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.

the heels I almost tripped several times, so Asher walked beside me, holding my hand in

their eyes, but right now,

to hide this from

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

know but look at the abomination! H-how can

back if this place bothers you so much," Asher

know why she

am sorry,"

to apologize," Asher said, holding my

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

do we have

hastily. I could feel the chills

I held it open as the three of

felt a knot tighten in my stomach as I

of the pot. But when I tried the key, I found the door was already unlocked. I clearly remembered

three of them had to lower their heads to pass through the door

scent of charcoal hung in the air,

hard as the apprehension building

my bedroom, which was also my library, where I kept

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

my mouth with my hand, a shaky breath escaping

dashed towards the bookshelves, hoping it to be

breaths quickened, becoming shallow and erratic. My fingers ran

"Mamma..."

in my lungs as I flipped through

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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, in the drawers of

ashes. Mom was burned to

A scream tore through my

to draw in a breath. The air seemed to have disappeared,

It felt like I was trapped in my own body that hurt and ached in ways I couldn't fathom. Each breath seemed like a

and nose, trying to cope with my hyperventilation or panic attack or I didn't even know what it was. But whatever it was, I could bet

who I bumped into as I ran out and down the stairs in a hope to escape my emotions that followed me like shadows, dark and

when I had reached the backyard where I had created a small garden. Most of the plants in it

took in deep breaths. "Mom is here. She is here. She is still with me. She has not

she shared with me and a dream she made me see. And now they are

But that wasn't true.

the aromatic scent of jasmines. Jasmines were my mother's second favorite flower. Every

was still lightheaded, but a lot in

eidetic memory. I could always revisit her diaries and books. And that gave the comfort I looked for in every corner of myself. No one could

did it? Who could

the

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

walked to 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

and thought maybe they returned,"

My voice came

dear, can't 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,