Chapter 324 324. Olena - The tree 3

Chapter 324 324. Olena - The tree 3
“What the fuck is that fool doing?” Artemiy growls angrily as the two of us watch, horrified, as Vasiliy places his hand against the trunk.
I’m not sure what scares me the most—the fact that a voice came from the tree or that he is so close that I can see the way his eyes sparkle with malice. Now that he has found me, he won’t stop until I’m in his clutches once more, destroying me once and for all.
But none of that matters as Vasiliy falls to the ground, his entire body wracked with violent spasms, foam forming at his mouth.
Artemiy curses out loud just as I cry out in fear, “Vasiliy,” and rush toward the tree.
Artemiy is right behind me, probably just as scared for Vasiliy as I am. When we reach the branches, they move aside to let me through, then close up right behind me. I know how insane that is, but this tree is… like nothing else in this world.
If the story told only minutes ago is true, then a long time ago, a demon became part of this tree. And Vasiliy touched it. And now, he’s having some kind of seizure.
My heart throbs painfully as I kneel beside him and push a few strands of hair away from his forehead, the tips of my fingers gently brushing against his skin, which is hot to the touch. He has a fever, which only adds to my worries.
Nothing matters right now. Not even how Artemiy is desperately calling his cousin’s name as he tries to get to us, nor the murmurs coming from the crowd, nor him watching all this unfold, fear coiling deep inside me.
Just Vasiliy.
The thought of something happening to him, of not being with him anymore, of his strong arms never wrapping protectively around me, of my lips never being kissed by him again, of never hearing his voice again, of never sharing another meal with him, of never resting my head on his chest and listening to his heart beat again, breaks something inside me, and a broken sob escapes me.
And in this moment, I understand what my heart and soul have been trying to tell me for a while now—I love this man.
I love him with all that I am, and losing him would shatter me.
“Don’t leave me,” I beg as my palm slides from his forehead to his chest, needing to feel his heartbeat, to anchor myself to it.
Artemiy hears me because he says in a bitter tone, “If he dies on us, I swear that I’m going to bring him back and kick his ass all the way from here to China.”
“He won’t die,” the man by the tree retorts.
Which makes Artemiy hiss, “And how the fuck do you know that?”
“I will explain everything in a bit.”
Despite what the man said, I can’t stop worrying that something bad will happen and I’ll lose Vasiliy forever.
He needs a doctor. I should be calling an ambulance, but once more, fear paralyzes me. This is another kind of fear—it feels like a colossal monster threatening to break me in such a way that, no matter how much time passes, I’ll never be whole again.
“I need you,” I murmur softly. “I need you so much. Life has no purpose without you. Before you, I was broken, with so many pieces missing, but you slowly started putting me back together. I don’t know how to be without you.”
The man by the tree gets on his haunches and, after looking at Vasiliy for a few seconds, promises softly, “He will be well.”
Tears run down my face as I shake my head in denial and frustration. “Whatever happened when he touched the tree, it did something to him. It’s… it’s killing him.” Another sob escapes me.
The man pats my arm in comfort as he says, “Just give him a couple of minutes to adjust to having a demon inside him,” but I flinch away from his touch, and he stops.
“Sorry,” I mumble. “It’s just that…” I stop speaking before I can finish the sentence.
“No need to be sorry. My son doesn’t like to be touched by strangers either.”
Artemiy asks, “Are you a Lord as well?”
“This is neither the time nor the place,” the man replies. “After.”
Their words barely register as my entire focus is on Vasiliy. The spasms finally stop, and I stop breathing as I wait for some sign that he’s well.
Several seconds later, he opens his eyes, his gaze meeting mine, a frown forming between his brows.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” he asks as he cups my cheek.
The sob that comes out this time is one of relief.
“You’re alright,” I say as I help him stand before wrapping my arms around him and hugging him tight, a thousand thoughts rushing through my head at the same time.
I don’t know how I ever thought about leaving him or Artemiy just because my past caught up with me. The truth is that I can’t live without these two men.
“I’ve never been better,” Vasiliy whispers as his arms come around me, and I know that I won’t let go of him for a long time.
The man gets to his feet and addresses the crowd. “Thank you all for coming tonight and for completing the maze. We will be cutting the celebrations short this time.”
“So, no fireworks?” someone grumbles, sounding pissed.
“We are having some technical issues,” the man lies. “But I will make it up to everyone next year. Remember to always let your loved ones know how much you care about them because you never know when it will be the last time you see them. As usual, my wife and son will be waiting for you at the exit with a basket of goodies. I’m looking forward to seeing all of you again next year.”
The sound of clapping hands follows—those present think this was all part of a show. Slowly, they leave until the only ones remaining are Vasiliy, Artemiy, the farmer—at least, that’s who I think he is—and me.
“How about we go to my house and enjoy a piece of my wife’s pumpkin pie and a glass of apple cider?” the man suggests.
Artemiy huffs. “The only reason I agree is because I have a ton of questions. But only if Olena feels like it. She… isn’t feeling quite well. And what happened to Vasiliy has left her shaken, as you’d expect.”
The only place I want to be right now is home, so I can cuddle with the men I love.
The moment that thought comes to me, I know that I love not only Vasiliy but Artemiy as well.
Before I can say that I’d rather go home, Vasiliy says, “Pumpkin pie sounds good.”

Don't worry. The bad guy will be caught :)