Chapter 4

Elisa’s POV

Since it was night, she could be asleep. The entire family or perhaps they were watching the TV. I supposed as I used to be a part of this routine years ago when I was still with their son, Rhys. If she didn’t answer, I would call his sister next. The Alpha is such a cold personality, he might not even say a word.

Barely done with thoughts of my next decision, the ringing stopped. I strengthened up, clearing my throat.

“Hello?” The Luna’s soft voice cruised through from the other end. I cleared my throat again, feeling nervous.

“Yes Luna, good evening. I mean I wanted to tell you something. I found someone who looked so much like Rhys, I thought it was him but he isn’t.” My breath hitched, my throat seized, then tears spilled out. Roman turned before me with worried eyes, wiping them off with the back of his palms and gesturing on me to take it calmly.

It was a surprise I wasn’t prepared for, a curt smile broke between my lips, the tears persisted.

There was a long silence that I had to pull my phone off my ears to make sure that the call was still on. Then a deep sigh from the Luna which got me jerking, afraid that what was to come next would shatter me. I began to make up scenarios in my head.

Could he be married already now with kids abroad?

Or—

He found his fated mate and wouldn’t be coming back to me?

I felt he should have still told me goodbye but he left without even telling me goodbye, just a promise to return and a passionate sex that has been haunting me ever since to have again. He kept my hopes hanging in the air, which I saw as a big betrayal. That he was lying about coming back to me.

“My son, Rhys died three years ago from brain cancer.”

My body went numb, eyes frozen. What did she just say? At the moment, my brain was just trying to process the information, I couldn’t fully accept this. Just still, no motion, no idea of what to do yet a beating heart that could explode the next moment.

The closest I could look was Roman, his eyes flinched as I turned to look at him.

“He died the night you had your last sex with him. He knew it but couldn’t gather the courage to tell you, he wanted to leave you in a way he would continue to stay forever in your mind which is why he left without a goodbye.”

“What?”

Another heart string cut inside of me, then my heart, it stopped. It was getting real.

“Yes.” She accepted with a low voice.

A strange heat crawled up my throat, making me want to choke. My eyes spread wider than they have ever before, as my phone was slipping off my hand. My wolf stirred and I was about to break loose, to run mad, to hurt myself but Roman grabbed my waist firmly, even when I struggled to break loose. His brows etched with a frown of concern. He picked up the phone, raising it now to his ear to continue listening. I was done, I couldn’t take it anymore but from the little consciousness left in me, I realized the Luna had gone into tears.

“It was really hard when you woke up the next morning and came rushing to ask about him. It was really hard to keep a normal face and lie, saying he will come back for you.” She sniffed.

“It was his request. We discovered brain cancer late and by then he had just a short time to live—“ she paused again.

Oh Godddd.

I was struggling to breath, to live but Roman pressed on with his grip, looking into my face, urging me even with the face he kept. I could see, he felt it too. There’s no one who wouldn’t feel pity hearing a mother narrate losing her son in such a way like this.

She continued.

“When we found out the cancer was when he told you his dad had three years to live and that he would be going abroad for studies so he can return to become the next Alpha.”

Pause. Silence.

“He knew he would never come back on the journey of the last day of his life, that’s why he decided to spend his last passionate night with you. A night to remember. After you slept off, he slept forever and was carried off to be buried before you woke up.”

“Oh goddess!” I screamed so loud, thumping my legs on the tiles and crying so hard. Roman rounded me in a full hug, whispering consolations to my ears but I refused to be consoled.

“Let me be! I want to die too. I want to be with him forever.” I screamed, extremely hurt.

“He never wanted you to die which is why he didn’t tell you himself, he believed that one day you will find someone to replace him.” This low, soothing voice cruised through my ears in the background as my wails were much louder than I could ever hear him clearly.

Where’s the replacement? He will never be replaced?

I said to myself.

Then I realized the Luna was still speaking. I wanted to assume perhaps it’s a lie, that she will change her mind and tell me it’s a lie, that Rhys is still here, that I can go after him.

“He never wanted to hurt you, not in death. And we never wanted to hurt you by telling you this but fate has it this way.”

Could this be real?

“We are really really sorry and presume he knew you would meet a man to replace him in the next three years, your age of finding a mate. I’m pretty sure he’s watching over you both from the skies.”

That was when the call ended. A thick cloud took over, despair lurked over me. At this moment, my mind began to replay all the lovely moments we had, those good old days where Rhys was the sunshine of my life. I tried to stretch myself back into those times but it was gone. Gone forever. Only left with a shadow of itself.

I fell on the next closest chest to me, swirling my hands over his body as I hugged him really tight, crying deeply.

“I literally have no one now, a man to hold me through the tough times, love me and make everything alright even in the storm.”

A brief silence followed, in which I was thinking of what I would do with my life, even up to thinking of leaving this college I just got admitted into, where I’d thought Roman was Rhys and I will get us to return to who we used to be but now the reality was clear.

He isn’t.

Roman is someone else and a werepriest.

When I lifted my eyes to look at him one last time as though he was the secret Rhys, I found his eyes on me, tender, calm and with desire.

“What if I become Rhys for you?” He asked quietly.

“What—“

“What did you just say?” I stammered, feeling my mind was playing with me.

“I meant—“ he paused, looking deep into me as I unconsciously still hugged him so tight. “Maybe I can be your next Rhys, surprisingly, we are mates.”

Time slowed into one endless, most beautiful nightmare. I would really want this. Feeling the mate bond with him for days now which I’ve tried to ignore would have made the best meaning now that he wanted me but still I felt like it was a dream.

I stood still, unsure of how to react or what to say but lifting my eyes back at his, he really meant it.

But then, isn’t he a werepriest?

“Yes, but hasn’t the moon goddess paired us both together? Do you think she made a mistake by that?” My wolf brushed in, pulling my thoughts in two directions.