KAEL's POV
"Kael please save me!" I could hear her scream with everything within her.
It was Aria, I stood there looking at her as she continued to scream.
Soon a circle of fire surrounded her and just as it was about to swallow her, she screamed again.
Kael, please... help me," she begged, but the fire kept on swallowing her, inch by inch. I reached out to her, but I couldn't get close enough.
"Aria! No!" I shouted, my voice breaking, but no matter how hard I ran, no matter how fast I moved, I couldn't reach her. The closer I got, the farther away she seemed.
And then, just when I was about to reach the other side, Aria turned, her face changed to an expression I couldn't quite understand.
She smiled but it wasn't the smile I knew. It was wicked and cold.
"Why did you leave me Kael?" she whispered, and then I heard the crack. The sound of her soul breaking.
I woke up gasping for air, drenched in sweat and my heart pounded against my ribs like it was trying to escape.
"Fuck!" I said as I ran my hand through my hair, trying to shake off the scraps of the dream, but it wasn't working.
I looked to my side, expecting to see Seraphina there, but the bed was cold and empty.
I hate to admit it but her absence hit me harder tonight than usual.
She was the Luna, the one I had chosen, the one I was supposed to love. But all I could think about was Aria. Her face, her voice, the way she'd looked at me in that dream…. Damnn.
I couldn't get rid of her, if I wanted to.
It was obvious I loved her, pretending wasn't just helping in anyway.
I rubbed my eyes, trying to clear the fog when I heard soft footsteps.
It was Seraphina.
She appeared in the doorway, her silhouette framed by the dim light coming through the window.
"Kael?" she said with concern, "You okay baby?"
I gritted my teeth covering my face. "Yeah I'm fine."
She moved closer, sitting on the edge of the bed. Her fingers brushed through my hair slowly, but I couldn't feel anything.
"Something's wrong, come on, talk to me," she said,
"Tell me what you need. You've been like this for days. You're...acting weird."
I jerked away from her, "I need...her," I said desperate.
"I need Aria."
Seraphina's eyes widened, "Who?"
"Aria," I repeated but this time my voice was low and dangerous.
Seraphina blinked, trying to process the words. "What are you talking about?" she asked with her voice trembling. "You have me. You chose me remember?."
I laughed, but it wasn't a good laugh, it was bitter, like poison. "Did I? Did I really love you or I was just being crazy?" I ran my hand through my hair.
"You don't get it, Seraphina. You were supposed to give me an heir. That's why you're here"
But you never did
And she…Aria…she was everything. She was the one I needed. Not you."
She shifted slightly, "So that's what it is. All this time. You've been sleeping with other women, hoping for an heir and I allowed that. And now you want her back? After all this?"
I clenched my fists. "I never stopped looking for her" I took a breath, trying to calm myself. "Her scent never left me."
Her face went pale. "What are you talking about?"
I shook my head, "She left me. But her scent? Her scent never left. Every time I fucked another woman…every god damn time…it was her scent I smelled, not theirs. It was her I felt, even when I was with you."
Seraphina stood abruptly, "So this is what it is, then. This is what it's always been."
"You've been searching for her in me, in every woman, then why did you leave her in the first place? The same girl you drove and replaced me with as your Luna or should I say her substitute."
I couldn't bring myself to say anything more. The guilt i felt twisted in my gut, but I couldn't stop thinking about her.
---
The days passed in a flash, each one moving into the next. And still, no matter what I did, I couldn't shake the thought of Aria.
I couldn't stop wanting her. The desperation became worse inside me, it was more like a craving playing in my mind.
I woke up one night with another nightmare, but this one... this one was different.
I saw her again, but this time, she wasn't alone. She was holding a child, her eyes full of anger.
I reached for her, but every time I got close, she disappeared. Every time I touched her, my hands slipped through her, like she was nothing more than smoke.
Then, I heard it, my wolf, my wolf howling in pain.
"Find her," it howled, the voice inside my head became more desperate and loud. it was as if I was loosing my mind. Or was I?
The more I tried to ignore it, the more it tore me dragging me to the edge of madness.
I was losing control. I could feel my wolf fighting me.
I punched the wall, the cracks splitted the stone beneath my knuckles and the force of it rattled through my bones, but it wasn't enough.
Seraphina rushed into the room, her eyes wide with panic. "Kael, what the hell is going on with you?" she shouted, trying to grab my arm.
"Get off me!" I growled, pushing her away. She stumbled, but I didn't care. "I need her! I need Aria! Now!"
The sound of my voice echoed through the mansion, and the entire pack could feel it. I could hear them and feel them, trying to calm me down, but I couldn't stop. I couldn't think straight. I wasn't just losing my mind. I was losing my soul.
One of the elders entered, shaking his head. He saw me thrashing, howling in pain, and he didn't even flinch.
"He's losing himself" I could hear him say.
"This is more than Aria, more than a woman. It's the heir. He's lost his bond, his purpose, everything that holds him together."
I paused, panting as I fell to the ground.