chapter 42
Asher’s POV
“I was so proud of you…so, so proud son.”
I saw my father standing there, and for a second, I almost
couldn’t believe it.
He looked at me with those familiar eyes that were full of warmth, pride, and just a hint of that sternness I had grown up
with.
“Thanks dad… What are you doing here? Wait, where are we?” I
tried to remember what happened before we got here. But it
was a complete blank.
My father didn’t answer my question. He instead said, “You had
grown into a reliable Alpha. I believe I have left the members
and the pack in good hand. Just remember to take good care of
your brother and Violet. They are your family. When there’s a
danger, they are the ones you can turn to.”
His voice was soft but full of meaning. My father had always been the one to teach me, guide me, but this time, it felt
different.
There was something in his tone–a sadness, a finality that
made my heart tighten.
“Dad stop this. Why are you saying this anyway? Where the
hell are we?!”
I looked around, trying to make sense of where we were. A
huge fog surrounded us. It was a dense white wherever I
looked. I’d never been here before. It didn’t look like any part of
my pack, not the forest, not the fields, not anywhere I knew.
“Where are standing outside?” I asked, confused. “Aren’t you
supposed to be in the hospital?”
Suddenly, I remembered it. My parents had been in the hospital,
injured by the fire. I was so furious, and desperate, and
helpless…I wanted to protect them but I failed. The doctor said
we could only wait for a miracle…
“Have you all recovered yet? What did the doctor say?” I asked
urgently.
My mother stepped forward, her eyes glistening with tears. She reached out and touched my face, her hand warm against my
cheek.
It felt real, but everything else felt wrong, like it was all slightly
out of focus.
“We’re so happy to see you again, honey, just before we leave,”
she said, her voice trembling. “This might be the last time.
Promise me you will stay happy and safe.”
My stomach dropped.
“What do you mean?” I shook my head, breathing fast. “No, you‘
re coming home. You’re both getting better. We’ll go back
together, just like before! Don’t leave me again mom!”
I reached out, trying to grab hold of them, to pull them close,
but my hands met nothing but air. It was like they were just…
fading away. My heart pounded in my chest, my breath coming
in ragged gasps.
My father’s voice echoed around me, softer now, like it was
coming from far away. “The truth is an illusion,” he said.
“Everything you see is only what others want you to see. You
must always stay vigilant.”
“No!” I shouted, my voice breaking. “Stop! Just… Just come back!
Please.”
My mother’s eyes were full of sorrow, but there was a small,
sad smile on her lips. “We always wanted to travel, your father
and I,” she said. “Only this time…it’s going to be a long trip.”
“No, no, no. NO!”
I shook my head, tears streaming down my face.
“…This has to be a dream,” I whispered to myself, my voice
cracking. “…I want to wake up. Or at least let me go with you. I
can’t lose you.”
My mother’s expression softened, and she said, “Think of
Violet, sweetheart. If you leave with us, she’ll be all alone.”
Her words cut through the haze of my grief. Violet. Yes, what
about Violet? I loved her more than anything. How could I even
think about leaving her behind? How could I be so selfish?
My mother’s voice grew gentler, almost like a breeze:
“…Take care of Mia, and the rest of your future family. You
have so much love to give. They all need you.”
I wanted to say something, anything, but my throat felt like it
was closing up. Before I could force the words out, everything
around me seemed to blur. I felt the connection I had with my
parents slipping away like sand through my fingers. The
chapter 42
warmth of their
Com anu aivne.
ard, my heart
¿ged breathing.
ne nurses, not Violet.
My eyes shot open, and I was back in my w
pounding, my face wet with tears.
It was dark, and the only sound was my ra
Nobody was around. Not the doctors, not t
Even my parents were gone.
I was alone.
e a hole had been
d to move.
old floor, and before I
window and into the
house.
ing against the earth
g around me. I ran
ve out, until my
d let the tears come.
rest, filled with all
- ds. I felt like I was
The emptiness I felt was overwhelming, lik
torn through my chest. I had to get out. I ha
I stumbled out of bed, my feet hitting the c
knew it, I was running, out of the hospital
yard. With a leap, I was outside of the pack
I had shifted into my wolf, my paws pound
as I ran through the forest, the trees blurrin
until my legs felt like they were going to gi
lungs burned and I couldn’t run anymore.
I collapsed in the dirt, my chest heaving, an
I howled, the sound echoing through the fo
the pain and sorrow I couldn’t put into wor
breaking apart, like I was being torn to pieces by the weight of
my grief.
I had lost them. My parents were gone, and there was nothing I
could do to bring them back.
Through the haze of my tears, I smelt a familiar scent. My
brother. He was there, his scent filling the air, and I turned to
see him standing there in the shadow.
“…So it’s true…” his voice was strained and hoarse. “They…They
were…”
I didn’t want to be weak. I didn’t want to be this vulnerable, but
in that moment, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. Tears poured out
of my eyes as I went to bury my face in his shoulder, letting out
a broken sob.
I forgot about our family feud, about our grievance, about how
much I hated him before. Just like my father said in my dream,
he was the only one I could turn to now. His was my twin, my
own brother. If there was one person in this world who could
understand my grief, it had to be him.
And he seemed to forget about his resentment as well. He
wrapped his arms around me, holding me close. I felt his shared
grief.
“I’m sorry, brother.” he murmured.
chapter 43
