Chapter 45: Chapter 45

KAIROS

Adelie was on my back, and we were halfway to our destination when a sharp pain pierced my heart. I stumbled, nearly losing my footing, and had to stop to regain my composure.

Something was terribly wrong. I could feel it through the bond, a sensation of suffering from someone close to me. The bonds I shared with Adelie, Fala, and Raphael were the strongest.

I attempted to connect with Fala through our mind link, but she didn’t respond.

“What’s wrong?” Adelie asked, noticing my abrupt halt. I didn’t reply, but I knew she would understand.

Unable to reach Fala, I tried to mind-link with Raphael. ~“Is Fala okay?”~ I asked immediately.

~“Yes. She’s hiding in the library,”~ he responded. ~“Thank you, my friend, for everything. You’re the best alpha and friend I could ever wish for,”~ he said before disappearing.

What did he mean by that? It couldn’t be. It couldn’t be a farewell.

I began to run faster than I ever had before. If I was in a hurry before, now I was unstoppable. I couldn’t feel my legs anymore. All that mattered was Raphael.

Why would he say something like that? I didn’t like it, him saying such things and then vanishing. And Fala. Why wasn’t she responding?

I finally arrived at my house. Maximus and Daniel were already there in their human forms, standing on the stairs with somber expressions.

They didn’t say a word, just glanced at each other, seemingly at a loss. They looked bewildered.

I let Adelie down and shifted back into my human form. Maximus handed me a robe to replace my clothes that had been torn in the forest.

“What’s happening?” I asked. They didn’t respond, just exchanged glances. Why was no one speaking? The two most talkative members of the pack were silent.

I didn’t wait for an answer. I rushed into the house, but came to a sudden halt when I took in the scene.

The place was a wreck. A fight had clearly taken place here. Shelves were knocked over, the table was broken, and Adelie’s plants were strewn across the floor, dirt everywhere.

Blood was splattered on the floor and walls, and shards of glass lay beneath a broken window where a breeze was blowing in.

I moved towards the staircase and saw a body lying next to the banister on the cold stone floor.

A chill ran down my spine, goosebumps covering my skin. Everything else faded away. It was just me and Raphael, lying in a pool of blood.

I wished it wasn’t him, but I was only fooling myself.

“Raphael,” I called out, my voice breaking like a frightened teenager who had just lost his first love. But I wasn’t a teenager, and it was my best friend I feared I was losing.

There was no response, no movement. I rushed to him and fell to my knees. His body was still, no breath filling his lifeless form. I cradled his bleeding head in my hands.

His skull was badly wounded, and his body was covered in bruises. “No!” I cried out, tears streaming down my face. The grief was overwhelming, unlike anything I had ever felt before.

I had known grief, but I had never imagined the weight of losing someone so important. My heart felt like it had been ripped apart.

My only friend. The one who had been there through everything. He was more than my Beta. He was my friend.

“Why?” I cried again, my voice trembling, slowly breaking. I gently laid his head back down, his blood marking his final resting place.

I had never told him how much he meant to me, never expressed that I would be nothing without him. I had never said goodbye.

I had always refused to call anyone friend because I believed I was a monster. But how could I be a monster if I had a friend like him?

I pushed my overwhelming feelings to the side, trying to think clearly. I had to find Fala, ensure she was safe. I rose to my feet, sprinting towards the library, my hands smeared with blood, staining my robe.

I used the back of my hands to wipe my face, now numb from the mixture of sweat and tears.

The library was untouched. “Fala,” I called out, searching for my sister. She emerged from behind the bookshelves, running straight into my arms, her force causing me to stagger back a few steps.

“Where’s Raphael?” she asked, her voice trembling with fear. “He told me to wait here until he came back,” she sobbed. I couldn’t hold back my tears any longer. I wept into her shoulder, my strength evaporating.

He wasn’t supposed to leave us yet. It wasn’t his time.

“Kairos, why isn’t he coming back?” she pulled away from me, her eyes searching mine. Her lips parted, her gaze locked onto my tear-filled eyes.

She shook her head in disbelief. “No, he promised he’d come back for me. He told me to stay put because you were there too. He said I’d just be in the way. He said you two could handle it.”

She shook her head again, understanding his intentions. “He lied.”

Of course, he lied. If Fala had been there, she would be dead too. And if I had been with Raphael, he would still be alive.

Fala understood why he had lied. His final words to her were a lie, but that lie saved her life.

Fala dashed out of the library towards where Raphael lay, only to be shocked by the sight. She didn’t approach him. She was too terrified.

Adelie was kneeling next to him, her hand over his heart. There was a faint glow under her touch, but it kept flickering out. She tried repeatedly to heal him, but eventually, her head dropped in defeat.

He was gone. Completely gone.

If only I had done things differently. If only I had insisted more of us stay back at the pack.

I was so convinced it was Circe that I couldn’t think of anything else. I was certain Circe wouldn’t attack the pack, that she would only stay in the forest…

If only I had known it wasn’t her. I had let my guard down. What kind of alpha was I?

I needed to assess the damage. I attempted to head outside, but Adelie stopped me.

“I’ve got this,” she said as two men walked past us carrying a stretcher for Raphael’s body.

I watched them leave, but Adelie turned my head to face her. “I know, I know it’s bad, but stay with your sister. I’ll handle everything else,” she offered, despite her lack of experience in these situations.

“Adelie, you’re not familiar with these situations, you don’t know the protocols,” I said, my voice breaking. But I was grateful that she was trying to help when she knew I needed it.

“I won’t let you. You’re in pain. Nathan will know what to do, and he’ll help me. Stay with Fala, she needs you and you need her.” She said, exiting the house.

I didn’t have the energy to argue. A wave of indifference washed over me. I didn’t want anything.

It wasn’t long before Raphael’s body was removed and my house was cleaned. I escorted Fala to one of the bedrooms and stayed with her until she fell asleep, exhausted and terrified.

I couldn’t recall the last time I was with her as she fell asleep. It was probably when she was a little girl, frightened by a nightmare but too embarrassed to tell our parents.

She fell asleep quickly, but I wasn’t sure if I would find any rest. I didn’t want to lie alone in bed, lost in my thoughts. I didn’t want to think. I just wanted to forget everything instead of dwelling on my mistakes.

Why? I couldn’t comprehend. Nothing was stolen. No one else was injured. Why here? Why him? I walked to my room in the deafening silence.

Adelie was absent, but I had faith in her resilience. She was tough, tougher than me even. I’d tried to shield her countless times, but now I was questioning my ability to protect anyone at all. Who was I safeguarding now?

I stepped into the room, noticing the open window. It was odd because Adelie had a thing about leaving windows open—there was a particular plant in here that didn’t take kindly to drafts.

I approached the window and spotted a red card on the sill. Despite the breeze, the card remained stubbornly in place.

I picked it up and unfolded it.

~Adelie, I thought you’d be here. It’s a pity Kairos let you wander off to dangerous Circe. If he hadn’t, perhaps Raphael would still be with us. I could do so much more if you’d just accept my next offer.~

It was a threat aimed at Adelie. But why?

What was this about? They knew all our names. They were after Adelie.

ADELIE

I made my way to Raphael’s sister Riley’s place. She wasn’t alone, so I didn’t intrude. She needed her closest companions around her right now.

She was weeping uncontrollably, a natural reaction to losing your only kin. I knew that feeling. I still had my father, but that didn’t mean I was a stranger to loss.

They’d only broken into my house. All the children were safe; nothing else had been disturbed. I headed back home. It was early morning, but sleep had eluded me.

I found myself wondering about Kairos. Was he asleep? Could he even sleep at a time like this? He’d lost his best friend, his confidant.

Raphael’s time hadn’t come yet, but we never really anticipate the last time we’ll see someone. We always assume there’s more time: more to experience, more to share.

By the time we realize it’s inevitable, it’s already in the past.

I suppose no one can truly appreciate the present, understanding that it might be the last time.

People don’t live their lives waiting for others to die, bracing for loss. We prefer to live in the moment, focusing on the now, not the potential tragedies.

I quietly entered my room. Kairos was perched on the cushioned chair by the window, gazing at the sunrise.

He heard me shut the door. “Is everything okay?” he asked.

“Yes, nothing else was disturbed. Everyone is safe. The children are asleep, and you should be too,” I replied, approaching him.

He was still in his blood-soaked robe, hadn’t showered, and his eyes were red and swollen.

“Come, let me help you get cleaned up,” I offered, extending my hand to him.

“I’m not a child, Adelie,” he retorted, avoiding my gaze. “I’m just vulnerable right now. I can handle it.” He let out a heavy sigh.

“I’m your partner, and I care about you,” I responded. “I know you’re in pain, I know you’re hurting, and the most I can do is be here for you. All I can do is help you not to lose yourself in grief.”

I tried to make him understand, holding his hands in mine. “Death is painful, but it’s a part of life. Sometimes it happens when we least expect it, and that’s why we need someone by our side.”

“Are you already desensitized to death?” Kairos asked bluntly. I doubted he had any control over his words at this point. He just blurted out whatever came to mind. “—because your father is Death?”

I sighed. “I’ve witnessed many deaths, most of them were people who meant nothing to me, strangers. I suppose I’ve become numb to the death of strangers, it’s a part of life.

“You can’t ever really adjust to losing the people you love. You’d have to be a special kind of insane to be okay with your friends dying.”

I could feel him ease into his chair, every muscle in his body going slack.

“I tried to pray for him,” he confessed, his laugh low and forced. “I didn’t know what to say or how to say it. I didn’t get to say goodbye, and now I can’t even pray for him.”

His voice cracked on the last word, his face flushed from the effort of holding back tears.

“Sometimes, you don’t need to say anything. Sometimes, silence says it all. If the words aren’t there, maybe everything that needs to be understood, is. When the words come, you’ll say what needs to be said.”

I attempted to pull him up from the chair. He resisted at first, but eventually gave in. He rose slowly, his posture slumped and weak.

We stood face to face. “Let me help you,” I offered. He nodded slowly, his eyelids heavy and drooping.

I guided him to the bathroom and turned on the shower, adjusting the water to a warm temperature. I turned back to Kairos and untied his robe, letting it drop to the floor, revealing his bare chest.

I then slipped off my dress, letting it pool at my feet. I removed my underwear, Kairos watching my every move with careful eyes.

I undid my braids and took Kairos by the hand, leading us both under the warm stream of water, washing away the grime and sweat.

He stood still, not making a move. I grabbed a sponge hanging from a hook, lathered it with soap, and began to wash Kairos’s chest.

I looked up at him. The water cascaded down his face, but it couldn’t mask the tears that were falling. I wrapped my arms around him, our bodies pressed together, our hearts pounding in unison.

It hurt. It hurt to see someone so strong show such vulnerability. People always expect the strong to remain unbreakable.

But everyone has a breaking point. It varies from person to person, how much it takes to reach that point.

It felt like we’d been in the shower for an eternity by the time we finished. I led Kairos to our bed, and he collapsed next to me, exhausted.

It was the time we’d usually rise to start training, but nothing was normal anymore. I doubted anyone would be training today.

“Adelie,” he murmured, his eyes closed, his body completely relaxed on the bed.

“Yes,” I responded softly, thinking he might have already drifted off to sleep.

“If there was something threatening you, you’d tell me, right? Regardless of the consequences? Or if you were offered something in exchange for someone’s safety?” he asked.

I was taken aback by his question. It seemed oddly specific. “What are you talking about?” I asked. He didn’t respond. After a while, I gave up. “I promised no secrets,” I reassured him.

“Good,” he murmured, falling asleep shortly after. I followed suit. It felt like I’d only slept for a few minutes, but the clock read four hours when I woke.

I tried to go back to sleep, but it was no use. I was wide awake. Kairos was still sleeping in the same position I’d left him in. That was a relief. He needed the rest.

I got ready for the day and picked up our discarded clothes from the bathroom floor. As I picked up Kairos’s robe, something fell out: a red card.

It looked similar to the one I’d found on the window a while back. Why would he have taken it? It didn’t seem important.

I picked it up and realized it wasn’t the same card, but it had the same scent. I read it aloud.

~“I thought you’d be here, Adelie. What a shame Kairos let you go to the dangerous Circe. If he hadn’t, maybe Raphael would still be alive. I can do so much more if you accept my next offer.”~

This was what Kairos was referring to. Raphael is dead because I wasn’t here. They didn’t want Raphael. They wanted me.