our child well. Make him a prince, a happy prince with a beautiful life. Keep him safe and joyful, and tell him his mom loved him so much," I caressed his cheek, wiping away his tears, "I don't think I can hold on until he finally emerges from my belly. So, let's say goodbye, okay? Once I am...gone, just cut..." My words quivered as I fought to speak; goodbyes were heart-wrenching when you knew they were final.
"Cut open my stomach, and get him out. Don't let him suffocate inside," A sob escaped me, "I can't rest in peace, knowing my own body suffocated my child."
"Athena..."
"I love you, Sebastian. More than you can fathom," I said, "Believe me, if there were a way, I would have stayed with you. But I have no options left. I'm sorry for leaving you alone. But I'm giving you a precious gift in return—our child. Take care of him and the love of my life, alright?"
Before Sebastian could respond, Tristan's voice cut in, abrupt and uncertain.
"There might be a way to save her," his words held hesitation and restraint, as if he wasn't entirely sure about his decision.
Both our gazes snapped to him, Sebastian's brows lifting in shock, "What?"
"She needs to push. Your boy wants to come out, and she has to aid him in making that happen, so they can both make it through."