Fated To Three, Betrayed By All… Until She Rose novel Chapter 20

**Healing Slowly But Surely**
By R. Joseph

The oppressive grey line loomed in the distance, a stark reminder of the tension that hung between us.

Zevran.

“Why did you kiss her?”

I remained silent, my gaze fixed on Kael and Caelum as they launched into a heated argument. I had no intention of stepping into their fray, especially not when my own heart was heavy with the weight of betrayal. I couldn’t bear to look at Caelum, fully aware that he was the one who had initiated that kiss.

That he had kissed Leilani.

And now, she was left to endure the harsh consequences of a crime she had never committed.

She was labeled a whore, a seductress—an insidious thief of her sister’s joy. All of it was Caelum’s doing. All because he couldn’t rein in his reckless emotions at a moment when clarity was paramount.

“I don’t know,” he spat, his voice tight as he lifted his wineglass to his lips. I watched in frustration as he downed his fourth glass in a mere five minutes. “She was just there, and I wanted to hurt her. I wanted to do something that would crush her for daring to ask for a rejection—us—for a rejection…”

“Caelum, that doesn’t change the fact that you—”

“You should have seen the smug look on her face!” he barked, cutting me off. “You should have seen how satisfied she looked when she said it to my face. When she told me she didn’t want to wait a month for the rejection—she wanted it today.”

“And why does that affect you so much?” Kael glared, his expression a twisted mix of anger and disbelief. “It shouldn’t. She’s the reject. The runt. You should have just let her—”

“Because she doesn’t get to win!” Caelum snarled, and I felt my own anger simmering beneath the surface. “She doesn’t get to dictate to me—us. She’s the runt, the one even her family rejected, and we’re Alphas!”

“And that was all you could think of?” Kael shot back, his voice low and gravelly. “That was the only way you could think of to hurt her? Really?”

“Like I said, it was a spur-of-the-moment thing. I wasn’t thinking.”

“Now, all you’ve done is make Chalice see that. You’ve hurt her. Do you even realize what that will do to her?!”

I rolled my eyes, unable to contain my irritation. “Chalice will be just fine.”

“No, she won’t!” Caelum spat, his fury boiling over. “You should have seen how she looked at me. She was hurt… she felt betrayed, and I couldn’t do anything about it. I felt so weak… so useless… so powerless.”

His words struck me like a physical blow, nearly sending me tumbling from my chair. I gritted my teeth, fighting the urge to say something we would all regret. Instead, I simply stared at him and Kael, shock and disbelief coursing through me. How could they be so self-absorbed?

What about Leilani?

“What about Leilani?” My voice was hoarse, teetering on the edge of anger. “What about the innocent girl you just branded a whore?”

At that, Caelum scoffed, while Kael rolled his eyes dismissively. “She was never innocent, and you know it. We all know that she probably even wanted that kiss, given how much she’s doted on us in the past.”

“Exactly. Moreover, it’s unreasonable to use Leilani’s name and the word ‘innocent’ in the same breath. Isn’t she the one who murdered her grandmother?”

“And the one who did that crazy stuff that got us into serious trouble when we were teens?”

“Seems Zevran is forgetting a lot these days,” Caelum smirked, turning to Kael, who chuckled in agreement.

But at that moment, I could no longer bear to listen to their shallow banter or watch as they displayed no remorse for the torment Caelum’s actions would inflict upon Leilani.

I knew I shouldn’t be siding with the treacherous girl over my brothers, but I couldn’t help it.

I was furious. Unreasonably so.

My hands clenched into fists at my sides as I rose to my feet, fixing them with a glare that could burn. Tilting my head slightly, I turned away. “I’m going to bed,” I muttered, my voice low.

“Zevran, it’s only 5:00 PM,” Kael scoffed, but I brushed off his words.

“Yes, I know. But I cannot stand this situation any longer, and that’s more than enough reason for me to retire to my room early today.” I drawled, striding out of Caelum’s room toward mine.

Yet, as I reached my door, an overwhelming urge to see Leilani surged within me, gnawing at my resolve. I slipped out of the house and made my way to hers.

Since Leilani’s father was our beta, they lived practically next door to us—just a mansion away. So she was close by.

I managed to sneak into their house without encountering Chalice, and when I arrived at Leilani’s door, I was taken aback to find it ajar—not just unlocked, but completely torn from its hinges.

Peeking into the room, I froze in place.

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