Offered to the Triplet Alphas

Chapter-23. Burning memories

[Xanthea]

Raven stopped the car outside the narrow street. That was as far as a car could go. The alleys leading to my home weren't broad enough to accommodate a car. We had arrived in the Virgo pack in the Earthly realm.

My head was still giddy because of the realm jump that Raven's car made. A few seconds ago, he was racing his car on the roads of the Infernal realm. In the air, I saw a flash of light and it seemed as though we were sucked into a whirlpool. I felt as though my guts had been turned upside down.

The demon lords were about to get down from the car when...

"Alpha!" I called out, and the three of them looked at me. Ezra narrowed his eyes while his brows were raised in annoyance.

"What?" Raven asked coldly.

I lowered my gaze, nibbling my lower lips.

"Umm. Can you please wait in the car? I-I can bring everything you need to you if you just give me some time," I said, and they exchanged glances at one another.

"Very smart! But I don't want to go through the wasteful trouble of trying to hunt you down if you try to run away," Ezra said, opening the door.

"I won't run!" I blurted. "I promise. I know there is nowhere in any realm where I can run and hide from you."

Ezra scoffed.

"So why do you wanna go home alone? Oooooh~ Got a lover? Going to give him a final goodbye kiss, huh? How romantic." "No... I lived alone."

"Of course, you did. Your lover could be your neighbor, dumbo!" Ezra grunted, trying to get out of the car.

"Please! I promise I'll just go back to my house, get the books and diaries, and come back. Nothing else. I promise," I insisted.

"Xanthea, why don't you want us to come to your home?" Asher asked. "If it's just about getting the books then, you can do that with us, right? We could even help you carry them."

I felt my eyes turn misty as I lowered them, fidgeting with my fingers.

"It's... it's just... the place..."

"Are you embarrassed to show us you lived?" Raven said and my body tensed up.

"What? Had your undies scattered on the floor, or did you not clean up after your last sex in this realm? Oh wait, you were a virgin when we married you, so I suppose it isn't the second one," Ezra mocked. "You don't have to be embarrassed about anything. There's nothing about you we haven't already seen."

"No... that's not-"

Before I could say a word more, the three of them got down from the car.

Ezra squinted at the narrow, dimly lit, empty alley.

Taking a deep breath, I got down from the car. The ill feeling in my stomach grew with every step I took closer to my home, with the three of them silently walking behind me.

Ezra took out his handkerchief and covered his mouth and nose.

Although my mother's house wasn't in the slums, it was quite close to it. It was nighttime so most people were sleeping in their patched up houses. Even the ground we walked on was uneven.

so Asher walked

avoid looking into their eyes, but right now, I really

You're a fucking princess, aren't you? Or has the alpha of this pack tricked us? No wonder you were trying to hide this from us! You're not a princess, are you? You're just some omega living in slums. Were you a maid

check himself. We can make mistakes, but not Asher,"

H-how can someone even live

if this place bothers

she didn't want us to come," Raven

sorry,"

don't have to apologize," Asher

me to hold his hand back, but I stopped myself from curling my fingers over

have to walk?" Ezra

little further," I said hastily. I could feel the chills of embarrassment brush up

the corroding metal gate that opened with an ugly creak. I held it open as the three of them walked in and closed it with another

felt a knot tighten in my stomach as I led

the key, I found the door was already unlocked.

heads to pass through the door

scent of charcoal hung in the air, and black footsteps were

as the apprehension building in my chest grew more

bedroom, which was also my library, where I kept my mother's books on

stepped back out, barely able to catch my breath. My eyes widened as my unsteady vision took in the horrifying scene. The air froze in my lungs as a startled gasp, unable to grasp if I had walked into a

mouth with my hand, a shaky breath escaping in small, trembling

dashed towards the bookshelves, hoping it to be just

shallow and erratic. My fingers ran from one charred

"Mamma..."

mother's diaries. My broken breaths remained stagnant in my

full experience. You won't find the

in. I hastily checked all the other books and all of them had the same fate. Breathing through my mouth, my knees hit the floor as I

burned to ashes. Mom

scream tore through my throat, transitioning into violent

down my eyes incessantly. I struggled to draw in a breath. The air seemed to have disappeared, and my

dug into my skin as I tried hard to breathe, but couldn't. The more I gasped for air, the more I choked on it. It felt like I

hyperventilation or panic attack or I didn't even know what it was. But whatever

shaking legs, or who I bumped into as I ran out and down the

I had created a small garden. Most of the plants in it were forget-me-nots that I grew for my mother. Squatting amidst

shall pass..." I mumbled to myself, cleaning my upper arms with my icy fingers as I took in deep breaths. "Mom is here. She is here. She is still with me. She has not gone." I placed my hand on my heart and repeated those words until they

me and a dream she made me see. And now they are gone. For the first time in my life, I felt as though I

But that wasn't true.

with my thoughts, and inhaling the aromatic scent of jasmines. Jasmines were my mother's second favorite flower. Every time I imagined my mother, I imagined her to smell like

lightheaded, but a lot

always revisit her diaries and books. And that gave the comfort I looked for in every corner of

who did it? Who could

the answer. Luna

familiar voice of the

fence between our houses that were a little more than my knee height. She was the only neighbor who talked to me. She even took care of my flowers when I couldn't. She had been selflessly caring towards me ever since I moved in because perhaps my mother had cured her daughter, so she

heard the gate open and thought maybe they

voice

the open. Why don't you come to this side? Let's sit in my house over a cup of tea and