35

Aleena’s POV
.
Where was I?
I woke up and saw myself surrounded by nothing darkness. I got myself on my feet and started to walk the light seemed to be coming from.
‘Princess,’ I gasped, knowing that voice. I looked around, searching for my dad.
‘Dad?’
‘Princess’
‘Dad. Where are you?’ I screamed.
‘Look hard, My dear.’ I heard that voice again. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before opening them and found dad standing in front of me, in the same cloth which he had worn when he came to my room to talk with me.
‘Dad,’ I cried happily and quickly hugged him. ‘Thank god, that was nothing but a nightmare.’, I said, crying badly. Now that I had him, I wouldn’t let him go and wouldn’t miss a chance to let him know that I loved him more than anything.
‘Don’t cry, Princess.’
‘I thought I lost you.’, I said, breaking the hug.
‘Well, that will never happen, baby girl, because I will always live in you.’, he said, cupping my face.
‘What …. What do you mean?’, I stammered.
‘My time has come, Princess. I will have to leave.’
‘No! No! No! No!’ I shook my head, grabbing his hand tightly. ‘I won’t let you go. Everyone needs you, dad. Mom, Eva, me, and not to forget our pack. They need their Alpha. You can’t leave us, abandoning your duties and responsibilities.’, I reminded him. ‘You will have to stay. And that’s FINAL.’
He chuckled softly before replying, ‘Now, I’m free of all the duties and responsibilities, Princess. It’s time for me to rest in peace. And just like the new leaves, they take the place of old leaves when they fall down from the tree. It’s time for the pack to accept a new Alpha. And I can see the future Alpha of the pack in front of me.’
‘No, dad. I would be lying to myself and the others if I would say that I’m capable of handling this position. I hate to agree, but Eva …. Eva is the right choice.’
‘You’re more than what you’ve become, Aleena.’
‘You’re mistaken, dad.’, I muttered, shaking my head. ‘I wanted to be the Luna of the back, dad, not an Alpha. I would end up ruining everything that you have created. In fact, earlier, I wanted to be the Luna of the pack because of my selfish reasons, but now I don’t even want that position. I’m not your that daughter on which you used to be proud when I used to score good marks in the class anymore.’
He didn’t say anything on that part again. Instead, he said something that broke my heart a little more than before. ‘I love you, Princess. I have always loved you as much as I have loved Eva.’, Saying this, he started leaving.
‘Remember who you are, Aleena! Time has changed, Aleena. Now you will have to make your dad proud by doing something else. You’re my daughter, an alpha female! Remember that!’
‘Dad…. dad ….. Please don’t leave me, dad. Dad’, I grabbed his hand tightly. I cried because this time, no matter how hard I was trying to hold his hand, I couldn’t because he had started disappearing. And in no time, he totally disappeared, and the only source of light in the room was still open, but I didn’t go in that direction; instead, I dropped to my knee and started crying bitterly.
I stopped crying all of a sudden when someone licked my face. I lifted my face and found Leia.
‘Leia,’ Holding her face, I started crying again. She didn’t push me away or say anything but just stayed there with me.
‘Come on, Aleena! We should leave this place now.’, She suggested, still comforting me. ‘Our mate is worried for us. We will have to return to them.’, She added.
‘They will also kick us out of their life when they will know our truth.’, I reminded her.
‘I’m sure that they will forgive you if you will apologize for your mistake whole heartily or say in the same way in which you made them apologies. And in case they will not forgive us, then what can be worst than rejection? We both can handle that.’, She cheered me up and licked my face again.
‘I’m sorry, Leia.’, I sobbed.
‘Right now, I’m happy as well as I feel so lucky.’
‘Huh?’ I looked at her in confusion. Happy and lucky because I’m apologizing to you?’
‘Of course not. I’m happy because I didn’t take revenge on you and just sat back and waited. Because those who hurt you will eventually screw up themselves, and if I’m lucky, that Moon Goddess let me watch this. It’s not that I’m happy to see you in this state, Aleena, but I always told you that Karma is like a rubber band; it can only stretch so far because it comes back and smacks you in the face.’
‘Thank you. Your words are not making me feel good.’, I mumbled.
‘You never liked anything that I said, so I can understand. Because I always showed you the mirror. Anyways, just get up and move ahead. Remember that, whatever our future had hold for us, I promise not to abandon you. Never ever in my life.’
‘That’s …. That’s the sweetest words you have ever said to me, though your choice of words was no less than the taste of Neem.’, I confessed, rubbing her fur and kissing her head. ‘Thank you, Leia.’
‘Now come on, stop making them more worried than they already are.’, Leia said, helping me to stand up on my feet. We both looked toward the place from where the light was still coming inside this dark part. We started walking toward it together.
To be honest, I was scared a bit. It was because I had no idea what else was waiting for me on the other side of the world. I doubt that it was the only bad thing which was happened in my life. I had done a lot of wrong deeds, and I was scared of what would be the result of all those things.
‘You won’t be alone. I will be there with you.’, Leia assured me, sensing my thoughts.
Taking a deep breath, I finally walked inside the light, and with that, I opened my eyes. I saw Stephen sleeping beside me, and I had held his hand. I could see that it was my grip over his hand. I looked around and found myself in my room.
I turned my head and looked at the door.
(‘I hope I didn’t disturb you.’, Dad said, seeing me opening the door.
‘No. Come in.’)
I left the bed slowly, leaving Stephen’s hand carefully so that I wouldn’t end up waking him up. I looked at myself first. I was completely fine. I couldn’t help but wonder HOW?
Then I looked at the edge of the bed then and recalled patting there so that dad could sit there. Tears started brimming my eyes, and at the same time, I heard someone knocking on the door, I opened it, but no one was there.
**This night is cold in the kingdom
I can feel you fade away
From the kitchen to the bathroom sink and
Your steps keep me awake
Don’t cut me down, throw me out, leave me here to waste
I once was a man with dignity and grace
Now I’m slippin’ through the cracks of your cold embrace
So please, please!!**
*
I reached near dad’s room. I turned the knob, and thankfully it was open. I walked in and didn’t find Mom there. I sensed her presence in the washroom. I didn’t bother to check what she was doing inside because it was early morning already. I opened the wardrobe of the dad and looked at his clothes. I pulled out that tracksuit from there which he had worn in the morning when we reached here. I smelt his smell from it. It was still there. It was not similar to his real scent, but as for now, even his slight amount of scent was giving me relief. I held her tracksuit close to me and started crying again.
*
**Could you find a way to let me down slowly?
A little sympathy, I hope you can show me
If you wanna go, then I’ll be so lonely
If you’re leavin’, baby, let me down slowly
Let me down, down, let me down, down, let me down
Let me down, down, let me down, down, let me down
If you wanna go, then I’ll be so lonely
If you’re leavin’, baby, let me down slowly**
*
Immediately I stopped crying when I heard something falling on the ground. I ran inside the washroom, and surprisingly, the door of the washroom was open. I saw her injured, and the same silver dagger that was used to kill dad and the same used on me were stabbed in her heart.
“Aleenaaa,” She whimpered, trying hard to speak.
.
#TBC