Fated To Three, Betrayed By All… Until She Rose.-Chapter 353: Loud cracking sound.

Leilani.

As the cold wind blew against my face, reminding me that this was the real world and not some imaginary alternate universe that I wanted to believe it was, I began to feel myself slowly going numb.

There were about a million and one thoughts swirling around my head. There was this constant fear hammering at the back of my skull and this new suspicion that made me not want to believe anyone anymore, including Zevran.

Speaking of Zevran, he sat beside me with his body pressed against mine in a way that didn’t feel too excessive yet was soothing. His warmth seeped from his clothes to mine, practically helping me against this cold; But for some reason, I didn’t want it.

I didn’t want him.

I didn’t want to be around anyone or anything at the moment.

If Darius was the one here, then he would have told you about how werewolves were not to be trusted, the same way Zevran is trying to ruin your trust in the Lycans.

This thought was the only thing swirling around my mind by this time, echoing again and again in my skull as if to dismiss the last few words that Zevran had told me...

But I couldn’t just easily dismiss something as important as that. I couldn’t—

"If this is all Keisha’s doing— which I am leaning towards— then trust me when I say that she didn’t get to do this alone. She must’ve been helped by another Lycan or a group of them, and in that case, we may need Darius to help us fish these scums out."

"No..." I began to say even before thinking it through. Hell, I do not intend to seek help from that psychomonster. "Not Darius... it can be everyone but not him."

Zevran glanced at me as if seeing me for the first time, then he smiled. "We’ll make him believe that you are dead. And if he thinks you’re dead, then he would be forced to believe that he alone now has the right to claim the throne... your throne."

"And if he refuses?"

"He won’t." Zevran answered, sounding quite sure of himself.

I was stunned. I asked; "Why?"

"Because this is Darius we’re talking about here. Darius who is— I hate to say this—but he’s obsessed with you. He would want to do this to get to the root of the matter, that is if he’s innocent, and to ensure that he is vindicated, seeing as the entire world knows that he wants something that is your birthright."

"But what if he had ordered the hit?" I asked softly.

"Then he would still want to help to make himself seem innocent while he’d try to cover up the case and tie up any loose ends that I would personally pretend to let him find out during the so-called investigation." He answered, and I know... I know that this isn’t a time to smile, but I couldn’t help the small one that spread across my face even with my tears still pouring down my face.

I couldn’t help but think about how genius that plan was... but—

"Leave everything to me Leilani, and take this as your long deserved staycation. You do not need to do anything. In fact, I do not need you to do anything..."

"And I know!" I snapped, my voice sounding louder than intended. "...but how would I sit back and wait when Agnes has been killed? Do I have to wait until more people are harmed for my sake?! Do I have to wait until it’s Maya and Gavin, and perhaps my mom?"

"What about me?" His sudden question threw me so off guard that I found myself blanching for a nanosecond. In a mixture shock and confusion, I drew back to look at him... like really look at him, and then I asked;

"What about you?"

"You were actively worrying about your loved ones and I hoped that I was one of them too. That you wouldn’t be able to sit back and watch because you’re scared I may be ’whoever is after you’s next target."

My face burned at his words and I turned away to hide the sudden flush in my cheeks. "No." I hissed.

"No, what?"

"You can take care of yourself." I said.

For a moment, he didn’t speak or move but simply watched me closely with a small smile playing across his lips. He looked at me like one would look at a precious item at an auction house— greedily yet with admiration. Then he sighed.

"Yes, I can. And that’s why you should leave this to me. I’ll inform my brothers that you’re alive but I will pretend to not know about your whereabouts..." he trailed off and stopped to look at my face but just as our eyes met, I shook my head.

"Zevran, no. The more people that know about this, the less safe I’ll feel." 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"They’re your mates. My brothers. They can feel you as much as I can. And if you never stopped to think about that, then I am sorry I have to be the one to remind you that they marked you just as I did. They know you are alive. They feel it..."

I shook my head in irritation, and because I was not quite in the mood to hear any more of this mate-bond bullshit lectures, I snapped; "Okay then, tell them what you have to, but I’d like to take my leave now."

"Are you sure?"

At his words, I quickly spun around to look at him and cocked my eyebrows as I regarded him closely. "Yes, I am certain!" I said quickly, rushing to my feet, because for some weird reason, I wanted to be out of here as fast as possible. I was feeling so antsy— too antsy, I could barely hide my discomfort anymore.

Zevran looked at me like he didn’t fully buy my words, but he didn’t try to dissuade me— not like I could blame him. I myself do not even know what was happening to me all of a sudden.

And all I knew was that I was suddenly hot. So hot my breath felt like magma. My bones were protesting so much, I could barely breathe or move.

But that wasn’t all.

My jaws were straining too and so were my limbs.

Was I... shifting?

This thought made my eyes go wide eyes and I immediately turned to Zevran, my voice shaking as I whispered; "I need to go."

"Leilani..."

"Please!" I had resorted to pleading. That was how desperate I was. "I feel... unwell."

"You look unwell," he drawled, "...and your eyes... They are glowing."

His words made my breath hitch in my chest but just before I could muster up a response, pain lanced through my entire body just in time for a bright lightening to tear through the night sky.

The coincidence made me flinch and it also made me beam a small smile at Zevran.

However, just as it looked like he was about to speak, I suddenly stumbled to the floor and cried out in anguish...

Why?

Because all of my bones—one after the other— had just made loud cracking sounds.

And I knew that I was shifting. Right in front of him.