Fated To Three, Betrayed By All… Until She Rose.

Leilani.

My heart somersaulted and backflipped... and did whatever kind of gymnastics you could think of as I watched him rise slowly, his eyes not leaving mine even for a second as he rounded my table and came to stand in front of me.

I watched him lick his bottom lip, his too dark eyes focused on my lips, and could say nothing even as he leaned closer to tuck my hair behind my ear, his touch gentle. His eyes are even more gentle.

He drawled; "I’ve always wanted to apologize to you but I didn’t know how to go about it."

What’s with these men and apologising?

What the fuck is suddenly wrong with them?

Due to my confusion, I suddenly had this irresistible urge to bring my hands up to his forehead and check if he was suddenly running a fever, but I couldn’t. So I bit my lip instead.

"I want to apologize on behalf of my brothers for hurting you the way they did... and for speaking to you the way I did later on at the hospital. I shouldn’t have tried to force you to see things my own way. We’re different, and that’s what makes us unique."

When he said that, I frowned. My eyes thinned into fierce slits as I folded my arms across my chest whilst wondering what planet he’d just fallen out from.

Those words sounded generic. Like he was forcing them out through gritted teeth. I muttered; "Where’s this heading to?"

"Huh?"

"What are you trying to say?" I snapped, not bothering to be polite— hell, he doesn’t even deserve politeness. "Where’s this conversation headed?"

I watched suspiciously as he scratched his neck and looked away from me. His eyes were suddenly unable to find mine as he whispered; "I want us to become friends. I’m tired of fighting with you all the time... and I hope you forgive me for all I’ve done to you because I’ve forgiven you too for all you did."

That had me freezing for a nanosecond. And goddess, I didn’t know how to feel. I didn’t know whether to be mad at him or disgusted at his audacity. My frown deepened when he smirked at me, whilst taking my hand in his to place the accursed bouquet into it.

Right there, a flash of memories swarmed my mind. Images of how I’d been betrayed, cursed, treated badly... not for a couple of days or for months, but for years, came rushing through my mind. And that made my chest ache.

I couldn’t forget how I’ve always been invisible to them.

How their minions would always bully me on their watch since I was fourteen. How Chalice would cry to them for something irrelevant, and how I would be punished for it...

Enraged, I snatched my hand out of his grasp and slammed the flower against the floor. "No."

Zevran blanched. "Leilani!"

"No!" I said again, my voice coming out strong even though everything within me was crashing and burning due to the memories flooding my mind. I wiped my hands on my skirt like the flowers stank, and then I drawled; "I don’t want to be friends with you or anyone."

Something akin to irritation flashed across his face before it suddenly disappeared. He snorted; "Why are you being so stubborn?" But when I wouldn’t respond, he added; "It’s not like you didn’t hurt us too. You did. And I don’t even hold it against you anymore!"

His words, even though I’d planned to be silent, were too stupid to ignore. I scoffed at him, rolling my eyes as I spat; "Yeah right, maybe soon you’ll say that I physically abused you too. That I hurt you and lied against you... and what else? What other lie can you spin?"

His face hardened and I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d hit a nerve.

Goddess, if I have, grant me more cutting words to hit more nerves!

He growled; "You did worse than that, but I’ll let it slide because I’m trying so hard to forgive you. Don’t make it impossible!"

The laugh that wrenched free from my chest was loud and mocking. I laughed until the corners of my eyes were filled with tears. And after laughing to my fill and savouring the way his eyebrows twitched in discomfort, I sassed; "Hades, I never knew you were so delusional!"

"Leilan—"

"So this is the grand apology you crawled all the way up your hole to come give to me?!" I snapped, interrupting him, and when his face hardened even more, I added; "...well, I don’t want it Alpha Stormborn. I don’t care if you’ve forgiven me for my imaginary crimes and I don’t know the kind of plots you have up your sleeve right now, but I don’t want it. You can leave... and take your stupid flowers along with you."

"You’re such an ingrate."

"No, I’m not." I seethed, "...you’re just stupid. You’re so stupid you came bearing carnations— a flower I absolutely hate but my sister loves. That’s to show just how much you don’t know me. And how much Chalice has seeped into your brain."

His eyes flashed. His nostrils flared. But I didn’t falter. I didn’t even flinch when he suddenly grabbed my shoulders and pushed me against the wall. He pressed himself flush against my body, his chest rising and falling rapidly as his hot breath fanned my face.

He growled; "You’re pushing me Leilani."

"To be frank, you’re the one who just pushed me against the wall." I replied quietly. Coldly. Even though my heart was now leaping wildly in my chest. Even though the feel of his body against mine was sending stupid stupid sparks along my skin.

His calloused fingers burned where they touched, and his eyes; as dark as the night, drilled holes into my face.

"Chalice hasn’t seeped into my brain." He spat and I froze because that was the very last thing I’d expected to hear him say. And then he spoiled everything by saying; "...And come to think of Chalice, you’ve wronged her more than is possible, and yet, she’s forgiven you a long time ago. Why can’t you be like her?"

Silence. That was what he was met with because I didn’t reply. I was too enraged to reply. Too irritated by his stupidity to say another word to him.

Everywhere he touched that once seared with heat now felt cold. I was disgusted and pissed. Very pissed.

And the idiot, do you know what he did? He continued;

"She misses you. She always talks about how much she misses who you used to be before you went rogue... and for some reason, you don’t seem to care. You even went as far as embarrassing her four days ago because of something as small as a job. You shamed her because she wants a job and had accidentally ripped your blouse while begging for it. How mean can you be?"

I chuckled low and dark, my eyes lifting to meet his in a glare that was both cold and daring. I seethed; "She really misses me?"

He nodded quickly— too quickly. "Yes."

"Then ask her to tell you why. Ask her to explain why she keeps pretending to love me while she does the things that she does. Ask her why she would go to any length just to make me look like a bad person?"

"Leilani, you don’t know what you’re saying."

"No, you don’t! You’re the one who doesn’t know what you’re saying!" I clapped back, my voice trembling slightly. "Maybe you should pay a closer look at your so-called angelic Chalice for a while, and then come back to me when you find out she’s not as pure as you think she is."

"Stop saying these things about your sister!"

"Oh no, I’m a Sinclair! She’s not my sister. She’s never been my sister and will never be." I hissed, "...now, do me a favor and pick up your damn carnations, take it to her and ask her some damn questions! Then come back to me when you’ve done that." I screamed, and with that, pushed him off me before storming out of the office.

Now, let’s rewind a little. Let’s go back to a few seconds ago. I had really not expected that my push would do anything to Zevran. He is strong, he’s an Alpha. But to my utmost surprise, he staggered back a few feet, his eyes widening when they met mine.

But because I’d been too blinded by my rage, I didn’t pay any attention to that detail until now, now that I was hovering over Jarek’s door, unsure of whether to go in or not.

"Goddess, what’s happening to me? Am I getting strong or are they all just weak?"

After a moment of hesitation and of pushing these thoughts to the back of my mind, I finally mustered enough courage to go in. I pushed the door open and immediately stopped dead in my tracks when I found Jarek slumped on the floor in a corner of the room. His office was a disaster. Books and files were strewn everywhere.

But that wasn’t what scared me the most. It was his eyes. They were bloodshot.

And he was looking at me like he couldn’t quite recognize me.

I froze.