Fated To Three, Betrayed By All… Until She Rose. Chapter 15: A million more stairs

Leilani.

My heart ached so much, even my lips trembled like I was being electrocuted as I shakily—blindly—made my way to my room.

Now I know that I should not have co back here with Zevran. I should have known that returning here was a bad idea.

A mistake.

Tears stread down my face as flashes of an unconscious Chalice swept across my mind over and over again as I made my way to my room, and as I went in, I couldn’t help but think back to a few minutes ago... to how Chalice had co to have that accident.

To how she...

-

I had just walked into the house and had begun to make my way up the stairs when suddenly, Chalice appeared from nowhere and grabbed my arm, using it to spin around until I was staring straight into her cold blue eyes.

Her lips curled into a dark sneer. "Why are you here?" She glowered, "why haven’t you disappeared yet?"

For a mont, I had been stunned into silence. My heart began to beat erratically against my chest, a sudden sweat cold broke out on my skin.

"Ask Zevran." I simply replied, not wanting to get into a fight with her. At least not today. "I also do not want to be here. So ask him why he ca to fetch ."

My response made her frown deepen. She scoffed. "The way you say it, one would think that Zevran wants you to be here, and that he begged to bring you back..."

"Then you should also probably ask him that too," I cut in, ignoring the stupefied look on her face. "Now, can you let go?" I snapped, forcing my hand out of her hold, and gasping when she stumbled backwards.

For so reason, the force had been strong enough to make her stumble. It wasn’t as weak as it should have been. I wasn’t as weak...

Do I really have a wolf?

Her eyes nearly bulged. "Leilani...?" This was the first ti I’d ever seen her look so surprised. She glanced at my hands and then back to my face before her usual cold mask slipped back on. She spat; "You’ve beco unruly."

"Like you’ve always been." I responded coldly.

Again she gasped, but deciding that I had better things to do than this, I turned away and headed up the stairs. However, I had just arrived at the top when her voice called out to again, sweet and saucy. She muttered;

"You know, it’s not my fault that your mates chose . It’s not my fault that our parents adore , and it’s also not my fault that all I have to do is pout and they’ll all co fawning over , so maybe you should quit being bitchy and accept defeat."

I spun around to face her, my lips tugging into a small smile. "They chose you," I drawled, "I know, but it’s also not my fault that they do not want out of their sight. And it’s also not my fault that your fiancés are cowards who would not reject and get this shit over with!"

Her jaws slackened. She seethed; "you—"

But I waved her off dismissively. "Tell them to stay the fuck away from . And since you’re so good at making them do whatever you want, then maybe you should help convince them to let be because I’m done being their pawn. Do you understand?!"

Her face twisted into a look so dark it sent shivers up my spine. She walked over, her face twisting even more as she approached. "When it cos to the triplets, the only advantage you have over is that stupid mate bond, and you never cease to rub it in."

"The sa way you never cease to rub their stupid love for you in." I spat back, "...or are you devastated now because the mate bond isn’t sothing you can easily fake like you’ve faked everything else? Does it hurt now because you cannot simply buy it at Target?"

She gasped. "Oh, that’s rich! At least they love ! And you cannot simply buy their love at Walmart either!"

I smiled at her so wide that she took a step back in surprise. "The difference between you and I is that I’ve made peace with the things I cannot have... and that includes the love you’re parading about." I drawled, my voice low... cutting. "...I no longer care for it. And even if it was served on a platter now, I wouldn’t take it. So you can have it all, and while you’re at it, you can shove it up your tiny bitchy ass."

Now, when I smiled, it was genuine. It was genuine because I’d always wanted to tell her that in the past but had been too scared to.

And it was genuine because the anger on her face was priceless.

She huffed and puffed like a cat in heat, and then drawing herself to her full height— plus the heels she wore— she seethed; "I’ll make you pay for that!"

"You’ve made pay for things I didn’t even do. So go on, be my guest."

At that, she smirked so brightly that so of my earlier courage waned. At first, I was confused at her sudden cheerfulness but when she leaned back, spreading her arms wide, my heart began to race.

I know what this is...

I’ve seen it in books... watched it in movies.

No. No.

"Chalice wait—" I began to say, stretching my hands out to her in a bid to stop her but—

*BANG*

I was too slow. Too late.

Chalice was already rolling down the stairs, a trail of blood following her as she tumbled down and down and down until several people rushed in at the sound of her high pitched cry.

My mates rushed in just then too.

No questions were asked. No one tried to find out what had happened. They simply turned to , their eyes holding accusations and resentnt so deep, it made my heart clench in my chest.

And to worsen it all, Chalice who at the ti had conveniently fallen into Caelum’s arms pointed at , her eyes glistening with tears as she whispered; "Leilani pushed down. I don’t know why, I don’t know what I did. She just..."

But her voice had been loud, so loud that everyone heard her.

The silence that followed was deafening... so still... so colossal... and so was the hollow now forming in my chest.

I was frozen in shock, and fear... I couldn’t believe that Chalice would go this far just to drag my na through the mud. I couldn’t believe that she could hurt herself so badly just to see suffer.

The stares grew heavier. The murmurs intensified. I opened my mouth, ready to explain myself but upon the realization that they’ll never believe , that it was my word against their golden girl’s, I clamped my mouth shut and stared pointedly at Chalice’s unconscious form still sprawled in Caelum’s arms.

I didn’t do it. I’d never do sothing like this...

But it was pointless.

Explaining to them was a waste of ti.

And so with this thought, I turned and walked away from everything with tears streaming down my face, whilst ignoring the snickers, the insults... and the hatred I’d seen shining like a million stars in the eyes of my mates.

But I was done.

They could all go to hell. And fall down a million more stairs.