Chapter 16
The taxi stopped outside my house, the driver got out and took my bag out of the trunk, I opened my door dragging my body out of the back seat, something strange was happening to me, it seemed the closer I got to my house the less strength I had. Mom came out to meet me, the smile on her face faded when she realised the hug she offered was necessary to keep me from collapsing to the ground. She caught me just before I fell, the driver lifted me from her arms and she led the way to my bedroom, and he laid me gently on the bed,
“I think she has a fever” he said looking at mom,
“No, I know what this is, this is no fever” she said shaking her head knowingly,
“Well, if you’re sure I will be on my way” he said offering mom a smile and leaving, I heard the faint sound of his footsteps and then the door closed.
“Mom, what’s happening to me?” I asked hoping she had a remedy, this was worse than a fever, it was a deep seeded feeling of dread drawing me deeper and deeper into the abyss, every breath felt like my last, talking felt like I was lifting a twenty-kilogram weight, I wanted to cry, but I had no strength to create the tears.
“Who marked you?” she asked with a motherly concern in her voice,
“Aiden…” I said a tear running down my cheek, it felt like acid burning my face off.
“Wait, does that mean”, I looked at her
“Is this because of the mark?” No, please say no, if his mark is this powerful there is no hope of reversing it,
“mom?” I pushed, she nodded, and my heart sank,
“oh god, what am I going to do?” I said under my breath feeling every bone in my body get heavier and heavier, I groaned trying to ease the pain.
“Aiden, Aiden, where do I know that name from?” She asked, even though her voice was audible she was clearly talking to herself,
“Alpha’s… son” I said barely managing to get the words out,
“Oh, no” she shot me a look, what, mom, what? I had no strength left in me to talk, I could only ask with my eyes, and I hopped to god she understood.
“Official or not he is the Alpha, and an Alpha’s bite is no ordinary bite” she said sitting on my desk chair,
“after you have been bitten by an Alpha you have to consummate the marriage”. She paused, my eyes wide with shock, marriage, did she just say marriage?, we are not married he bit me and marked me against my will, it was not consensual, I shook my head at her, trying to say we are not married and most of all we are not mates,
“the longer you wait to consummate your love the harder it will get for you, your body will yearn for him making you and your wolf weaker”, she stopped covering her mouth with her hands, her eyes widening in shock, as though she just came to a horrible realisation,
“this is made worse…” she continued trying hard to keep her cool,
“by the distance, the further you are from your love the more the magnetic cosmic pull will pull you together trying to balance your cosmos and align them with his and this as you know can be very painful, if you get too far away from him before the process is complete it could even lead to death.”
What? He is trying to kill me, the way I’m feeling now tells me one more step and I’m a goner,
“Scarlett where is Aiden now?” she asked with a concerned look on her face, It got worse when I didn’t answer.
“is he still at school?” I nodded
“that’s not good” she said shaking her head.
I closed my eyes and darkness overcame me, I felt like I was floating, I felt relieved because nothing hurt anymore,
“Scarlett…. Scarlett… Scarlett!” I heard the faint screams of my mother echoing in the air, I felt at peace here, it was warm, and I had an overwhelming urge to stay, this felt like home, and it welcomed me with a warm hug, it feels like I’m running through a vast green meadow with clear skies surrounding me, the smell of the forest consuming me.
“Scarlett… Scarlett come back to me!” her screams got further and further away until they were merely a whisper.
“I will mom, just let me enjoy this a little longer” I said moving towards a mysterious bright light, it was calling to me beckoning me to come closer,
“You’re early honey” I turned around and joy filled my heart
“Dad” I said looking at my father’s face, he looked like his old self before he got sick, full of life and energy, he was my dad again. The one I wanted to see so many times whenever I came back from school, the dad that was full of life and loved running and cycling, and my heart sang seeing him here with that same vigour that I thought was lost long ago.
“What are you doing here? You don’t belong here sweetheart, at least not for now”
“I miss you so much daddy” I said ignoring his words completely, I ran over and gave him a hug, I hugged him so tightly I never wanted to let him go.
“We will be together again sweetheart, but now is not that time”
“But dad, we are finally together, I’m not gonna lose you again”
“Go back sweetheart, it’s time to go back”
“Aren’t you happy to see me? Don’t you want me to stay just a little bit longer?”
“You have no idea how happy I am that I got to see you just one more time, but you have to go back now, the longer you stay here the harder it will be to go back”
“Back where?”
“Scarlett leave before it’s too late, I need you to take care of your mother”
“Mother? Oh no mom, I have to go!” I exclaimed finally breaking the trance and dad nodded back at me. I looked up at him worry creeping into my heart.
“I can’t, I don’t know how”
