Fated To Three, Betrayed By All… Until She Rose novel Chapter 54

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

Zevran.

“You all can’t be serious right now, can you?” Leilani’s voice cut through the air, sharp and incredulous. Her eyes darted between my brothers and me, wide with disbelief, and for the first time, a chilling realization washed over me: she was completely fed up with us.

The expression etched on her face wasn’t merely one of surprise; it was a mask of horror, a reflection of her deepest fears. Fear of being tethered to us, fear of the chaos we brought into her life.

That understanding twisted in my chest, creating an ache that made it hard to breathe. My heart raced, each beat a reminder of the turmoil brewing within me. Panic began to bubble up, threatening to spill over.

Desperate to bridge the chasm that had opened between us, I reached out, my hands trembling as I noticed her own body was shaking, but she recoiled, her gaze narrowing in disgust.

“You’re all insane. You’re inhumane!” she exclaimed, her voice laced with contempt.

“Leilani, sit the hell down and stop acting like the universe revolves around you!” Caelum shot back, his tone harsh and unyielding. The moment he spoke, her attention snapped to him, fury igniting in her eyes.

“Oh, that’s where you’re mistaken, jerk!” she retorted, venom dripping from her words. “The entire world doesn’t revolve around me, but my own world does! My life matters! And all you’ve ever done is wreak havoc in it!”

Her words struck me like a physical blow, leaving me reeling. It stung—stung like a wound that refused to heal.

“We reject your rejection, Leilani,” Kael growled from beside me, his voice low and threatening. “And I suggest you find a more effective way to cut us off if that’s truly what you want.”

Tears welled in her eyes, glistening like fragile pearls, and one escaped, trailing down her cheek without her even attempting to stop it. The sight of her vulnerability silenced even the usually brash Caelum. I felt paralyzed, unable to move or speak.

Kael, however, mustered the courage to approach her. He took a tentative step forward, his hand reaching out to wipe away her tears, but she swatted his hand away with such force that he staggered back, shock painted on his face.

“I’ll destroy you,” she hissed, her voice icy and devoid of emotion. It sent a chill down my spine, making Caelum retreat to his chair. My mouth fell open in disbelief. “I’ll destroy all three of you for ruining my life… I swear it.” With that, she turned and fled the restaurant, as if pursued by demons.

For a heartbeat, we stood frozen, the weight of her words hanging heavily in the air. No one dared to move, no one spoke.

We were all still reeling from the tempest that had been Leilani’s wrath, unable to even grasp the concept of breathing.

Yet, curiously, I felt no regret.

I didn’t regret clinging to her, even if it had come off as desperate. I didn’t regret refusing to abandon her.

After a moment, Kael turned to me, a troubled look clouding his features. “Her eyes… they glowed,” he murmured.

At that, Caelum finally lifted his head, unease flickering across his face. He nodded sharply at Kael, his gaze locked onto mine as he added, “She had an aura.”

They were both right.

Something about Leilani had shifted in recent days. There was an oddity in the way she had pushed me earlier that morning, a peculiar energy that surrounded her now.

A shiver raced up my spine at the thought. I whispered, “I’m afraid you’re both right. I can feel it too.”

“Is it her wolf? Does she really have a wolf now?… Isn’t that, like, impossible?” Caelum questioned, his brow furrowing in confusion. I had no concrete answer, so I remained silent, lost in my own thoughts.

The silence enveloped us until Kael finally broke it. “Maybe she’s an exception.”

“Huh?”

“Maybe she’s one of the rare werewolves who manage to awaken their wolves later in life. How old is she? Isn’t she twenty-four?”

“She’s twenty-three,” I snapped, irritation bubbling to the surface as I fought the urge to roll my eyes. “How can you not know her age?”

“Because she’s not that significant?” Kael shot back, and I felt a surge of anger rise within me.

“Yeah, she could never be as important as Chalice,” Caelum added, and I cursed the day I was tied to these two fools for eternity.

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