Offered to the Triplet Alphas

Chapter-40. Life has its ways

[Xanthea]

I was about to step beyond the university campus, but I took back my step.

My heart raced, breath quickened, filling my lungs with icy breaths. I clenched my fists so tightly my nails dug into my palms.

Gritting my teeth, I shut my eyes, hating myself a little more.

I am really a coward-

"Good girl..."

With a sharp inhale, I opened my eyes. I turned around, standing face to face with Raven.

I dared maintain eye contact with him as he stepped closer to me.

"Is a cat who you just met so important that you contemplated leaving the campus, even if it was for a second? You thought of defying me for a useless cat-"

"She is not useless!" I blurted out those words, and I wasn't sorry about it.

Raven's eyes bore into mine, their intensity growing as he closed the distance between us. The fear inside me was screaming at me to avert my eyes and lower my gaze, but there was something else that made me hold his gaze just as profoundly.

"Someone's getting brave."

"Who?" Once again, I had spoken without thinking things through. There was a bubbling rage in my chest.

I knit my brows when Raven smiled. I wasn't expecting this reaction from him.

"That cat sure taught you to sulk better," he chuckled. "So you really wanna help her? But a healer who can't heal is useless according to me and the standards of the Infernal pack."

"And I think she just needs to control her powers, and then she'll be one of the strongest healers. We... we just need a way to teach her, show her how it's done," I said.

His gaze shifted to the forest, eyes scanning the dense foliage.

"Now you have me in a chokehold of curiosity, little omega. Mind enlightening me about how you will 'teach' her to control her powers?"

He had a document rolled in his fist. Crossing his arms across his chest, he studied me as I remained silent. I didn't have an answer... yet.

"Overhealing is the most complicated condition in healers and their healing partners. Rare, but complicated. Most never gain control over their powers. That is why they are considered... useless. Overhealing can be tricky and more dangerous than underhealing. Like you saw, it turns normal cells into tumors, which ultimately leads to the death of those cells once the power source is withdrawn. Such tumors are malignant, which means they spread. If cells die, the organism dies. Simple mathematical biology. And if a healer can't control their powers, no one can make them."

"There's gonna be something we could do. There must be cases where someone controlled overhealing, right?"

"Sure. So what was your brilliant mind thinking? How were you going to 'help' her?"

"The plants... I was thinking..."

"Show me," he said.

I looked at him, confused.

"Go help that cat. I allow you to leave the campus, little omega. Show me what you can do," he said.

"Can I really-wa-uh!"

Raven scooped me off my feet. My hands snaked around his neck while he cradled me against his chest with his one arm under my knees. The next few seconds, Raven ran across the forest at a speed that even his bike couldn't match. The trees transformed into a mosaic of fleeting hues - green, black, and gray.

He put me to my feet. The twigs cracked, and the grass crunched beneath my sneakers.

It didn't take me long to find where Zosha was. A tree and plants close to it had grown considerably larger than the rest.

I followed Zosha's whimpers. Raven just watched from behind, leaning against the bark of a tree.

closer to Zosha, trying

power. But it wasn't working. Electricity still charged out of her with the same

plants. There has to be a specific plant that could help her. A plant that can grow

this is more of a psychological problem than a

me... the mortal you met

across the plantations, with Zosha being the

breath, I licked the

not under our control. When someone else gets to define who we can be and what

cautiously stepped closer

had a different view. She used to say that life has its ways of unfolding. Ways beyond our comprehension. Something that's scary today can

back my tears, I

in our favor. We just need to put our complete

someone to say those exact same words to me. I didn't know life had planned for me to say these words to someone who needed them more

fast, I took a deep breath and forced

something. What do you feel when you help those hurt rats and birds and lizards? When you take away their pain? Without you, they would have suffered life, their loved ones would have suffered an irreplaceable loss, but because of you, they are together, living happily. So, don't tell me you don't

the tightness building

help others by taking that first step. People like me, on the other hand,

tears overwhelmed my tongue as

to contradict what I said, but was too

imagine how many more lives you can change and save with the same powers that you fear today. Your powers aren't bad, they aren't your enemy. They are just young and wild like you, and that's natural.

sobs. She had transformed into her human

strength is your conviction to help others. And you'll always find a way. Your powers will find a way, and life will

another wave of electricity erupted and the plants grew

out, dear?

Go away or... you'll be hurt, meow!" Zosha mumbled through her cracking

I want you to know that you'll be a great healer one day. Because

she lifted her

"I'll love you..."

scared of me. My family sold me because of this.

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but I maintained the faint

moment, I

the biggest mistake

tears on the cuff of my

caution and trudged closer to her, making my way

She crawled back.

get close! Stay away! Please! Please! Don't come close to

kneeled before her and stretched out my

inside. I know you want to hide. You are lost, struggling with yourself.

didn't know to whom I had addressed those words - to her or myself. But I knew both of us were trapped and we had to escape from ourselves

her eyes as she gasped. The suffocation I felt in my chest was realized in

"Take my hand..."

She shook her head.

on hers.

met you today..." I said, wrapping my arms around her trembling body as

into sobs, hugging me back tighter. Caressing her hair, I stroked her

while, she clenched

her hair as I stroked her. She tried to pull herself

please go away from me! I am dangerous! Let

I am

she made a sound as if she was choking, but she had stopped

my jaws, managing my breaths. I don't know what I was doing. All I knew was it was the

bleary gaze in a warm scrutiny. Wiping her tears, I ignored the subtle electricity that charged through her hair. She was

go... you'll get hurt..."

"You're worth the pain..."

"I'm not..."

"You are..."