Chapter 7: If she dies then I die too

“Stop right there!” Anna's sudden words unwillingly halted Otto on his track as he tried to ascend the stairs.

Taking a deep breath he turned around and faced his mother who was sitting on a couch directly opposite his direction. 

A few minutes of silence passed and his mother didn't utter a word which only turned out to piss him off. 

He had come back home because of the sudden meeting his father had been warning them not to miss but it seems he will have to get an earful from her even before his father starts.

“If you have nothing to...” 

“Where were you? And why are you coming this late?” she stood up from her chair and in a few seconds she was already standing in front of him.

Sighing loudly Otto rubbed his temple tiredly before replying in a low voice, “Mom please not tonight. I'm so tired and I need some rest, so we should talk later.” with that he turned around heading for the stairs again. However, the next words of his mother stopped him again.

“If you keep this up, I won't hesitate to disown you.” her words were frost and Otto scoffed. 

Before he could utter a word she continued, “When exactly are you going to find your mate? Is it when your father hands over the throne to your stepbrother?” she held him by the hands.

“You need to act fast before the position of the Lycan king slips through your fingers. You know how cold-hearted your brother is, don't you? Do you think he will spare any of us when he becomes the king? Do you want to see me die before you do the needful?” 

“Mom! Stop saying ominous things!” Otto yelled frustratedly. He had gotten enough of her tantrums already just now. 

He gently slipped his hands from her grip and took a deep breath. He was tired of hearing it all. It was just like every other night when she would bug him about the throne and he ends up having insomnia.

He knew it was hard for her too as a mother. He believed he would act the same way if he was in her shoes because all she is trying to do is to protect him against their enemies by trying to get him to sit on the throne but it wasn't his fault.

He hasn't found his mate yet, so the possibility of sitting on the throne for him is not even close to a trial. Nonetheless, a part of him was happy because he didn't want it.

As the realization hit her that she must have been too hard on him, Anna let out a small smile and reached for her son's hands again.

“Otto,” she called whilst smiling. “I only want the best for you as your mother, so try to make me happy by searching for your mate instead of spending time with that human. Don't let that human distract you.” she raised her hands to touch his face but he flinched.

Releasing his hands from his mother's grip, Otto asked in a trembling voice, “How did you know about Ava? Where are you spying on me?” 

“Yes and so what,” came her automatic reply.

His mother's reply seems to have built a sudden rage inside of him because he suddenly took a step back creating an unreasonable space between them.

“Why? Why did you do that? Didn't you trust me, Mom? Why are you getting Ava involved? Why?!!!” he yelled angrily as fresh tears burned his eyes.

What was his mother planning? Was she trying to get rid of Ava just like she got rid of the others? He was so angry that if only he had what it takes like a man, he would have killed her without a second thought.

“Yes, I didn't trust you because of that human. And yes I spied on you because I don't want that human to lead you astray and stop you from fulfilling the reason you were born!” she half yelled and covered the distance between them.

“You can hate me all you want but I...” 

A chuckle from him interrupted her almost immediately and she frowned but kept mum rather.

“Let me guess, the reason I was born was to become a king, wasn't it? Mom?” he emphasized the last word and broke into harmonious laughter before he continued.

“King? What king? I don't think I deserve to become the king. It's not for me and I will never be the king even if you want me to!” he yelled at the top of his voice and suddenly felt a sting on his cheek.

As tears pricked his eyes, Otto placed his hands on his cheek, where his mother had slapped him. 

“Mom...,” he called in a trembling voice. It hurts, it hurts so much even though it was the first time she had raised her hands on him.

Realizing that she had made the greatest mistake of her life, Anna took a step forward and tried to touch her son but he flinched slightly away from her. 

Boring his emerald eyes into his mother's, Otto replied calmly, “Please don't hurt Ava, if not for anything but for my sake. If she dies then I will die too.” with that he took the stairs without sparing her another glance.

•••

Meanwhile, at the alley, Ava was still whimpering as she stayed still on the floor. Just then a hot sensation took over her skin and she flinched.

She looked over her shoulder and saw two slender fingers resting on them. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she suddenly felt secure without knowing why though.

The hot sensation from the touch of the stranger took away the cold from her immediately. 

Sitting upright she finally took her gaze to the person in front of her only to meet with a pair of gunmetal blue eyes that looked like a calm ocean. It was the prettiest she had ever seen in her entire life.

“Are you ok? Did you get hurt?” 

The sudden voice from the stranger interrupted her daze. His voice sounded as calm as the evening gentle breeze, as he creased his eyebrows, waiting for her reply.

“I'm fine.” she broke into a small smile and he helped her up.

Just as she stood up an intense pain struck her right ankle and she almost fell back down, but Xerxes was quick enough to catch her.

“You hurt your knee because of me, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sneak up on you like that.” he sincerely apologized.

Eventually, they saw a bench and Xerxes took her there. After placing her on it, he bent down and took her leg in his hand as he tried to massage it from swelling so much.

A smile broke on his lips when the memories of the past suddenly filled his head; he could remember holding her legs like this ten years ago after spraining her ankle so badly after a fall.

Back then, he would watch her so much and always protect her from the bad guys. It hasn't changed though since he had kept a close watch on her every single day and this night was not an exception.

 He thought it was cute when she referred to him as her uncle who always saves her from trouble. But now, he doesn't want to be her uncle but lover as well.

*I guess some things don't change* he chuckled at his thoughts.

Meanwhile, Ava on the other hand had been trying to recall where she had seen the guy in front of her. There was no way she must be mistaken about him as his voice sounded so familiar. 

“What is your name?” Ava asked as curiosity got the better part of her. 

Xerxes gently placed her leg on the floor and averted his gaze to her, looking from below as he replied calmly. “Call me Xerxes, Miss Ava,” 

Immediately he uttered those words, the incident of what had happened on the bus on her first day of college suddenly appeared in her head.

“You are that pervert?!!” Ava yelled at the top of her voice.