Fated To Three, Betrayed By All… Until She Rose novel Chapter 108

**Healing Slowly But Surely**

**By R. Joseph**

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**A drunken confession.**

**Leilani.**

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**1**

“Kael…?” I hissed, instinctively stepping back as his fingers grazed my cheek again. The familiar touch sent a surge of anger coursing through me, and I stood there, simmering in my fury. His head tilted slightly, a foolish grin spreading across his face, his eyes glimmering with the kind of drunken joy that made my stomach churn.

“Yes, mate?” he slurred, that infuriating word rolling off his tongue like a careless joke.

That single word ignited a flicker of something deep within me, but I quickly squashed it down. “Why are you here?” I asked, my voice steady, though my heart raced.

His expression shifted, as if my question had jolted him from a stupor. He flashed a grin, one that felt too genuine for someone like him, and stumbled back to lean against my wall, his posture awkward yet oddly charming. “I came to see you,” he declared, crossing his arms over his chest, his gaze fixed on me with an intensity that made me uneasy.

The way his eyes roamed over my body sent a shiver down my spine. It was unsettling, stirring emotions in me that I couldn’t quite name, feelings that felt foolish and inappropriate.

I caught a glimpse of his face again, and despite reminding myself that this was Kael—Kael Stormborn, the reckless fool—I shook my head, trying to dispel the memories of the boy I had once crushed on. “And you’ve said that before…” I pointed out, scrunching my nose in distaste as he hiccuped, the sound grating on my nerves.

Pushing himself off the wall, he smiled at me again, almost losing his balance. “It’s important,” he muttered, his voice thick with sincerity.

And I knew I should be furious with him, but I couldn’t help it. Looking at him like this, with his carefree demeanor and the remnants of his arrogance stripped away, he appeared almost innocent.

Very handsome.

He resembled the boy I had secretly admired at twelve—the lanky teenager with dark, shimmering hair and beautiful eyes that made my heart flutter against my will.

But that boy was long gone.

With that painful thought echoing in my mind, I averted my gaze, blinking back the sudden tears that threatened to spill. “You can’t talk to me like this. You’re drunk,” I muttered, attempting to regain some semblance of control.

“I can,” he insisted, his tone stubborn.

“Kael, I need you to call your brothers. I need you to leave,” I began, but my words faltered as he grasped my shoulders with an intensity that nearly knocked me off balance.

For a fleeting moment, regret flickered across his features before he buried his face in the crook of my neck.

And goddess, I shouldn’t be reacting to this. My body shouldn’t be responding to something so foolish.

But it did.

It reacted far too eagerly.

Heat flooded my cheeks as his warm breath danced against my skin, his lips brushing the sensitive spot between my neck and shoulder.

In that instant, memories surged back—memories of what could have been had we accepted our bond as mates. The thought made my face burn even hotter.

I cleared my throat, trying to regain my composure.

“Kael…”

“Mhmn?” he murmured, his voice low and inviting.

“You need to go home. You stink, you’re drunk, and I don’t want to talk to you right now.”

At the sound of my voice, he pulled away slightly, his eyes locking onto mine with a purity that made my knees weak. His gaze traveled down my body, and I felt exposed, especially when he noticed the bruises encircling my wrist.

Before I knew it, he was gripping my wrist as if it were something foul, his expression contorting into one of anger and concern. “Who did this to you?” he demanded, his voice laced with a fierce protectiveness.

And that question snapped me back into reality. It jolted my brain awake, which had been teetering on the edge of madness just moments ago.

I followed his gaze to my wrist, and a wave of fury surged through me as I recognized the marks.

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