Avalyn
True to my word, I did end up going for a walk. But I didn’t go until after I had lunch. In fact, I went for a walk in the evening.
Everyone was worried for me but I assured them that I’d be okay. And after having two meals after a long time, I felt like I had more energy now.
I had tried talking to both Tori and Klaus all afternoon but they refused to speak a word. They had spent the entire day locked up in Klaus’s room along with Kol.
I left them alone. They needed to cool down. They needed time. For the first time, I didn’t know how to deal with them. I felt like an awful mother for not being able to console them or even have a decent conversation.
I started walking in a random direction with no place as a goal in my mind.
After years, I was walking outside without four guards around me. I don’t remember the last time I had done something aimlessly. I had dedicated the last seven years to my kids and my pack.
But I felt like I had lost everything now. And I have. The kids won’t love me anymore. They won’t understand. They don’t understand what heartache is. They don’t know what rejection is. Hell, they hardly know what mates are. It was better that way. They shouldn’t know this kind of pain so early in life.
I felt guilty for making them go through all of this. All for my selfish reasons.
I don’t know for how long I walked. Nor had I been keeping a track of where I was walking. I was sure I had crossed at least two mountains though.
And then I brushed past a plant and a very, very faint scent of Papa’s hit my nose.
I realised that this is one of the many trails on which I used to come with him for our evening runs when we hadn’t shifted to the palace and were staying at Montana.
My knees felt weak as I took in his familiar scent. I sat down on a rock and brought my knees together. The sky had gotten dark and the moon was rising.
For some reason, I was at peace. I felt like Papa was watching over me. I missed him. I missed him so much.
I am the worst person for thinking this but Valerie’s presence didn’t bring me the peace that Papa’s seven year old faint scent brought me.
I picked a flower from the plant besides me. It was white and pretty. I twirled it between my fingers.
I suddenly remembered why this place held Papa’s scent. He had scratched his leg on the throne of this plant and he was bleeding a lot before I healed him quickly. The blood must have settled in the plant or something. I was so bummed that he was hurt that day.
But right now, I’m so thankful for that.
I heard a crunch of a dried leave and my ears picked up. “Who is it?” I asked loudly.
I felt like I was in a horror movie. And I’ll end up dying right now.
I can’t die.
I need to see my kids grow up first. I need to earn the forgiveness of Nik first. I want to spend more time with the three most important people in my lives. I haven’t spent nearly enough time with them.
And then I could hear a couple of more crunches. “Eli? Dimitri? It’s not funny.” I said and stood up on shaky feet.
I looked around. I couldn’t see too far because it was foggy and nor could I smell anybody.
I backed away from that place and began walking back in the direction I came from. I had an idea of where I was so I knew the general direction I had to go to.
After a couple of minutes, I heard footsteps. Following me.
My heart was beating wilding in my chest. Why can’t I see or smell the person? How can he see me?
I picked up my pace.
The footsteps also quickened.
After I took a turn around a huge tree, I started running.
The person also started running, the sound of his steps terrifying me.
‘Someone is following me!’ I mind-linked Dimitri.
‘Where are you?’ He instantly asked.
‘On the trek back to Alvar. Not exactly sure where.’ I whispered.
‘I’m on my way.’
I turned around another huge tree and tried to teleport home but I hardly moved half a mile. I was weak. Too weak to use my powers so much.
Even though I had lost the person, I kept running. My legs hurt. My entire body hurt. And it was getting too breathless. My lungs hurt.
When I had crossed crossed one mountain, I took shelter under a large canopy tree. I need to regain my strength. I took deep breaths and placed my hand on my heart, trying to calm myself down.
Who was it?
And just like my luck, or lack of thereof, the began pouring; hard, obscuring my vision even further.
Suddenly, my arm was grabbed and my back pulled against someone’s chest.
“Nik?” I breathed.
“Nope.” The voice whispered in my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. “Guess again.”
Adrik.
Shit.
I tried to use my powers but they didn’t work. They don’t work on him. Fuck.
I tried to pull my hand away but he was strong, too strong.