Fated To Three, Betrayed By All… Until She Rose novel Chapter 21

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

Leilani,

For what felt like the umpteenth time this week, I stirred from a restless sleep, my eyes fluttering open to the stark, sterile surroundings of a hospital room. The scent of antiseptic hung in the air, mingling with the faint floral notes of a nearby bouquet. Just as I propped myself up on the pillows, the door swung open, and in strode Jarek, his presence filling the room with an unexpected warmth. He balanced a large tray in his hands, laden with a colorful assortment of fruits, some fresh vegetables, and a glass of water that glimmered in the light.

I couldn’t help but smile at the sight of him. “You again,” I said, my voice a little hoarse from disuse.

However, today was different. His usual bright smile was absent, replaced by a furrowed brow that hinted at something troubling him.

I watched him closely as he set the tray down on the small table beside my bed. He then retreated to a chair positioned at the far end of the room, his gaze fixed on my face with an intensity that made my heart race.

The shift in his demeanor unsettled me. I furrowed my brow, my curiosity piqued. “What is it?”

“What happened to you?” he shot back, his tone sharp, as if he were trying to slice through the tension in the air. The chill in his voice sent a shiver crawling up my spine.

For a fleeting moment, I was rendered speechless. My eyes widened as I took in the seriousness of his expression, then I shrugged, trying to deflect. “What do you mean?”

“What I mean is that I allowed you to return to the Pack for a mere six hours, and now you come back like this? Completely battered? Leilani, do you even realize you almost lost your arm?”

His words struck me like a bolt of lightning. I glanced down at my left arm, swathed in a white gauze that seemed to mock my condition. It looked swollen and painful, yet I felt nothing—just an unsettling numbness.

“I was in an accident,” I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper. “That’s what happened to my arm—”

“Do you want to press charges?” His question caught me off guard, and I could feel an uncomfortable edge in his voice. He couldn’t even bring himself to meet my gaze now.

I frowned, confusion washing over me. “What?”

“Do you want to press charges against your parents? And those idiotic Alphas?”

He continued, his words spilling out like a torrent, but before he could finish, I found myself shaking my head vigorously.

“No. No. There’s no need for that,” I insisted, my voice firm. “I just want to be as far away from them as possible.”

His silence was deafening. For a full minute, he seemed lost in thought, his eyes fixed on the empty space between my bed and the bedside table. Finally, he shrugged, a look of disappointment flickering across his face.

“I won’t say I’m not disappointed, but it’s your choice. You shouldn’t let them walk all over you like this.”

The sharpness in his tone made me flinch, but fear wasn’t what I felt. No, it was something deeper—sadness. Tears began to spill down my cheeks, flowing silently, almost as if they had a mind of their own. I didn’t even think to wipe them away.

No one has ever cared this much about me…

Just one look into Jarek’s stormy eyes made my breath hitch. He inhaled sharply, set the book he had been holding down on the floor, and sighed heavily. “Leilani, what happened to you?”

“It’s a long story…” I sniffled, not bothering to hide the whimper that escaped my lips.

Jarek didn’t seem to mind my tears. He simply regarded me with an apologetic expression. “Tell me.”

There was something in his calm voice that made the walls I had built around my heart begin to crumble. His presence felt like a soothing balm to the years of hurt I had endured. As I recounted the events that led me to this moment, I noticed his expression darkening with every word I spoke.

By the time I finished, I was taken aback to find him sitting beside me on the bed. I hadn’t even realized I was crying until he gently wiped the tears from my face. I didn’t pull away when he enveloped me in a tight embrace, his warm breath brushing against my ear as he murmured,

“I’m so sorry, sweetcakes. I truly am. I should never have let you go with him.”

But I knew it wasn’t his fault.

“It wasn’t your fault but theirs. Besides, they’re my pack members, and you had no right to stop me from going with my Alpha.”

“Still, I should never have let you go, knowing how terrible they all are.”

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