In the grand yet now eerily quiet estate of the Vale family, Selene's world had shattered in a way no one could truly understand. Grief had consumed her entirely, drowning her in an abyss that refused to release its hold.
For the past two weeks, she had become a shell of the person she once was, the lively and charismatic girl, the powerful Alpha daughter, now reduced to a hollow figure wrapped in her own sorrow.
Her mother's death, so sudden, so violent, had taken everything from her. She couldn't escape the brutal images, the sounds of that tragic night replaying in her mind, cutting deeper each time. Every breath felt like it was being squeezed out of her.
Sitting on the floor of her room, Selene hugged her knees to her chest. Her body was trembling, cold despite the heat of the room. Her eyes were red, raw from crying, but she didn't dare let out a sound.
There was no relief in it. No way to make the pain stop. Her mother was gone. Her mother...the person who had always understood her....was never coming back. She was alone.
The door creaked softly, a faint knock echoing through the silence.
"Selene," came Jake's voice, thick with concern but also hesitation. "Please... open the door. I'm here. We're all here. You don't have to do this alone."
Selene's breath caught in her throat. She couldn't face anyone, couldn't bear to be seen in this state, weak, fragile, broken.
The door lingered in the silence as she remained still, her body stiff, tears drying on her beautiful face.
"Selene," Jake said again, softer this time, the cracks in his voice impossible to hide. "I know you're hurting. But you have to let us in. Please, baby. You don't have to suffer like this alone. Let us help you."
But there was no response. The only sound was Selene's shallow, ragged breathing, punctuated by an occasional, strangled sob. Jake's heart ached, and it was like the weight of his own helplessness was crushing him.
Elia, Jake's girlfriend, stood behind him, her hand gently resting on Jake's shoulder. She didn't say anything at first, just stood in the background, giving Jake space but silently urging him to be patient.
"She's in shock, Jake," Elia finally said, her voice low but steady. "You can't force her to open up. She needs time."
Jake's jaw clenched in frustration. "But what if she's hurting herself in there?" His voice broke on the last word. "What if she's spiraling even deeper? We can't just sit here and do nothing."
Elia's gaze softened. "Then we call him."
Without another word, Jake pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed a number, his fingers trembling. The sound of the ringing echoed in the room like a drumbeat against his skull.
"Hello, Eryx," he whispered when the call was answered, his voice ragged. "It's bad. She hasn't come out of her room since... since she passed. Please, come."
"I'm on my way," came an instant reply from Eryx, his voice calm, yet there was an underlying current of worry that Jake could feel through the line.
It didn't take long for Eryx to arrive. He moved swiftly, his expression unreadable, but his eyes betrayed the concern he kept hidden behind a mask of control. He didn't speak to anyone as he made his way to Selene's room. He had no need for words, his instincts told him exactly what to do.
When he reached the door, he paused, his hand resting lightly on the wood. The atmosphere was heavy, thick with the weight of Selene's grief. He could feel it even from the other side of the door, suffocating, painful, raw.
"Lan," Eryx's voice was soft, the way he always spoke when he was trying to comfort his soulmate. His forehead pressed gently against the door as he closed his eyes, exhaling slowly. "It's me... Please, let me in. I'm not going anywhere."
For a long moment, there was nothing but silence. Then, a soft sob, barely audible, slipped through the crack beneath the door. Eryx's heart clenched.
Slowly, he turned the doorknob, the creak of the door breaking the silence like a fragile thread snapping. Selene's figure was slumped on the floor, her face buried in her arms, shoulders shaking with the weight of grief.
Eryx didn't say a word. He simply knelt beside Selene, pulling her into his arms with a tenderness that spoke volumes.
"I'm here, Lan," Eryx whispered, his voice thick with emotion, words heavy with all the love he had for his friend, for his soulmate. "You're not alone. I won't leave you. I promise."
At that moment, something broke inside Selene. Her body trembled violently, and a guttural sob tore from her throat, raw and desperate. The walls she had built around herself shattered, and for the first time in weeks, she let herself feel...really feel the pain.
The overwhelming grief, the loneliness, the loss. The dam broke, and her sobs became ragged and uncontrollable as she clung to Eryx, her body shaking with the weight of it all.
Eryx's arms tightened around her, rocking her gently, his hands stroking through Selene's disheveled hair. He didn't speak anymore; there was no need for words. Just the comfort of presence, the silent promise of being there, no matter how deep the pain went.
He didn't push Selene to talk, didn't ask her to explain. He just held her, as he should have done days ago, weeks ago.....
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