Chapter 67 Where's he?
ZORA
I lay still on the bed, directly facing the sunlight peering through the drawn curtains, seething, quietly in anger.
I had just run away from Ryker after he murdered Lucas in cold blood and won't even let me take care of the body!
The knocks on my door grew more persistent but not louder.
Somehow, everything around me seemed to sound only like a distant memory. Nothing felt real anymore.
The man who'd only ever loved me was gone. Despite the time I'd spent with Ryker, it still never deterred my hopes of maybe building a life with Lucas one day.
But Ryker wouldn't stop until he took everything from me.
And now he was gone, for no other reason than a fight to be with me. For loving me when no one else did.
A feel of wetness spread throughout my cheeks, making me realize I was crying, yet the heaviness in my heart refused to ease one bit.
Maybe I didn't want it to.
I would mourn him for as long as I lived. He didn't deserve to ever be forgotten by me.
“Oh Zora! There you are” Courtney’s voice rang through the room as her weight sank into the space beside me, wrapping her arms over my shoulders in a comforting manner.
“I thought something had happened to you, huh?” Her voice trembled slightly, but I felt too exhausted to ask about it.
Everything in my head felt distorted, like I was stuck in a web but wasn't even trying to claw my way out. My fists curled into a ball, still trying to make sense of everything.
There was no one waiting out there for me when I got out of here…because I would. We would.
I can't believe Lucas is really dead.
The harsh reality gradually sunk into my head, causing my chest to tighten and a lump to form in my throat. I'm starting all over again.
Courtney's embrace and words did little to stop my shoulders from trembling.
Nothing still seemed to ease the emptiness inside me, instead I only felt more crushed than I'd ever been, wishing Courtney's arms were strong enough to hold the crumbling pieces of me but there was nothing more she could do.
There was nothing even I could do.
So I let her hold me for as long as I wept, until my eyes and throat began to feel sore that they could hardly work anymore without causing me pain.
“Ssshhh it's okay. You can sleep now” Courtney whispered.
Those were the last words I heard before fully giving in to the exhaustion and sleeping off.
The scent of freshly baked cookies sauntered into my nostrils, pulling me out of my not so peaceful dreams.
I woke up, a frown gracing my face almost immediately.
“Zora, you're awake” Marissa's voice trailed into my thoughts.
My lips tightened, a deepened resolve to ignore her. Not like it was her fault, still she was a member of this pack and only answered Ryker
“I made these for you," she reached for one of my wrists hanging outside the bed.
“You have to eat something, at least. You have people to live for too… don't forget that”
I see,
News has gotten round so fast.
My lover was killed by my captor.
Nice idea for a storyline.
I threw a sharp glare at her, my lips already opened and ready to snap back, but I'd only lose control, and I couldn't.
Sitting up with a straight face refusing to glimpse at the tray for even a second, I drew in a sharp breath to collect my thoughts before uttering a word.
“Get me an incense… and candles”, I requested, unbothered about the gleam of worry reflecting in her eyes. “And make sure no one, not even you, disturbs my privacy tonight. Go”.
She looked like she was going to argue, then she pressed her lips together and left.
As soon as the door shut after her, I made to get down from the bed when a slight shiver ran through my legs with a familiar sensation coursing in between my thighs.
My hands instantly rose to my face as I felt my cheeks turn red from embarrassment. How could I be feeling this way when Lucas was dead?
Stupid fucking bond.
I dragged my feet to the bathroom intending to freshen up and prepare to mourn him properly.
Droplets of hot water covered my bare skin while I stood numbly in the shower, gazing into nothingness. My fingers absentmindedly stroked my body, rinsing off every soapy area.
But just then, I felt that familiar ache again in my clits as they throbbed for attention.
I held my breath, wondering where all of this was coming from.
I'm crazy, stupid, a mess for being aroused, and worst of all, not during a grieving period.
Why was the bond doing this?
All of this felt — Good. I threw my head back at the second stroke of my finger, closing my eyes as the water ran all over my face.
“Zora!?”
Shit!
I lost myself for a second.
Marissa's worrisome screams of my name jerked me back to reality, only increasing the annoyance and frustration I felt.
Wrapping myself in a towel, I emerged from the bathroom a bit relieved to find the things I'd requested for.
“I'm not a child, Marissa. You can go now”, I said firmly, going through my closet for a befitting outfit as she quietly left.
After about an hour of struggling to put on a dress without going crazy from the increased urges I felt, I instantly set to arrange everything in place, hoping to be sober enough to terminate this feeling.
Soon, my room was covered in a thick smoke and the smell of burning incense while I sat on the floor with my legs folded into each other, staring at the spare picture of Lucas facing me, —one I'd gotten from his wallet
His contagious, carefree smile and warm aura that always gave me a sense of safety.
One I'd never get to see or experience again.
My lips trembled as tears rolled down my cheeks, each one forming an extra layer of ice on my heart towards Ryker.
He did this. Stealing the one-time moment of my happiness was never enough, yet he still had to take away the person as well.
Hate barely scratched the surface of what I felt towards him. And he had better be prepared for what I'd unleash on him.
I guess it's time to accept whatever Semya and Grace think I am. It's the only way I'd get my revenge satisfactorily.
I finished praying for Lucas and went back to bed, maybe I'd be able to sleep this feeling off.
“Don't go too close, or you'll wake her up”
“Sshh you're too loud”
“I’m not loud”
“Yes you are”
My eyes fluttered open to the sight of Leah and Tyler arguing in hushed voices. A smile subconsciously broke on my face as I sat up on the bed.
“Good morning sweethearts” I smiled, urging them forward.
“Mummy!”, they both cried out, hugging my neck tightly until I turned red from the lack of oxygen.
“Are you okay? You're burning hot”, Tyler asked, a look of concern etched on his young, handsome face.
I mustered a smile, trying to make light of the situation even though I felt hot on my insides too.
This had to be the cold, perhaps from lack of eating and opening the window all through last night.
“I'm fine”, I answered, stroking his cheeks fondly.
“So tell me, what have you both been up to?”, I asked, taking them both on my laps.
“Nothing much, except good behaviour”, Tyler hastily responded, a silly look in his eyes causing me to laugh, knowing he meant the exact opposite.
“How about you, Leah?” I turned to her curiously. She shrunk further into my arms, pressing her face to my stomach. “I saw a beast yesterday”.
My heart skipped a beat as every form of color drained from my face.
“She slipped outside the palace and went after a rabbit”, Tyler smugly explained, oblivious to my reaction.
“The beast was about to eat her and then she started crying, according to her explanation” he added
“I'm not a baby”, Leah weakly protested, already about to cry.
“Leah are you hurt anywhere?”, I blurted out, checking her body for any wounds, but there was none.
Oh fucking bastard!!
I'm going to kill him.
"Are you okay mum? Your eyes are blue now." Tyler whispered, eyes wide as he stared at me.
I blinked.
"Uncle Wesley saved me and brought me back," Leah pouted.
"When did this happen?"
"Yesterday." Tyler answered.
Marissa chose that period to walk in and announce breakfast was ready.
I let the kids go then pulled the covers off me.
"Where's Ryker?" I asked coldly.
Marissa frowned, "I've not seen the Alpha around and no, he's not in his room, neither is he in his study."
Fucking Connard.
"Where is Wesley then?"
Marissa's frowned deeply, "What's wrong? What do you want with Wesley? Sorry, I mean the beta."
"Where is he, Marissa?" I snapped.
"Uh.... out back, practicing?"
I stormed out of the door to the backyard, and there he was.
The silver threads were back and even more clearly.
Those weird dreams of me practicing might be helpful after all.
I pulled at the silver threads hanging around his sword and concentrated my energy on that.
The sword broke into pieces instantly.
"What the—" He turned back, "Zora."
"I know we are not best buddies, but what the actual hell? Ryker almost ate m- Leah?!"
He took a step backward, he had that bored look in his eyes, "Calm down, Zora. He didn't kill her. He dropped her."
"Calm down?" I screamed, "Are you seriously asking me to calm down when his beast touched her!?"
"Will you kill me too then?"
"What?" I gawked at him, "What the heck is he rambling on about now?"
"I can feel your powers sucking the life out of me," he said calmly.
I gave him a once over, he looks pretty much normal to me.
"Goddess!! Zora. Control yourself. You are going to kill him!"
I scoffed, "Maybe then, Ryker will finally respect me and let me go."
Wesley snickered, "You think Ryker would do that?"
The silver threads were glowing.
He wasn't lying, my powers were really sucking the life out of him.
In three minutes top, he's going to wind up dead, yet, I can't stop myself. I don't know how.
I am too angry and on the edge to take control.
How does he look so calm, poised, and unaffected.
Maybe if I leave.
Maybe if I directed all this to the person who should really be on the receiving end.
"Stop, Zora." Marissa yelled.
I ignored her.
"Where is Ryker?"