Chapter 005
1616 Words
I was at the edge of a cliff, crying and screaming my lungs out at the thought of falling off but unfortunately I did. Thinking it was the end, I let myself be swept into darkness until it felt like I was freezing cold and drowning. It felt so real and soon I began gulping and gasping for breath.
My eyes flickered open and that was when I realized, I was truly drowning. I struggled to stay alive and swim to my safety. I was a good swimmer but moving from a spot was harder than I thought with the wounds I sustained and the strong current that moved within the water.
The coldness of the water made my limbs weak and for a second time it felt like I was dying all over again.
A piercing scream escaped me and at the same time I heard someone call out to me. "Sia! Anastasia!"
I forced my eyes open, panting heavily and shivering from the aftermath of my nightmare. Yeah. My worst nightmare. Only that it wasn't just a nightmare but my experience five years ago that continued to haunt me every night since then.
I felt a pair of strong arms wrap around me, willing me to calm down and that everything would be alright.
"It's okay, Sia. It's alright, you're safe!" Justin cooed as he stroked my hair softly. I took in several deep breaths as he instructed, all the while holding onto his arms like he was my life support. He stayed in the same position for several minutes until my breathing became steady then he pulled away to check my face.
"I wonder how I got a cry baby for a sister" he suddenly blurted and I hit him playfully, laughing and wiping my tears at the same time.
He smiled sweetly, ruffling my hair playfully before getting up to leave.
"Are you looking down on me because I'm your little sister, Justin?" I glared and he shrugged knowingly before rushing out of the room to avoid getting hit for real this time.
"What can your big bro do? You didn't want to admit the obvious fact" He dissolved before walking off completely.
"I'll roast you!" I yelled after him and his laugh resounded across the room.
"Get dressed before you do that, thug! Or Royal Mother will assist you" he yelled back and I looked down at my nightie before jumping off bed. I'll be late for work.
That jerk doesn't know the right time to get me off the annoying bed.
I rushed off into my big bathroom, turned on the shower and did my thing. Not without dancing and humming my favorite songs under the running shower.
I spent exactly twenty minutes washing myself and the next ten minutes doing my skincare.
In ten minutes, I got dressed in a white single-strapped top, matching colored skirt and a blazer coat to compliment a professional look. I had important meetings today, of course, I had to look nice.
I picked up my pills from my dressing table and my heartbeat detector watch that I strapped around my wrist before rushing downstairs to have breakfast.
The smell of bacon hit my nostrils as soon as I got to the edge of the staircase and my eyes watered unconsciously.
Aiden would make breakfast for himself on tired mornings when I refuse to get off bed in time so he wouldn't run late and I would wake up to this same smell of bacon.
I lost my appetite in a blink of an eye and a frown etched my face. Justin knew I disliked the smell of bacon and shrimps why would he prepare that as breakfast?!
He walked out of the kitchen and he scratched his brows gently when he sighted my frowning face.
"Uhm, Sia. It wasn't my idea, I promise you" he quickly added and I sighed.
Royal Mother!
"You need to get that fowl out of your memory, Anastasia" her voice echoed from behind and I turned to see her young strong features giving me a cocky look.
"Fowl?" Justin laughed and a look from me cut him off.
"Mother, you need to understand that it takes time... It's not as easy as you think. This, just made my day go bad thanks to you" I replied and she raised a knowing brow at me.
"The more you make me want to go to him and burst his brains out" she pointed and my eyes widened.
"No..."
"You're going to do it your own way" she completed my usual sentence and I smiled as she took my hand in hers.
"I'll let you off just this once, young lady. You can't keep a f****d up jerk in you frail little heart when there are better people waiting for a chance" she muttered slowly, her thumb caressing my wrist watch and I nodded once.
Though, there seemed to be an extra meaning to the last words she said as her gaze traveled behind me but I just shrugged it off, giving her one last hug before walking out of the house.
"Bye, mom" I called and she waved at me.
"Wait. You really aren't going to eat? It's your best food for breakfast" she yelled after me and I shrugged.
"Not anymore!" I yelled back and Justin draped his arm around my neck playfully as he pulled me towards the car.
Over the last few years I developed lots of fears. One includes, fear of driving. It took two years to be able to go around in cars again but even till now, I couldn't drive on my own. It seemed like I never knew how to drive in the first place. I forgot everything I thought I knew about cars and driving or I kept them buried deep in my fears as my therapist suggested.
According to her, by a miracle, I could eventually find my driving skills back or I might just never be able to drive again.
Another was a rare heart disease. According to Royal Mother, I had the symptoms right from when I was five and they made sure I got treated steadily until I would come of age to perform the major surgery. The plan was to get the surgery done as soon as I was ten but it became history when I suddenly disappeared when I was eight.
Her explanations all made sense when I start to recall some incidents where I would suddenly feel sharp pains in my chest and I would conclude it as fatigue.
The doctor said my accident five years ago triggered the root of the problem and it caused it to spread. A quick surgery would save me but I've never been able to come to terms of getting a surgery.
What if I died? What if I experienced that deep abyss of darkness while I drowned in misery between life and death... All alone? Again?
This time, there would be no one to save me and I'll be gone for life...
The thought of a surgery scared me that much and Royal Mother gave up after persuading me for almost nine months.
The doctor prescribed my pills and built the standard heartbeat detector watch for me. It was only two of its type in the world and it worth several billion dollars.
But those were only temporary treatments. Without the real surgery, I can only hold on for a few months or a year at the most.
"To a nearest restaurant, Miles. Thank you" Justin said to my driver and I frowned.
"You do realize I'm late for work don't you?" I was quick to question and he shrugged.
"What is a man without breakfast?" He asked and I licked my bottom lip.
"I'm a woman okay? And I just bluntly announced that I was in no mood to eat breakfast. Don't make it any harder on us, Justin" I warned and he sighed.
"Still, you should eat something..." He trailed off when he realized I didn't have my attention on him but on Miles.
"To the company, Miles" I muttered flatly and he made sure to get an assuring nod from Justin before driving.
And Justin? Biologically, he wasn't my brother as everyone presumed but practically he was close to being a brother since Royal Mother and the Alpha had took him in many years ago and took care of him to fill the void of losing their daughter in a rogue attack.
Royal Mother sees him as her son, and somehow, he had saved me from that accident five years ago and I managed to avoid being indebted on a note that I was saved by my brother.
After finding my biological parents, it was harder to fit in as an Alpha princess. I had no wolf and I wasn't used to this sort of luxurious life, even while I was with Aiden. Most especially, I hated Justin. At first, I took it that because of him, I hadn't found my parents earlier but later, I realized that they tried nonstop. All those years, they never stopped looking for me. Justin joined the search and eventually found me, by the edge of a strong water wave and had taken me home. I was grateful to him and never stopped being grateful as he helps me stay calm and composed after each nightmares I had since that night.
It's been five years but he was still there, by my side without wavering... And slowly, I acknowledged him as family. He meant a lot to me, just as much as he did to Royal Mother and Alpha.
- Writer
