2. "Lycan's Revenge"

Aaron’s POV

‘If only I chased after her, none of this would happen.’

I was walking back and forth outside the emergency room. The line between dream and reality was crossing in my head, hoping this was a nightmare that would end once I opened my eyes. I always thought I could control everything: my emotions, the people around me, and Vera.

But I was wrong.

It happened with just a blink of an eye, and the reality hits me – I could not protect the woman I love.

The door of the operating room opened.  My breath halted. I instantly forgot what’s what as I stood before the doctor.

“How’s Vera? Can I see her right now?” I asked, trying to remain calm as much as possible.

“Vera wasn’t breathing when they took her in,” the doctor said, unable to look directly into my eyes. “I am sorry, Lycan Aaron. We did our best. But Vera did not survive.”

My eyes bulged wide open. Words left me. I couldn’t even argue with the doctor and ask her if she was kidding. Vera’s death will never be a good joke.

“We removed the stillborn baby from her and noticed signs of bleeding, which caused severe blood loss after the accident. And…”

“Wait.”

Feeling the burning sensation in my eyes and the squeezing pain in my chest, I peered at the doctor and demanded her to repeat what she just said.

“What did you say again? Baby?”

Her eyes widened and then subsided. She took a deep breath and answered, “Your girlfriend was pregnant three months along. The lack of blood flow and oxygen in her body indicates that she had a miscarriage. There were many reasons. But it’s clear that she had a miscarriage even before the accident. Perhaps, she was on her way to the nearest hospital when the bleeding happened. But she didn’t reach the place and died on the road.”

The revelation crashed the mountain I had in me. It was powdered to the last bits, not giving me a chance to condemn my sin as a failed boyfriend and a failed father to our unborn child.

Raw anger shot through me, pulsing through my veins. I couldn’t forgive myself, nor see a way out of regrets and guilt.

If I didn’t argue with her and let her go alone, this heart-wrenching incident would happen. At the end of the red line, there’s only me to curse and blame.

Barely holding my anger at bay, I looked back at the doctor and detached my lips.

“I wanted to see her.”

The emotions filling me were like a monstrous beast that cannot be tamed. I knew seeing her dead body would torture me to the bone, leaving a dread-cold feeling in my heart. But even if this is the last time, I really yearned to see her face.

“She was being transferred into the morgue,” the doctor said. She lowered her head and paid her respect, “I am sorry for your loss, Lycan Aaron.”

No word of condolence reached me as I ventured to the morgue.

Everything was a blank sheet of black. Only the white linen veiling Vera’s body appeared in my eyes. I raised my hand, but I was unable to lift it as fear had paralyzed my arm.

I shut my eyes, and memories of Vera while she was alive came to visit me.

In those memories, Vera cried, shouted, and clung to me desperately. Everything was caused by me.

With shaking breaths, I opened my teary eyes and carefully pulled the white linen.

My beautiful Vera had her eyes closed. Even in her death, she remained beautiful.

I caressed her cheek. It was cold, and the chill transferred to my fingertips, I thought I would drown from water that could reach only my ankles.

“Vera, stop playing a joke. Open your eyes and let’s talk. There are many things that I wanted to say. So, stop this.”

Usually, I was not swept away by an upheaval emotion, yet right now, staring at my woman’s moveless body, a tsunami raged within me.

My body was covered in frost, and my mind was torrid to the point of boiling, it tormented me completely. Then, my throat narrowed, and my sight blurred.

I went on my knees, holding her cold hands.

“I get it. This is real. The f*cking Goddess of the moon took you and our baby away because I found my mate. It must be the case. If not then, why do I need to lose you and cope with this wrath?”

“I admit it. My wolf was attracted to my mate. But I don’t give a damn about the bond!” I leaned my head to her hand, barren of warmth. “A Lycan like me can control my emotions. I would never abandon you and follow my mate!”

I was happy to see my mate. That’s the truth. Once I laid my eyes on her, I knew right then that she was my mate. My wolf, Zack, felt a strong attraction towards her even though she looks young, and it seemed she could not feel the mate bond between us.

“But that’s all.  My mate has a boyfriend, and she enjoyed having his company. I didn’t have a plan to disturb them and steal her, all because my love for you would never change. You were my world, and you will always be. No woman or f*cking mate can replace you in my heart.” 

Then, the realization stole my sanity.  At the end of my gaze, I could imagine the beautiful mate I saw in the ceremony.

“This is all because of her. She controlled my wolf. It was her fault!”

I looked at Vera and chuckled sardonically as if I had found the right person to vent my anger and my solitude.

“My wolf was enthralled by her scent. That’s why I couldn’t help but follow her and steal a glimpse. This... All of this happened because I was controlled.”

Zack, my wolf, spoke faintly, “You know well that your mate is innocent. I desired her, that’s why. But you’re blaming her because you hate her!”

And that’s the problem.

The tragedy happened because I let that woman control my desire.

“Oh what should I do with people or things I couldn’t control?”

Destruction.

My eyes became plain black and white.

All I could think of was taking my revenge on the culprit of this accident and the cause of Vera’s agony.

“Aaron.”

I lifted my head and saw my Beta friend, Jasfer, approach me with faint steps. I let go of Vera’s cold hand and stood up.

Roughly wiping my face, I asked him, “How is it? Did you finish investigating who did this to Vera?”

“Unfortunately, there was no surveillance footage in the area. The heavy rain had washed away the evidence, so we could not find anything at all.”

“You could not find anything at all,” I repeated the words.

What kind of bullsh*t was that?

My molars ground together with force.

Seeing my reaction, Jasfer had been frozen in place, and he tried to open his lips to speak, but at that moment…

THUD!

My hand crashed into the table as my rationality snapped, and my head was running rampant.

Self-control was nowhere to be seen. But given that I used the table to find relief, in fact, this much still showed my patience towards Jasfer.

“A-Aaron,” he said as his face went pale.

At his voice, I was certain Jasfer could grasp the importance of this case for me. And I would never forgive him for doing a sloppy job to find Vera’s killer, although I knew he was doing his best.

“Jasfer, don’t test my patience more than I can control,” I warned, staring at him, and licking the blood dripping on my knuckles.

“I am really, s-sorry,” he said trembling. “B-But look at this.”

He hastily brought the documents and showed me the report of his investigation.

“The pack Hospital received an emergency call around 12:30. The timing aligns closely with the doctor’s estimation when Vera had her accident. I don’t think this is just purely an accident. There’s a chance that the caller is…”

Jasfer didn’t continue what he was saying and only stared at my eyes as if letting me continue his guess at this matter, on which, my guts entertained.

‘The caller might be the suspect.’

An impending grin slipped into my mouth before my eyes searched for my dead girlfriend’s face.

“Find the culprit. They need to know what living in hell would be.”

Seeking revenge would keep my wounds green. But for Vera and for my child, I must let those bastards taste their own medicine.

Death for death.