The Alpha's Omega Mate-Chapter 141: I love you?

~Zarek’s POV~

Suddenly, I was back to five years ago. I was back to that evening when Nyx slammed my door shut, walked up to me and threw the tiny gold ring I’d gotten for her against my chest.

At first, I thought I had wronged her. I had thought that in my foolishness, I’d managed to hurt the one person I loved the most. But when I looked into her eyes— the ones that were bristling with rage as she glared up at me with the most hateful look I’ve ever seen on her, I instantly knew that it was something else.

However, what I had never expected was the fact that she was like this because she’d fallen out of love with me. Because she’d broken her promise of forever, and now, she wanted to gaslight me into believing it was all my fault.

Her beautiful hazel eyes darkened with an emotion that I could never have attributed to her, and her words, so cold, struck me like silver blades when she said; "We’re done, Zarek. I cannot continue this charade with you anymore!"

"Charade?" I gasped, not believing my ears. "You’re returning my ring— the symbol of my undying love for you, because you think it’s all been a charade from the start?"

Nyx scoffed, her eyes darkening even more, as if that was even possible. "Maybe that’s not it. Maybe it’s because I fell in love!" She simply said, her voice cold, devoid of any emotion. "And it’s not with you."

Her words felt like a painful blow to my chest and I grained, taking a step back as if I couldn’t quite believe that she was saying these hurtful words to me... that it wa smy Nyx talking.

She had not physically struck me but I doubled over in pain, gasping as if I could no longer get air into my lungs. But despite this anxiety eating at me, and the hurt boring holes into my chest like a termite, I still didn’t miss the way she brushed off my hands, stepping away from me with a look of disgust marring her beautiful face.

"Nyx—"

"Zarek, I cannot be with a man riddled with regrets. A man whose sole aim in his pathetic boring life is to exert vengeance on his father who’s by far better than him. I cannot be with you!" She spat.

My desperation had clawed at me then. I still found it difficult to believe that the woman I once thought was meant for me could leave me... and that she could say these hurtful things to me.

Tears burned at the corners of my eyes as I grabbed at her shoulders, whilst shaking her slightly as if to jumble up her memories in case they were dishevelled now by some black magic or stuff, but she wasn’t having it.

Nyx, obviously irritated by my actions, scoffed loudly. She fought her way out of my hold and when I least expected, she slapped me hard across the face, causing my face to loll to the side.

Now, a different kind of pain seared in my chest. Not a physical one from the slap but from something else. Something that tethered towards heartbreak. "Grow up!" She snarled, baring her teeth. "Nowadays, with the way you act, I almost want to believe that the things your father say about you are true!" She seethed.

I stumbled away from her with a mixture of anger and frustration bubbling within me. It felt like I was just seeing her for the first time in my life.

And in that moment, she felt like a stranger— not because she’d left me, but because she’d used my weakness against me. She’d insulted me in a way that no one ever has, and had willfully taken my father’s side despite knowing about all the horrors he’d put me through.

I gritted my teeth in rage and took in a deep breath, and as if a volcano had suddenly erupted within me, I yelled; "GET OUT!"

Nyx left as fast as her legs could carry her, and while she rushed out of the house, I didn’t miss the fear in her eyes... the guilt and the regret.

But then, none of it mattered.

None of it mattered when she’d so casually given up on me. All because of that butler.

And it also didn’t matter when I found out that she was the one to inform my father about my plots to avenge my mother’s death.

She’d dumped me, and as if that wasn’t enough, she’d betrayed me too. And made sure I suffered dearly.

—

I woke up with a start, my heart thumping against my chest as the images from my nightmares replayed itself over and over again in my mind like a video on loop.

I glanced at the wall clock illuminated by the dull flame from the burning candles and I sighed. It was a few minutes past 3:00am.

Groaning, I stumbled out of bed as Nyx’s face kept replaying itself in my head and as it did, I couldn’t help the rage now pumping through my veins with vengeance. I couldn’t help the anger and the irritation.

And I couldn’t help the tiny doubtful voice now whispering at the back of my skull like a damn criminal.

"Why would she betray me like that and still return to have sex with a drunk me only a few days later?"

"Why will she even conceive a child from something as unholy as that... and keep it?"

These thoughts and several others plagued my mind but upon the realization that I had begun to doubt Leila’s paternity, I shook my head. "The girl looks just like me." I muttered under my breath. "There’s no way she isn’t mine."

However, even after reassuring myself this way, the thoughts wouldn’t stop coming, and even though I tried to blame my sudden suspicions on the kind of nightmare I just had, it was still impossible to shake it off.

"I think I need a run." I muttered, and with that, I slipped out of the house, that is after changing into a simple silk robe and pants, and then I made my way to the training grounds because for some reason, I had no intentions of running too far.

But as soon as I arrived at the training ground, I noticed something strange. The place was dead quiet and the air was still— not that that was usual for the training grounds by 3am.

However, what stood out to me was the presence of another entity in the place. Hell, I couldn’t see who they were but I could feel their presence. And I could feel the way its eyes followed my every movement like a predator stalking its prey.

For a very brief moment, I almost feared that it was Nyx’Zariel, and that after her very long weeks of stewing, I was now her new target.

But that thought didn’t last long because in the next minute, I heard the sound of something whooshing through the air, and instinctively, I ducked just as an arrow flew over my head and the faint smell of silver fleeted past my nostril.

My eyes widened. This wasn’t Nyx’Zariel. This was an ambush!

My eyes widened when another one came flying at me and I ducked quickly as it grazed my ear slightly before falling to the floor beside me.

And then there was another.

And another.

Until one hit me— my chest to be precise.

The impact knocked the air from my lungs as heat flared by my side, sharp and burning.

Silver.

I could feel it eating into me already, its metallic scent seeping into my nostrils like remnants of gunpowder.

I turned quickly, my eyes thinning as I scanned the tree line, but still I didn’t see nothing. I was getting infuriated... and weak. But infuriated all the same.

v Whoever had done it was quiet, making it impossible for me to catch on who they were or where they were. My steps were annoyingly slow, heavy, the poison making my limbs unresponsive. But despite this, I followed the faintest sound in the distance—a shift of weight, a breath—until she stepped out.

My breath hitched. "Nyx?"

My words came out more like an accusation than a statement, and with rage burning though my veins, I quietly watched her as she lowered the bow to the floor.

"Zarek—" Her voice cracked. "I thought you were an animal. I... couldn’t sleep. I went hunting. I didn’t mean..." A tear streamed down her cheek. "I didn’t mean to hit you."

Her words were quick, urgent. Convincing. Almost.

I wanted to believe her. But her eyes held something else. Something that didn’t match the tremor in her voice. And why here? Why in the dark?

Why was the arrow laced?

My knees weakened, causing me to stumble to the floor. And in my moment of weakness, I couldn’t bring myself to piece answers to whatever laid behind her gaze.

The ground gave way beneath me but her hands caught me, holding me upright before I could crash.

"Stay with me," she whispered, her voice sounding too close, too steady for someone who claimed to be afraid. "I really didn’t mean to hit you! I am sorry!"

"Nyx—"

"I would never intentionally hurt you!" She continued to cry, "Don’t close your eyes please. Don’t leave me! I love you!"