ZEDKIEL.
Iâm about to run after her, but Kash blocks my path. The crushing pain in my chest is unbearable.
Her words ring in my mind and the repercussions that they carried, sting.
Iâm losing my mind. I need her. I canât imagine life without her.
I know I once promised her that she could leave, but now.. even if she wants to leave, I will not let her.
How easily she was ready to throw me away..
âMove aside.â I snarl. My heart is thundering and the urge to kill everyone within the vicinity is overcoming me. Friend or foe, it was all becoming a blur.
All Zerachiel and I want is destruction if we donât get to go to her.
âI know you want to go after her, but you need to calm down. Iâve sent some guards to watch over her at a distance. Zed, give her an hour or two to calm down and then you can go. If you go In anger, itâs only going to make matters worse.â Kash tries to reason with me.
âShe misunderstood.â I snarl. My claws are out and Iâm trying to control myself from ripping him in two.
âWhich is my fault.â Isa says quietly from behind us. âIâm going after her. Iâm going to fix this. No oneâs relationship is going to be ruined over me.
Not on my watch. Zed, fill Kash in⦠on everything.â
She adds quietly.
âKill her!â Zerachiel growls in my head. âShe hurt mate, and so did you!â
I glance at her and although thereâs a part of me that is trying to read why she has suddenly agreed to tell Kash, I canât focus on it.
All I can think of is Evangeline. I need her by my side.
âMove aside, Kash!â I snarl warningly, grabbing him by the neck.
âTen minutes Zed. Give her a moment to breathe.â
He stands by his words and if he wasnât f*****g dying already, Iâd kill him myself.
Isa breaks into a run, and sheâs out the door in a matter of seconds.
âWhat the hell is even going on Zed? At least fill me in before going after her.â Kash says.
Yeah, I know he wants to know, but at the same time, he is trying to stall me.
âIf you can keep up, Iâm not staying here and letting her be out there alone. I need to explain to her.â I say, breaking into a run. He sighs as he catches up and we both exit the castle.
âFine.â He sighs in defeat.
We speed up, and soon we are off the castle grounds. Iâm following her scent, although I know sheâs gotten far pretty fast. I also know that her getting her wolf was something that would spread across the kingdom. She had shifted. I had seen the glimmer of white as she ran from the castle, but itâs a shame that the first time I got to see her shift was because she wanted to get away from me.
âWhat happened?â Kash asks again.
I frown. Isa should have told him, but he had only come back recently.
When you were away for the mission to gather intel on the vampires on my command, Isa returned from her trip with a newborn pup. Her pup.âI say quietly.
He turns to me sharply, his face one of utter confusion. Of course he would be⦠he was gone for a few months and looking back, she kept extending her stay, as if not wanting to face him.
Initially, she had gone for a six-week trip, but then that became two months, then threeâ¦
Her excuse? She was enjoying the time awayâ¦
ââShe returned shortly after I left, and it had annoyed me since I had wanted to see her before I left but she didnât return until a few weeks after I left.â Kash murmurs as he tries to make sense of it.
âI donât get it. Why would she hide something like that from me, yet tell you?â
His eyes flash and I know heâs upset and hurt, and I donât blame him. They are each otherâs only family and have a good relationship. I can guess why she didnât.
âBecause-â
âWhoâs the father?â Kash snarls. âAnd why would you pretend to take that on yourself?â
I can feel his irritation, but itâs justified just as Evangelineâs is.
I did take it on myself because if the truth ever came out⦠I know and so does Isa, that you would not have let things slide. We both know he could kill you in the blink of a f*****g eye.â I growl through the link.
He stops dead in his tracks, facing me, his eyes blazing as he looks me square in the eye.
I want a name Zed⦠you and Isa kept this from me and Evangeline. we both had a right to f*****g know. I want his f*****g name, now!â He says through the link.
Do you? I say.
I feel restless, needing to be by Evangelineâs side immediately. Zerachiel is trying to come forth and Iâm struggling to keep himn back. He has not been so out of control for a while, I almost forgot how much of a constant struggle it is.
âHeâs her mate! But his name and reputation might just be enough to get you to understand why she did what she did, why she f*****g hid the truth! Do you want to know? Then hear it! Itâs Godric Astaroth. Does the name ring a damn bell?â
Kashâs face pales and I see the worry and regret settle in. His eyes return to green, and his heart is thudding as the weight of my revelation sinks in.
This isnât a joking matter.
I donât wait for a reply, breaking into a run. Iâve wasted enough timeâ¦
He catches up soon enough, despite the turmoil he is still clearly in.
âZed!â
âWhat?â I growl as we enter the forest. I slow down a little to catch her scent when Kash falls into step by my side.
âWait up⦠letâs find her together. Iâm sure when you explain this to her, sheâll understand.â
I hope so, because I canât cope with her being angry with me.
âI messed up⦠I know that.â I mutter, scanning the trees. A sharp wind is blowing and itâs f*****g up the direction of her scent.
âYeah.. but I donât get why she would think thereâs anything between you and Isa⦠what exactly went down?â Kash asks.
I frown, not bothering to answer him.
I donât know how she sensed something was there.
What had happened ages ago at Isaâs birthday had never crossed my mind. When Iâm with Evangeline that is something that never ever came to mind, at all.
When Iâm with her, Iâm consumed with her.. but because of my carelessness, sheâs hurting.
âSheâs more than hurting!â Zerachiel hisses.
Talk to me, Evangeline.â I try again, pushing at the wall she has raised, but itâs impenetrable.
Zerachiel is ragìng, and he wants to shift and find her himself.
If anything happens to mate, I will kill you myself.
He sneers.
Of course, how can I forget that he doesnât actually like me? He tolerated me as of late, but in the end, without her, Iâm nothing.
Not someone that this kingdom needs, not liked by my Lycan and, above all⦠even my mate doesnât seem to be as infatuated with me as I am with her.
We pass the men Kash had ordered to follow her: they are quick to tell us that sheâs near the river ahead, with Isa.
Kash thanks them, commanding them to stay back as I speed up, needing to have her by my side. Her scent is stronger and I motion Kash to slow down, as the sound of the rushing river reaches my ears, accompanied by the sound of them talking.
âGo to her!â Zerachiel thunders.
I want to, but I also donât want to chase her away.
Isa wouldnât sense us, but with Evangeline being the goddess⦠Iâm sure sheâll sense me quick enough.
Taking a deep breath, I squash the pain in my chest as I begin making my way down to the river bank. Ready to do anything to ask for forgiveness from my mate..