Chapter 6: Will
1411 Words
|Nieves|
I squeezed my eyes shut, letting the wind lash against my skin, sharp and relentless as it swept through the cliffs. Strands of silver hair whipped across my face, tangling in the cold, salty air.
My bare feet curled against the jagged rock beneath me, the rough edges biting into my skin—a sharp contrast to the lingering warmth of the sun as it dipped below the horizon. After hours of running, I had finally escaped that suffocating mansion.
Now, standing at the cliff’s edge, I had found a moment of solitude, a brief sanctuary carved out of the chaos.
When I opened my eyes, the sky stretched before me in a breathtaking display of gold and crimson, the final brushstrokes of daylight before the darkness took hold.
One last sunset. One last glimpse of the world before I let it slip through my fingers.
The ache in my chest had grown unbearable, a crushing weight that made every breath feel like a battle. The silence around me was vast, broken only by the rhythmic crash of waves against the rocks below.
It should have been beautiful. It should have been peaceful. But peace no longer existed for me.
I drew in a deep breath, willing myself to memorize this moment—the scent of the ocean and pine, the way the wind curled around me like a whisper, coaxing me forward.
Maybe it wanted me to take that final step. Maybe it knew I no longer belonged here.
Lola was waiting for me. My pack—my family—they were waiting. I could almost hear their voices, carried by the wind, calling my name, welcoming me home.
My fingers curled into fists, nails pressing into my palms, grounding me for one last second.
It would be so easy.
Just one step.
And all the pain, all the loneliness, would finally fade away.
The world blurred as I pried my eyes open, my gaze drawn to the abyss yawning below. The ocean stretched endlessly, its inky depths whispering promises of release.
An invitation. A final escape from the hollow ache that had consumed me since that night. Since the fire. Since the screams had torn through the air, and blood had soaked the earth.
A bitter smile curled my lips, fleeting as the wind.
"I’m coming."
The words barely left my mouth before the wind swallowed them whole. I took a step forward, surrendering to gravity’s pull, my heart thrumming wildly against my ribs. Eyes fluttering shut, I braced for the plunge, for the icy fingers of the sea to claim me.
But the fall never came.
Instead, something yanked me back—hard. A searing grip clamped around my wrist, wrenching me from the edge. The force of it sent a jolt through my entire body.
A sharp, furious voice cut through the roaring wind.
"Fvck!"
My eyes snapped open in shock.
Before I could fully grasp what had happened, I was no longer teetering over the abyss. A firm pull dragged me onto solid ground, the warmth of a body anchoring me in place. Dazed, I found myself staring into storm-grey eyes, turbulent and unyielding.
The man holding me was breathing hard, his grip like iron on my shoulders. Anger blazed in his gaze, burning hotter than the wind whipping around us.
"What the fvck do you think you're doing?" he thundered.
My mouth parted, but no words came. The reality of the moment crashed over me like a tidal wave.
I had tried to end it.
And he had stopped me.
Why was he here? He wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near this wretched place. He belonged in his grand estate, reigning over his vast territory, far away from me. Yet, as the fog in my mind lifted, I became painfully aware that we weren’t alone. Shadows loomed around us—onlookers standing in tense silence, witnessing the unfolding chaos.
A surge of anger erupted within me, searing away the numbness that had settled in my bones. My hands clenched into trembling fists, and before I could stop myself, I struck him. My fists pounded against his chest, my voice breaking with every word.
“Why did you save me? Why the hell did you s-save me?!”
Blow after blow landed, though they lacked any real strength. It didn’t matter. I just needed him to feel even an ounce of the pain I carried. But he stood there—unshaken, unmoving. His expression remained infuriatingly unreadable, as if my rage was nothing more than a passing breeze.
I couldn’t comprehend it. He had saved me again. Why? I had finally gathered the courage to put an end to all of this—to silence the torment that had consumed me. And yet, here he was, dragging me back, forcing me to stay in a life I no longer wanted.
His voice, sharp as a blade, cut through the storm inside me.
“Are you fvcking trying to kill yourself?”
Tears blurred my vision, hot and relentless as they streamed down my face. I barely had the strength to speak, but the words spilled out like venom.
“Yes! This is my life, and I’ll do whatever I w-want with it!”
A dry, humorless laugh left his lips, cold and unforgiving.
“I told you once—you are not allowed to die under my watch. I saved you, which means you belong to me now.”
His words ignited something dark within me, a mix of fury and despair so consuming that I snapped.
“I didn’t ask you to s-save me! If you need someone to owe you a life, go find another damn person! Let me g-go! Let me be with my g-grandmother!”
Desperation clawed at my chest as I wrenched myself from his grasp. The moment I was free, I scrambled back toward the cliff’s edge, as if the abyss itself could offer me sanctuary. But it was foolish—he was faster. In the blink of an eye, his hands were on me again, yanking me back from the brink, forcing me to face him.
Trapping me in a fate I never wanted.
"Are you even listening to me, woman?" His voice was a c***k of thunder, sharp and commanding, sending an involuntary shudder down my spine. The sheer force of his anger radiated from him like heat from a raging fire.
I was supposed to fear him—to cower beneath the weight of his authority. But why should I?
With a sob tearing from my throat, I struck his chest again. My fist landed weaker this time, my strength fading with every breath, every tear that spilled down my face. He didn’t move. He simply watched me, his expression unreadable, before letting out a deep, measured sigh.
Then, without warning, he bent down and swept me into his arms.
"N-No—let me go!" I cried, twisting in his grasp, but his hold was unyielding.
I lashed out, pushing, clawing, desperate to break free. But grief was a thief, stealing the last remnants of my strength. My struggles faltered, my arms falling limp at my sides. A sob wracked through me, and I buried my face in my hands, surrendering to the unbearable ache consuming my chest.
I had lost everything. The weight of my solitude pressed down on me, suffocating. My body trembled from the force of my weeping, each breath more painful than the last.
"What is l-life when the only f-family I had is g-gone?" My voice cracked, barely a whisper between my sobs.
The man’s voice was quiet, yet firm. "Then find a reason…to live."
His words sliced through the haze of despair, pulling me from the depths of my anguish. I lifted my tear-streaked face, my lips trembling.
"I don’t have anyone—" The sentence died in my throat as a face surfaced, unbidden, in my mind.
David…
My mate. My fiancé.
A heavy silence fell between us as the truth settled deep in my chest. David is… still here. He was my bond, my fate, my tether to this world.
The man’s words echoed in my mind—Find a reason to live.
How could I have forgotten? How could I have let the grief blind me to the one person who still remained?
David.
He...is my reason.
He is…the man I love.
And… I still had him.
- Writer
