Kartal's POV
Maybe spending eighteen years away from someone makes them a stranger, because my mother who I know, would never say something like that.
"What?" I said annoyed and confused.
"You and her [Melek], you're going to get married."
"Is this a statement or?-"
"Kartal, the story is way bigger than it seems."
"Then tell me!" I exclaimed impatiently.
She took a deep breath, "I knew Melek's mother way back before marrying your father, we were good friends, until we both married our late husbands."
"I met her once or twice after marrying you father, she was always worried for Melek and her husband [Mehmet], she kept telling me that she doesn't know anyone else beside me, so she made me promise to take care of Melek if something happened to her."
"When I knew that your father was to kill Mehmet [Melek's father] I tried to stop it, despite it cost me eighteen years away from my family, but it was worth it."
"Try understand me, the loop of revenge is going to get close and Melek will be safe."
"Loop of revenge?" I asked her.
"Yes, whoever shot you that day when Balkan came out of prison, or killed your father, or stabbed Balkan, was taking revenge for Mehmet. Once Melek is an Alpan, whoever from the policemen still seeking revenge for their boss will stop coming after us."
I scoffed at that, "What makes you think that we are going to get married as easily as that?! She'd never marry me."
"She?" My mother commented, probably mocking that I didn't say that I won't marry her. "She's going to, where's her brother by the way?"
"At Barbaros'." I said as if it was no big deal, "What is he doing there?" My mother asked.
I huffed, messaging my temples in annoyance, "He's keeping him there as a hostage, the poor boy needs to be taken care of medically and Barbaros is doing that so Melek would give him information about me."
"Good, so she have to marry you to set Yığıt free."
"What? No, I'm going to help her with Yığıt without taking anything in return! It's our fault that he's gotten into that state!"
"What do you think Kartal? Do you want to get down on one knee and ask her to marry you? It's not like that, your marriage will last for a short period of time then she has to leave to another country."
"I can't do that!" I yelled, "Not to her, not when she's got nearly killed in this damned room few hours ago."
"And that's another thing, when she's an Alpan no one is going to be able to touch her,"
"What are you talking about? I was shot less than month ago." I interrupted her.
"That was before I came back, and that was for her father."
"I need to at least find who did that to her first." I explained hoping that my mother would let go of that fantasy.
"That girl isn't going to enter that house unless she's your wife, there's no other reason to have her around." She said leaving me alone in Melek's room, I couldn't think properly anymore, everything was too much for me to handle for the first time in my life.
"Please, forgive me for so many things." I said helplessly to our picture.
*******
Azize's POV
I woke up wanting to scream in pain before even realizing where I am, or what happened.
I opened my eyes slowly, finding it hard to adjust to the light so I closed them again, trying to remember the last thing that happened before my vision turned to black.
Kartal...
I remember him calling me Melek, asking me not to leave him, but the rest is blank.
"Kar-Kartal.." I tried to say as slowly as I can.
"Melek!" I heard someone saying back but that wasn't his voice.
"Melek! Do you hear me? Thank god." I opened my eyes finding Okan.
"Okan? How did you know that I am here?"
"Kartal send me a message, that asshole didn't even explain much to me."
"Where is he then?" I got worried about him so I asked.
"I don't know, and I hope he doesn't show up because I'm taking him to prison, I swea-" Okan stopped maybe because he noticed how my facial expression twisted in pain, not wanting to hear him threatening Kartal right now.
"What happened to you? Who did this?" He said pointing at the injury, I tried to move my arm but it wasn't a very smart choice because I nearly screamed in pain, my left arm was casted to lessen my movements.
"I have no idea, I was at my room, someone hit my head with something really heavy, then the next thing I remember that Kartal was trying to save me, that's when I felt great pain in my shoulder." I explained, not remembering anything else actually.
"First of all, that room isn't your room-"
"Okan, please, I am tired!" I have no idea why Kartal called him, he should've at least did that after I wake up.
"You're not going to go back to that mansion again." He pressed.
"Not now, please."
"No, we are talking about that right now! What are you trying to do, Melek? I can't watch you becoming an Alpan anymore! You're leaving your brother behind and you're nearly forgetting everything you've been through. What are you waiting for? This is just the beginning, whoever stabbed-"
"Enough!" I screamed, pain taking over me, mentally and physically. "Enough! I want this all to end! I even want an end to myself! Enough!" Before I could even understand myself I broke-down, started to sob loudly, covering my face with one hand as the other is casted.
"Melek, I am sorry I didn't mean-" Okan tried to hug me and my crying started to get louder which caused Yaman to get in.
"What did you do to her? Get out!" Yaman yelled at Okan and I tried to get out of Okan's hug.
Okan sometimes just doesn't understand. He doesn't understand the pain I'm in at the moment, god! I don't even understand what is going on with me.
They both started to fight and I lost it even more, shouting at them to get out, a nurse and a doctor came, kicking them out.
It didn't take a lot of them to calm me down, because once I knew that Okan and Yaman left, I started to get calmer, I just wanted to be alone, I was consumed with my thoughts, and the idea that someone did that to me was terrifying, nothing was worse than seeing your fears turn to reality.
I wanted to sleep, for as long as I can, but that was another luxury out of my reach. Every time my body gave up and tried to get some rest nightmares and discomfort woke me up, so I just kept my eyes shut.
****
Kartal's POV
By 7:00 AM I was back again at the hospital, with some comfortable clothes for Melek. Being sleep-deprived was wrecking my nerves but I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway until I see her.
