Closer To Her

"That witch Sirena cursed you," 

A shiver ran down Aereza's spine when she heard those words escaping from her mouth. She hurriedly got up and looked at her grandmother, startled. Wren heaved a sigh before nodding.

"She cursed you that you will feel that same pain which she had felt that day of losing her love, her mate because of your father," Wren said. Aereza just gazed at her.

"And her curse was that the day your mate will mark you, you would have to watch your mate dying in front of your own eyes. The day you will get marked by your mate, you will turn mateless," 

For a brief moment, Aereza felt like everything around her turned numb. A sudden kind of aching started throbbing inside her. She didn't know where it was hurting her but it was hurting her real bad. Although, she had never even thought about having her mate beside her, even in her dreams but still, she couldn't control that pain ripping her existence apart after knowing that even if someday, she would find her mate, she would never be able to be with her love. Aereza used to think that she was a human, so there is no way she would be able to identify her mate so easily because her wolf had still not woken up yet and moreover, she didn't know her father was a werewolf. She used to believe that both of her parents were humans, so she would be a human too but it was not the complete truth. 

"Your parents consulted with a lot of other powerful witches and warlocks so that they could bring out some solution to break this curse but nothing helped. Every single person failed to break that curse of witch Sirena, even after your birth," Wren revealed the truth to her. 

"And after you turn one, someone from inside the royal family ratted your parents. That traitor spread a false rumour in the Silver Shade Pack that the daughter of Alpha is a curse for the entire pack. You are a misfortune and to prove those rumours right, those traitors started hurting and harming the members of the pack in such a manipulative way that it would look like all of that was happening because of your curse. Your father tried to control the situation but it had already turned too late. His own pack members got against him and demanded that he would have to kill his one year old daughter in order to stop that curse from haunting them but it was not the truth. Your curse had nothing to do with those harms of the pack. It was the result of someone's cunningness who wanted to take your father's position and they succeeded in it," 

Aereza's chest tightened, processing each and every thing.

"Your pack got under attack by its rivals when they found out that the entire pack had gotten against your father, so they took advantage of your father's misery and attacked him. Understanding that they might not be able to overcome that attack, your mother handed you to me and told me to take you far away from that pack where nobody could reach you," Wren uttered and then placed her palm over Wren's hand.

"Your mother chose to save her daughter's life but she refused to leave her love, her mate alone in the path of death," 

Aereza's gaze burnt up with a fresh wave of tears when she comprehended what she actually meant there. Her mother chose to die with her father. She decided to protect her but not leave her love alone to die. 

"After leaving the Silver Shade Pack, I brought you and Ivory to this pack and here I gave you a new identity so that nobody could ever find out about your real identity and that curse," 

Holding back her sobs, Aereza managed to ask that question to her.

"Are my parents….." her voice broke but Wren understood what she was trying to ask. She sighed and clutched her palm tightly.

"After coming here, I tried to find out about your parents whereabouts and I get to know that they both died in that attack," 

A sob finally broke out from her mouth. Wren pulled her into a hug and squeezed her eyes in order to fight back her own tears. Aereza whimpered like a little kid in her embrace. Only if she would have known that this truth was going to hurt her so much then she would have chosen to keep it hidden for the rest of her life. She would have never wanted to know about her real identity if she would know that this was going to wreck her existence so cruelly. Why does everything have to be so painful for her? She was already dying with each passing day from the moment she had witnessed Ivory dying that painful death in front of her and now this truth. It broke her already shattered soul more mercilessly.

"Calm down, Reza," Wren pulled apart and cupped her face. She cleaned her tears stained cheeks.

"I am sorry that I was not able to save your parents but I promise I will do my best to break this curse and I promise you will have your love beside you soon and for forever," Wren said. From the day she had embraced Aereza's as hers, she was doing her best to find a way to break Aereza's curse. Although, she had not succeeded in it even a little but she had not lost her hope. She would do everything to make her free from that curse.

"I will do everything to …" Wren stopped when she saw Aereza extending her palm towards her.

"I want a promise from you, grandma," Wren heard her quivering voice.

"A promise that even if you find a way to break this curse one day, you will not break this curse ever," 

Wren's gaze widened in shock. She turned aghast.

"What are you saying, Aereza? How could you say this?" Aereza teared up more, listening to her grandmother .

"I don't need to live with my love because I want to die with this curse, so promise me you will never break this curse," 

Wren felt like a sharp pang inside her chest. How broken she had turned that now she didn't even want to get cured? She didn't want to be with her love because she had started believing that her loneliness was her only destiny. 

Wren caged her tightly which made Aereza burst out crying.

"You will have your love beside you soon, Reza and I promise you that," Wren promised her. Aereza didn't say anything. She just cried in her grandmother's embrace because she didn't even know if she was ever going to find her love and even if she did, would she be able to live with her love for the rest of her life?

In the evening, Aereza reached the castle. She didn't want to come here today because she was feeling too vulnerable and exhausted after what she got to know this morning. She just wanted to live in her grandmother's embrace and stay in her home but Alexandria had sent a guard to Aereza's home who informed her that Alexandria wanted to meet Aereza and she wanted Aereza to be with her for her mating ceremony. Aereza couldn't deny even if she wanted to because she knew she had to follow Princess Alexandria's order and wish, so she unwillingly agreed to go to the castle and attend Alexandria's mating ceremony.

"Where were you, Aereza? I was waiting for you," Aereza heard Alexandria asking her as soon as she stepped inside her chamber. Alexandria walked towards her.

"I was feeling a bit tired, that's why I decided to rest for a day," she uttered. Alexandria frowned her brows.

"How could you rest today? It's my mating ceremony, so you have to be with me because you know I consider you my best friend and I want my best friend beside me on this big day of mine," Alexandria stated, frowning. She grabbed Aereza's hand and dragged her inside her chamber where other maids were also present.

"So how is my dress?" She asked her, showing Aereza her mating ceremony's gown. It was a beautiful flowing white gown which had a work of countless shining stones and pearls. It was gleaming. Aereza nodded her head in approval. She had no knowledge about these things because neither she had ever worn these kinds of clothes nor was she interested in wearing them. She always wore normal castle guards clothes. 

"And now I have a surprise for you too," Alexandria showed Aereza another ball gown. It was of a dark crimson red colour gown which had very thin layers of stones encrusted all over it. 

"This is for you," Alexandria uttered but Aereza immediately denied her.

"I felt honoured with your kind gesture, princess but I don't wear these kinds of clothes so I can't take it," she answered honestly but Alexandria shook her head and handed it to Aereza.

"You have to wear it and that's it. You always wore these ugly and boring clothes, which mostly our servants wear so no. Today, you are going to wear this and I will introduce you as my best friend to everyone in the ceremony, so you have to wear this," Alexandria retorted.

"But, princess. I don't…"

"You cannot defy my command, so you have to wear it and that's it," Alexandria showed her a fake glare which made Aereza sigh. Reluctantly, she took that gown from her hand which made Alexandria beam.

"Okay now, everyone. Get me and Aereza ready for the ceremony," Alexandria announced to the rest of the maids. Aereza already started having a headache by enduring the shine of that gown. She wondered how she would be able to wear it for the whole ceremony which was going to happen almost for the entire night.

"You are looking gorgeous, Princess," the maids complimented Alexandria after dressing her up and making her completely ready for the ceremony. She smiled and got up from the chair.

"Where is Aereza? Is she ready?" She asked.

"Yes, I am ready," that voice made everyone turn their heads and look towards the owner of that voice. Every single maid's eyes widened, along with Alexandria's by witnessing Aereza in that attire.

"Aereza….you are looking like a royal princess," Alexandria couldn't help but exclaim at her mesmerising beauty. Aereza walked closer to them. The maids gave her a stunned and fascinated look which Aereza was not habitual of receiving.

"I don't want to sound absurd but you can make any man go insane over you right now, Aereza. I envy you," Alexandria uttered with a chuckle.

"There's nothing to get envied over me, princess, because I don't need those things which you love," she answered firmly but without sounding rude or impolite. Alexandria rolled her eyes at her.

"You and your unique beliefs, Aereza. What else would a girl need if she could make any man go crazy over her beauty and looks?" Alexandria questioned because those thoughts had been stored deeper inside her head from the beginning.

"I don't believe in needing a man's approval to make myself realise that I am beautiful, Princess. I know what I am and I don't need anyone else's opinion and thoughts on me to reconsider my worth," she uttered without stuttering because that was what Aereza believed from the very beginning of her life and nothing could make her change her decision. The frown on Alexandria's face dictated that her answer didn't please her.

"Look, Alpha Ralph and his pack members have arrived," a maid said, looking outside through the window. Alexandria dashed towards the window and watched her future mate and his members entering into the castle. She blushed, making the maids chuckle whereas Aereza just stood there in her place, feeling that sudden kind of rush filling her insides like it was really very close to her but what or in precise…. who?

After almost an hour, a maid came and informed the girls that the ceremony was about to begin and everyone was waiting for Princess Alexandria's presence. Alexandria took a last glance of her reflection in the mirror and then got up on her feet.

"Let's go," she said to all the maids and then looked at Aereza. She also wagged her head and let Alexandria walk ahead of all of them and all the maids and Aereza followed her outside.

Everyone was heading towards the main hall where the ceremony was going to happen but the girls had to halt when Alexandria's mother approached them.

"You are ready?" She asked her daughter, smiling. Alexandria beamed back and nodded. Her mother planted a kiss on her daughter's forehead before focusing her eyes on Aereza.

"Stay by her side, Aereza," She ordered. Aereza nodded in approval because it was her work to make sure about Alexandria's security.

Everyone just turned around to walk towards the ceremony hall when some sudden kind faded noises started echoing, like screams. It looked like they were coming from the ceremony hall. Everyone tensed up, along with their surroundings.

"What's happening there?" Everyone dashed towards the hall, along with Aereza.

As soon as they reached the ceremony hall, their bodies froze in pure terror. Instead of finding happiness and smiling faces, all they found there was dead bodies and blood. Guards were fighting and Aereza was quick to find out they were under attack. Aereza gritted her teeth. She was about to dash towards the hall to fight them but Alexandria gripped her hand tightly and stopped her from going there.

"Don't leave. They will kill us too," Alexandria sounded petrified. Tears were running down from her eyes.

"NO ……Alpha Ralph," Alexandria heard her mother's scream. Everyone turned their heads and Aereza witnessed a masked man clutching the neck of Alpha Ralph's half unconscious bleeding body. 

Aereza witnessed that masked man snapping his eyes straight towards her direction. A tendril of chill ran down her spine when her gaze met with those familiar glowing amber orbs of that masked man and she immediately understood who it was……. DARREN VENZOR…..

She witnessed him removing his mask but without taking his eyes away from her. Aereza clenched her fists when she noticed a viciously fatal grin forming on his face as soon their eyes collided, like he was waiting for her to witness his brutality and just by peering into her grey spheres, Aereza watched him holding Alpha Ralph's body with his both hands before he teared his body into two with his bare hands like a wild animal. His whole body and face got stained with Ralph's blood 

A scream escaped from everyone's eyes who witnessed that extremely frightened scenario in front of them, except Aereza whose eyes remained fastened with those burning amber orbs which were indicating that thing to her that….it was just the beginning…..