The Alpha's Omega Mate-Chapter 157: A deal with the devil.

~Orion’s POV~

The sight of her... oh, even the feel of her in my arms after so many months apart made my skin tingle in delight.

I sighed softly as I held her close, crushing her even deeper into my chest as I breathed in her scent. Deep down, I was afraid that this was all a dream, scared that if I let go, even if for a second that she would melt away, dissolve into that abyss that’s been haunting me for years nonstop.

Elodie’s choked gasps snapped me back to reality and again I smiled like a fool.

She’s real.

She’s here.

This isn’t a dream.

She chuckled awkwardly as she shimmied out of my crushing hold and then took a step back. However, the distance between us felt suffocating. It made my eyes water in pain. In desperation, I grabbed both of her hands, and even though I didn’t hug her this time, I simply held her close, watching her creamy skin shine brightly under the dim lights and her gleaming red eyes draw me in just like it always does.

"Baby," I drawled, my voice soft. "You’re really here? You’re real?"

Elodie smiled at me and then tiptoed to press a kiss against my cheek. My heart fluttered at that action and I didn’t miss the way she blushed fiercely before leaning back. "Didn’t that feel real?" She asked, "do you still wonder if I am here or not?"

Her reply sent a shiver of something crazy running up my spine. It felt... sounded like exactly what my wife would say. I held both of my hands in hers, my heart fluttering like a wild bird within the confines of my chest as I whispered; "I missed you."

Elodie didn’t bat an eye. She didn’t even hesitate before responding swiftly. "I missed you too." She sighed dreamily, then looking around expectantly, she added; "I see you didn’t try to replace me."

At the sound of her words, I froze infinitesimally; even my heart came to a stuttering stop. The thoughts of all the times I’d pressurised Dahlia into marrying me fleeted past my mind, sending chills down my spine.

I could vividly remember how desperate I’d been to win her over. How maniacal my obsession for her had been.

And the gods help me, but I still do not think I’m over her yet.

The idea of her still filled me with anticipation, still made my wolf howl with delight and pain. But that maniacal want... that desperate craving, it was nowhere to be found anymore. It felt like it had completely disappeared.

Tapering down these emotions swirling through me, I nodded at Elodie, smiling warily. "I didn’t."

"Good." She smiled, turning away to go plop down on one of the nearby sofas. "I don’t TOBI I would’ve taken it lightly if you did."

Oh, thank the goddess I never succeeded in winning Dahlia.

When she looked up at me moments later, gone were all the traces of playfulness on her face. Gone was her initial shyness. Now, she looked at me with all the seriousness in the world, and I gulped, instinctively knowing that what was about to come next was something heavy. Something serious... maybe it’s the rain she’s even here in the first place.

She sighed. "Sit."

"I am fine standing." I argued but Elodie fixed me with a deathly stare.

"I need to talk to you, and I need you to sit." She spat quietly, and I had no other option but to comply.

I took my seat beside her on the sofa but putting enough space between us so that she doesn’t feel too crowded, I whispered; "What is it?"

"Kai doesn’t know I am here." She muttered seriously, eliciting a choked strange sound from me.

I turned to her so quickly I almost got a whiplash, my eyes wild as I asked; "Y-you left?" She nodded. "Why?"

And when she turned to me with anger evident in her eyes, I quickly looked away. "What I mean is; you know how he feels about me... about us. He doesn’t want you anywhere around me just yet and you just—"

"I know what I did." She snapped, obviously irritated by my reaction. " and I know that he would be mad. Heck, you were there when he threatened to cut ties with me if I did as much as talked to you. But I was curious. I wanted to see my daughter. I needed to be sure that she is fine."

"And she is fine!" I snapped, "she has always been fine. But putting yourself in harm’s way just to ’know’ isn’t fine by me! What the hell were you thinking?"

Elodie rose to her feet and began prancing about the room restlessly; and just when I had begun to think that she wouldn’t speak, that she wouldn’t say anything or would probably storm out of the house in annoyance, she suddenly turned to me and rushed out;

"I wasn’t thinking." She answered truthfully. "I just got up and left. I didn’t bother telling him because I knew he’d never agree, but I told Dah—"

"Daddy?" A small voice suddenly called out to me from the corner of the room, causing Elodie to stop mid rant; And as soon as we both heard it, we immediately turned in the direction of the voice to find Tiffany standing there with groggy eyes and a rumpled nightdress.

She looked like she’d just woken up... like our noises had pried her out of sleep, but that was the least of our problems now.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Elodie gasp. I noticed her crumple to the floor, crying softly as she held her face in her hands.

"Is that Tiffany?" she asked quietly and I nodded, and when I realized that she probably couldn’t see me, I muttered; "Yes."

And that seemed like her cue to sob uncontrollably. Her soft tears broke me more than her yelling ever could, and while Tiffany could only watch on in confusion, Elodie balled her eyes out.

"I missed everything," she cried, hiccuping. "The last time I saw her, she was barely walking. She wasn’t talking either. Now, she looks all grown." She sobbed and when she looked up to find Tiffany still watching her, a look of confusion on her young face, Elodie turned to me, whilst shaking her head.

"She doesn’t even know who I am. Just look at the confusion on her face!"

I stood there, like a statue, watching the scene of my mate breaking down before me whilst feeling like all I’ve built has just come crashing down.

Whilst feeling like these two femmes here could never forgive me.

All of this was my fault to begin with. I’d had a deal with the literal devil, nearly lost my mate to it— or did— I even lost my soul in the process, only to end with this.

A broken family.

A broken promise.

And a daughter who wouldn’t even run to her mother. A daughter who doesn’t even recognize her mother.