Chapter 104: Forgive
Augi Pov
I have dealt with people who were heartbroken before.
You’d be surprised how many of my teammates have been humbled by people they liked, especially in these recent years when we haven’t been winning as much as we did in our prime. But somehow, I am finding it difficult to handle Torin. To put it simply—he is a mopy dog.
You’d think he would be raging, working himself to the brim to forget his anger as he usually does. But no. My packmate feels no anger, only pain, and he chooses to drown in that pain of guilt and betrayal.
I stand with my arms crossed, leaning against the glass window, watching Torin lay face‑down on his bed, buried in a pillow. He has been pathetically inhaling Lorali’s scent off that pillow for—I kid you not—four or more hours. By the way he is immersed in the pillow, lost in depression, I’m sure he hasn’t even noticed that Walter and Kei aren’t here.
They went to get Oril. If we’re going to get Oracle out of jail, we’re going to need him. He is Oracle’s brother. It’s still going to be hard, Oracle was the lawyer in the pack, the one who got me out of jail most of the time. But having Oril around will make it easier.
"Torin, how long do you plan on crying?" I sigh, my voice heavy with frustration.
Torin lets out a loud groan in reply, clearly hearing me but choosing not to answer with proper speech. My frustration boils over, and I roll my eyes. I get it. He’s struggling. But so is everyone in this house, and it’s sort of his fault.
Torin needs to get up and fight to get his girl back if he actually loves her. After that love confession—if it’s true, which I think it is—he shouldn’t be crying and inhaling her scent off a pillow.
He should be plotting how to win her back. I mean, if he can go public about her to literally the entire world, not giving a damn about the repercussions it would have on his pack, best believe he can pursue Lorali shamelessly.
He’s already been on his knees in front of her—and in front of us—begging her to take him back, even when he fully knows she is the one responsible for Aunt Yurena’s condition... her bad condition.
Giving Lorali the benefit of the doubt, she is justifiable. Yurena was wilding on her for months without end. No disrespect to Torin’s mother, but she had it coming. It’s surprising it took that long. I may even be her next target for being a spectator, if not Walter and Kei. She’s already gotten the twins and Torin. If she’s not done with her payback, one of us has to be next.
Buzz.
I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. Lazily, I pull it out, giving Torin a quick glance before focusing my attention back on the screen. I glance at the caller ID before answering in one swift movement.
"Yeah," I greet steadily, my tone calm even though the weight of the situation presses down on me.
"We found him," Kei says on the other end of the line. "Oril. He’s working at some rundown diner. Looks like hell, and apparently he lives in a trailer park."
I go quiet for a long moment, processing the words. No way. Oril and working in the same sentence? That doesn’t make sense. "What? That doesn’t make sense. Oril wouldn’t just... get a job. What are you going to do?"
"We’re going to try to bring him back," Kei replies firmly.
"How are things back there? Torin alright?" I hear Walter’s voice faintly in the background.
"Yea—" I start, but my mind drifts.
Seriously, what a twist of events. Why on earth is Oril working at some random diner? Is this some attempt at independence? I’m so lost in my thoughts that I fail to notice Torin getting off the bed until he crashes into a nearby flower pot.
"Damn it—I have to go!" I say quickly, hanging up and rushing to Torin, who’s now lying on the ground next to the shattered glass.
"What are you doing?" I shout, standing above him. He doesn’t answer. He just keeps staring up at the ceiling, his eyes vacant.
I huff, running a hand through my hair. "Why would you get up if you were just going to break something?" I sit down beside him, picking up shards of glass, fighting the urge to prick him with one just to snap him out of it.
"Why..." Torin suddenly speaks, his voice heavy, burdened by grief.
I glance toward him, lifting a brow. "Why what?"
"Why... why aren’t you mad at me like everyone else? I made all of you miserable without a care in the world," he confesses. It’s the first time I’ve seen him this vulnerable since I met him.
"I am mad at you," I admit, clearing my throat. "I just don’t hate you like everyone else does. We all make mistakes, even you. You were just following your heart."
I’m the last person who can ever truly hate Torin. I may come off as ungrateful most of the time, but I know he’s lost a lot because of me.
"Why? Why don’t you hate me? I messed everyone’s life up."
"Well, do you hate me?" I ask.
"No," he answers quietly.
"See? I’ve messed up countless times. I cost you billions. When I gambled away my shares of Spade, that was unforgivable. You should have hated me for that and kicked me out of the pack. But you didn’t. Even after how much I messed up, you didn’t hate me."
Torin exhales, his voice low. "I hated you a little bit after that, but it faded over time. I guess I forgave you, even though you never asked for forgiveness."
My chest tightens. "My bad. I couldn’t bring myself to even face you, let alone apologize. I’m sorry about that. I really messed up back then."
"It’s fine. I’m the one who’s the fuck‑up now," he answers dully.
I force a tight smile. "You can also be forgiven. I’m sure the pack—and Lorali—will forgive you at some point. Just give them time."
Torin’s eyes flicker with doubt. "Will Kei and Walter be able to forgive me for keeping the fact that Lorali is their fated mate as well from them?"
The words hit me like a thunderclap. Fated mate. I pause, the phrase ringing in my ears, my eyes widening. "What?!"