Fated To Three, Betrayed By All… Until She Rose.-Chapter 53: Rejection.

Kael.

The overall exchange between Leilani and Zevran was so intense that I didn’t need no soothsayer to know that something must’ve transpired between the two.

They looked at each other with overwhelming fire in their eyes, and from the way her eyes occasionally darted to the mark on his cheek, her gaze lowering ever so imperceptibly whenever those red imprints glared back at her, I instantly deduced that she must’ve done it.

However, for the first time in my entire life, I felt absolutely jealous. Jealous that Zevran and Leilani had something going on that I had no idea of. Jealous that it was his face that had her imprints, not mine.

And Jealous that despite the fact that he was the one she was obviously most angry at... he was still the one she was subconsciously leaning towards.

My jealousy spread like wildfire in my veins, consuming me with a spark so large, it nearly burnt through my shirt. My eyes snagged on the both of them, not missing the strange awkwardness between them, nor the charge searing between them both like electric currents.

I sighed before rising to my feet, and pretending to take up the role of a peacemaker, I came to stand between them, putting as much distance as I could between their bodies.

No one had the right to get close to her before me...

I drawled; "Leilani, what Zevran is trying to do is simple. He only wants you to return to the pack because he doesn’t want you to keep operating like a lone wolf. He cares about you... and I know that that may be hard for you to believe... but..."

The scoff that sounded from behind me was the only thing that reminded me of Caelum’s presence in the room with us. He pushed forward, almost knocking me out of the way as he spat;

"Are you two crazy?!"

I was stunned. "What?"

"Are you guys begging the murderer to return to our pack with us? Are you even listening to yourselves or have you suddenly forgotten that she’s the same girl who nearly made us lose everything?!"

At the sound of his words, I gulped down my words. Even Leilani appeared momentarily stunned as well, a look of confusion flickering across her features. She however tried to speak, but by this time it was already too late. Something in me had hardened somewhere in my heart.

I turned to look at Leilani, but this time, not with the admiration that I’d watched her with only moments ago. This time it was with something else. Something that tethered towards hatred.

I shook my head. "We didn’t forget."

"Then why are you asking her to return with us?" Caelum scoffed. "Why do you want her back in the pack?"

All through the course of our argument, Leilani said nothing up until this moment. She stepped back, putting as much distance between us as if we stank... or as if we were poisonous. And then she muttered; "For control. You guys are asking me to come with you so that you’ll be able to control me. But that’s not why we’re here, or is it?"

My throat felt clogged. My heart was heavy. "Leilani..."

"We’re here to put an end to this shenanigans, right? To reject ourselves and get this over with, right? Now, come out of your heads and let’s do this."

"Shut up!" Caelum spat at her, and for the first time in my life, I wanted to smack his face against one of the pillars. "Don’t act like a saint!"

"Caelum!"

"I’m not acting like a saint!" Leilani bit back angrily. "I just want you to end it now. I don’t have time for this. I don’t have time for you!"

Caelum’s eyes flashed with rage and next thing I knew, he was charging towards her like a beast. He had just raised his hands, about to strike her when Zevran stepped in front of him, his eyes gleaming with a kind of maliciousness that I’ve never seen on him.

He growled at Caelum; "Do it." Caelum was stunned, and so was the rest of us. "Hit her, and let’s see what I’ll do to you."

"Zevran, you’re protecting the reject? The runt? The murderer? The girl who nearly cost us everything?!" Caelum yelled, a mixture of hurt and anger evident in his voice.

Hell, I was the eldest but I couldn’t call them to order. Even I had my demons fighting at the back of my head by merely looking at Leilani.

However, Leilani wasn’t about to let that slide. She pushed against Zevran to land a slap on Caelum’s face and then she snarled at him; "For years I’ve let you trample on me. For years I’ve let you insult me. But I’ll not stand by and listen to you call me names anymore, especially when I know I have done nothing to warrant it."

Caelum’s eyes flashed with malice. He scoffed. "So you mean to say that you’re not a murderer? That you didn’t kill your grandmother in cold blood, and would’ve killed your sister too if not for our intervention?!"

Leilani met his cold gaze with her icy ones. "Yes, I didn’t." She spat.

"Then I’m a vegetarian vampire!" Caelum scoffed.

"ENOUGH!" This time, it was me who yelled and I didn’t even realize it until everyone turned to me. "Stop behaving like kids... and Leilani quit lying, we’ve all moved past your petty theatrics!"

Her eyes widened in shock... or was that hurt? before she nodded quietly. "Fine," she muttered under her breath, her face suddenly devoid of any color. "I was pretty foolish to think you guys would ever listen to me."

"You’ve always been foolish." Caelum countered. "It’s not surprising anymore."

And that did it for her. She nodded, as if something had just dawned on her and soon began to speak, her words cutting like blades.

"We’re done here. I’m not returning to the pack because I do not wish to return. Alphas Kael, Zevran and Caelum Stormborn, I Leilani Blackthorne, now known as Leilani Sinclair, therefore officially reject you three as my fated mates, and from this day forward, I sever all ties with you... and wish to have nothing to do with you in the nearest future."

As soon as she said these words, silence descended upon us. I’d always thought that she couldn’t live without us, not after all the years she spent doting on us. My eyes widened at the realization that I was wrong. I gulped. My chest felt tight. Something within me felt like it was being torn open, like my heart was being ripped into shreds.

I turned to my brothers for a brief moment, not missing the uncomfortable expressions they had on their faces as well.

Obviously they were in as much pain as I was. This searing red hot ache in my chest, ripping my heart into shreds wasn’t just happening to me, it was happening to them as well.

I closed my eyes briefly and let out a shaky breath. My voice, despite my pain, was firm. Resolute. I stated;

"I reject your rejection!"

It wasn’t until after I’d said the words, and heard it echo in voices that didn’t belong to me that I finally realized that my brothers had said that too.

Including Caelum, the one who wanted her the least.

He’d rejected her rejection, just like Zevran and I.

We all shared a look and then turned to a stunned-looking Leilani to repeat ourselves. "We reject your rejection."

And that was final.