Sebastian
She was close. Really very close. I could feel her but that did not do anything to recede my worry. Because I could feel her emotions as well— There was confusion, pain and dismay. Doubts shrouded her mind, fear of losing something and unrest clasping her deep– She was overwhelmed.
The night was getting darker and darker and as if hell had replaced the place of the sky. The more the dusk advanced, the more I began to realise what hazard could lay ahead. I had unknowingly put the life of my mate and my child in jeopardy.
I had to save them. I could not afford to lose any of them and let Vincent's intentions succeed. Knowing him for so many years, his gruesome ways and vile nature— His plan was obvious to me— He wanted to take revenge on me by hurting my mate and my child. He knew my weak points, he knew where to attack and he did exactly what was required for his plan to succeed.
And by kidnapping my pregnant mate, he had already crossed every limit. I was not going to spare his life anymore.
If killing him was the only way to secure a better life for my mate and child, I'd do that. A man who had no control over himself, and only lived for revenge, was capable of committing any crime without hesitation.
The only thing that provided my racing heart with some sort of comfort was the fact that my mate was alive till now but I did not know...how long he is going to keep her alive.
Each stroke of the harsh wind gave a rise to my raw emotions and they'd explode the moment my eyes would see the sight of the woman I loved with everything I had.
I had tried to hate her in the past, but I would have never done that if I knew how much I was capable of loving her. How I would be willing to live for her the moment the curse would free me out of its shackles. Her love eroded the years of pain and trauma I had kept attached to my soul.
I wanted her back at any cost. She was mine, I would die but not lose her.
The buildings around me were tall and filled with silence, abandoned mills and factories were spreading all over. Rats and wild cats had built their homes in the cracks and corners of almost disintegrated buildings, the place looked very familiar, regardless of the destroyed structure of the objects around that left it distinguishable compared to how I had last seen it.
But...then when I thought I wouldn't be able to recognize the ruins, my eyes fell on the broken signboard, half hanging off of the entrance of a very familiar building— Thompson Industries— The once headquarter of all of the business sectors of Vincent Thompson that belonged to his father, Draco, before his....No, not demise. Before Elijah killed him.
All the doubts in my head flew away. Now, I could see through the whole plan Vincent— The same building and undoubtedly the same room where he had chosen to execute his damn plan.
He wanted to repeat history but this time, changing the roles.
His motive was to kill my mate the same way his mate was killed because he still believed that his mate's death was not an accident.
******
Athena
"Let's see whose Karma gets them, Athena," She let out after a long moment of unnerving silence, "And I am really afraid that you are going to be left disappointed because, you know.... that curse of your mate was his strength and without it, he is a huge 'Zero'. So now it's actually not even a competition, his raw emotions and exposed wounds of childhood, everything will attack him and you don't have any idea, how vicious it would be, I doubt that he is going to survive even the process of letting that curse go— The curse of the goddess is dangerous, it's gonna burn him from inside out, set him into the holy fire that destroys the evil, and unless the goddess is willing to protect him, he would have nothing left within him—Not a drop of strength."
"He'll be safe, nothing can happen to him..." I spoke up, trying hard to not let the fear overpower me.
"Oh really? Do you think goddess will bother to save a sinner like him?" A smirk curved at the corner of her mouth, evil shining through her orbs that looked at me with amusement, expressing how delightful it was for her to see me in turmoil, "That curse is deep like a sharp blade stabbed into the most sensitive spot of his heart and once it's yanked out, everywhere he looks, would only be hopelessness waiting for him and with you being under our captive, it's even harder for that poor guy to make it out of the ocean. He'd come running after you no matter how weak he is left, even if his bones are collapsing, or skin is falling off of his body— He'd still come."
"You are wrong— If he was meant to let go of his curse, he would have done it long ago. I have tried everything, Julia. He'd never let go of his curse— It'll stay with him till the end of time; Nothing can change his mind." I was having a hard time breathing, it was unknown to me, whether it was my restlessness or fear of her words coming true.
"Yes, but your absence can, can't it?" She asked, a sinister smile took upon her lips, "They say, someone's absence is what puts all of our mistakes right in front of our eyes and do you think he will be able to overlook all of it when deep down, even you are aware of the truth that he is willing to give up everything for you?"
My breathing got caught in my throat. My lungs were not willing to support my body anymore. The air felt heavy like a stone and worst of all, I didn't even want to breathe, I just wanted to disappear and never feel again— Dying seemed like a better option.
"He will not give up his curse. He won't." I shook my head, trying to convince myself rather than her.
How cruel fate was! Even hours ago, I wanted Sebastian to get rid of that curse that ruined everything between us. I wanted him to be human again and give our bond a chance.
And now? I wanted him to stick to the same curse that I blamed for every misery in my life, just so he could stay safe.
"Now you don't want him to let go of his curse anymore, do you?" She chuckled, "I bet you don't because if you knew how important that is to protect him from the world, you would have never wanted him to give it up but it's too late now. I am sure he is going crazy right now, breaking everything in his mansion cause that's what he does most of the time, and trying to get a hint of your location. But alas! He'd have to endure your absence for a few more days before we send you both to heaven or hell I guess?"
Intense despair poured all over me. I began to doubt Sebastian's safety— He was a strong man, untamable even. But what if what Julia said came true? What if he falls weak and comes here anyway to protect me?
No! I could not let this happen!
But what else did I have in my hand anyways?!
"We should get going, let her starve here for a couple of days and if by then, Sebastian remains unsuccessful in finding her, we'll make a call and invite him to have a look at his mate," She turned around to face Celine and Vincent. His eyes instantly shifted to his mother but Celine seemed to be consumed in deep thoughts and her gaze did not move away.
"Yeah, I guess you are right. I also need to arrange a pack of rogues again so wasting time is not the best choice," Vincent let out with a low groan as he pinched the middle of his brows.
"Celine?" Her daughter's stillness seemed to have caught Julia's attention.
"Yeah...you are right," She stammered for some reason, "We should get going."
"Yes, we should," Julia's voice dropped a tone, giving scopes for scepticism to gleam through her words but she covered it anyways, "By the way, what about Lozano? You two are not planning to let him flee alive, are you?"
Lozano? Who was Lozano?
"Do we look that stupid to you, mother? Of course not, after what he did, any moron would spare his life and I doubt he is going to make it out alive today anyways. But if by luck, he does somehow, I'll kill him with my own hands but he is a concern for later, so—"
"No, he is not a concern for later. He's more trouble than Sebastian because he knows about us and his image is fucking clear that'd gain an advantage for anything he does," Julia interrupted, "We need to take care of him first."
"Celine, go back to the mansion and inform us about the situation there, okay?"
"No, I am not. You said that by yourself, mum that Lozano is trouble, he could expose our entire game to him and Sebastian would fucking kill me if that happens," Celine spoke, disbelief crossing her face at her mother's statement.
"Why would he do that? He knows he would be trapped as well if he dares to expose your game."
"No, mom. I am not willing to take any more risks, I have done enough and you know I have a promise to fulfil. I need to make it out alive and return to him, I have already sacrificed everything so just stop pushing me into this again and again."
"Don't act stupid, Celine. Just do what I—"
"Mother, let it be. It's okay if she does not want to go back there," Vincent spoke, seizing the arising conflict between his mother and sister, "Sebastian would come here anyways within a few days. So, we don't need to worry about anything now that we have his mate."
"But, that is—" She couldn't finish her sentence as a loud sound broke through— The sound of glass walls being smashed, followed by a few more massive harsh shattering noises of the unspecified objects leaving the entire place shaking for a few minutes, the sounds echoed in a loop but it all came to a stop, under the drape of an overwhelming perilous silence.
Suddenly, a voice broke through every layer of this abrupt hush. My heart skipped a beat. Mixed emotions gathered at my core.
And...He called out my name, perhaps, from the floor below.
"Athena!"