AthenaWhen I got back into the room, bracing myself for the worst it turned out that the worst I have been expecting was yet to happen. The sound of the shower running coming from the bathroom told me that Sebastian was inside.As my stare fell on the bed, I noticed that the bed sheets have been changed. Perhaps when I was out, he called a maid and made her do it. At least this was considerate of him to do so but I doubted that he did that for me, he might have his own reasons.I was aware that Sebastian does not want to make anything easy for me.Sighing, I walked and took a seat on the couch, looking outside at the sky as the white clouds scatter everywhere within the blue.I was not going to succeed in bringing Sebastian back if I turn to be unable to push away my fears. I needed to look past every cruel thing he did, and that was the hardest part.I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart down when suddenly the sound shower stopped and the bathroom d
SebastianCold water was not helping in calming my racing heart down. I did not if it was anger or what that made a venomous feeling spread through my entire chest, grasping me under its cage each time I took a breath.I hated her. I hated her. I was supposed to hate her.What did she mean to me? Nothing.Emotions make people weak, it ruins them and their lives, it cages them in the false forever till they are either dead or....their lives are taken away from me— And I was not weak. I was not one of those who could be destroyed.I was Sebastian Valdez— I got no emotions or attachments. My heart was cold as stone, I did not allow it to feel anything.In all these years I have kept myself the way I was meant to be, I never let anyone shake me from my ground, then why would this one single woman be any matter to me? She might be my mate but she meant nothing to me, just nothing.My thought began getting cut off and off the rhythm as Athena's face began flashing in front of my eyes. The s
AthenaWhen I woke up I found myself on the bed alone. The rays from the sun were responsible for waking me up.Yawning I rubbed my eyes to wipe away the drowsiness and got down from the bed. My mood was not as heavy as all the other times because last night had not been tough for me, everything that'd happened was within a limit and that is why I have not woken up with a huge weight over my chest and terrible memories.The only unpleasant thing was the dream about my parents. It was basically a flashback of what they'd done to me and sold me to those auctioneers just because I did not have a wolf. But on the brighter side, I actually got to feel my wolf nowadays, and it'd only happen when Sebastian would be around me, his presence triggers my wolf's emotions. However, I was still not sure how I got out of that dreadful dream, but I sure felt a soft caress in my sleep; The warmth of someone that helped bring peace to my soul.Shrugging my thoughts away, I freshened up and took a qui
AthenaOn my way to my room with thousands of different thoughts bombarding inside of my head, I accidentally bumped into the last person I wanted to see—Celine.Her purse fell from her hand and I stumbled backwards."Ugh! Can't you see where you are going?" She groaned, bending down to grab her purse and collect her belongings that fell I did not bother to pay more attention to her and attempted to walk away. Having a conversation with her was the last thing I wanted.But then suddenly I heard her muttering."Fucking slave."My feet stopped on their own, my fists balled up to my sides and I turned around instantly, "What did you just say?"She stood up straight, grabbed her purse and looked at me, "I said exactly what you have heard.""It's rich coming from a woman like you when all you do is suck my mate's dick and run here and there around him like an obedient dog would do for his treat," I crossed my arms over my chest, "So it's better for you if you keep your mouth."Her face tu
AthenaThe night came sooner, and my thoughts went louder and louder. Sebastian still hasn't come.I was worried and mostly scared, I did not know where he was or what was he doing. There could be so many dangers out there and he could get potentially hurt.Minutes that passed soon turned into hours and the night advanced into its darkest duration.And finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I heard the familiar heavy footsteps before the door opened revealing Sebastian.He was here but not exactly in the way I have expected, he was injured. More than just injured.There was blood seeping out of the wound on his palm, a big cut was there on his forehead, and multiple injuries covered his arms; His shirt was all torn and shredded as if he'd just come from surviving a storm. "Sebastian..." A worried gasp slipped past my lips on its own and I rushed towards him."Oh my god...you are injured," I began panicking, I'd never felt this sort of restlessness like I felt today watching thi
Celine"Yes, I have sent the money to him. Hopefully, it'll be enough for the next few days, I'll try to arrange more before I can send it once again." I told her on the phone, being careful to not speak out loud even though the door was locked. "Sebastian's not really coming to me, nowadays, most of the time he'd be around his damn mate or in his office, I'm not getting the chance to ask for his credit card, that's why I'm unable to arrange the amount I was supposed to."I could not risk anyone hearing me especially that fucking Sebastian Valdez."You know the amount might not be enough for him, especially after the destruction Sebastian made at his hiding spot. He can't stay there anymore.""I know, but Vincent shouldn't have tried to pull such a stunt when he was told to stay underground after our last plan failed. Why did he even plan something like that with that stupid guy whose mind only revolves around money? He could have just asked me about it," I let out a frustrated sigh,
SebastianI slammed my fist on the desk unable to focus on anything other than the face of the one woman— Athena.It was not supposed to be like this, I was not supposed to be thinking of her all day long. There were so many important tasks for me to fulfil and here I was, sitting here for the past few hours and looking at the scattered papers in front of me, yet not being able to figure out why was I exactly doing this.However, it was unavoidable to not of her when it was about her safety that concerned me so much.Motherfucking Vicent Thompson was trying to hurt my mate. That bloody bastard!Even though our enmity started because of his want of taking revenge on my damn father which to be honest I thought was fair but over the years I have gathered enough reasons to kill this guy. I'd never killed any innocent...in my perception. People's views and mine were different. How could someone be called innocent if they are willing to lie to cover up their misdeeds?Loyalty is rewarded b
AthenaTill I reached his study, my gigantically pulsating heart was ready to jump out of my chest at any time.Yes, it was no secret that I felt extremely nervous even at the sight of Sebastian but today my fear was at its peak once again and the reason was what he did yesterday. His words were still rushing in a loop at some corner of my head, no matter how hard I tried to push them back into oblivion they just wouldn't go.After struggling for the entire time walking towards Sebastian's study, I finally accepted the fact that I had nothing to do but face it. So, I stopped in front of the door and knocked twice."Come in." His melodic voice came immediately.Sucking in a breath, I opened the door and stepped into the room. My eyes took a quick look around everywhere— All the files and other documents were neatly arranged, there was black carpet covering the entire floor, the lightning was not dim; Two of the windows were left open giving a way for the fresh air to percolate the room
Sebastian"Sebastian, you have to talk to Vincent. Enough is enough; I can't handle him anymore," Athena walked into the room, her hair cascading down her waist, her skin flushed with frustration, "Moreover, we don't even have enough room for toys and dresses now. There are still hundreds of things that Asher hasn't even tried yet, but he just dropped off more than ten bags full of outfits, just now! Asher's growing so fast; he won't even get to try all of it. It's all going to be a waste. God, I can't take it!"She threw her hands over her head. In her flowy white maxi dress, with no bra on, she did indeed look tempting. It might make me seem like a complete jerk, but I wasn't paying the least amount of attention to her words compared to what I was paying to her body now.Oh, how I would love to tear that dress off of her and have her on the bed, clutching onto the sheets with her silky hair sprawled all over the pillow while with each thrust, I'd drive deeper into her—it'd be a deli
Athena"Luna, there's someone who wants to meet both of you," the maid informed us."Who is it, sweetie?" I asked as I gently placed Asher in his crib. This was his second nap of the day, and in his soft snores, there was a hint of Sebastian. He had definitely taken after his father in terms of looks and a few habits."He says his name is Tristan Perez.""What, Tristan?" I asked, my brows rising in surprise, and Sebastian's reaction mirrored mine as he immediately closed his laptop."Bring him in," he said, “Right now."The maid promptly left the room.It had been four months since that fateful day when Sebastian, after apologizing to Tristan, me (even though I was unconscious at the time), and our newborn baby, disappeared. He had promised to return the following day, but Tristan had vanished without a trace. No phone calls, no visits, no messages, and no news. Cora had been devastated, but she eventually found the strength to move on, accepting the possibility that he might never re
AthenaFour Months Later"Sebastian, Vincent, I need to feed Asher. You two need to give him to me, right now!" I yelled for the second time, standing at the doorway with my arms crossed over my chest."Do you want to go to Mama?" Sebastian asked, planting soft kisses on Asher's cheeks, eliciting a chorus of giggles, "We don't think so. He's happier with Daddy and Uncle Vince.""Yeah, our little fighter is happier with us than with you, Athena. You seem to bore him all the time," Vincent chuckled, gently taking Asher in his arms and playfully nibbling on his ear, "What a big boy you are, huh?!" He planted a loving kiss atop Asher's head."Yeah, Mama's boring," Sebastian joked, pretending to lie down across Asher's lap. Asher, ever the daddy's boy, leaned in and gave Sebastian a kiss of his own, complete with a cute but slobbery open-mouthed smooch. That was his way of kissing."See, even Asher agrees with us," Vincent said with a proud grin.Goodness! When I had Asher, who could have
AthenaEverything around me felt too light, and my body felt burdened by an inexplicable weight. I was acutely aware of my own breath, the gentle touch of someone's fingers caressing my cheeks, and the faint, delicate movements of a small figure nestled in my arms.Do the departed continue to breathe? Perhaps in their consciousness, or maybe in a manner imperceptible to the living. Do the dead really breathe?Am I among the dead now? If I am, then why do I still sense that touch, one that seemed to coax my soul to the surface with every stroke? Why do I feel the presence of someone incredibly dear to me, as though a part of my essence had drawn near?Thoughts raced through my mind, clamouring for attention, until one realisation surfaced — my baby.My eyes slowly fluttered open, adjusting to the soft, ambient light. The surroundings were unmistakably familiar — our very own home, and our shared place—Our room.So....we made it?"Love," Sebastian's voice whispered beside me, and I turn
TristanI had made a mistake. A great one. One that I couldn’t undo no matter how much I wished.Cora handed me the diary as we all stood outside the hospital. The morning winds were bitterly cold or maybe, it was just the cold within me."This is Celine's diary," she said, her demeanour different today, unlike the times when she used to follow me around in an attempt to make me acknowledge the mate bond I had been denying until now. Of course, I knew the reason—she had seen the kind of person I had become.And who would ever want to be with a man like me? Worthless.I hadn't done this right. I made Athena pay a price she wasn't supposed to pay—all that pain and suffering just to see her child's face once. She had endured too much for my revenge, a revenge I shouldn't have sought in the first place. But what else could I do? I wanted to hurt Sebastian, and she was the only one who truly mattered to him in this entire world.Celine died to save Athena. Had I made her sacrifice go in va
Athena"What kind of sick joke is this?" Sebastian growled. "She can't even breathe, and you're asking her to push? Is this another one of your schemes to put her through even more suffering? Listen, Tristan, why don't you just leave? You've already succeeded, then just go.""Look, I'm not lying. I know I should be the last person you'd trust, but if you want to save her, this is the only way. It had always been this way.""Do you expect me to believe that? You're the one who brought my mate and child to this condition. And now, you suddenly change your mind and say you're willing to show a sick way to save her?""I don't know why I'm doing this, okay?" Tristan shouted. "I still don't know if I'm supposed to save your mate and child and give you a happily ever after when you've ruined hundreds of lives, including the one I loved. I'm not even sure if I won't regret my decision if I save her... but," his voice dropped low, "I don't know if I'll be able to forgive myself if she dies bec
Vincent"Where could it be?!" I scoured every corner of the room that my sister had once lived in. Each belonging I touched, felt like a piece of my soul leaving my body. She had degraded herself into being someone's... object, all to avenge a duty that was never meant to be hers in the first place.I had failed as a brother. First, I couldn't save my wife and child, and then my sister— I had failed as a brother, a husband, and a father. Perhaps, at some point, even as a son, the day I emptied all the bullets in my gun into my mother's body.What else could I have done? She wasn't the mother I once knew, or maybe she never was. She’d become just a wife, a woman consumed by revenge for her husband's death, stooping to any level she could."Fuck, I need to find it!""Do you really think she wrote about it in her diary?" Cora's voice was laced with frustration, mirroring my own. Despite her wound, she'd insisted on coming with me. Seeing her struggle and fight through the pain just to be
AthenaIn just a matter of minutes, perhaps five at most, another howl echoed from the same direction I had just fled. The urgency to rescue my child and escape intensified. The deeper I ventured, the jungle's darkness engulfed me, beyond the approaching dusk, as if the very terrain absorbed my every pawfall.Adjusting to my newfound lupine form proved challenging, despite the profound potential it held. Joy should have welled within me, had circumstances been different. Amid this life-and-death urgency for my child and me, my half-life of hell ended. The ash-hued fur now enveloping me marked my shift – bones realigning, former doubts erased. A single question remained, paramount: Can I save my baby?I did not know but I knew, I had to. No matter what, I had to.Irrespective, I surged forward with unrelenting speed, and the strength in my body grew. But the abdominal ache deepened, sapping my strides. My efforts persisted, each second ticking toward an impending reckoning. My deliver
SebastianThere was no trace of her anywhere. Every search and every query yielded negative results.Fuck this!A bead of sweat trickled down my forehead. My heart's rhythm grew louder, each passing second eroding my grasp on composure—I can't forgive myself if anything happens to her or our child. Past mistakes already burdened me, and failing them now would be unbearable."Any leads?"."No, Alpha. No sign of her," came the reply."Then search around! Why the fuck are you calling me without anything to report? Damn it!”"Apologies, Alpha. We'll expand the search."I disconnected and flung the phone away. This situation was maddening. Worry consumed me, and Aaron's tactics, unexpected. I had misjudged his feelings for Athena, forgetting the twisted core that might lead him to harm her for his ego's sake.Damn it! I should've seen this coming. Accompanied her instead of letting her go with Cora.How could I act fucking careless?!I sped up the car, the dark night heightening my fears.