Hurtful Memory Lane

NICHOLAS POV

A dark cloud seemed to hover around me after she left my apartment. For some reason, I felt empty again. 

"You miss her don't you?" Louis asked, provoking me. 

"Why will I miss her? Louis if you don't have anything more important to say fuck off my mind!" I scolded, scaring Louis away. 

My eyes fell on the coffee she made for me and I picked it up again and had a sip but it suddenly tasted very bad. I didn't know if it was my taste buds that had suddenly gone bad or it was the coffee or something else but all I know is that it was too bad for me to drink so I threw it out. 

"What was that about?" I heard Ava's voice and then I remembered I was on a video call with her. 

"It's nothing you should concern yourself about," I replied hoping she'd end the topic. 

"You had sex with her again?" She asked angrily. 

"I told you it's not something to concern yourself with!" I yelled but Ava was used to my yelling now. It didn't matter to her how much I yelled, she would continue to ask whatever was on her mind so I tried to ease her worries. 

"Look, Diana just offered sex and I took it. This isn't the first time I'm sleeping with random women." I reminded, 

"But this is the first time you're sleeping with a single woman twice. She's your mate, after all, maybe you grew attached to her. You might as well bring her back to the packhouse and make her rule over us." She said with so much disdain in her voice. She didn't want to exchange eye contact with me but I noticed the tears prickling by the side of her marble gray eyes.

Ava has always loved me since we were kids. If I could reciprocate the romantic feelings she has for me, I would consider myself the luckiest man but I could only see her as a younger sister.  

"You think I won't be able to do this right?" I asked and the disappointment in her eyes when she raised them to meet mine was a good enough answer. 

"Don't call me again. I will be back at the pack by the end of this week." I reassured and ended the call without allowing her to say another word.

I quickly dialed another number on my phone to make another video call but this time, it was with a lanky unmated young lad, Karen. 

"Good day, my lord." He greeted me as soon as he answered the call. 

"Where are my findings?" I asked in a serious tone as I wasn't in the mood for his usual chit chat and one thing I loved most about him is his ability to flow with any of my moods. 

"The king was in Norway for approximately three days, that is two nights. For the duration of his stay, he lodged at Penn State Hotel, Oslo, Norway. He met precisely two people, a middle-aged female artist and an older male sorcerer but he stayed mostly with the artist and I assume she led him to the sorcerer. Their conversation was…" 

"Wait! Do you have a picture of the lady? Or a detailed description?" I asked anxiously as I was reminded of someone I haven't seen in ages. 

"I have a photo of her." He replied as he stared his pure hazel eyes into his laptop in search of the image to display on the screen. 

"That's her!" He exclaimed after a successful search.

A brief moment of silence ensued between us as I stared subconsciously at the image. 

She hasn't changed at all, only that she looks so haggard now than she used to be. Her usually lively satin gray eyes have become quite dull and her naturally curly, short blonde hair became very messy but she never stopped painting. Seeing her now reminded me of the beautiful past that Julius Rivera has ruined. I wonder why she still kept in touch with him. 

Could they be in this together? Were Dad and that woman used by these two? Strange and hurtful thoughts occupied my mind until Karen's sneeze tugged me back to reality. I knew he did that on purpose but I'm grateful he did. 

I just can't wrap my head around the reason why Aunty Anne will be in touch with him. I can't even believe she is alive and she never even came to check up on me for once. 

I needed to stop my mind before I went totally crazy. 

"What did they talk about?" I asked as I adjusted myself on the bed and relaxed my back on the headboard of the bed. 

"Do you recognize her?" He inquired as he read the worry on my face.

"I told you to go straight to the point. Answer what I asked and don't ask questions." I yelled before I realized how harsh I was to him. 

Karen became a rogue at the young age of five when I found him on one of my predator hunts. Ever since then, I took him in and raised him like my younger brother and a beta for my beautiful step-sister. 

Even though they were both at a science college here in Sweden, I warned him never to let Elena know about my presence here. 

Elena was the youngest amongst my father's children but she wasn't my stepmom's daughter. It was only after Dad died that the pack elders informed us about Dad having another child out of wedlock and her mother was also dead so she was no different from me. 

She was just five years old when she came to the palace I knew she would suffer if the elders gave her to our stepmom so I took responsibility for her when I was just 15. The elder agreed I was mature enough since I had my wolf earlier. 

Blood drained from Karen's porcelain face as it always does when he is scared and to hide it, he lowered his gaze. 

"I'm sorry for venting my frustration on you." I apologized and almost immediately, I noticed a crooked smile on his face and blood rushed back to his face as quickly as it left. 

He loved it when I apologized to him because he knew just how much I despised it. 

"Just tell me what they talked about," I instructed.

"Well, I don't think that woman is human…" 

"I know she's not. Just tell me what they discussed." I interrupted. 

"I don't think she's also our kind…"

"Karen! Stop thinking and tell me what you heard!" I yelled once again. Karen sure knows how to piss me off.

I've known Aunty Anne for the better part of my childhood and even though our happy moments together were short-lived, I knew all there was to know about her or so I thought 

"They always discuss in her painting studio and anytime they discuss there, their conversation is impossible to eavesdrop on. The only time they talked outside was in front of the Sorcerer's house. And their conversation was about you!" He announced it to my surprise. 

What? Me? Why would they talk about me? What do they have to say about me? 

"I will speak in The King's voice now." He continued, shoving me back to reality. 

'Help me meet that kid. I really want to see that kid. I want to apologize to him for being the worst Godfather one could ever have. Do this one thing for me for the last time, Anne, before it's too late.' As I watched Karen recite exactly in King Julius Rivera's Voice, I noticed the slight grin that always sprouted across his face when he mentioned 'Kid'. 

This lad sure has a death wish. 

Julius must be joking. Does he think an apology can solve this? I will never forgive him even if he apologizes. 

"But it seems something is going on with him. He talked like he would be dying soon. He seems to have really poor health. Maybe poison, long-term disease, a curse…"

I ended the call, putting a permanent end to Karen's never-ending chatter and thoughts but he got one thing right. 

King Julius Rivera will be dying soon and I will make his wish come through. He wants to see me right? He will see me and he will apologize but I will never forgive him and I will make him perish. He will hurt so badly the same way I've been hurting for the past 18 years. The same way I hurt his daughter.

I smashed my iPad on the bed and raised up from the bed angrily. I covered my face with my palm to let out a loud howl in a bid to lessen the burden in my chest but forgetting that this place was dominated by humans. All the bulbs in my apartment went off leaving me helpless in a dark room that only reminded me of my terrible childhood. 

My howling was loud and I could tell everyone in the palace must be startled by it followed by the loud rumbling sound that the sky radiated. 

I breathed out heavily as a sharp pain seared through my heart. It felt as if someone ripped my heart from my live body and was playing with it right in front of me. 

I tried not to let tears fall from my eyes. I bit my lower lip tightly as I tried to hold the pain in. I felt like I was going to explode if I didn't cry out my heart but I still didn't want to shed any more tears even if it meant my brain exploding from all the emotions that were rushing in. 

Louis and I have always shared conflicting views but today, he wanted to howl too. I could feel him jumping up and down restlessly in my head wanting to unleash the little pain he met in me. I felt on fire. My head was burning hot like an iron melting furnace but my heart was hotter. 

He came into my life a little earlier than normal, and he helped me fight to survive everyday life. 

"Real men don't let pain break them!" Dad's voice kept ringing in my head. 

It rang in my head over and over again until I began to recite it but it wasn't helping matters. 

My inner beast wasn't taking it and so was I. I held my head tightly hoping it might help me but it made no difference. I felt suffocated and out of breath. I tried gasping for air but it was all effortless so I just clutched myself to the side of my bed and curled in my fetal position as I let whatever was sucking the life out of me continue. Even though I didn't want to, I kept gasping for air and my panting could be heard out loud. 

Just when I thought I was finally going to lose it, those heavenly scents of hers hit my nose. Her hand fondled my hair and her voice echoed in my ear. 

"You'll be fine!" She whispered.

Her voice was calm, her scent, pleasing, and her touch, tender but somehow she managed to calm my inner beast. All my pain also withered away as fast as it came.