Fated To Three, Betrayed By All… Until She Rose. Chapter 206: Zero

Leilani.

To make feel better, Jay decided that we should go and watch so fireworks for New Year’s Eve, and even though I readily agreed, I knew for a fact that that was nowhere close to being enough to make feel any better.

I knew that I wouldn’t feel good if he doesn’t take with him to wherever the fuck he intended to go for treatnts or whatever he intended to do about his spiraling wolf... and I knew... goddess, I knew that I couldn’t do without him.

By the ti we got ready to leave, it was already late at night. He laced his fingers through mine as we headed to his car parked outside, and this ti, when I stepped out, I didn’t miss the way his bodyguards looked at with less hostility... how they weren’t openly scrutinizing anymore... and how relieved they seed to see him.

And that made wonder the extent to which he must’ve been sick...

It made wonder how his subjects, that is his pack mbers, must feel with his whole failing health.

Walking beside him has always made feel so type of high, so now, when my heart raced with excitent and my cheeks ward from the attention our closeness was getting, I wasn’t so surprised.

If anything, I revelled in this feeling, loving the way the heat of his arm ward mine. I loved the way he held as if afraid to let go... and I loved how he would occasionally stop to look at and smile, as if admiring a work of art. I shivered slightly when a cold wind blew at my face and do you know what he did?

He pulled into his arms, wrapping his around my shoulders as he whispered; "Here, here..."

And holyfuckingdammit! I lted right into him!

I soaked in his embrace, sighing when his sweet warmth seeped into my bones.

Upon getting to his shiny black mustang, Jay opened the door to the passenger seat and bowed slightly, his dimples deepening due to his smile as he said; "After you, my princess."

And goddess, my face burned.

A few maidservants hanging around chuckled quietly before rushing away, their eyes alight with glee as they looked between Jarek and I.

Jarek, on the other hand, seed like he was absolutely enjoying this! Gosh, sotis, I tend to forget that his favorite pasti hobby is embarrassing .

He bowed lower when I still wouldn’t move an inch, his voice rising a few notches as he said; "My lady, is the car not to your liking?"

"Huh?"

"Do you not like this car? Do you want a chariot instead?" He asked with a smile. And those words... Those words seed to snap out of my second-long reverie. With a chuckle, I rushed into his car, my face heating up again when he kissed my cheek before shutting the door after .

A few minutes later, he joined , hopping into the driver’s seat before he slamd the door shut, turned up the music and began to drive.

We drove for a long ti until we arrived at the bustling middle of Tis Square which was now packed full with people who were here for the sa thing: to watch the fireworks.

My heart swelled and my face flushed with glee as I watched the people gathered around us, all with smiles on their faces and most of them with their arms tangled between those of their loved ones.

I wrapped my arms around Jarek’s waist and tilted my head back to watch the skies, enjoying the way the wind blew at my face.

—And goddess, I wanted to be here forever.

I wanted this mont to freeze for all of eternity.

So I said the words I never thought I would ever say. "I love you."

I felt Jarek’s shoulders stiffen as soon as the words slipped out of my mouth. He stilled, his hold on hardening. But he didn’t respond right away.

Goddess, I would’ve almost thought he never heard if I didn’t feel the shift in his body.

A second passed between us... and then more. Then he said; "I cherish you, Lani."

Instantly, I knew the difference between those two words. I wasn’t dumb enough to know that ’cherish’ and ’love’ doesn’t exactly an the sa thing.

My hands shook slightly, but I do not know if what I felt was embarrassnt or anger, so I turned away from him and faced the crowd of people, hoping that in a way, their infectious excitent would rub off on ...

And you know what?

It did.

—

Zevran.

The cold wind blew against my face with a vengeance that rattled my bones. And as the crunching of snow beneath our feet filled my ears, plus the excessive murmurs of the people around, I couldn’t help but wonder what exactly I was doing here.

I couldn’t help but wonder why I was always in this girl’s hair despite my attempts at letting her be.

An informant, earlier today had told about sighting Leilani and a strange man at Tis Square, and even though I knew that it was wrong of to co for her, I still couldn’t help but quickly rush over in fear that she may encounter one of those godforsaken Lycans.

I feared that they would try to hurt her again, or perhaps fill her head with more lies, so I did the unthinkable.

I decided to be her shadow.

To let her live.

To let her do whatever she pleases.

But do you know what I have to do in response? Protect her!

I had to protect her in the shadows, and my brothers who were desperate to be of help in any way had joined in too.

So here we were, looking for a particular silver-haired beauty amongst this crowd of people.

I tried to sniff her out several tis and failed due to the large crowd gathered around, waiting for the beginnings of the fireworks.

And when I was already beginning to give up...

"There she is!" Caelum yelled excitedly, pointing in a direction that Kael and I instantly looked in... and my breath hitched when I found her standing there with her hair floating behind her.

Standing close to her was no other but... Frostclaw.

The motherfucking Frostclaw!

Whose arms were wrapped around her waist, holding her close as if protecting her from the entire universe.

His chin was resting at the top of her head while his eyes were trained on sothing happening in the distance.

Leilani on the other hand seed content just being in his arms, smiling like the entire world was right underneath her feet.

My heart raced with anticipation, but there was sothing more... sothing dark. Jealousy.

I was jealous. And I wasn’t ashad to admit it.

I hated that she was with him not or my brothers.

I hated that she was smiling at him... that she was in his arms, soaking in his warmth.

I felt the corners of my eyes sting but I knew that I was not about to cry. That I could never cry... or could I?

Was I that jealous?

’Yes, you are.’ My wolf answered in my mind, but I blocked him out, enraged that he sounded like he was mocking at a ti like this. And hating myself more for feeling so vulnerable. So pained.

I wanted to march up to her and Jarek, and to pull her out of his arms but I could not. Goddess, I knew I didn’t deserve to be this enraged or to do a thing like this.

"Behave yourself." A voice said from beside and I didn’t need to check to know that it was Kael. He muttered; "We’re here to protect her, not create chaos."

And chaos was all we brought to her life.

I do not know why but I found myself forward, closer to her until soone pald my shoulder and whispered; "Don’t, Zevran." He seethed, causing to turn around to et Caelum’s stormy gaze.

He looked just as mad as I was. Just as jealous... but for so reason, he seed more controlled than I was.

I nodded. "Okay."

"We’re here to protect her, okay?" He drawled, sounding as though he was talking to a child.

"Okay." I answered coldly.

It took a mont for to calm down, and when that finally happened, I noticed that there was a large screen hanging above us where numbers kept counting down from number sixty.

Suddenly, the people around us began to scream out in glee, their voices lting into each other’s as the countdown continued.

When it reached ’Zero’, signifying the strike of midnight, my heart plumted because... she then turned to him and kissed him on the lips.

Their lips moved in sync and I hated the way my chest hurt... the way it felt like I couldn’t breathe anymore.

And maybe the moon goddess hates because then, she lifted her eyes— only a little. And then it t mine.

My heart fell.