Chapter 32. Graveyard Visit

Ariana's POV

It's been a whole freaking week since I came to the wolvesbane packhouse. Though this time around, I wasn't treated as a slave like the last time I was here. Instead, I was left on my own to do whatever I wanted. I was given a guestroom to stay and I was allowed to do anything I wanted except stepping out of the packhouse. It's strange since I had expected the worst to happen.

Anthony seemed a bit off ever since that day in the carriage or maybe it's because I had started to observe him more closely. Although he never showed anything on the outside and always seemed like a sadistic and arrogant man, there were times when I would spot him looking in the distance, occupied by his thoughts, and his eyes holding sadness. That look in his eyes still confused me.

Why does it seem like he isn't as bad as he portrays himself to be?

Whatever, why am I suddenly starting to consider that he might--which has 0.0001% possibility-- be a good man? I shouldn't forget that he had been nothing but impulsive and ignorant towards me. He and Kiana are very much the reason why I'm away from Daniel.

The mention of Daniel's name bought a dull ache in my heart. God, I miss him so much....

"Ariana? Are you listening?" Giovanni asked me while I was still occupied by my thoughts. Giovanni is the beta of the wolvesbane pack-Anthony's pack. He's the only one who's been sweet to me even when I was here the last time.

"Huh?" I looked at him in confusion before it addressed on me that he was certainly speaking to me while I was pre-occupied by my thoughts.

"Sorry, Gio. I didn't pay attention. What were you saying?"

Instead of replying, he just stared at me before a knowing smile tugged on to his lips. "You love Daniel, don't you?"

My eyes widened at his words while I gulped the lump which started to form in my throat. Except Kiana, no one knows that I love Daniel. Anthony was a bit suspicious but he isn't sure himself. How did Giovanni know then?

"Why are you so shocked? Don't worry, I won't say anybody. Not even the Alpha, if that's what you're concerned about," he assured and I could sense the truthfulness in his statement.

But still...

"How did you know?"

He looked at me before a smile tugged onto his lips, "It's quite obvious if you ask me. Others don't know because they haven't talked to you much or they haven't seen the longing in your eyes whenever Daniel's name is mentioned. But from what I've observed, you love him a lot. And same could be said for Daniel. The reluctance in his every action and the pain in his eyes while you were leaving raised a doubt in me which was confirmed after I spoke to you for a few days. By the way, I was present in the courtroom on the day of the truce acceptance. No one seemed to notice me though," he let out a chuckle, "I followed the Alpha's carriage after you both departed."

"I see..." I mused, "You seem to know a lot about love. When you find you're mate, she is going to be lucky to have you, Gio. You're a wonderful man."

An expression of sadness passed on his face before he covered it with a smile which I didn't miss.

"Well, I guess I'm unlucky in that department, you see..." his voice trailed off making me more confused than I already am.

"Why do you say that?"

"You know I already found my mate actually..."

"What? Really? Then where is she now?"

I know I shouldn't be pestering him for information if he doesn't want to share but something peeked my interest and I don't know why I wanted to know more.

"This whole mate thing is strange. Don't you think so?" Giovanni let out a bitter laugh before looking elsewhere avoiding eye contact with me, "You love Daniel but he's not your mate. Daniel has a mate and so do you but still you both fell for each other. You're Anthony's mate yet he doesn't care about you. Kiana...I don't know what role she plays exactly. She betrayed Daniel once already. I came to know when I accidentally overheard Alpha and Kiana's conversation over the phone that Kiana doesn't love Daniel but she wants him back for the sake of status in the society. This is all so fucked up. And then comes my mate...."

Gio walked over to the nearby window sill and looked out in sadness, "She's in love with Anthony...and I can't do anything about it. I know that she's my mate but she doesn't know about me yet. I can see how much she loves the Alpha and she would, without an objection, die for him. I can say Anthony is just using her for his own fun and it pisses me off so much that sometimes I feel like just going to him and challenging him for her even if it ends with me becoming a rogue. But whenever I look at her sad face when Anthony doesn't speak to her even for a few hours, I realise that she will be heartbroken when she realises about Anthony's true intentions. And although it hurts like hell for me, I can't snatch her happiness away. Even if it's temporary, I have to let her believe that Anthony does truly care for her and not be an obstruction between them...."

I placed my hand on Gio's shoulder as he looked really sad talking about this.

I felt bad for him. He didn't deserve this...Why would that girl love Anthony instead of a sweet man like Giovanni? And from what I've observed from my stay here, I guessed Anthony never kept around the same woman for more than a single night. He would have different flings every other day. Then, why is he keeping Gio's mate around? Something doesn't seem right....I'll have to do my hunt on this as well.

"Gio, what's your mate's name?" I ask after he calmed down a bit.

He opened his mouth to say but stopped abruptly when Anthony appeared out of nowhere.

I stared at Anthony, taking in his tired appearance. His hair was harshly dishevelled as if he had been pulling at them mercilessly. There were eyebags under his eyes indicating his lack of sleep. And his eyes looked a bit swollen as if he had been crying....He looked nothing like his charming self.

Don't get me wrong, Anthony was blessed in the looks department. He had captivating brown eyes but when you looked at them closely, you would see the loneliness in their depths. His hair was dirty-blonde in colour which looked really good on his pale face and brown eyes. He was an eye-catcher and he always maintained his charms but today he looked hagard and unkept unlike his normal self. I've never seen this man so out of place.

I averted my eyes to the ground when he caught me looking at him. Usually, he would have smirked or pass some of his perverted remarks but today he just ignored me and directed his attention towards Giovanni.

"I'll be back in an hour. Take care of the pack." That was all he said before he walked past me and Gio. He existed the packhouse's main door and headed towards the parking grounds.

"Where does he always go early in the morning?" I asked Gio once Anthony was out of sight.

It wasn't the first time. He would always go somewhere early in the morning. Even when I was here last time, I observed this.

There was a long silence before Gio sighed, "He misses her. So, he's just wasting his life like there's no tomorrow. Anthony's been like this ever since she died. He is my best friend since he joined this pack. He used to be so different before. So caring and considerate. She really ruined my friend for anyone else. I still miss that idiot best friend of mine..."

I could feel the sadness and yearning in his voice. But heck, what did he mean? And who was the 'she' he was talking about?

"What do you mean?" I asked but my question seemed to startle him. He looked at me as if he hadn't expected me to be here.

"You didn't leave? I mean...Don't mind my words. I have work to mend. Bye!" Gio said all too rushed and quickly walked away.

I stared at his retreating figure. Why did he seem scared all of a sudden? And who is this girl Anthony misses so much?

"Believe me, I know better than you how it feels to loose the one you love."

Anthony's words played in my head. Has he lost someone he loved dearly? What was this man's back story?

But first!

I ran in my werewolf speed out of the packhouse to the pack grounds where the cars and other vehicles were kept, all the while being careful not to be spotted by the guards around. I looked around frantically trying to find the familiar figure.

I felt my shoulders slump when I didn't spot Anthony anywhere. Oh no, Did he leave already? What if he didn't carry a vehicle and instead ran off in his wolf form? It would be really hard to catch up with his Wolf considering he's an Alpha wolf. How will I find out where he goes every morning now...

I heard a car's door slam with a lot of force that at a moment I felt the door would wear out. Soon after, a car drove off from the grounds in immense speed.

I stared at the car in bewilderment before it clicked me. It's definitely Anthony. I didn't see anybody else entering the parking grounds.

I quickly stripped out of my dress behind a tree and turned into my wolf form. Crackling of bones was heard as my bones shaped into different angles. My hands and legs stretched, my palms and foots turned into paws and the auburn coloured fur started developing on my skin. My mouth turned into a snout and I quickly bent my wolfy head down to hold my clothes in my snout.

Thank God, I could still shift although I didn't have connection with my wolf anymore. I miss her though...

I darted behind the car in full speed keeping the required distance so that Anthony doesn't see me following him. The car is really slow considered to a werewolf's speed even when he was driving at God knows the highest speed limit.

I hid behind the bushes when the car came to a halt. Turning back to my human form, I put on my dress quickly and followed Anthony when he got out of the car and started heading towards....the cemetry?

What work does he have in a cemetry? Well, I guess I'll have to find out.

Keeping my steps slow and without making any sound, I progressed in following him in. I hid behind one of the tombstones so that he doesn't sees me.

Anthony walked past many tombstones holding a huge bouquet of white lilies in his hand before he halted in front of a particular grave. He walked over to the grave and knelt down in front of the black marble tombstone and placed the flowers in front of it.

I tilted my head to take a closer look of the name engraved on the tombstone but stopped when I saw Anthony breaking down in front of the grave.

"I miss you, Gini....so damn much" he sobbed making me shocked.

It is the first time that I saw this man look so vulnerable. He's always been so cocky but now he looked like a lost puppy.

"You promised me that you would never leave me....then why did you leave me?" He sniffed resting his forehead on top of the marble podium of the grave.

"I feel so alone. So lonely without you. You were my sunshine. My angel. You were the only one who understood me." His eyes held so much pain that it hurt me for a minute. Stupid mate bond.

Anthony raised his head and stared at the tombstone, "Remember the day when I tried to kill myself because I couldn't take everything anymore? It was the day when I saw you become angry at me for the first time since I met you. You were so angry at me that you slapped me on my face. Hard. And I swear, it hurt a lot. Where did you get so much strength from?" He smiled for the first time, "I was angry at you first for stopping me from ending the misery but when you put some sense into me saying that I should think about Anne and Richard and how heartbroken they will be if they knew what I was about to do, I realized at least there was someone who cared for me, who would be sad if I died. From that day onwards, I admired you even more. I always felt something for you but I didn't know this admiration would turn into undeniable love and I would fall madly in love with you, Gini."

I am speechless by now. I have never expected Anthony to be a soft-hearted man. He tried to kill himself? But why? What did he face to lose all his hopes?

Mom's face flashed in front of my face, her body lying motionless on the floor. I shook my head brushing that memory away.

Who's Anne and Richard by the way? Most probably, who is this girl Anthony loved so much?

"But even that didn't last," There was a bitter smile on Anthony's face as he spoke further, "You fell for him while I just looked on hopelessly. But I was fine even with that because I could see you happy. See the beautiful smile on your face. That was all I wanted--your happiness. So I left for your sake. I didn't want you knowing about my feelings for you after that day I kissed you. It would've ended the friendship we had. And I didn't want to end any ties with you. Though I regret not confessing to you. But when I returned back, you...."

He started sobbing again, "you were being killed. I tried. I tried so fucking much to save you but the stupid witch's shield didn't let me reach you. And by the time I was able to reach you, you had left this world..." the tears didn't stop running down his eyes as he put his head down on the tombstone, "I saw you die in front of my eyes, Gini. You must have been in so much pain, right? And I couldn't do anything." Anthony raised his head up, he looked sad and angry as he continued,

"But Daniel could. And he didn't save you. You were his mate but he didn't care. He let you die! He let Claire kill you, Gini!" Anthony was furious by now. His eyes held pain and anger both making him look a bit dangerous.

But...

Daniel's mate? Isn't Kiana Daniel's mate? How can this girl be his mate then? And Claire...she killed Anthony's lover? But why? She's so sweet and lovely. Why would she do something like that? So many questions...

My mind seemed to be going in circles since I couldn't understand  or make out anything. And as if this wasn't enough, the next moment I heard the voice which I would reconise even in my dreams...

"I had to do it, Anthony. I didn't have any other choice. She had to die." Daniel said as he entered the cemetry gates and walked towards Anthony.

When did Daniel arrive? And what is he doing here? Just what in the world is happening?

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I know I'm late with the update but I was badly sick the last few days so I couldn't really write anything. Anyways, how's the chapter?

I'll update the next chapter after 24th of October since my Semester begins next week which ends on 23rd and I have barely a few days to prepare for my exams😭😭😭

Anyways, I'll have 20 days vacation after that so I'll update more frequently at that time!

Bubye, have a nice day:)