Zane's POV
I didn't hear the door open. All I felt was a sudden jolt, a force pulling me away from Rhylie's touch. I stumbled backward, my mind confused as Scarlett's face came into the room
She stood there, her eyes wide with shock, her breath coming in angry gasps. And before I could even process what was happening, she had shoved me off Rhylie.
"Zane, what are you doing?" Scarlett's voice was cold, her hands shaking as she grabbed my arm, pulling me away from the bed. "What's going on?"
For a second, I didn't recognize her. I didn't recognize anything. My mind was a haze, clouded with confusion and lust, but the moment her hands touched me, something changed
Dalton roared again, louder this time, his voice angry, Wake up! This is wrong!
I blinked, trying to clear my head, but the spell... Rhylie's magic... it still clung to me, pulling me back toward her. My body moved on its own, my eyes finding Rhylie again as she reached out for me, her expression unreadable.
"Zane, don't listen to her," Scarlett said, her voice desperate. "Something's wrong. This isn't you!"
But the bond... It was too strong. I couldn't fight it.
Rhylie smiled, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "Get out, Scarlett," she said, her voice smooth and commanding. "This doesn't concern you, I am having a moment with my mate"
Scarlett's grip on my arm tightened, and for a moment, I saw a flash of something in her eyes, fear, anger, something I couldn't quite place. But then, she let go.
"If you want him, then take him," she said, her voice trembling but cold "But I'm not going to stand here and watch this."
"You came in here yourself, remember?, so get out" said with a smirk playing on her lips
Scarlett gave me a cold glare before turning on her heel and stormed out of the room without another word, and the second the door slammed behind her, Rhylie reached for me again.
"We don't need her," she whispered, her voice calling. "It's just you and me now."
But something inside me snapped.
I shoved Rhylie away from me, my breath coming in sharp gasps as I knew I wasn't meant to be here, I wanted but something kept pulling me away from her "Stop," I said, my voice low and filled with fury.
Rhylie's eyes widened in surprise, but she quickly recovered, her smile returning. "Zane, you're just confused. Let me.."
"Stop!" I roared, my body trembling with barely contained rage. Dalton was pushing forward, his presence filling me with a need to get away from her. To get back to Scarlett.
I backed away, my chest heaving. "This... whatever this is... it's not real."
Rhylie's smile changed into a frown and for the first time, I saw fear in her eyes. But before she could say anything, I turned and stormed out of the room, leaving her behind.
I didn't know what to do anymore, I just didn't understand what was actually going on anymore, I needed to clear my head, I needed to feel better, I needed to understand what exactly was going on, I had to fix the curse and give Scarlett her revenge we reject Each other and maybe then I will be able to find my way back to Rhylie.
Scarlett's POV
I sat beside my bed, tears flowing down my face before I could even stop them. I didn't understand why I was crying. What was happening to me? My heart ached, and my chest felt burdened, like something inside me was breaking apart.
Why do I care? Why am I hurt? Why does it really hurt so much? I have no reason to be.I had told myself that I only wanted revenge that I had agreed to say here for a single purpose, the deal, : to break the curse and return back to my pack to have my revenge, but….yet seeing Zane with Rhylie, seeing him about to make love to her after the kiss we shared last night... it was too much, too painful to bear, I didn't understand why I felt betrayed
I wiped my cheeks with the back of my hand, angry at myself for feeling this way. It shouldn't matter. It was just a kiss, I reminded myself. It wasn't supposed to mean anything.
But the pain said otherwise. The betrayal I had once felt with Rand and my cousin now seemed like a distant memory compared to what had just happened. And that made me feel even more weaker than I had been. I shouldn't be feeling this.
I sniffled, burying my face in my hands. Luisa whispered in my mind, her voice soft and comforting. "Dalton doesn't like Rhylie," she said, a hint of amusement in her voice. "He loves us."
I scoffed, my voice muffled by my hands. "Dalton, Zane's wolf?"
"Yes", Luisa replied. He can see things weirdly. He knows or feels like we're his true mate.
I shook my head, wiping away another tear." No, Luisa, that's not how this works. Rhylie is Zane's first mate. We're... We're the extra. My heart ached at the thought. And even if Dalton loves us, it doesn't matter. Zane will either reject us, or we'll reject him"
"You don't mean that" Luisa growled, her voice filled with pain. "You can't just walk away from this bond"
Watch me, I shot back, my mind made up. This bond is a curse. And I'm not going to let it trap me. We finish the curse, I get my revenge, and then I leave. We reject each other and move on, we have been betrayed before Lui and we even lost a pup.
The words felt weird in my mouth, but I forced them out. I had to stay focused. I couldn't afford to let my emotions cloud my judgment. I'll go back to my pack. I'll take my place back as Alpha, get my revenge on Rand, and rule my people
But even as I said the words, a part of me wondered...Why did it feel like I was lying to myself