"When are you coming back?" Evelina heard Sebastian's cold and blank voice over the phone which was dripping with emotions. She could feel the pain in his tone which he was trying so hard to control. She muffled her cries by putting her hand over her mouth. She misses him so much. It was breaking her heart and she wanted to leave everything to run back to his arms.
Sebastian and Evelina are highschool lovers and by the grace of the moon goddess, they recently found out that they were destined mates. Both of them were over the moon at the revelation. Even though Sebastian isn't the type to show much emotions, he picked her up in his arms that day and twirled her around in front of the entire pack while laughing wholeheartedly to express his happiness. That memory still makes her feel warm from inside. The entire pack was in awe.
"Stop crying, Evelina and answer my question." Sebastian this time used a stricter tone. But his voice cracked at the end because he could never tolerate tears in her eyes and he definitely never wants to be the reason for that. But he didn't have any choice. He was suffering as much.
"Who is crying? Not me." Evelina composed herself and quickly wiped her tears. She tried to muster up a cheerful tone. She could never understand how he always knows whenever she's crying.
"You still didn't reply to me, Eve. Do you want me to trace you and drag you back to my arms?" Sebastian sounded restless now but that made Evelina chuckle.
"You are crazy but no, I don't want that. I promise, a few days more and I'll be back." She said in a promising time but that didn't do much to calm Sebastian down.
"I can't take it anymore, Eve. You didn't tell me where you are going, you took a promise from me not to trace you. I only know that your sister needs you. You didn't even tell me why she needed you. You just keep saying you will be back but not giving me an exact date." Sebastian growled in frustration, Evelina could imagine him gritting his teeth.
She knew how he was feeling but her hands were tied. She couldn't do anything. She promised her sister. She won't be sharing this with anyone, not even with Sebastian. She was already feeling restless since the time her sister and her mate left for the hospital but now talking with Sebastian made things worse for her.
"Please don't do this to me, Sebastian. I can't tell you anything but I promise I'll share everything with you when the right time comes." Evelina said in a promising and requesting tone, hoping that Sebastian would drop it but he didn't.
"What are you hiding from me, Eve? Are you guys in any danger?" He asked in a suspicious tone.
"No, we are not!" Evelina shouted almost immediately, raising Sebastian's doubt even more. He stood up from his chair and was going to say something when Evelina spoke up once again. "Sebastian, I have to go now. I will call you later. I love you. Bye." She hurriedly said and cut the call, without even waiting for his response.
He always replies with 'I love you more'.
She held the phone close to her chest while trying to calm down her breathing. Her heartbeat was going crazy in nervousness. The moment he uttered the word 'danger', she felt exposed.
Yes, exposed.
Because they were indeed in danger. Not her but her sister and her mate. Her older sister, Angelina. They both grew up in Sebastian's father's pack, the 'Blue Edge Mountain Pack'. They are orphans or at least that's what they remember. They were really small when Sebastian's father found them by the end of the forest, injured and lost. She was too little to remember anything about their past but her sister knows something about their family. But Angelina never shared anything with her or anyone.
Evelina is twenty two years old and Angelina is twenty five. Angelina left the pack four years ago saying she found her mate and she wants to move out with him. Even though Evelina was upset and very much against the idea to let her only family go away from her, she didn't say anything because she loves her sister a lot.
Alpha Steven, Sebastian's father, demanded to meet Angelina's mate because he loved both of them dearly and didn't want to let her go with just anyone. But Angelina didn't introduce her mate with anyone and left forcefully. That hurt alpha Steven a lot and so Angelina was banished from the pack by him.
So, when three months ago Evelina got a call from an unknown number with her sister's terrified and scared tone from the other side, she didn't know what to do. Angelina was in distress when she called and requested Evelina to come and visit her for a few months to help her with her pregnancy and also told her about the lingering danger in the dark. But Angelina took a promise from Evelina that she can't share this with anyone, not even Sebastian.
So, she told everyone in the pack that she is going to the next city to finish her internship as the pack doctor and she will be back soon. Only Sebastian knows that she's meeting her sister.
Evelina came out of her thoughts and looked outside the window. It was almost midnight. She still didn't receive any calls from Andrew, her sister's mate. Earlier today, in the afternoon, Angelina went into labor. Evelina wanted to join them but Andrew insisted she stay home and prepare the house for their return with the baby.
But she doesn't know why, she couldn't feel excited or happy. She was extremely worried and restless from the time they left the house. Her sister's last word before she left didn't help much in her restlessness.
"If anything happens to me, protect my baby at any cost." Angelina said while sitting in the car.
"You'll be fine," Evelina had said, forcing confidence into her voice.
Angelina had smiled weakly, clutching her rounded belly. "I know," she'd replied, though her eyes betrayed her fear.
Why did she say that? What would happen to her? Evelina doesn't know much about the danger Angelina is in. Because she didn't elaborate it but she only knows that someone is after her sister's child.
Why? Who? She doesn't know. But she will get her answers once they return.
"Where are they? It's been so long alre-..." She couldn't finish her sentence when her phone buzzed. The sound shattered the silence, and Evelina's heart leaped to her throat. She snatched the phone from the table, her eyes widening when she saw Andrew's name flashing on the screen. Relief flooded her as she swiped to answer.
"Andrew!" She said, her voice rushed. "Finally! How's Angelina? Is the baby here? Are they okay?"
There was no immediate response. Instead, there was a strange pause, the kind that made her skin crawl.
"Andrew?" she pressed, her voice faltering slightly.
Finally, a voice came through the line, but it wasn't Andrew's. It was cold, detached, and entirely unfamiliar.
"They're dead."
The words hit her like a physical blow. "What?" Evelina whispered, gripping the phone tightly. "What kind of sick joke is it?! And who are you?!" She suddenly lost her calm. How dare this person joke with her like this?!
"Angelina and Andrew. They're gone. The child will be next if you are not quick enough."
That's it. The line went dead.
The phone slipped from her trembling fingers and clattered onto the floor, the sound startling in the heavy silence. Evelina stood frozen, her legs refusing to move, her mind struggling to process what she'd just heard.
"No," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "No, this isn't real. It can't be real."
Her knees buckled, and she collapsed onto the couch. Her breath came in short, shallow gasps as tears blurred her vision.
"Angelina… Andrew…" she choked, clutching at her chest as if she could physically hold her heart together. The pain was overwhelming, suffocating. Her world, her family, had been torn apart in an instant.
"Sebastian…" she whispered, her voice shaking. "I need you."
But he wasn't here, and he wouldn't be. Not now.
'The child will be next if you are not quick enough'
That line kept on ringing in her head like a broken alarm as she sprinted out of the house.
She has a promise to keep…