Chapter 121
Axel's POVI blame myself. For everything. For my negligence towards my kids. It was all my fault.And when I heard Selena confirm my exact thoughts, it felt like I was drowning in a sea of helplessness.The glaring realization that a single decision could've prevented all this."You need to pull yourself together", Blake looked down at me worriedly. "You have to find them first before blaming yourself for something that's beyond your control.""It wasn't beyond my control. I invited Asher here. The guilt is on me."He groaned in frustration, his shoulders sagging in defeat as he realized with certainty that I'd beat myself up over this, over and over again.The probability of the guilt clearing after that was slim to none."Just stop it already", he groaned, sitting right next to me, our shoulders touching. "I know the Luna said that to you but...""She was right", IChapter 123Selena's POV Turns out, we didn't have to wait a week for Cecelia to recover. She woke up the next morning like a woman on a mission and with a lot of convincing, which included almost tears, we finally agreed to let her lead us to the cottage. Everyone got ready, not Cecelia though. We ensured she was clad in a light blue hospital gown and large grandma sweaters to ensure she was comfortable.Cecelia scowled at her reflection in the mirror when we finished dressing her and for the first time, I found myself suppressing a laugh from the humor of her situation. "I can't wear this", she mumbled, her entire weight on Lily and I. "Why not? It looks cozy", Lily piqued in from her left. "You'll not feel a bite of the encroaching winter cold.""This looks like something I would never wear even if I was at the edge of death.""What?", I smirked. "Are you ashamed of not being dressed well enough
Chapter 122Selena's POV I couldn't believe my ears. Although Axel and I immediately rushed after Blake, my heart was pounding and my mind tried and failed to grasp the magnitude of the situation. "Calm down", Axel placed a comforting hand on my back, rubbing soothing circles on it. I wanted to run after Blake, but I maintained my quick strides, throwing Axel a smile. "Thank you", I whispered. When we stepped in, I was instantly overwhelmed by the sight of Cecelia. She was weak and her eyes struggled to stay open but she was awake regardless and that was all that mattered at this point. "Hey", Axel gripped her hand which she had weakly gestured to us with.She mustered a small smile. "The tension in this room is so stifling", she muttered but I heard her quite well, given my distance. Her eyes fell on me. "You must've been so worried about your kids", she rasped out. I could only reply
Chapter 124Selena's POV Asher blinked once, twice before the situation dawned on him. He must not have been expecting us, obviously. Before he could run off as usual, Blake had pinned him down. He struggled in our hold but Axel and I simply sidestepped him, rushing to the house. It was modest, with a leather couch, waxed floors and a small kitchen space. The television played a movie but I couldn't focus on anything except finding my children. "Orion? Zephyr?", Axel called out, his voice echoing through every corner of the house. We listened closely but there was no sound of a response. Axel and I checked every single room but they were nowhere to be found. I was growing agitated as we rushed back to the door where Asher was still restrained by Blake. He struggled in Blake's hold but there was nothing he could do to break out of it. "Where are they?", Axel questioned as soon as Blake held him u
Chapter 125Axel's POV The moment I rushed in and took in the state of my kids, every rational thought flew from my head. The emotion on Selena's face couldn't be described properly in words. It looked like a swirl of every emotion possible, from fear to anger and relief. I called for help and they took my kids away, Selena in tow. "I'll go with them", she stated, her voice showing she was about to burst into tears. "Yes", I threw her a weak smile. Selena's eyes closed as I dropped a chaste kiss on her forehead. We remained in that position for a while, her hand holding unto my shirt as though drawing some source of strength. "I'll see you at home", I rubbed my hand down her back before breaking away from the hug. Selena rushed off immediately after. I could only watch her back as she left. When I walked back outside, Asher was struggling against Blake's hold. He looked a lit
Chapter 126Axel's POV Everything around me stopped. I stared in shock at the knife I was holding, the knife currently buried in my brother's chest. Then, I looked up at Asher. His eyes had lost that wicked glint in them, this time, he just looked completely frightened, like the little boy I had grown up with.His hand shakily grasped mine, the same one now slicked red with his blood. He made a move to speak but no words were formed, instead, blood burst out of his lips, splattering against my face. His eyes didn't leave mine, even as I witnessed the life slowly drain from them. A sob grew in my heart, and I let it out. It came out strangled, like a wounded animal. "No...", I muttered out. The blade slipped out of his chest, the sound of bones and squelching flesh loud like thunder in the quiet forest. Asher slid to the forest floor, his back against the tree. Blood was slowly spreading across th
Chapter 127Selena's POV I threw a worried glance at a sleeping Axel. He had not said a single word since he returned from the pack house. I stood, carefully removing his hand from mine before leaving the room. I was startled when I saw Blake leaning against the wall, a worried look in his eyes. He straightened up the moment his eyes met mine."Luna", he bowed."Hi Blake", I greeted, moving further away from the door. He followed me until we stopped at a considerable distance down the hallway. "How is he doing?", he asked, worry seeping into his tone. I shrugged, not quite knowing what to say. "He's fine. He'll be fine."Blake sighed, his hand flying to his hair. "He's in shock", he announced like that wasn't so obvious. "After he killed ..."I nodded, not wanting to hear the end of the sentence. "I know. It's so sad. I don't think Axel will ever be able to forgive himself even if he was r
Chapter 128Axel's POVThe faces were filled with horror when I threw the door open. Blake, Lily and my wife stared at me, alongside a few guards. It was safe to say that they were certifiably horrified for a reason I couldn't quite place. Their faces ranged from a mixture of horror, to fear, to dread and they were all directed at me. "What's wrong?", I looked down at Selena, hoping for an explanation. "Did something happen?"Selan looked like she was about ready to pass out from relief. "You're alright", she stated in a daze, more to herself than to me. "Yes?", I frowned. "Can someone tell me what's going on?""We thought..."Blake piped in but stopped short. "We...""We thought something terrible had happened to you", Lily answered, her face searching mine. "You said you're going in search of Blake. What are you doing here?", Selena asked, anger lacing her words. "I di
Chapter 129Selena's POV As I leaned into Axel, I'd never felt more at peace. "I miss this", he whispered in my hair. "I really miss this."I nodded in agreement. It had been so long since we sat in peace like this, without fear of anyone or anything going wrong. This was good. "When will the funeral hold?"I decided to take the bull by the horn. Axel seemed happier for the past week. He was still grieving, but in his own quiet way. I knew he might just grief for a very long time, losing a family member, his own twin would be heartbreaking. He'd remember Asher in the little things. He was in his memory, in the childhood pranks and jokes, in growing up. Asher was everywhere. And maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. Asher may not have been the best brother, but he was still loved by Axel. "Next week. The earlier the better", Axel spoke in my hair. "I've assigned the planners with the funeral arrangem