Fated To Three, Betrayed By All… Until She Rose. Chapter 57: Mates

Leilani.

I do not know why but there were tears in my eyes by the ti I finally arrived ho, parked my car in the driveway and got into my house.

I was still fuming, still mad at Chalice for coming to all smug and triumphant, and for breaking that news to .

And Goddess, I hated her.

Throwing my keys to the side, I went up to my room, stood in front of my vanity and began to shed my clothes one after the other. My breath caught in my throat when my reflection glared back at .

And gosh, I was covered in bruises.

Patches of red and black and purple scattered across my skin from places I’d scratched at last night. The mory was branded into my skull: poking at my skin, gasping for air and thrashing against the floor wildly whilst tears stread down my face because I’d been in so much pain.

Too much pain; As they fucked soone else.

My skin had sizzled with anguish, and now, even now that the pain was long gone, I still felt aftershocks.

And now, Chalice was pregnant?

Pregnant?’ Like all of these weren’t already painful enough as it is.

I wiped off my tears and got into the shower, and by the ti I was done, I didn’t even bother to blow dry my hair. I simply put on a set of free pajama shorts and top and then I went downstairs to make dinner.

However, I’d just arrived at the kitchen when my doorbell rang. I froze. I wasn’t expecting anyone. But still, I slowly walked over to it, peeped into the intercom and frowned.

"Goddess, if it’s one of those triplets, I’ll murder them... if it’s Chalice, I’ll definitely commit my first murder today."

"Sweetcakes it’s !" Jarek scread, waving at the cara, and a rush of air flooded out of my lungs.

I quickly rushed to open the door and stepped back when I was t with a large hamper containing every calorie-filled food you could ever think of. He smiled. "I brought you dinner!"

At first, I was stunned to see him here. Surprised that he was standing at my door with a hamper of food while his eyes glead with so much excitent, it was contagious.

He brushed past before I could even ask him in, smiling as he said; "I went to the grocery store today, then dropped by a fast food store to get so things... but I couldn’t help but wonder if you’d had dinner. You were still so busy by the ti I left the office, so I ca with this."

My heart lted at his words. I drawled; "It looks like a peace offering."

"Yes, it is."

Before I closed the door behind , I noticed that a large bouquet of red roses stood beside my trash can, and I hadn’t seen it there earlier. I turned to Jarek.

"Those flowers..."

He glanced back at for a mont before he turned away to set the hamper on my kitchen counter. Then he sighed and turned to . "I saw it when I arrived and I knew you always throw them away... so I helped."

I smiled. "Was there a note on it this ti?"

"None. There were none."

I eyed the bouquet one more ti before shutting my door behind , I then walked over to et Jarek. "Thank you for the food, Jay," I said quietly, "...I was just about to prepare dinner but now you’ve saved so ti."

But he wasn’t looking at my face. He was looking at my exposed arms, my neck... my legs.

The apple in his hand fell to the floor, and his eyes widened as he stepped around , as if to access further.

It took a mont for to know what he was looking at, and when I realized that it was my scars from last night, tears burned at my eyelids.

I wanted to disappear. I wanted to burrow into the ground and hide myself from everything and everyone. My life was already so pathetic, so why the fuck does the moon goddess keep putting in way worse situations?

"What happened? Did soone hit you?" His voice was small... he almost sounded like he pitied .

And that hurt. I don’t know why, but it hurts.

I vaguely thought about kissing him right there and then. I contemplated giving my body to him, allowing him to fuck , just so that I could repay the triplets for what they’ve done to .

But I couldn’t.

I shook my head. "It’s nothing serious."

"Stop lying to , baby," Jay drawled, "...you have scars all over your body. You look battered and in pain, and yet, you try to make believe it’s nothing? That I’m overthinking things?"

"It’s just one of the side effects of having stupid mates who have refused to reject ."

At that, Jarek’s eyes widened. Without preamble, he pulled into a crushing hug, his warm breath fanning against my forehead as he asked; "they’ve refused to reject you?"

I nodded, not because I didn’t want to speak but because my throat was suddenly too tight, the words would not slip out.

I loved having him so close. I loved the way his body molded against mine so perfectly. And most of all.. I loved his warmth. His sweet words... his reassuring smiles.

I shook my head against these thoughts and shimmied out of his hold to pick up the fallen apple. And then placing it into the sink, I said; "Because we still have our bond between us, I always feel it whenever they’re with other won and it always feels just as bad as when one pours boiling hot oil over my skin."

Jay gasped, horror and angst flickering in his gaze. "That is horrible."

But I didn’t want him to pity so I quickly changed the topic. "Chalice is pregnant."

Now, that had him spitting out his juice. "What?"

"She cornered today at the parking lot to tell that she is pregnant."

He frowned. "Isn’t that, like, weird?"

"Cornering or informing that she’s pregnant?" I asked with a smile.

"Both."

"She corners a lot... so it isn’t weird at this point. But informing — soone who she supposedly hates— of her pregnancy is weird."

"Did you make a recording of your conversation?" He asked suddenly as he carried the box of pizza and bottle of juice to the sitting room.

I followed after him and sat beside him. "Of course, I did." I drawled, "...it’s Chalice we’re talking about here. I had to make a recording before she spins the whole thing into sothing else."

"That’s good!" Jarek responded, coming to ruffle my damp hair, and with that, we settled into silence as we ate whilst watching an episode of Law and Order.

—

Jarek.

I watched Leilani sleep peacefully and I couldn’t help but feel a tug in my chest.

This way, she looked peaceful... unbothered, but from the way her eyelids would twitch every now and then, and how she would mumble sothing incoherent under her breath, I knew she was far from unbothered.

And there were her scars.

Inflicted upon her by her useless mates. No wonder she ca to work today with a revenge sche in the form of CUSP.

My fingers ghosted over the curve of her cheek, but I couldn’t bring myself to touch her.

I couldn’t bring myself to say the words I wanted to say to her; Because I feared for the implications it would have on our relationship. I feared that she would no longer want to be near .

Moreover, I had a mate. A mate I would never accept, but one I feared would go through as much pain as Leilani if I ever touched soone else, as long as we’ve not rejected each other— plus she’s been in a coma for over seven months now.

Leilani shook suddenly in her sleep and I rushed to steady her. I draped my arm around her body and held her close as her warmth seeped into .

Goddess, she was beautiful... exquisite. Divine.

Everything in responded to her in ways it has never done before. Even my mad wolf was calr whenever he was around her—and he hated our mate.

I brushed my lips over her forehead and whispered; "I’ll always protect you. I’ll always be here for you. I love you more than you could ever imagine."

"I know..." her soft voice whispered back and I froze.

But when I checked her face, she was still fast asleep. Or had I imagined that?