**This chapter contains mature subject matter.**
⚠
GONE - NF ft. Julia Michaels
🎵
"Mom?"
She quickly vanished as soon as I blinked. I ran out from the bathroom back into my room and nothing.
She was gone.
"Athena?"
I turned and tripped back slightly as she was now in front of me. So close I could reach out and touch her. Did I want to? I wasn't sure. I wasn't even sure I was awake right now.
"Mom?"
"Hi baby."
Tears fell down my face as I backed up slowly til my back met the wall. My hands shook as I remained locked against it, trying to remember to breathe. She was so beautiful, her eyes were shining a perfect shade of brown, as her auburn hair laid gently over her small shoulders. Wearing a white satin gown that fell against her small stature.
"What are you doing here?" I managed to choke out.
"My sweet babygirl, I missed you so much. I'm sorry to startle you, I know it's been really tough for you without us, without Julia."
I gasped as I reached up my arm to wipe my free falling tears, not doing my face any justice as they continued to flood down my skin and onto my t shirt.
"You don't have to say anything to me, I just wanted to tell you that I love you, and that I'm sorry that you have been alone. You never should've been, and I wish I could've been there for you."
"I-it's not your f-fault." I stuttered out, swallowing my sadness, pushing all my feelings way for this moment. I didn't want to lose her again. Not until I talked to her more.
"I know, but baby you have to keep being strong. You must not give up now, promise me?"
I nodded, "I promise."
"C-can I h-hug you?" I choked out, my hands aching to reach out.
She walked slowly towards me, almost floating and smiled stopping right in front of me now. Nodding softly as she reached out her hand to me.
I met her hand as her cold as ice skin touched mine, giving me goosebumps all over. She brought me to a hug as I melted into her. I thought she'd feel foreign to me, a stranger. But she didn't, we embraced each other and for a moment I felt at peace, like I was home again.
My tears never stopped as I held tight to her as she slowly rocked me back and forth, rubbing her fingers down my long hair. "God I missed you." She said in what felt like a whisper onto me.
"Me too."
"Athena? My sweet girl I need to show you something, it's another reason I am here. Can I?"
I nodded into her hair as flecks of glitter shined off her body, like she was glowing. She smelled of cinnamon and vanilla, like Christmas morning.
She broke away gently as she held my hands in hers and looked me in my eyes, my tears slowly stopping now as I sniffled. "I know you have the gift of sight, I'm going to let go of you and I want you to reach for my hand again can you do that? Don't be scared, but you must see what I show you. I'm so sorry but I must."
I nodded as she broke away her grasp on my hands, leaving me feeling empty and sad. I took a few deep breaths before I swallowed my fear of the unknown, and slowly reached for her hand.
The sudden surge of light hit me full force and almost threw me backwards. She held onto me tight as I gasped, feeling like I was being thrown down a tunnel of light and wind. "Just hold on and breathe baby." She said in the distance, my mind was going blank from the stimulation being so fast, until finally it stopped. The slideshows I remembered appearing, scanned in my mind quickly and intricately. I started to hear sounds that mimicked voices until everything fell quiet again, and then the pictures stopped moving.
One slide as a time they moved again, showing me slides of me as a kid laughing, playing with what looked like my friends. Then another, my birthday party and me and our family and friends all smiling and happy. I was so happy.
Another and another, showcasing family pictures and get togethers, with people I never remembered and still don't. "Mom what is all this?"
"Keep watching."
The slides slowed down as new ones were starting, these one not so bright now, grey undertones and black and white pictures were starting to come together. Slides of our empty house, empty playground and just vacated areas that may have had children playing in them.
Confused I kept watching, feeling like if my chest got any tighter I wouldn't be able to breathe.
I heard a man's voice first, rough and deep. I couldn't make out the words but he sounded angry, violent. The stills of the empty homes now just stills of black, but the voices, they just kept coming. Another man's voice appears, this one not as rough as the first but equally as angry, he sounded younger and determined, for what I wasn't sure.
The slides halted, everything going blank and as I was going to open my eyes a video played. A video that displayed my house in black and white, almost feeling like I was in it myself as I watched. The front door creaked open, sounds of furniture crashing and breaking but I saw no one there.
"How could you! You betrayed us for this whore!" I heard as I gasped, looking around I saw the back of a man. He was tall, large framed and intimidating, almost like a leader of some sort. "I trusted you Ten!" I heard the younger man yell out that I heard earlier, I turned and saw the side of him. He was also tall, dark haired and angry, so angry. He had his side to me as his fist was in the air and a knife in the other.
"No." I whispered under my breath.
And then I heard her, my mothers voice. Soft and calm and sweet as she had walked into the room with them at some point. But she also sounded frail, almost weakened. I assume these two men were my parents killers. They would've had to have done something to her to calm her down like this, she was a well known Witch. She would've never had let them hurt us if she was able. I turned and saw her white dress flash, the larger meaner man tossed her aside as she hit the ground and cried out in pain.
"Mom I don't want to watch this! Please let me go!"
"You must Athena, baby I'm sorry. But you have to find out the truth. You must protect yourself."
Tears fell as I hung on for dear life now to her, praying I wouldn't be shown much more.
Once my mother fell, screams continued with my father as they tortured him, threatened him and my mother. But then the video cut out, I didn't see much else when a movement caught my eye on my right. I looked over at the next slides appearing and there I was.
Standing at the bottom of the stairs with fear stricken eyes was 6 year old me. A single tear on my cheek as I clutched a stuffed rabbit. The next slides were all flashes of blood, audio of screams and little feet running along the wooden floors.
The slides continued blank again, sliding past my mind as empty voids. Until the very last one appeared.
All that was shown was a man's eye, close up to the camera and barely visible. But I saw enough of that eye to recognize it, I saw that eye color and definition so many times in fact, I could paint it just by memory. A deep brown, almost black with a speck so small of crimson that you'd miss it with just a blink.
I gasped as I let go of my moms hand, falling back against my wall as I held my hand to my chest, my eyes widening in shock. "Oh my god."
"Athena."
"Mom, oh my god."
I slid down the wall and cradled my head in my hands, in shock the one thing I could manage to say was "Why?"
I blinked out my tears to meet her eyes with mine, "Why?"
"Because they didn't want your father and I together baby. We broke the rules."
"Fuck the rules! You are allowed to love! Fuck them!"
She smiled slightly and crouched down in front of me now, her presence making me shiver with how icy it became.
"You can't bring back the past my love, but you can change your future. They are back again, and back for you. They know what you are and they will hunt you down and hunt for as long as you are alive. You must never ever go anywhere unprotected now. Do you understand?"
I nodded, "How though? How do I protect myself! I've never done anything like this before!" I said, feeling my chest constrict again.
"You're stronger than you think, I know you can do it."
Before I could tell her that I couldn't, that I needed her, she was gone. Nothing was left but a mist of glittery flakes evaporating onto my bedroom floor.
I wrapped my arms around my knees, collapsing into myself and screaming. Visions of him coming back to me now.
The very first time I met him, outside the bar. When he grabbed my hand on the cab door, I met his eyes. The deepset brown eyes with just a hint of red. So small you'd have to be looking for it to find it. I felt they were familiar then, now I know why.
I even so much as asked and he denied it. Did he lie? Was he there? How could he have been, we were the same age weren't we? The two men didn't really look like him, well at least from what I saw of them which wasn't much. Was it his family? All I knew was that I know those eyes anywhere, I could pick them from a fucking line up. I knew that night I met him, I saw those eyes before. It must have been when I snuck down the steps when I was little, but I don't remember any of that. I just knew I saw those eyes before.
They were just like his.
They were just like J.K's.
And if he wasn't there, then it was someone he knew, someone he was related to. Someone he knew killed my family.
The rage that replaced my tears was terrifying, liberating really. My heart began to pound so hard into my chest as my arms twitched and my hands got hot.
I needed to leave now before I ripped a hole in this room.
I quickly got up and grabbed my phone and keys and stormed out of the house, walking to the back of our place and taking the long trail down towards the man made body of water we had close by. I picked this place for us because just about a block from from the house was a massive forest that surrounded the water. Perfect for what was about to happen.
My head began to pound as I was heaving breaths in and out of my chest. All I could see was red, violent shades of crimson red flooding my mind.
I needed to turn and get this out of me, and then I was onto my next mission.
To find J.K.
⚜️
Jin
Present
I sat in my driveway in my car, head pushed against the headrest and my fists clenched to my lap. Wondering how much longer I had to keep this facade up.
I couldn't stomach the sight of her anymore, if I was being honest. Sure the pussy was good, and she was a good lay. But fuck if I had to deal with her annoying attitude for any longer, I'd cut her head off myself.
My dads ideas were always ones he never partook in. He always wanted his glorious sons to get their own hands dirty for him instead. I was so sick and fucking tired of that too. Living under Baron's rules day in and day out, I was an adult now, when would I get to choose?
There was 5 of us total in the pack. My father, Caden, Ry, myself and Barrett. Caden was the youngest, and the bastard son of my dad and his then mistress. He kicked my mom to the curb years ago, we all suspected she was dead after he came back covered in blood the night he kicked her out, but nobody ever asked. Ry was some run away prick that my dad saw a "spark" in and Barrett was my bestfriend growing up who I'd run around the hidden forests with when we were younger stirring up shit. He was massive and not too bright, but I loved him like a brother.
We used to all be really close until my grandpa passed away, he got tricked one night by some old rivals of his, and so they sent his body without a head back to my father as a message that his fathers debt was now paid.
My father was never the same after that, not brooding or moody. Just more of a fucking prick than ever before. I always knew he meddled in the dark, he was full of it. He was abusive and relentless and the only thing that would make him happy or proud, was if you got the fuck out of the way.
He made the calls, no matter what they were. You couldn't argue with him, go against him or fight him. That's why I thought he was lying when he told me that if I brought Athena to him, he'd let me go. He didn't let anyone go. But he said it was time, that I've done enough and needed to branch off. With of course threats to my life and whoever I loved later on.
In the end there really was no clear way out of this.
Which is why I had no say in what happened that night they murdered her family, I was ten at the time. My dad always had a hard on for killing half breeds, hybrids and anyone not in the lineage. He felt they were despicable and needed to be exterminated. I mean I got the jist, but he needed to relax a little.
All I knew was that years ago my dad and grandpa killed this chicks parents when she was around my brothers age. Something about her dad being Lycan and fucking around with her mom who was a Witch of the North or South, whatever the fuck that meant.
They got together and bred a daughter, who grew up to be my now so called love interest at the moment. Because her dad Tennison used to be in a pack with my father, he resented him for leaving, for setting his own rules and marrying another kind. The kind that Lycans were supposed to hate, Witches.
He thought he'd pay him a visit one day and set the record straight. Punish him for breeding outside our blood line, for recklessly creating a hybrid. "Polluting" us he'd say growing up. They ripped both of her parents apart that night, taking the throat of her mother and the head of her father. They both knew that their daughter was in the house, my father seeing her peek around the corner and then bolting.
They didn't bother chasing her, although my father wished to, he was told to stay back. My grandpa had a better idea, one that brought chills to me whenever I was told it.
"We'll find her when she's grown up and strong." He said to my father, "When she's fully transitioned and functioning. We'll find her and tear her apart, sending a message to the Lycan bloodline that when you fuck with rats you get poisoned, and that no matter how many years have passed you're never safe, especially when you're a Hybrid child. A bastard of the sense."
Of all the stories I've learnt growing up from my family, this one was the one that made me most fearful. Not like I gave a shit about witches anyways, or was ever going to marry one. I just didn't see how it needed to matter so much, the girl wasn't even smart enough to smell her own kind on me.
I really wasn't too worried she'd try to expel us all.
I eventually was told to finally go and find her 2 years ago, to start to get tabs on her and to make her part of my world. After feeling like a sitting duck for those years of waiting for the green light, we all grew impatient when we already knew she existed, but my sick twisted fuck of a father wanted to let her grow up a bit more, get a safety net. To basically have her not see it coming. Setting the trap to bait her right to us would take awhile, and once I could hand her over to my father that was it. Once she was in his hands, why would I care what happened to her?
I knew that at the time I needed someone on the inside to help me that I could take all the credit for. I knew I could count on the one person my father despised more than me, the one person he'd kill on site. I could use him to my advantage and get Athena to trust him first, I knew how bad he wished for our dad to accept him. To love him back.
My brother J.K.
When we were all still living in New York almost 5 years ago, I got word the broad moved here to L.A. I was also told beforehand that she was adopted into a woman's care at 7 by the name of Julia, who lived in our city as well. So when I was expected to "pay" her adopted mom a visit for a chat, I got a call that she was snuffed out already. Conveniently the day Athena had already left for California.
I wondered by who, it seemed targeted and the last thing my father wanted was competition. Then I turned on the news and it all made sense. "Animal attacks."
Sure.
I knew there was a pack running the city limits as well, the same pack that my brother was welcomed into. I knew that this must have been their doing, he never did like staying out of trouble.
But when I got in touch with him, he told me he had nothing to do with that and that it was probably his idiot pack brother that had went on a spree with them. He guessed that he must have done the residential slaying. When he asked me why I was asking, I refrained from telling him the truth about the connection, that just wasn't information he needed to know.
I instead gave him some lame excuse about them crossing territories.
I grumbled at the memory, being told on the phone that my visit to get information from this woman, had now turned into a body recovery mission. Of course I was the body recovery guy. I picked up her shredded remains our pack found and tossed them in plastic bags, slinging them over my shoulder and driving them to the docks, where I got on one of our boats and sent mommy dearest 2.0 out to sea to rest.
I then went back and went through all her things at her house, making sure I didn't move a single thing out of place to show foul play. I took bank statements and credit balances and snapped photos of it all to send over to our guys. I don't know what they did with the money they emptied from her bank accounts, but it wasn't for a while before anyone had taken notice that it was empty, and by that time we had already all relocated to California.
My brother and his pack included, the rampage of the attacks eventually ran them out. Stupid is as stupid does I guess.
But the plan two years ago didn't go as I wanted it to, no because my brother had to go and get his hands dirty again. I had kept in contact with him before we all had even moved here, and it wasn't until our father gave me this job that I included him and let him in. Promising him that maybe our father would see him as a son again, if he completed it. Knowing full well dad was so far gone in his ignorance and power trip that he'd kill himself before ever loving his son again.
I just needed the idiot to help me get information.
J.K stalled over and over once he was in Athena's life. At first he was sending us her living arrangements, identification and where she even frequented. And then one day it stopped, nothing new coming in about her, barely replying to texts and calls, nothing. I knew it wasn't an easy task, getting this moronic woman to trust him, or any wolf for that matter. But I trusted him to complete what was asked of him.
I haven't heard from him in a while now, and guess whose shoulders that falls on?
I decided to then follow her for a bit myself, knowing J.K had mentioned she moved here to go to school but couldn't because she lost her mom. The mom I assumed was Julia. That at least made sense. So instead of dead air with him, I took matters into my own hands. I found out that she started dating a blue haired ken doll named Jimin, that she still was working at some strip bar. And when she eventually found out Jimin was the one who killed Julia, I watched as her world crumbled around her again.
It brought a sadistic smile to my face, to know finally someone had a shitty life too.
When I saw her enroll into art school, I followed. When I saw that she moved in with her gorgeous bestfriend Clara, I followed them to their new loft. I watched her for awhile in the halls, changing some of my classes to match hers. I wasn't in school to make anything of myself, all strictly just a job. Although it probably would do me some good to learn something.
If you want something done right, I guess you just have to do it yourself.
So now here I was, sitting in my drivers seat and wanting to leave and never return. Telling nobody. I was on the verge of losing it, so sick and tired of being pushed around.
Golden child my ass.
I had to relay information soon, and I had already let my Father know that I was hanging out with her. But between her blacking out and my brother vanishing I was royally fucked for an exact plan.
I got out of my car and slammed the door shut, walking up to the front door and walking into complete darkness. That's weird, I usually always leave a light on when I leave. I flicked the switch and turned it on, tensing up as I stared back at my brothers face, sitting on my newly cleaned sectional.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't the son that nobody wanted. What gives me the great pleasure?" I said as I took my jacket off and walked towards him to sit down.
"We need to talk brother."
"Yeah I figured as much." I said smirking as I leaned my elbows onto my thighs. "What can I do for you? Haven't you ignored enough of my calls? You're lucky I haven't killed you yet for disobeying an order, better yet I'm surprised he hasn't killed me for it."
"I'd love to see you try." J.K hissed as his eyes flashed red.
"Ah he's on demon time everyone!" I yell out, "The Devil walks the earth! Ahhh!"
"Are you done?" He asked as he smoothed out his leather jacket.
"With you? Never."
"Leave her alone will you?" He said as he cracked his neck and burned me with his gaze.
"Leave who alone?" I sneered as I cross my leg over the other while I lit a smoke.
"If you so much as touch her, I'll fucking kill you. Understand?" He said.
"Oh, I see! You developed feelings for the girl! That makes so much sense now. The avoidant behaviour, the stalling, the refusal to respond. The sudden vacation. You're trying to save her!"
I watched J.K close his eyes and clench his fists to his sides, feeling the anger radiate off him to me as I stood up. Pushing my chest out slightly as a warning that he didn't want me to unleash myself in this living room. And he knew I'd do it too.
"But you're a little late to the party, I've touched her in so many ways I'm hard just thinking about it." I snarled out at him.
J.K shot up from his seat and got an inch away from me. "What the fuck did you just say?"
I smirked as I looked down at my hand, cracking my knuckles before I spoke back, "What's wrong? Don't like to share?"
He hit his chest against mine and backed me into the wall, fangs appeared as his eyes flashed to a bright red dancing fire. "You don't want to make me any angrier than I already am brother."
I smiled as I pushed past him, "I'm not afraid of you. Tell me why you've been avoiding me and it better be good."
I watched as he bit back his tongue and took a few deep breaths before turning to face me again.
"Look, I was on board at first. You know why I did it, and why I do what I do. Nine times out of ten I do it for the plot, boredom, you name it. But her? She's the only thing that's kept me going, the only thing. I've tried so hard to get back into dads good graces, doing this job was a hopeful last plea. But I don't care about that anymore, just please. Please don't hurt her, I promise you she won't be a problem. She'll stay hidden, I will see to that."
I watched as tears filled his eyes and I shook my head. He's gone soft, I can't believe it. As bad as I wanted to say fuck it have it your way, I knew my life would've been over. My dad would've ripped apart this house just to find me to end me. The plan was too far gone now, I was too far gone.
"I'll let our father know you stopped by with some words of encouragement brother. I'll also be sure to let him know that you're ready to risk it all for a woman who has a confirmed death wish, and also that his ex sons gone soft."
He snarled at me again, wiping the pout from his lips, "I'm warning you Jin, from one person who has nothing left to lose to another, if you hurt her I will burn every single one of you to the ground, take everything you've ever worked for and take your souls with me to hell when I'm done. Understand now?"
He then stormed out and slammed the front doors behind him.
I sank into the couch as I bit the inside of my cheek. Our father wasn't expected to be home til the end of the week, I'd make sure a final plan would be set in motion for good this time.
I was tired of waiting.
It was my time to live now.
Just a little bit longer, I could do this.
I could get her exactly where I wanted her.
To trust me.
⚜️
"How many times have you called him Athens?"
"42."
"Jesus Christ! Why the fuck do you need to reach him that bad?"
"Because."
'Soon to be 43'
"Because....?"
"Because he might know something about my family getting killed Clar. And I'm sorry, but he needs to provide me with some fucking answers, and now. Where the fuck is he?!?"
"Babe relax, just give it a bit. I'm sure he'll find a way to reach you, you know he's a simp for your ass."
I frowned at my phone, staring at the still black screen. I was going crazy, fucking mental is more like it and every second wasted, I got angrier.
"If he was that into me, he wouldn't have fucked off to god knows where, and he'd also answer his phone."
"Yeah that makes sense, you're right. Well I'm going to bed babe, don't stay up to late it's already 3 am and we just worked all night."
"Yeah."
I half smiled at her tired eyes as she made her way upstairs to her room. My heart was pounding so loud that I couldn't concentrate, I fed her some of my blood before work earlier to keep her full. I felt awful that I fed without her, but I was so angry that I even started to scare myself.
Tapping on the counter at my still lifeless phone I went to the fridge and grabbed a half empty bottle of wine. Taking the stopper out and pouring a nice heavy glass of it, I jumped up to sit on the island counter as I sipped it, fuming at the fact that I was getting nowhere. Again.
"For once can't one of you just stop running?" I said out loud as my ringer suddenly blared on the counter, scaring the shit out of me as I spilled wine all down the front of my shirt.
"Fuck!" I yelled as I grabbed my phone to see J.K's name flash across it. Picking it up I mustered up all the anger I was carrying the last two nights.
"ITS ABOUT FUCKING TIME."
Silence.
"Well hello to you too Heartbreaker."
"Where are you?"
Silence.
"J.K I mean it, where the fuck are you?"
"What's wrong, what happened."
"I'm not talking about this over the phone. Come to my place or have me meet you somewhere. It's important."
"It's 3 am, what the hell is going on Athena? Tell me now."
"I just sent you my location, see you soon." I said and hung up.
Slamming my phone down on the counter I started to hyperventilate. Images of him holding me, kissing me, touching me flooded into my mind. All I kept envisioning were the eyes, his eyes. Trapping me in the moment with him, always locked into mine. A part of him I should've known was a lie, a part of him that always held secrets. Is that the reason I couldn't see his memories when I tried to? He kept them locked away so I wouldn't know the truth?
"Bastard." I said as I went and flopped onto the couch, waiting for him to come here. Hearing the sound of heavy rain from my balcony window, thunder and lightning crashing across the clouded night sky. Feeling like how the inside of me felt in this moment, crashing and storming.
When an hour went by and he didn't come I got angry again, but when the hour went into two I got worried. When I watched the sun come up, the sky turning bright hazes of pinks and blues I knew he wasn't coming at all.
I didn't bother to text him, or to call him asking why.
The silence was all the answers I needed.
He was guilty.
And I knew that.
It made me question everything now. Did he really love me? Did he really care about me? Did he really leave because of it? So many lies from them all, so much betrayal and hurt. So much heartbreak.
I was still determined to find the answers out myself, with or without his help.
With or without anyone's help.
He will forever wish he never met me, for my reign of revenge has only just begun.
⚜️
___________________________________________
A/N Jin aka Worldwide Handsome has now officially
been nicknamed Worldwide Liar!
Oof.
😒🥴