Royal Outcast

Chapter 8: [REVISED]

[REVISED]

Seri’s POV

“Mate…” the man muttered, and he then stepped forward.

I suddenly felt nauseous and lightheaded for whatever reason.

I gulped nervously and I instinctively stepped back as I held Sachi tighter.

The man stopped at his tracks as his brows furrowed with a frown on his face. I just stared at him as my heart kept beating faster and faster.

Oh God.

Can it really be?

I looked straight into his eyes, and I felt as though I was about to have a heart attack in any second.

Then, my eyes began to blur as my legs felt like giving out.

I held Sachi even tighter, hugging him protectively. Moreso from what I knew what was about to happen and not because of the man in front of who was getting inches and inches closer from us.

No…. I….

Then, there was darkness.

I didn’t know what exactly happened and why it even happened.

All I know is I did not feel well at all after seeing that man.

As I opened my eyes with a gasp, I saw myself in an open space in the middle of the forest. One that I knew rather well but it was a place where I have not returned to for a while.

I looked around feeling lost and lonely.

“Aoife?” I tried to call out. [pronounced as ee-fa]

“Aoife, are you here?” I called out as my voice slightly broke.

I was scared and confused.

“Aoife, please…” I begged as a tear escaped my eye.

Then, I heard rustling from the bushes.

“Aoife?” I called getting my hopes up.

But instead, a light gray wolf with golden eyes came out. The same one I had seen in my dream before.

I instinctively stepped back and as soon as I did, its demeanor changed as it made a low threatening growl while making its way to me.

I didn’t know what to do or feel in that moment.

Everything was happening so fast and so sudden that I was just feeling so out of it.

The light gray wolf ran towards me, and it pounced on me. I fell back to the ground with a screech while trying to cover myself, I prepared myself for the worst.

But then I heard a familiar growl, and I opened my eyes to see an even more familiar red wolf.

Aoife…my wolf.

My wolf finally came for me, pounced on the wolf that attacked me and she started shielding me from the light gray wolf from earlier.

Aoife’s small frame barely surpassed half the size of the other wolf, but she was fierce as she bared her teeth at the unknown wolf with a snarl.

The light gray wolf seemed even more angry now that my wolf had come in between us, but Aoife did not seem fazed at all.

Aoife stepped closer to the other wolf and then she howled.

The other wolf eased up and it angrily blew air out its nose before turning its back away from us.

As soon as the other wolf disappeared from our sight…

“Aoife…” I called my wolf.

Aoife looked back at me angrily with her forest green eyes.

“Seriously, Seri?” she growled at me.

I bit my lower lip as I looked at her while my eyes watered with tears.

“What is it with you?!” she said.

I looked down.

“That is our mate, and this is how you’re acting around them? Seriously?” she continued.

A tear fell from my eye as I looked up to meet her eyes.

“I just…I was surprised. I was overwhelmed is all” I said.

“I have had it with you” she said, and I bit my lower lip as I looked at her with apologetic eyes.

Aoife turned her back away from me and walked away.

“Aoife…I’m sorry” I apologized but she didn’t look back once, and she proceeded to disappear into the woods.

I hugged my legs to my chest as I buried my face in it while sobbing.

Aoife is my wolf.

But we…we are not in good terms.

Aoife and I…we have lost our connection about 2 years ago.

On that same night…

[TRIGGER WARNING: Attempted Suicide]

{ Flashback to 2 years ago… }

I stared out the window of the bus as I started to see the view of the ocean.

It was almost sunset, and I knew I would be just in time to watch the sun go down.

Today is my 16th birthday and after spending my morning with the people in the orphanage, Mr. Adams had encouraged me to go out and…enjoy myself.

And so, I decided to come and see the ocean and watch the sunset.

It took a while for me to reach this place, but I felt it would be worthwhile.

‘It’s beautiful’ Aoife commented in my head.

I smiled slightly.

“It is, isn’t it?” I replied quietly.

‘No wonder you wanted to come here. We should have come sooner if I knew it would be this pretty’ she commented.

This time, I didn’t say anything back.

‘Have you been here before?’ Aoife suddenly asked.

“Yes” I answered.

‘Really? When?’ she asked curiously.

“Exactly 10 years ago” I said.

‘On your 6th birthday? Was it with your mom and dad?’ she asked further.

I didn’t answer immediately.

“Yes” I finally answered.

‘I see. It must have been a happy moment for the 3 of you’ she said.

I smiled sadly.

“It was. It really was” I said as I felt a single tear fall from my eye.

‘Seri…’ Aoife worriedly muttered my name.

“It’s nothing. This is nothing, Aoife” I assured her.

I felt Aoife trying to comfort me still but the pain I was feeling inside was just too unbearable.

We finally reached my destination, and I got down from the bus. I then walked for a few more minutes before reaching a familiar cliff from 10 years ago.

It was the same cliff where I watched the sun rise with my parents on my 6th birthday.

I looked at my pocket watch and I sat down waiting.

“Aoife?” I called for my wolf.

‘Yes, Seri?’ she immediately replied to me.

“What do you think about these couple of days?” I asked her.

Aoife didn’t immediately answer.

‘Well, if I’m being honest, it hasn’t really been the best’ she replied.

‘But we pulled through just fine and today was amazing, right? That’s at least something’ she added.

The sun began to set.

“Right…” I said.

“But don’t you just…feel tired?” I asked her.

‘Tired of what, Seri?’ she asked confused.

“Of the world. Of life. Of everything?” I said.

‘Sometimes, yes. But I have you so it’s fine. We have each other so I don’t mind’ she told me.

I smiled a little.

“Would you get angry with me if I told you that I am? That I’m actually really tired. So. Damn. Tired” I said, and I chuckled bitterly as my tears began to break free.

‘Seri…’ Aoife slightly whimpered.

“I just… I’m so tired, Aoife” I sobbed.

“These past few weeks, it just feels as though I have been drained of everything” I said.

“All the sleepless nights where I have been tormented of the memory of 8 years ago, it has just been so much” I cried.

“I don’t think I can take it any longer” I said as I dragged my feet closer to the edge.

“The blood curdling screams, the sight of b-blood, the numerous l-lifeless bodies, the fire… those h-horrifying eyes…” I said while shaking.

‘Seri…Seri, what are you doing? Seri…’ Aoife tried to reach out to me but I shut her out just enough so we can communicate but she can’t control my actions.

“Aoife…I…I can’t do this anymore…I…I can’t…. I’m really sorry, I-I just…” I said looking down at the water down below.

‘Seri, no, please…you can’t do this. You shouldn’t do this. Please, don’t do this’ Aoife begged.

‘We can get through this together. We will get through this together so please. So, please. Please don’t do this. This is not the solution to our problems, Seri.’ she said.

“I… c-can’t” I sobbed as my vision blurred from the tears.

‘I’m begging you, Seri, please. Please, don’t do this. Don’t do this to yourself. Don’t do this to us. I can’t lose you. I don’t want to lose you. Seri, please. There are other ways to deal with this. Please please please please please. I’m begging you, Seri’ Aoife continued.

‘Let me in. Let me through. Let me help you’ she said.

I slowly shook my head.

“I’m sorry…” I muttered one last time before closing my eyes.

Then, I let my body fall forward.

‘Seri, no!’

I felt the cold breeze of air all over my body as I fell and after what felt like long fall, I felt the numbing pain of my body hitting the water before I finally felt the freezing cold water consume my whole body. My whole being.

I opened my eyes once as I was sinking for the last time. It was dark but I saw the moon in ripples as I sunk.

I can feel Seri trying to get through to me but I have completely shut her out at this point.

Finally, I closed my eyes again and I let darkness consume me.

{ End of Flashback… }

I let myself cry for a little more time and then I wiped my tears away before forcing myself to stand up.

I looked up at the sky and although it seemed like morning, I saw the moon instead of the sun.

I closed my eyes as I took a deep breath and when I opened them, I was greeted by the sound of chatter and arguing.

“Seri? Seri!” Annie rushed to my side and held my hand.

I tried to sit up and Annie immediately helped me as Mr. Adams also rushed to my side.

“Seri, are you alright? What happened?” he asked worried.

I looked at Annie and Mr. Adams who both looked extremely worried.

Instead of answering their question, I looked around instead.

I was in Mr. Adam’s office bedroom.

“Sachi. Is he alright?” I asked in a panic as I remembered that I was indeed holding Sachi when I passed out.

“Yes, Sachi is just fine. He was not harmed in any way. It is you who we are worried about, Seri. You had fainted out of nowhere and if it weren’t for someone finding you, we wouldn’t have known what happened to you” Mr. Adams stated.

“I’m sorry” I immediately apologized.

“Seri…” Annie muttered as she squeezed my hand.

“I don’t know what came over me. I was feeling fine earlier not until… I just… I was…” I tried to say something. Anything.

But I just didn’t know what to say because even I was clueless why I reacted the way I did.

“I…I’m sorry…” was all I could come up with.

I didn’t know what else to say or what to tell them really. I was confused too.

And then the door suddenly burst open, and I saw him.

The same man from before when I had passed out from earlier.

It's him. My supposed mate.