Chapter 113 Used
DAISY
I stomp away from Adrian without a backward glance, my boots pounding hard against the cracked pavement outside the school. His voice trails behind me, light and teasing, but I’m beyond caring. His words bounce off me like water off stone, but the ache inside won’t let me forget the bombshell he just dropped. Adira. Zeus. Together. After everything.
My fists clench and unclench, fingers scraping the rough fabric of my jacket, trying to hold myself together. But the tension in my chest tightens, a coil snapping inside my ribs. I round the corner near the bleachers, searching for a quiet spot, somewhere to catch my breath.
The world spins, and I lean against the cold brick wall. My vision blurs as the tears break through—soft sobs, barely audible, trembling with betrayal and confusion. I’m alone. Iris isn’t at school today, and the chaos inside me needs somewhere to go. I can’t call her. I don’t know who else to turn to.
A shadow falls over me.
“Daisy.”
I flinch but don’t look up. The voice is unmistakable—smooth, dangerous. Zeus.
I wipe my eyes roughly with the back of my hand, but the stinging remains. Gritting my teeth, I push off the wall and step into the light, ready to face him. The world narrows down to this moment.
He’s surrounded by his usual entourage, a couple of guys who look half amused, half uncomfortable as he approaches. Zeus, the Lycan prince with the cocky smile and those sharp eyes that always feel like they’re reading your soul. He stops right in front of me, and the other boys back off respectfully.
“We need to talk,” I say, voice steady despite the storm inside.
He tilts his head, an amused, calculating look flickering across his face like he’s trying to figure out what game I’m playing. Then, almost casually, he reaches out and takes my hand.
For a heartbeat, I almost let him pull me away.
Almost.
I yank my hand back, glare burning. “I can walk just fine without you.”
Zeus smirks, eyes glittering with a mix of something I can’t place—maybe arrogance, maybe regret. “Fine,” he says smoothly. “Let’s get somewhere private. Talk.”
I follow, keeping my distance, ignoring the curious stares as he leads me through the empty hallways toward an unused classroom. The tension tightens in my chest with every step. What do I really want from him? Answers? Closure? Or just a place to yell all the things I’ve been swallowing?
The door clicks shut behind us. The lock slides into place. The room feels smaller suddenly, walls pressing in like they’re keeping secrets.
I lean against the door, arms crossed. “When were you planning to tell me you’re getting married to Adira?”
His face stays calm, like I’m some annoying fly buzzing around his throne. “Who told you that?”
I laugh, but it’s bitter. “Are you seriously asking me that? Like the important part is where I got the news, not that you’ve been lying? How long, Zeus? How long have you been pretending this wasn’t happening?”
He runs a hand through his hair, sighs heavily, then drags his palm down his face, as if trying to wipe away the weight of his own mistakes.
“It’s complicated,” he says, voice low, almost tired.
I scoff, bitterness curling through me like poison. “Isn’t everything with you?”
I start to turn away, but he’s faster. Before I can reach the door, he’s in front of me, blocking my escape.
I glare up at him, voice cracking with hurt and anger as I ask, “What was I to you? A pawn? Something you could just use and throw away? Because I swear to the goddess that it was real, I felt it.” My throat tightens as I push out the words. “Or was I just stupid and falling for your deceit just as you planned it out?”
For a long moment, there’s a look on Zeus’s face that I can’t quite name, something like regret, maybe, or something darker. His eyes flicker away from mine, as if avoiding the weight of what he’s about to say.
Finally, he speaks. Quiet, almost too casual.
“I never meant for you to be... caught up in it like this,” he says, voice low. “But yeah, I was using you. To get to Darian. To find out what Iris knows.” He pauses, watching me closely.
“You weren’t supposed to find out like this, Adrian wasn’t supposed to tell you…”
I zoned out.
The words hit me like a punch. The implication, that I was never the only one fooled. That everyone around me thought I was just a piece in their game.
I stare at him, breath caught in my chest, furious and shattered all at once.
I attempt to walk again but he blocks me. AGAIN.
His eyes bore into mine, dark, relentless. He reaches out, grabs my arm, and yanks me toward him until I’m pressed against the cold wood of the door.
I freeze. My heart hammers in my chest.
Then his lips crash against mine.
The kiss is fierce, demanding, everything I want and hate all at once. My body stiffens, and for a moment, I almost give in. Almost let the confusion and hurt drown beneath the rush of his touch.
But then I push back. Hard.
My hand slaps against his cheek, sharp and stinging.
His eyes snap open in surprise.
I’m breathing hard, anger and pain raw in my voice. “Don’t you ever touch me again. You’re nothing but a liar and a manipulator. And I’m done.”
Without waiting for a response, I shove past him and storm out, slamming the door so hard the whole hallway echoes with the sound.
\~~~
Outside, the hallway is empty. I lean back against the lockers, trying to catch my breath, hands shaking.
I didn’t want this. I didn’t want to be angry or hurt or confused. But here I am, tangled in a mess of feelings I didn’t expect.
Zeus. The boy I once thought I could trust. The boy who pulled me in, made me feel like I meant the world to him and now he’s engaged to the girl meant for Darian.
The weight of it crushes me.
I wipe my eyes again, staring at my reflection in the window.
My phone buzzes in my pocket. A message from Adrian.
You okay?
I don’t answer.
Because how do the fuck am I supposed to be okay?