Octavia's POV
(1 week later)
The harder I tried to stop myself from thinking, the more thoughts whirled through my head. At first, I'd come up with nothing more than fuzzy pictures that drifted away when I tried to examine them, now that Victoria's spell was broken, I was drowning with stained memories.
Somethings are better off unknown.
My body racked with never ending sobs and tears. I remembered everything I went through, and it was hard to process. I remember the excruciating feeling of electric shocks rocking my veins, the thirst I felt when they deprived me of blood or anything form of nutrients, and, to top that, the effects of the Brurelium. I was their personal lab rat for several years.
Caleb was helping the others with the ceremony we had planned, as a tribute to Mikayla. I didn't want him to see me like this; when he ask if I was okay, i lied. Aiden and Victoria was dead, but it didn't matter, it didn't change the way I felt.
"Baby?"
I gasped hearing Caleb's voice outside the bathroom door, I used my hands to silence the sobs and tried my best to remain quiet. He graced the door with gentle knocks as he continued to called out to me.
"Baby, what's wrong?" He asked, concerned. I heard the door knob jiggling. "Why's the door locked?"
"I'll be out in a second." I answered.
The knocking stopped and he signed. "Octavia," he calmly stated my name. "Why are you crying?"
He continued when I didn't rely. "I'll start singing If you don't come out now." He mentioned.
I let out a soft chuckle through my tears, knowing that he was definitely not the best at singing. "I'll be out in a sec, I need a to shower first." I whispered, knowing he would hear me.
I made out his fast-moving footsteps fainting away, further into our room. I honestly believe that he gave up and went away, then he gave back and opened the door with the key. I stepped back, startled. Within the first few seconds, a frown crept up to his sweet lips, then he was holding me in his embrace. I didn't pull away, and he didn't ask me any questions, we clung to each othe while the last of my tears poured out. He then lifted me up and placed me to sit on the counter while he stood between my legs.
That was one of the many things I loved about Caleb, he was understanding. Even when he had no idea what was going on, he'd still try to make things better. I've never experienced this before; the lust, compassion, commitment, the igniting feeling I got when we were together. I wasn't sure about many times, but I knew everything I went through, I could always turn to Caleb.
I swiped at my eyes but the tears came any way. I pulled back a little, feeling slightly better, I moved my hands to his shoulder. Not as a release but to give us both some space. I looked down on the marble floor below us, avoiding his face so I wouldn't see his raw emotions.
"I think Victoria's...... spell made me forget, then she.......placed..... memories than weren't there." I sniffled. "I was fifteen years old when I got separated from my parents, then I got trafficked into Aiden's pack for their experiments." I shook my head, hoping the memories would go away, even though it wouldn't be happening anytime soon. "I wish it all would just go away, Caleb. I hate myself for not being strong."
"Hey, hey," his hand slid down to the side of my face in a warm caress, his long fingers cupped my chin, and lift my head up. For a long moment he looked in my eyes, with his flaring golden orbs searching my red ones. "All those things that hurt you, baby, had nothing to do with you, at all." He whispered. "Perhaps, that's why it's hard for you to move on. Know that I will be here Octavia."
"I love you, Caleb." I glanced up quickly, feeling the color deepen in my face.
"I love you too, Octavia. With everything I am."
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"Mikayla Ivanov, was one of the most brave, and deserving women I've came to know. She was a conviction of purpose." Clyde spoke in the microphone. He stood before our pack and stared down at the crowd from the makeshift stage.
I gazed around. I saw one family brought together to mourn our own. Countless numbers of black figures stood before us, silence dawned as we pay respect to Mikayla. The atmosphere matched the mood of it all, melancholy, wistfully heartbroken. Of course, not everyone was close to Mikayla, but each and every one of us felt the emptines of losing her.
"On behalf of all our leaders, and a grateful pack, we present this as a symbol of our appreciation for her honourable and faithful service." he finished.
We turned our heads towards the newest sign in the community, it was a few yards away from us. A way to honor Mikayla's memory, a park. We named it after her, it represented peace, sacrifice and unity. Aurelia and Miles were the first to plant a tree. Each year, the pack will come together to plants trees, a newly formed tradition.
Clyde said some finally words, then dismissed everyone. Most people came to say comforting words to Miles and offered him a comforting hug. Others help themselves to the food on display. Campbell didn't want anyone confronting Aurelia at this time, so no one dared to approach her.
I glanced over to Aurelia, who was still seated in her place on stage. Campbell and Amber was by her side, watching her stare off. She still hadn't spoken a word to anyone else in the pack, except for Miles and Campbell. For the first few days, she refused to eat, and found it hard to get out of bed. Thankfully, she had Campbell.
"She will be missed." My head turned to Meghan's breaking voice, she had a napkin in her hand as her continously swiped at her eyes with it. A small group of girls circled her, listening to whatever she was saying. "I'll always remember her, she saved us." She sniffled. One of the girls started to comfort her, telling her it would be okay. "If it wasn't for her selflessness, we'd all be dead. I wish it didn't happen, I wish I'd use my powers."
"I thought they weren't close," spoke to Caleb in a whisper. "Mikayla and Meg."
He shrugged. "Maybe she had a change of heart."
Or she knew how to put on a good show.
My eyes caught movement and I saw Aurelia storming off the stage with Amber and Campbell racing after her. Caleb and I rushed after them, seeing that she was going towards Meghan.
Meg backed away cautiously, seeing her rage. "Hey, Aurelia, I'm sorry for your loss. Mikayla was a great-"
"Why are you crying???" Aurelia questioned, ignoring her statement. "Mikayla didn't even like you." She pointed. Meg looked taken back, she had nothing to say.
Aurelia shook her head and walked off.
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I was running in a hazy, mist like form when I heard crying. I stopped in my tracks to locate the source. In a distance I spotted Aurelia sitting on a log, looking out at the waterfall. I ran towards her and sat down beside her, I noticed the few empty bottles at her feet and the one in her hand, she was wasted.
"Life......life.... is a son....of b*tch." She blurted out. "It's a big bitch, a horrible headache......constantly taunting me."
"Aurelia, maybe you should stop drinking."
I tried taking the bottle away but she just dodged and told me to go away.
"I'm going to call Campbell, you're too drunk to be out here." I answered.
"No!!!" She jumped up, "Campbell isn't the boss of me, he wants me to positive and talk about things, I don't want to talk." She said, taking a large slurp of the alcohol. "I want it to end."
I quickly mindlink Campbell and Caleb, telling them where we were before anything happened to her.
Aurelia started to stumble backwards, towards the edge, few more steps and she'd fall into the river.
"Aurelia don't move." I shouted
"Great, now you're telling me what to do." She told me taking a step back. "And if you think about using your speed to come after me, I'll, I'll....um, I'll..." she slutter. "I'll do something bad, so bad I can't even say it out loud."
"Aurelia, this isn't safe, move towards me." I begged.
"That's the point, Octavia. Nothing is safe anymore." She said, tears rushing down her cheeks. "I can't do this, not without her, nothing will be the same."
"That's true, You lost someone and nothing will or can ever replace her. But you have us to help you, you have-"
"Yeah, but for how long?" She interrupted. "How long before you all go away?"
"We can't dwell on things we have no control of, the past and future isn't going to go our way, but we can decide on what we want to happen now, where it counts." I said calmly walking towards her. She stepped back once again and started crying.
She became alarmed when Campbell and Caleb came beside me. I told them to stay put and not say anything. Campbell's entire body
tensed when he saw the empty bottles and the one currently in her hand.
"Aurelia, you've help me once, you gave me a future here, let me help you." I offered my hand for her to take.
A great sob escaped her, and she covered her face with shaking hands. I went closer and brought her away from the edge. I hugged her as she cried out her frustration.
"It..... it should have.....been me." She cried.
"That's not what Mikayla wanted, she did what she did to save us, to save you. Don't let her death be in vain." I advised.
She nodded her head and sniffed my hair. "You're hair smells nice, like coconut." She compliments.
"Thanks," I laughed.
"I'm happy that Caleb has you." She commented. "He's a nice guy, just a horrible cook."
I smiled at that. "Yeah, he is." I answered. "And I'm happy for you, you gave Campbell and Amber. Both of which are worried about you." I told her.
I felt her head shifted up."He looks mad." She whispered.
"He has a right to be Aurelia, you freaked him out." I answered. "Com'on let's go back, you need to sleep this offf."