132. Echos of Past

|| Lilac's POV || The days passed in a blur, each one blending into the next like watercolors on a canvas. Elias was persistent, but never pushy. He was kind, gentle, and everything one could want in a soulmate. But he wasn’t Alaric. And that was the problem. I hadn’t seen Alaric in weeks, and the absence gnawed at me like a festering wound. Where was he? What was he doing? Would he look for another mate? The thought of him with someone else made my chest tighten, a sharp, stabbing pain that I couldn’t shake. Why did it hurt so much? Shouldn’t I be happy for him if he found someone else? Shouldn’t I be able to let go and move on? My mate was right there, standing in front of me, offering me everything I thought I wanted. But my heart—my traitorous, stubborn heart—remained with Alaric. What magic have you done to me, Alaric? I thought bitterly, staring out the window as the first light of dawn crept over the horizon. Everyone says a soulmate is a blessing. Then why does it feel like a c