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.

times, so Asher walked beside

avoid looking into their eyes, but right now, I

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 in that palace?

Asher did her background check himself. We can make mistakes,

can someone even live here? I can't

this place bothers you so much," Asher

least now we know why she didn't want us

sorry,"

Asher said, holding

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

do we have to walk?"

said hastily. I could feel the chills of

an ugly creak. I held it open as the three

my stomach as I led

of forget-me-nots. The spare key was still stuck under the bottom of the pot. But when I tried the key, I found the door was already unlocked. I clearly remembered locking it. Breathing

three of them had to lower their heads to pass through the door and enter my small

the air, and black footsteps were all

as the apprehension building

as I rushed into my bedroom, which was also my library, where I kept

stepped into my room, I quickly 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

my hand, a shaky breath escaping in small, trembling

I mumbled as I dashed towards the bookshelves, hoping it to

ran from

"Mamma..."

stopped at one of my mother's diaries. My broken breaths remained stagnant in my lungs as

visit 5s.org for the full experience. You won't find the

in my chest clawed its way up my throat. A suffocating weight pressed down on me as panic set 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 hopefully and dreadfully looked under my burned down bed,

was burned to ashes. Mom was burned

tore through my throat,

air seemed to have

to breathe, but couldn't. The more I gasped for air, the more I choked on it. It felt like I was trapped in my own body that hurt and ached in ways I couldn't fathom. Each breath seemed

hands over my mouth and nose, trying to cope with my hyperventilation or panic attack or I didn't even know what it

of my irregular wheezy breaths filled the silence, and I had no idea when I got to my shaking legs, or who I bumped into as I ran out and

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

here. She is still with me. She has not gone." I placed my

with 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 had truly

But that wasn't true.

jasmines. Jasmines were my mother's second favorite flower. Every time

was still lightheaded, but a lot in

her diaries and books. And that gave the comfort I looked for in every corner of myself. No one could burn her memories away from my

who did it?

already knew the answer.

heard the familiar voice of the old lady who was my neighbor, Mrs

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 had always

the gate open and thought maybe they returned," she said in her shaky

My voice came

talk about it in the open. Why don't you come to this side? Let's sit in my house over a cup of tea and talk," she said. "Who is she, Xanthea?" Asher's voice