Damien
My heart thumped as I tore through the forest. I couldn't pick up their scent, but I knew where the cabin was located and that was where I was headed.
I muttered a silent prayer in my heart. 'Please, let me catch up to Arielle in time.'
Even when the shrubs brushed against my paws, I wasn't bothered about them. I leaped over sheer drops and landed on my limbs, but I didn't feel the pain. All this didn't matter, I just wanted to see Arielle again.
It took me two hours on all fours to get to the cabin and when I arrived, I knew it was empty from the lack of heartbeats, but I refused to accept it.
My stubbornness got the better of me and I sprung into the cabin, looking for her.
"Arielle! Arielle!" I called, but only my echo greeted me.
I got to a section of the cabin, and I picked up her scent. It was faint, which signified she had left a long time ago. The spent candle and the rotten half-apple on the floor were very cold. It threw me into a state of despair.
Yet I refused to give up.
I made one final futile attempt to climb the top of the cabin.
"Arielle!" I screamed from the top as my voice cracked and my world shattered.
Hot tears started pouring down my cheeks as the pain slapped every inch of my existence.
I dropped my eyes to my hands, regretting the very last moment I pushed her away… The pain in her eyes… The look of despair…
"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry." I went down on my knees.
I wished I could turn back the hands of time, but it was too late— I was too late, they were already far gone.
I tried tracking them but it was hopeless. The forest spread wide before me. They could be anywhere. The person leading them was careful enough to cover their tracks.
As a last result, I returned to the cabin and cried my pain away.
Dejected and heartbroken, I slowly made my way back to the Manor, my mind barely keeping track of time. By the time I finally got back, it was morning, and I met the entire pack in a state of panic.
People were crying and moving in every direction I looked. Some had frailed-looking children in their arms and as much as I wanted to ask what was going on with everybody, my heart and wolf were far too broken.
I ignored the strange behavior around me and made my way to the Manor. By the time I made it to the stairs, Bailey ran up to me.
"Where have you been my lord? I heard you ran out of the palace last night—" Her mouth suddenly hung open as her eyes finally took in the dirty state I was in, and she took a step back in visible disgust.
"What do you want?" I growled and she jumped in fear.
"Your father asks of you."
"Tell him that I wished not to be disturbed!" I waved her away and continued to my room. I just needed some time to myself.
I locked myself in the room and sat there for days, drowning in depression and alcohol. I kept telling myself that Arielle was living a better life, but my wolf's words tormented me.
"You will be mates for life, even if you got another mate, there will still be a place for her in your heart. You will never be happy," he said.
Several times, the maids knocked at the door, but I shouted at them to leave me alone. I hated being bothered, especially at this time of my life. I didn't even care about the union with Cecilia.
I was enjoying my depression and— even found it normal to live in until the door to my room suddenly broke apart from tremendous force.
I already knew it was my father because no other person had the guts. Not even Raymond.
My father stormed inside. His eyes were glued on me and he shook his head at my pitiful state. I sat on the floor, between the bed and the window, and continued wallowing in alcohol which only irritated him further.
He kicked away the bottle of alcohol and glared at me. "What is this?!"
"It is what it is… Leave me alone!"
"Why are you doing this to yourself?! You are less than a man now, you abandoned your union to wallow in alcohol? What's guilt tripping you into this?!"
A dark chuckle suddenly escaped my throat, and I shook my head. "You really want to know?" I nodded several times. "Nah, you don't care, you never cared about anything I said unless the kingdom was involved in it."
He lowered himself to my position and held my shoulders. "Son, tell me what happened," he demanded.
"Alright, I will tell you since you want to hear it. I've lost everything," I smiled in pain. "I've lost Arielle, she's gone. This was a mistake, the union and rejecting her. I thought it was easy but— I don't want to live with it—I just want to die."
His hands on me suddenly became violent as he pulled me by the collar.
"You are a Black! I will never allow you to ruin your life because of a woman! I suspected it was that girl, you made the right choice by rejecting her! Now, you will let another woman take care of you…"
At the corner of my eyes, Cecilia stepped into the room and bowed at me.
"What are you doing?" I turned to Father. "I don't want—"
"Cecilia will take care of you! It's final!" He released his hold on me and left my side before I could complain again. I watched silently as he whispered to Cecilia before he left.
"You don't have to be here…" I growled before turning away from her.
I dragged myself to the bathroom and stayed there for as long as I could, hoping that by the time I stepped out, she and her annoying scent would be long gone.
But I was wrong.
***
Over the next days, Cecilia constantly appeared in my room to take care of me. As much as I turned her away, she didn't give up. She kept coming till I grew tired of sending her back.
She took care of everything, from cleaning my room to bringing me food.
Everything was happening in a time loop and I never paid attention to her until the day she decided to open her mouth to sing. Goddess! It was the worse voice I have ever heard.
She sounded like a dying radio and as much as I wanted to growl at her to stop, it somehow reminded me of Arielle's beautiful voice.
I smiled at the memory and sighed deeply. As crazy as it seemed, Cecilia had managed to bring back a memory that brought me some level of happiness.
Carried away by my smile, Cecilia raised her terrible voice. She sang more boldly now, and the bubble of excitement cracked, throwing me back into my misery.
"Please stop," I hissed.
She was surprised I spoke to her for the first time. "Am I being too loud? Do you want something else?" She rushed towards me but respected a good distance between us.
I ignored her and looked outside the window from the bed. The good days were so far behind now.
"I understand how you feel. I heard everything from your father and my aunt," she started speaking.
I turned at her and raised a brow. No, she didn't understand how I felt. No one could understand the pain I felt.
Again, she misinterpreted the stare I was giving her and became even more comfortable. She sat down at the corner of the bed and continued speaking.
"I promise not to rush you or disturb you. I know your wolf hates me right now, but I will be patient. Until it opens itself to me, I will be here. No matter how long it takes… but the kingdom needs you. Everyone needs you right now, you have been gone for days."
I frowned at the distress in her tone. "What do you mean the Kingdom needs me? What happened to my father?"
"I see…" she sighed, and my heart skipped a beat.
"What is going on Cecilia?"
"No one told you because of your health, Alpha Damien. The land is dying, the droughts and famine are now severe. We are at the risk of losing everything. If this continues, everyone will die of hunger."