Orphic (#1 in the Hajar series)

seventeen

chapter seventeen - liberosis

song of the chapter ; little rowboat - daniel caesar

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"FUCK!" ISRAFIL'S HAND struck the perfect stack of books that were piled neatly on his desk. The hardcovers slammed to the ground, but it could not deter his anger. Next came the lamp, the arm of metal and glass thrown at the wall. It made an odd sound, a cross between the shattering of the lightbulb and the impact of the brass belting the drywall. A dent was made where the plaster was hit, a hole in the wall that he didn't care for.

All he could feel was the shaking of his fingers, the rapid beat of his heart and the nauseous feeling of panic settling down in his stomach. Physically weak, like he hadn't eaten or drunk for countless days, his legs didn't feel stable enough to carry his own body weight. Simple tasks like moving his feet to navigate a room seemed like a chore.

She was gone.  

Left like it was the easiest thing in the entire world.

But there was no one to blame but himself. He should've recognized her determination and intransigence while it was still there. Instead, like a fool, he turned the other cheek to her willpower and looked through rose-colored glasses as an alternative. Maybe if he hadn't pushed her, hadn't backed her into a corner, she would've stayed. He couldn't help but feel ashamed and regretful, drowning himself in his own sorrows.  

It had been only a few hours since he had seen her, and he could still catch the faint scent of french vanilla, an aroma that accompanied her wherever she went. After she walked away, he had thought that it was best to allow her to have some time to think. If he had known that she was only using that time to pack up her belongings and leave, he would've stopped her. But instead, he watched the silhouette of her body amble away, and turned his back to enter his office again.

She couldn't have gone far, he recognized. She had to be in a nine-mile radius.

Israfil's eyes fell to the telephone that still remained untouched on his desk. Unsure, his hand reached out and picked up the receiver,  began dialing, and waited for the ringing in his ear. 

"Alpha Mitropoulos speaking." The gruff voice spoke through the phone.

Israfil sighed, "This is Israfil, and I need your help."

"Too bad." Alpha Mitropoulos spoke harshly, ready to slam the phone back down and hang up.

Alarm rang in Israfil's head, "No, please. Listen."

"What?" He could sense Alpha Mitropoulos' patience began to wear thin- not that it was ever thick, to begin with. Ever since the brief relationship between Israfil and the Alpha's mate, he knew that Alexander Mitropoulos certainly wasn't one for sharing, and in turn made sure that there was plenty of distance between them.

"Farah, she-"

"Who?" Alexander interrupted.

Israfil sighed again, "My mate. She left and I think she could possibly be in your territory."

"Alexander, can you put the fucking phone down? This is the part where Hagrid tells Harry that he's a wizard." A female voice complained in the back, one he identified as Lacey, Alexander's mate.

He heard Alexander hush her for a second.

"Is she making you watch Harry Potter?" Israfil would've been amused if it weren't for the absolute hysteria.

"Shut up," Alexander snapped, "I'll think about helping you, goodbye now."

Israfil's chest tightened, "No, please-"

He heard an excited shriek and a smile almost grew on his face, "Is that Isra on the phone?"

"No," He heard Alexander's short clipped reply.

The sound of static, muffling and yelling was extremely loud in his ear, too noisy for his sensitive hearing. Israfil held the phone from his face, a short distance away so that he could perceive what was happening without completely going deaf. 

"Lacey, give me the damn phone!"

A laugh resounded, "Fuck off for a moment, Alex. Hey Isra!" Lacey chirped. "What's the problem? From what I could hear, Alexander was being a complete dick."

"Farah, she-" Israfil nearly choked out, "She left." He repeated, still trying to come to terms with his own faults. "I think she's on your territory, she left about three hours ago, she can't be far. At least in a nine to ten-mile radius."

Lacey nodded, "Okay, text the details for a place for all of us to meet, and we'll find her." 

Israfil said his thanks and bid his goodbyes, despite the protests from Alexander. He couldn't help but feel relieved, his nerves and mind now the slightest bit at ease. His fingers moved to pick up his phone, still shaking from consternation, and typed in the meeting information at the border between their territories. In less than a few hours, he would have her back into the safety of his arms, and he wouldn't be willing to let go.

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ANOTHER SHORT ASS CHAPTER BUT THE NEXT ONE FINNA BE HELLA LONG (:

-s