Chapter 86 Chapter 86. Promises and Ruins
Zephyr suddenly remembered something. He pulled his hand back, blew on the soup, then offered it again. "It’s not hot."
He had never taken care of anyone before. The last time he had fed Zoria her medicine, he had burned her lips. He had even let out a hoarse laugh afterward, mocking her, saying he had almost turned her into "a mangy toad."
Zoria’s eyelids fluttered slightly. She parted her lips and said hoarsely, "I’m not hungry."
Zephyr said, "Even if you’re not hungry, you still have to eat. You need nutrition."
His grip tightened around the spoon, his knuckles stiffening. He forced down his irritation and lowered his voice. "Zoria, I won’t force you to have children anymore."
Zoria let out a mocking laugh. "Did Faye agree to that? Didn’t she want a child with you, while also not wanting you to touch any other female?"
Zephyr froze.
He remembered the hospital, this very bed, the vile things he had said to Zoria back then. He had been driven mad by anger. No matter how deeply he regretted it now, he could never turn time back.
A flicker of shame crossed his face. He spoke softly. "Faye and I are over. I’ll send her back to Whisper Bay."
Zoria stared straight at him. "Zephyr, did you already know that Faye deliberately pretended to be pushed so she could frame me? Did you even know she bribed the hospital to kill my child?"
"Yes," Zephyr answered.
Hatred surged in Zoria’s eyes. "If you liked her that much, if you were willing to help her wash away her sins, then why wouldn’t you let me go? Why wouldn’t you spare me?"
Zephyr’s voice caught. "I felt guilty toward her. I once—"
"Enough." Zoria cut him off. "If you felt guilty toward her, then why did you make me bear the consequences? Why? Zephyr, tell me—where is the fairness in that?"
The Zoria before him was no longer the female he once knew. She had once been a soft, fragile Omega, half-wolf, her scent always faint and timid. Now it was as if a solid wall had risen around her. No matter how hard he shouted, no matter how much he battered himself bloody against it, he could not shake her heart.
How was he supposed to live like this with Zoria? How could he make her return to who she used to be? Was he supposed to keep her locked in here forever?
He did not dare think any further. If he continued down this path, he did not know what Zoria might become.
The Zoria now before him left him utterly helpless. Her unyielding resolve filled him with despair.
The air between them was so cold it was suffocating. Zephyr changed the subject, his voice awkward. "You like dogs, don’t you? When the time comes, we can go pick one together. We will choose a dog that is similar in breed to Bunny."
Zoria’s expression finally shifted slightly, as if something had come back to her. "Don’t. You’d just ruin the dog’s life."
Bunny had been the Golden Retriever she once kept. It was a gift from her father.
Not long after she bonded with Zephyr, Bunny died. That day, she had held its body and cried until she was completely drained, then called Zephyr and told him that Bunny was dead.
Zephyr had only replied coldly, "It was just a dog. Dead is dead."
That night, she had been dazed, sitting in the living room all night long. Zephyr never came home. The most ridiculous part was that she had even comforted herself, thinking that Zephyr was only indifferent because he had no feelings for Bunny.
In the end, she realized the truth.
To Zephyr, she was just a dog as well—no, not even that.
In the end, Zephyr still roughly poured the bowl of soup into Zoria’s mouth. Even though about half of it spilled out, at least she managed to swallow a little.
Afterward, Zoria almost glared at Zephyr with pure hatred. He did not dare meet her eyes and instead looked away, then reached out to touch her head, his tone sounding like he was trying to justify himself. “I was just feeding you some soup. I didn’t do anything out of line.”
Zoria raised her hand and slapped his away. Caught off guard, Zephyr staggered back half a step. The bowl in his hand tilted sharply, fell to the floor with a loud “clang!”, and shattered into pieces.
“Get out.”
Zephyr stared at the broken bowl on the ground, his expression instantly changing. No matter how good he was at restraining himself, there were moments when he snapped—let alone Zephyr, an impatient Alpha whose instincts for dominance and possession were always on the verge of boiling over.
“Fine. I’m leaving,” Zephyr ground his teeth. “Don’t move around. I’ll have the servants come clean this up.”
He only felt utterly drained, both mentally and physically. He stood up, kicked aside a few shards at his feet, and walked out of the bedroom. Not long after, a servant came in and hurriedly cleaned up the broken pieces on the floor.
“Ms. Zoria, please don’t be too angry. It’s bad for your health.”
Zoria did not dislike Lola. She softly murmured a thank you, then slowly closed her eyes.
The servant went out to the living room and said to Zephyr, “Alpha, Ms. Zoria has fallen asleep. Until she fully recovers, please let me take care of her.”
Zephyr nodded wearily. Zoria was on guard against him at all times now, making it nearly impossible for him to get close. The irritation on his face did not fade. He reached for the pack of cigarettes on the coffee table, lit one, and held it between his lips.
Inside a hotel.
Faye propped herself up from the bed, looking exhausted. Lately, Michael had been coming to her for sex more and more often. For now, Michael still had some value she could use; otherwise, she would not have bothered getting involved with him at all.
Faye rubbed her temples and got out of bed. She was lost in thought as she bent down to pick up the clothes scattered on the floor and put them on, when she heard rapid knocking at the door outside.