Chapter 15: XV
Levi POV
The room burned hot but the heat wasn’t from the weather, it was from me. Sweat poured down my face in steady streams, soaking my shirt and dripping onto the floor.
My body felt like it was on fire, and no amount of teeth gritting could stop the groans that escaped me. Every nerve in my body screamed, and more so, it hurt that I couldn’t control it.
“Levi, calm down!” Jack’s voice cut through my haze, edged with concern.
I could see his blurry figure above mine, his hand pressed against my shoulder, trying to steady me as I writhed on the couch from the pain and torture that was pounding through my body.
“I can’t, Jack, it hurts!” I yelled, squeezing my eyes shut.
My breathing came in ragged gasps as if the very air was turning to flames inside my chest. It might as well be, I might as well have been transforming into a fire-breathing dragon.
The door opened, and I could tell from the scent that Zoe had just strode in, her face a storm of barely contained fury, even though I could barely see, as my view was tucked in a blurry sight.
She held a water bottle, “Here,” she said curtly, handing the bottle to Jack, “Give this to him,” I could hear icy rage that laced her tone.
Jack took the bottle and immediately opened it, before bringing it towards me.
“Drink,” he ordered, pressing it against my lips.
I swallowed, the cool water soothing my parched throat for a moment, but it did nothing to quench the storm raging inside me. It seemed almost to dissolve in my body the moment I swallowed.
Zoe’s arms crossed tightly over her chest, her eyes narrowed into slits as she stared at me.
“When you’re feeling a little better, Levi,” she said, her tone as sharp as broken glass, her lips pursed into a terrible line slicing through her angry face, “You and I are going to have a long talk about how you put my best friend’s life in danger.”
I groaned, the mention of Isabell’s name sending a fresh wave of guilt crashing over me. “Zoe, not here, not now,” Jack quickly jumped in shooting her a warning glance. “I’m handling it.”
But that seemed to only fuel her anger. “Handling it?” Zoe snapped, her voice rising. “Isabell could’ve been killed tonight, Jack! Does that sound like it’s being handled to you?” She turned her glare back to me. “What were you thinking, Levi?”
Through the pain, I forced the words out, my voice hoarse. “I wasn’t thinking,” I admitted, my body trembling. "I am sorry.”
“Clearly!” Zoe shot back, her tone laced with anger. "And you should be, I am disappointed in you. I expected better.”
“I swear,” I gasped, struggling to sit up, though Jack pushed me back down. “No one wants Isabell safe more than I do. You have to believe me. I didn’t know what came over me.”
Zoe’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Believe you?” she spat. “You let rogues attack her because of what you and your wolf wants. How do you expect me to believe you want the best for her when you actively put her life in danger.”
Jack held up a hand, trying to calm her. “Zoe, that’s enough. Let him explain.”
“No, Jack!” Zoe barked. “He doesn’t get to justify this. Not when Isabell…”
“I didn’t let it happen!” I roared, though my voice cracked under the strain. “It wasn’t supposed to happen! I’d never let anything happen to her!”
Zoe’s lips pressed into a thin line, her body
practically vibrating with rage. “Then explain,” she hissed. “Because nothing you’re saying makes any sense.”
Jack leaned forward, I could see the tiredness in his eyes as he tried to remedy the situation. “Start from the beginning, Levi. What exactly happened?”
I shut my eyes, forcing myself to remember the chaos of the night. Every muscle in my body felt as if it were being ripped apart.
“It started after we…I…Uhm…” I hesitated, glancing at Zoe. Her eyes dared me to keep talking. “It started when Isabell and I made out tonight…” said quietly.
Zoe’s face twisted in disgust. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Zoe, let him talk,” Jack said firmly.
I took a deep breath, wincing as another surge of pain shot through me.
"We could have gone farther,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “And then my wolf he took over. He wanted to mark her. The urge was overwhelming.”
My hands curled into fists at the memory, my nails digging into my palms. “I couldn’t let it happen. Not like that. So I… turned around and left her hanging.”
Zoe’s outraged scream filled the room. “You what? Are you out of your mind, Levi? How dare you!” she rushed at me, and despite that I was at the moment unwell, I would have let it happen. I deserved it.
“Zoe, enough!” Jack snapped, getting in-between the both of us. His patience finally wearing thin. “Let him finish.”
I looked away, ashamed. “I didn’t know what else to do. I went outside to try to control my wolf, but… he took over completely. I couldn’t stop him.”
My voice broke, and I swallowed hard. “He… he lured her to the woods. I didn’t mean for it to happen, but she followed. And then….then the rogues came, I didn't even know they were there.”
Zoe’s hands trembled as she gripped the back of a chair so firmly that her knuckles turned white.
“So this was all because you couldn’t control yourself? You couldn’t control him?”
“I didn’t let anything happen to her!” I shouted, though the desperation in my voice was undeniable. “I swear, Zoe, I kept her safe!”
“Like hell you did,” Zoe snarled, I could hear the wood of the chair folding and breaking into itself as she held tightly.
The tension in the room was thick, every breath weighed down by anger and guilt. But then, a soft, shaky voice broke through the silence, freezing us all in place.
“Zoe?” Isabell’s voice called from down the hall.
Zoe’s head snapped toward the sound, her fury dissolving into panic. “Isabell!” she exclaimed, rushing towards the door.
My heart throbbed at the sound of her voice, raw with exhaustion but alive. Despite the pain racking my body, I tried to rise, but Jack held me down firmly.
“Stay put, Levi,” he ordered. “You’ve done enough. You have to give her some space while Zoe and I fix this.”
I nodded in understanding. Jack was right, I had caused too many problems for Isabell already.