Chapter 34. Familiar

**34. Familiar **
***Astrid's POV:***
I can't believe how nice Rafael is, and seeing other people appreciate and trust me sparked something in me.
I have to admit that I felt terrible about the entire scenario since I felt I was somehow responsible for everything that was happening with them, but his assurance that none of this was my fault soothed my nerves. As we traveled the next day, I noticed a familiar path. Initially dismissing it as a coincidence, I tensed when I recognized our pack boundaries.
I tensed in my seat. Are we planning to go there? I was confused. All the memories of that place that I had tried so hard to forget came flooding back. I'm curious how my brothers are doing; do they miss me? Do they ever even think about me? Maybe they're happy with their own lives without me bothering them, or perhaps they've forgotten about me by now, or maybe they miss me since they've lost a maid who used to work in their house for free and would take their insults without saying anything.
Crossing the border brought relief; thankfully, we didn't enter my pack. I wanted to avoid their faces; my family had never truly cared for me. I thought we'd move into my pack for a brief time, but I'm glad that wasn't the case. I don't want to see their faces. Neither my parents nor my brothers and I loathe everyone else there.
When I was younger, I would always think of Edward as my mate, but I would also consider that someone else could be my mate. Thus, my thoughts would wander to finding him outside the pack limits. If that would happen, how blissfully life would have been where my parents would get worried about me and visit me often, but here, the mother from whom I was born doesn't give a shit about me.
How can I expect that from her? She despised me and didn't care whether I exerted myself; she only wanted me to do whatever she wanted and act like a robot to carry out her directions in the blink of an eye.
For her, only Skylar and Lance made sense, and I was nothing more than a parasite in that home that everyone wanted to toss out. She even went so far as to sell me out without regard for my emotions or how I felt about myself. Because of her, I began to think that I deserved nothing good in this world, and I even considered ending my life.
I would be disgusted with myself and believe that I would only cause harm to everyone around me. Even after that, I don't want anything horrible to happen to any of them; I only wish that if I have nieces, they aren't treated like that or that my brothers don't have daughters at all because if they become like me, they will have to go through what I did, and they will blame me for it.
Rafael was a blessing to me, and though I hadn't told anyone, he saved me from everything without realizing it. I'm not sure where I'd be if he hadn't bought me that day, but I'm sure someone who was a jackass would have brought me and possibly forced himself on me.
Rafael has been nothing of sort with me. Even though we are intended to be together, he has been nothing but patient with me. I learned that these people are much older than my thoughts could reach. Yes, I had heard that vampires are immortal, but I couldn't tell you how old they are.
I plan to inform Rafael about Edward and my second mate. I have the impression that I am keeping him in the dark without telling him the truth.
Maybe I'm afraid he'll reject me after hearing my story, or perhaps his opinions about me will change because all men are possessive about their possessions. Learning that I've already lost two of my mates will change his opinion, and maybe he'll distance himself from me, thinking I'm unfit for anything and only bring misery wherever I go.
When that thought can enter my family's mind, it was likely that it would also cross his mind. I didn't realize when I started crying and that we had reached our destination. It wasn't until he kept his chilly palm on my cheek that I realized I was leaning into his contact.
"Astrid, why are you crying, my dove?" He asked, his voice tinged with anxiety.
Hearing his endearment calmed me a bit. "I'm sorry, it's just..." I couldn't put it into words.
"Shh... it's okay. You can have your moment, but know that I am here to listen to all you have to say," he stated calmly as he took his hands away from my face.
"Is it the pack you're missing, you're family?" he asked.
I shook my head and swallowed. "No, I don't miss them; I miss the memories linked to them," I replied truthfully.
"I know how it feels to leave the place where you were born and raised and to leave behind the tons of memories associated with that place," he said bitterly.
How could I forget he had left his home as well? I'm sure he has more good memories than I do with my pack, not to mention the essence of their mother's love existing on those lands couldn't have made it easy for them to leave and settle in an all-new place.
"I'm sorry," I whispered quietly.
"You don't have to be," he said sweetly as he opened the car door, got outside, and came to my side to open the door. He extended his hand to me, which I gladly accepted.
I noted that the surroundings were open, with several medium-sized houses. The area was lush grassland with around twenty-five buildings, although there was plenty of room between them. Assume two houses have enough space to accommodate another two homes in between. I'm not sure who owns that.
"Look at this!" he exclaimed, turning me around to reveal a massive mansion ahead.
It wasn't as large as their castle, but it was bigger than our packhouse. I didn't realize we were within a fence when I stared at those modest houses.
This site was magnificent, especially the castle in front of us.
"What is this place, and who owns it?" I asked excitedly.
"Who else but yours truly could own it?" he bowed. "You haven't seen the beauty of this location," he added, a mysterious twinkle in his eye. adding that it is full of surprises.
I believed him, but something else was going through my head.
"Are those houses also yours?" I asked, pointing at other houses.
"Yepp," he said as he stuffed his hands inside his coat.
"I mean, when did you build them, and they appear to be modern? Even though you plan for everything, did you know we'd come here?" I curiously peppered him with questions.
"Apart from Vampire King, I am a successful architect outside the supernatural world, and this is my place; whenever I feel a little bored, I would draw the structure of this mansion, while for those houses, whenever we were to check the quality of raw materials from new companies to provide quality service to customers, I would use it first here." He shrugged his shoulders, yet he had a proud expression on his face. I had no idea he was an architect, and I, too, wanted to learn something from him; after all, that was my passion once.
"But how many?" I asked.
"Yes, there have been several contracts and company switches in the last two years, so I decided to bill all those. Let's say we were trying things out. All my staff was allocated one house; I thought I would rent these houses to humans," he stated briefly.
"How about this mansion?" I asked.
"I constructed this mansion myself, and everything in here has particular memories of me connected; you have no idea what's waiting for you inside all these years I've wanted to be alone." He took my hand in his and began heading inside. Contrary to my expectations, the inside of the home was clean; perhaps he had it done yesterday, and the outside did not honor the mansion's interior.
Everything was minimal yet magnificent, and the golden walls added a royal touch. This was the kind of home that any girl would want for her children to grow up in.
"I will show you my room come" He led the way, and I followed him to the staircase with a massive black crystal chandelier hanging in the center. Once there, he opened a room.
First, we were welcomed by a decent-looking room with a small bed in one corner. Still, Rafael went and stood beside the wall near the bed and smirked at me. He tapped the wall to expose a room inside that had a king-size bed in the center with a canopy falling down, covered in black and silver covers matching the hues of the room, giving it an opulent aspect.
"Wow" was all I could manage.
"Thank you," he said, chuckling alongside me. But there's another thing: this place feels familiar as if I've been here before.I brushed the thought aside.
"There's something in this room that I've been meaning to show you since we met but haven't had the chance," he nervously massaged his neck.
"What more can I say? All of this has surprised me enough," I replied.
"No, there's something more waiting for you to see for centuries." I was now excited. Centuries? That suggests he had something in mind for me long before we met.
I couldn't stop myself from smiling, and for the first time since meeting him, I did. I could feel him looking at me tenderly.
"What is it?" I asked.
"That's inside that closet," he said, pointing to two closets at the room's far end. I started walking toward them, but he grabbed my hands and pulled me closer.
I frowned but did not meet his gaze; instead, he held my chin and forced me to look into his eyes. "But first, I'd like something in return," he smirked, and I stiffened in my seat.
"W... what?" I asked.
"Say my name," he asked.
"Huh?" I gave him a puzzled look.
"Yes, you always refer to me as the third person but never call my name; I want you to mention my name like you did in my office," he asked.
His words made me flush. I'm not sure what I should do; everything seems so natural that I can't stop myself.
"R-Rafael," I whispered as quietly as I could.
His lips formed a contented smile, and he slowly let go of my hand.
Approaching the closet, he joined me and stood beside me. I gingerly opened the door and was taken aback by what was within.
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