Chapter 2 ( A Tale Without a Start )

Aiden's POV

I sat in the darkness, my hands trembling as I cradled my head. I didn't know how long I'd been sitting here, hours, days? Time had lost all meaning since she was taken from me. The room felt empty, like my soul, drained of life. I could still smell her, the faintest trace of lavender lingering on the pillows, on the sheets where we had once laid together. Seraphina made me awake and aware of the world around me, she walked me through nature itself and showed me the love I never thought I could have. She was everything I had, everything I ever wanted, and now, she is gone. I stared blankly at the floor, my chest heaving with shallow breaths, unable to muster the strength to do anything but grieve. I didn't want to live anymore. What was the point? She was my life, my heart. And now that she was gone, I had no reason to stay in this world."I can't live without her." I muttered beneath my breath unconsciously. I slammed my fists against the bed frame, the wood groaning beneath the force of my anger. My throat burned, my eyes dry. The tears had stopped hours ago, leaving only the dull ache of loss. My wolf paced inside me, restless and angry. It wanted to lash out, to find the person responsible, but we both knew who was at fault.It was all me, and me, and me. It was nothing I couldn't deny or disagree with. And I really hate myself for it. "I... I should have stayed away," I muttered to myself, my voice hoarse. "I should have listened to her mother. She warned me, but I didn't care. I didn't listen, and now..." My voice cracked, and I swallowed the sob threatening to break free. "I couldn't protect her. It wasn't enough."I rose from the bed, my limbs heavy like they were weighed down with lead. I stumbled toward the window and pushed the curtains aside, revealing the moonlit sea in the distance. Its waves crashed violently against the shore, reflecting the chaos inside me. *I have to go. I have to follow her.*I stepped onto the balcony, the cold wind biting at my skin. The sea... it's where I belong now. I'll drown, and no one will save me. No one will be able to, if I do it quietly. My mind was set, and yet, as I stood there staring out at the dark horizon, something caught my attention, a noise, rough and sharp, from behind me.I froze. The scent hit me before the sight did. My pulse quickened, and I knew who it was before I even turned.Elysia had just the same scent as her daughter, I can't mistake her for someone else, their fragrance was the same. I had heard her warning too many times before, "Stay away from her, Aiden. You will destroy her!"The door burst open, slamming against the wall. Elysia stormed in, her eyes blazing with fury, and before I could react, her hand collided with my face in a sharp slap."You!" she screamed, her voice trembling with rage. "You killed her! You! This is all your fault!" Her words cut through me like a blade, sharper than any physical blow could ever be. I swallowed the pain, refusing to let my wolf out. It wanted to fight back, to rip into her, but I held it back."Elysia," I rasped, "I... I didn't... I'm really sorry.....""Don't you dare speak to me!" she shrieked, grabbing the front of my shirt and pulling me forward. "You didn't protect her. You didn't stay away, and now my daughter is dead because of you!" Her words echoed in my mind, each one twisting deeper into my heart. She's right.I thought of all the times I could have left, all the chances I had to walk away, but I was too selfish, too caught up in her beauty, in the life we could have had. I didn't listen. And now, Seraphina is dead.Elysia's hands trembled as she raised them, a dark aura swirling around her fingers. I felt my wolf stir, but before I could do anything, the magic hit me like a wall, knocking me to my knees."No..." I gasped, trying to shift, to let my wolf take over, but the spell was too strong. My body contorted, bones snapping, fur sprouting across my skin. I howled in pain as I shifted unwillingly, my body forced into its wolf form, and when I looked up, I saw her eyes, cold and unforgiving."This is your punishment," Elysia hissed. "You will never be human again."I tried to fight it, but I was powerless. My body twisted, trapped in my wolf form, unable to shift back. I growled lowly, but she was gone before I could react. With a final look of contempt, she left, slamming the door behind her.I ran. I bolted from the room, my paws hitting the earth as I sprinted through the woods, my mind numb with grief and rage. The pack, the coven, none of it mattered anymore. I couldn't stay. I couldn't face them. *I need to run far away. I need to die.*I pushed myself harder, faster, through the trees, not knowing or caring where I was going. Days passed, my body aching with hunger, thirst, and exhaustion. The scar on my side burned like fire, a reminder of the curse that bound me. Finally, I reached a river. The water sparkled under the morning sun, mocking me with its beauty. I collapsed by its edge, panting, my body weak. I opened my eyes and found myself back to my human form. Then I guessed I had run so far away from where Tatia's spell could hold me back. I became ridiculously thirsty,the thirst was unbearable, so I lowered my head to drink, but as soon as the water touched my lips, I choked."No!" I coughed, spitting the water out. I can't even drink! I can't act like a human, and I can't live as a wolf.I lay there, broken, my fur matted with dirt and sweat. I was a wrecked ship, drifting aimlessly with no anchor, no purpose. "I have to die," I whispered to myself. "I can't live like this... not without her." If everything meant darkness and numbness without her, then the rest that's left should be nothing either. I stepped slowly into the river, if nature's against me, then I know I won't live when I delve into it. My legs went deeper into the river as I took more steps further with the thoughts of death. I missed a step but couldn't keep count of the other, and releasing myself to the deepest part of the river, I shut my eyes, I knew that was the end of our love that hadn't started..... there'll be no one to tell the tale.