"She told him to stay away from him." I wanted to stand and run away but I was stuck to the chair and I couldn't budge either it or me. We were rooted in that position.
"I will no more listen to this nonsense! Release me!"
"I warned you about your mother's life being in danger."
I calmed down and gazed at her in realization. "It was you?"
"But you didn't heed my words and he didn't listen to your mother." I was afraid of the next words she would say. "So he killed her."
Everything she said was making sense but I couldn't find it in my heart to believe it. Elliot could never do such a thing. "He wouldn't..."
"That's why he tried to mate you early. When he couldn't, he killed her. He was afraid she would tell you and you would stay away from him. He even told the doctor not to investigate the matter. He doesn't love you, Lexa. It's an obsession!"
"No!" I screamed in terror.
"Question him! Find out for yourself!"
"No!" I continued screaming.
"When you've come to know the truth, you know where to find me."
"No! No!! No!!!"
I didn't stop screaming as I sat up on the bed, struggling with myself like I was insane. I felt warm hands hold me, trying to calm me down. They were the nurses. I also heard the doctor's voice.
I was so confused. It was a dream but the dream was so real and clear. Like it was life itself. I looked round the room when I had calmed down and searched for Elliot but I couldn't find him.
He was meant to be with me. Where did he go?
"Miss Halton..."
"Where is Elliot? Where is he?!!" I screamed, livid.
Lexa knew she had to see Elliot. There were so many troubles choking her mind, so many unanswered questions, dangerous possibilities... She couldn't take it anymore.
She removed everything that was attached to her body and stood to leave.
"Miss Halton, what are you doing?"
"I have to go."
The fear of Elliot gripped the doctor's heart. "I can't allow you to leave. You are still under treatment."
She moved all the nurses away from her and faced the doctor with a warning raised finger. "Don't try to stop me or you will regret it."
She ran out of the ward and used her eyes and lips to search for Elliot. "Elliot! Elliot, where are you?!"
She continued screaming as she combed the hospital building, searching for him everywhere. Other people in the hospital thought she had gone crazy but no one paid real attention to her.
***
Elliot opened the car door, about to enter but he stopped. He could hear his name from his mate's mouth. It was clear and her scent was getting stronger.
He became anxious. "Keep the car. If I don't return in ten minutes, take it to the mansion."
He closed he door like he was in a fit of rage and ran back into the hospital.
***
Lexa could sense him. She knew he was close and it was driving her mad that she couldn't see him.
"Elliot!!"
A nurse walked up to her, looking at Lexa in confusion. "Excuse me miss, but you have to maintain the silence. You will cause harm to other patients in the hospital.."
"H-have you seen Elliot?" Lexa asked, dishevelling her hair.
The nurse got more confused. "I don't know who that is. If you're in search of someone you can meet..."
Lexa walked away from her angrily, cutting in her words while she continued to search for him. The nurse left her when she saw that she wasn't making more noise.
'Elliot, where on earth are you?'
Lexa froze when she got a scent. It was nothing like she had ever smelt. Her nostrils were dancing and her eyes couldn't focus on a point. Though she had never smelt it before, she knew it was Elliot.
It was strong. Strong like his cologne but she didn't know where she was. At that worried moment of her life, Lexa didn't realize that she had unlocked a mate connection between her and Elliot.
She turned to her left, noticing his scent was stronger from there and ran towards it. She took a turn and stopped right before she hit him.
Elliot was shocked and happy to see her though she looked like she had just come out from a bear fight.
A big smile came on his face. "You're awake..."
He took a step closer to hug her but she stepped back, maintaining the space. That hit Elliot's heart like the sharpest arrow. 'Has she truly gone mad? Or did she lose her memory?' Elliot thought, judging her from her looks.
Lexa terribly wanted to hug him back but the questions held her back. "You'll have to answer all my questions, Elliot."
He raised a brow, confirming if it was Lexa he was talking to. "Are you okay?"
Lexa didn't want to create a scene in the hospital so she ran out, towards the exit. Just as expected, Elliot followed her until they reached outside. He caught up with her and stopped her from moving further.
Her turned her face to his and looked deeply into her eyes. "What's wrong, Lexa?"
"Will you answer my questions?"
Elliot tried to read her mind but her thoughts were mixed up and scattered. He couldn't get a straight and clear answer.
He decided not to challenge her but work with her. "Tell me."
Lexa closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
She only prayed that what Rica said was false. "Where did you go when you left the house yesterday night?"
Elliot was surprised but he didn't show it on his face. "Why are you asking?"
"Where did you go when you left the house yesterday night?! Only tell the truth."
If only Elliot knew the consequences of the questions, he would have answered differently. "I took a run. I needed to clear my head out. Why?"
"Did you go hunting?"
He paused, trying to recollect. "Yes..."
"Did you kill anyone?" That question left him speechless. He didn't know how to answer it. Lexa's eyes became brighter when she saw his hesitance. "Did you..."
"Only animals. I killed no one. Let's go."
She held his hand and drew him back. He always avoided questions when she asked but she would not accept it any longer.
"Tell me or I will deny the mark."
"Don't threaten me, Alexa."
"Just tell me!"
He bit his lip and surrendered. "Yes, a few campers."
She shivered and her knees became weak but she didn't fall. She gulped before asking the next question. "Did you tell the doctor not to investigate?"
"Yes. Only because I knew it was supernatural and he couldn't help."
Her throat itched in fear before she asked the next question because that question would determine so many things in their lives. "Did you kill my mother?"
Silence hit the atmosphere. Elliot was dumbstruck. For a second, the world stopped revolving and rotating. "How can you ask me such a question?"
Lexa knew he would deny even if he was the one. She had to find out the truth in another way. "Pause the time, Elliot."
"Tell me what's going on or I will not listen or do anything." Lexa didn't say anything. "What's up with you? Ever since you woke up you've been..."
"I love you, Elliot, but someone told me it was you. She gave me hints and proof. I want to prove her wrong. Pause time, now."
He clapped his hands once and at that split moment, the world literally stopped revolving and rotating. The people, animals, trees, insects... even the wind stood still.
"Who was she?"
"Follow me." She ignored his question and walked into the hospital. He followed her behind, a hundred and one thoughts swimming through his mind.
She finally led him to a computer room. Inside the computer room, all laptops and desktops and computer-like machines displayed everything that was happening in the hospital at the time.
Two security men were sitting and watching the happenings of the hospital, ward by ward, office by office, hall by hall. Since time was paused, they were frozen as well as the images in the computers.
Lexa walked up to a computer and switched it on. She moved it closer to her and started checking through the security footage.
"Who was she, Alexa?"
"She is a mother to me. She came to me in my dreams. She showed me everything so clearly and I don't want to believe it," Lexa said with her eyes still focused on the screen of the computer.
"A witch?" Elliot guessed, because he knew that only witches held that power.
She glanced at Elliot, checking for fear in him. She looked back at the screen, knowing it was futile. It was hard to read expressions from such a hard face. Only his eyes could be read.
She stopped when she got to a part of the footage where she saw her mother coughing.
Lexa's heart fell when she saw it. She got emotional on seeing her mother again. She wanted to enter the picture and hug her and save her... but it was too late. Not even the devil could go back in time.
She watched it. Elliot stayed beside her, watching the video from a safe distance.
A nurse in pink uniform entered. She picked an injection and put some green fluid inside. She didn't even pay attention to her coughing patient.
The nurse injected it into her drip.
Lexa wondered why her mother didn't resist or fight back. She looked hypnotized. Lexa zoomed into the image of the bottle and tried to get the type of venom used to poison her but she couldn't tell.
The nurse sat beside her and they said some words, then the nurse transformed into... Elliot!
Elliot was shaken to see himself in the video. He couldn't believe it.
Lexa's shaky hands threw the computer to the floor, where it crashed and destroyed.
She faced Elliot, trying to calm herself down. "Explain that!"
Lexa didn't want it to be true. She wanted him to give her a good explanation that would clear all the misunderstandings.
Elliot didn't know what to say. He wasn't sure if he did that. Anytime Lot took over his body for a period more than ten minutes he wouldn't remember what happened after that until Lot released him.
He was angry yesterday night. He was afraid that he could have done that out of rage but he didn't want to believe that Lot would.
'Lot, did you do it?!!'
Lot didn't answer. He himself was confused.
"You didn't answer me. Tell me it's not true. You'll never do such a thing, will you?"
"I didn't."
"Then who did. Was it Lot? Was it?!"
Elliot clenched his fists, to the extent that he could hear his bones breaking. "I-I..."
Her legs and weak knees couldn't take it longer. She fell to the floor and tore her hair with her hands. "Did he do it?!"
"I don't know!" Elliot answered on impulse.
Lexa covered her wide opened mouth with her hands. Her breath ceased. Her body system lost function.
"He-he wouldn't... You wouldn't let him."
Elliot moved back till his back hit the wall. He hit his head on the wall continuously, wondering how he could let it happen.
He knew Lot was capable and he didn't doubt his abilities. He also knew he had access to the poison because Elliot had a secret room in the mansion that was stocked with different venoms and poisons of both earth and underworld creatures.
He also had deadly weapons and high tech explosives, as well as magical death devices.
"It wasn't me. I can prove it."
That was what Lexa needed. She stood up and walked up to him, cleaning her tears. "You can?"
Lexa placed her hand on her chest, glad that there was a great chance that Rica was wrong.
"Yes, let's go."
He held her hand and in the flash of lightning, he teleported both of them to the mansion. Lexa's stomach churned and she got nauseated. Elliot didn't give her a warning and it was the first time she had teleported in that life.
They quickly rushed to the forbidden parts of the mansion. They walked past the rooms that were said to be haunted by ghosts which were actually demons.
Lexa couldn't take notice of her surroundings because the only thing she cared about was proving Elliot innocent.
They both didn't know if he did it or not, but they also wished that he wasn't behind Kimberly's death.
He placed his hand on a wall. Suddenly, the paint from it disappeared like yellow glitter in the wind. An enchanted mystic wooden door with many inscribing and detailed markings was revealed.
It looked old and like it had been unopened for years. Elliot grabbed the handles and opened the door. They entered without thinking.
As Lexa stepped in, immense heat like that of an oven covered her like a cloak. Elliot snapped his fingers and the temperature cooled down to normal.
Lexa looked around the room. The room was big and on all sides of the walls rested cases. Big and large cases that reached the roofs, like that of a library in a palace.
But instead of books, there were bottles of different shapes and sizes that contained different shades and colour and types of... poison. On tables arranged in their front held many venomous and sharp weapons.