Chapter 38: Chapter 38

I jolted awake and immediately opened my eyes wide. I didn't know when I had fallen asleep; the last thing I remembered was chatting with Gray. He was telling me all about his week, and now I wondered why I had suddenly fallen asleep. My gaze darted around the empty room, devoid of Gray's presence and even his scent had faded. What lingered was the worry that he might have disappeared again.

I threw off the blanket covering me and got out of bed, shouting out to call for the man who had claimed to be my Soulmate.

"Gray, where are you?" I asked, then walked towards the empty bathroom.

"Gray," I called out again, this time walking out of the room. Only silence filled the large house. I hurriedly descended the stairs, my fear growing. I almost stumbled down the stairs a few times if it weren't for someone catching me. I turned to look behind me, finding Miss Brenda gazing at me with a concerned expression.

"Aurel, what's wrong with you?" she asked, worry evident on her face.

"Where's Gray? I can't find him anywhere," I said. Miss Brenda fell silent, looking at me. My appearance made me realize that I was currently wearing Gray's shirt, and it seemed Miss Brenda noticed my discomfort. She smiled and took my hand, leading me back upstairs.

"Gray seems to be in the Neutral Dimension," Miss Brenda said, indicating that she already knew the story from Gray. This time, she didn't lead me towards Gray's room but brought me to her own room.

"Sit down, I'll make some tea for you," she said, and I nodded. She went to a corner of the room, where a teapot and two cups were prepared. She brought them to me, pouring the tea. The fragrant steam of the tea reached my nose.

"Drink, it'll calm you down," she said, and I nodded again. The tea wasn't too bitter or too sweet, its color not too dark. It made me feel better and calmer. The fact that someone was now close to me brought me a sense of relief, even though I still didn't know where Gray was.

"You're looking for Gray, aren't you?" Miss Brenda asked, and I nodded once more.

"He's calming himself down, you don't need to worry. He's been like this quite often lately after his awakening," Miss Brenda said, causing me to pause slightly before returning her gaze.

"I've heard everything, even though it took some coaxing and he eventually told me everything," Miss Brenda continued, leading me to place the tea cup back on the table. She sat across from me, her scrutinizing gaze making me aware of how she was observing me, whether it was about my appearance or the questioning look that Gray sometimes gave me. Miss Brenda let out a long sigh, her frustration evident. I began to feel uneasy about my presence, wondering if that was the cause.

"Is he in pain?" I asked, and Miss Brenda shook her head.

"I don't know, it's like a sensation of pain or torment for him," her words made me look at her with a puzzled expression.

"Is he struggling?" I asked, and somehow I could feel the emotions Gray was experiencing. Although it wasn't entirely clear, I knew from all the stories Gray had previously shared with me.

"As Gray mentioned, you can faintly sense what he's feeling right now, because you haven't fully completed the Mark and matebond yet," Miss Brenda explained, using unfamiliar terms that left me bewildered.

"It's like you two haven't officially become a couple, think of it that way in simpler terms that you understand," Miss Brenda clarified, once again leaving me speechless.

"So, what should I do?" I asked, as if offering myself to help Gray. Miss Brenda smiled, shifting her seat closer to me.

"You'll help him?" Miss Brenda inquired, and I nodded quickly without a second thought.

"Yes, I can already tell. You'd do anything for Gray, including helping him. However, there's a catch here, Aurel," Miss Brenda said.

"A catch?" I asked.

"Yes, it's a dilemma for both of you. We still don't know why this kind of fate applies to Gray after his awakening, a fate he didn't have from the beginning, and finding out that his Soulmate is a human is difficult for us to comprehend and navigate. Furthermore, Gray is currently struggling to resist his instincts towards you," Miss Brenda explained, surprising me a little. She chuckled at my reaction.

"Don't worry, it's not the literal meaning of 'instincts.' There are certain things a pair of Soulmates should do to strengthen the bond between them, like the matebond I mentioned earlier. I'll explain it slowly, or maybe Gray will, but the issue here is your family," Miss Brenda said, causing me to look at her with a questioning expression. I had already been contemplating the implications of being a mate to a werewolf. What about my family? Would I have to leave them? Or could we coexist like we do now? As Gray had previously explained, he would have to return to his original world, which would likely mean I'd have to go with him, right? These questions swirled in my mind, but I didn't share them with Miss Brenda.

"Rex," Miss Brenda said, drawing my attention. I wondered what she was about to say about him.

"Rex is my Soulmate," Miss Brenda stated, surprising me a bit. Did she mean the same Rex who Gray mentioned before, his former lover? Or did she mean something related to werewolves? Because I knew Rex had mentioned being Gray's ex-lover.

"He's a part of us," Miss Brenda continued, making my eyes widen. I struggled to grasp her words; I was truly taken aback.

"I didn't know how long Rex would keep this from you. Even though things are strained between us right now, I chose to be honest to simplify everything. Rex is a half-werewolf, which means he carries the blood of a werewolf within him," Miss Brenda clarified, leaving me in disbelief that Rex was somewhat similar to Gray, though not entirely.

"How is that even possible? Is he like Aunt Ana too?" I hadn't even finished my question when Miss Brenda shook her head.

"You know yourself that they aren't biologically related to their parents. But don't worry, Rex is aware of his true identity. Even though he doesn't know who his birth mother is, he knows his birth father," Miss Brenda clarified, surprising me once again with this revelation.

"So, where is he now? Have they met?" I asked, prompting Brenda to nod.

"Yes, his birth father is in our world," she replied.

"That means Rex also needs to return to your world," I questioned.

"Yes, ideally, he should have been there from the beginning, as part of his awakening. He should have been with me. But due to our request, for the sake of keeping an eye on Gray, we were allowed to stay here and give Rex time to come to terms with his destiny," Brenda explained, causing me to fall silent for a moment before looking back at her.

"Was that why your relationship with him soured?" I asked, knowing it sounded like prying into someone's privacy, but I couldn't help it as it was related to my cousin.

"Are you concerned?" Brenda asked, leaving me momentarily speechless.

"Yes, consider it that way. Our relationship was good before he awakened and found out that I wasn't human. Even though our relationship is strained, we're still Soulmates. There's no rejection between us, and I'm still hoping that Gray will slowly come to accept him. Currently, what's confusing him is how to tell you everything, especially after finding out that you are Gray's Soulmate," Brenda explained.

"So, he knows that I'm Gray's Soulmate?" I asked, to which Brenda nodded.

"But it seems he hasn't fully accepted it, especially considering you're not one of our kind," Brenda continued, leaving me surprised. Despite being frustrating at times, Brenda was overly protective of me.

"He's worried about you. He's afraid you might get hurt," Brenda added.

"I'll assure him that Gray promised me nothing bad will happen to me," I said, making Brenda smile again.

"Of course, that's a promise a Soulmate should keep, especially one like Gray. And one more thing, your other Soulmate is the next heir to the Throne," Miss Brenda mentioned, almost causing me to choke on my own saliva.

"Gray?" I asked, seeking clarification from her.

"Yes, he's the next heir after our current Alpha King abdicates. This will happen once Gray completes his awakening," Brenda explained, leaving me speechless.

"So, that means he has to go back now because he's awakened?" I inquired.

"Indeed, he needs to return with his Soulmate and show his entire people and followers that he's worthy to be the next leader, regardless of his late awakening," Brenda clarified, once again leaving me stunned.

"But there's one remaining issue," Brenda added, causing me to fall silent again.

"What issue?" I asked, prompting Brenda to nod.

"Gray still can't return to you because you two haven't performed the Mark and achieved matebond. That's why Gray is holding himself back with all his might," Brenda explained, leaving me utterly perplexed by her explanations.