Fated To Three, Betrayed By All… Until She Rose.-Chapter 324: Never say never…

Leilani.

The room went dead silent as soon as Jarek’s large frame crowded the doorway. And do you want to know what was funny?

The fact that Jarek didn’t snap or scream at me like I had half expected him to. He didn’t even appear surprised at all by the fact that the triplets were in my house, walking around like they owned the place.

In fact, all I saw on his face was disappointment.

Utter disappointment.

His large hands shook against the box he held, causing it to tremble visibly as he wouldn’t stop glaring between me and them.

It wasn’t until Caelum sighed dramatically that I snapped out of my first phase of shock. And it also wasn’t until that moment that I saw the red scarf wrapped around his neck. The scarf that used to be mine.

The one he had gotten me.

It was a promise of our love, friendship and partnership. But now, it contrasted against his dark colored clothes, sticking out brazenly as if mocking the entire situation.

Embarrassment and mortification crept up my spine as I watched him slowly place the box on the floor; But instead of walking away like anyone would expect, he stepped into the house like the predator that he was and plopped into the nearest sofa.

And goddess, that action alone was enough to get all the alarm bells in my head ringing. It was enough to have me shitting my pants.

I gulped as I stepped away from the triplets and as if on cue and smiled shakily at him. "Jay!" I called out, but it sounded too fake even to my own ears.

I knew that I hadn’t done anything wrong. If anything, I’d only helped myself from having to endure more agonizing pain. But seeing him like this, watching me like I was the fucking enemy, broke something within me that I couldn’t put a name to and I didn’t even know when I crouched before him until we were almost on the same eye level.

I whispered; "I think you have the wrong ideas, Jay."

"I don’t have any ideas right now, Lani. I am still in shock." He answered,

But at that moment, he wouldn’t look at me. Couldn’t. His piercing gaze was focused on the triplets and he watched them like they were vile objects to be trampled upon.

I sighed. "Okay, good. Can I hug you?"

As soon as I said those words, he recoiled. His face scrunched up and his body twisted together as if avoiding me at all cost. That action twisted the blade deeper into my chest but before I could comment on that, he drawled;

"I think you do not have the right to say that to me since I can clearly see their marks on your neck." He answered coldly, sounding nothing like the Jarek I knew.

I gulped. "Yeah, they marked me but it is not what you think..." I blurted, but stopped when he eyed me coldly, his voice devoid of any emotions as he asked;

"Do you think I am stupid?"

I frowned. Deeply. "No..."

"So how’s it that you’re marked by them? Your mates... the same men who put you through absolute hell. You should have rejected them a long time ago. You should have put a stop to it but you didn’t. Why?"

"Jay?"

"Have you always wanted them?" He snapped so suddenly that I was so stunned, I lost my ability to speak. But ignoring me, he continued; " Have you always wanted me out of the picture?"

"N-no!"

"So tell me why this is happening. Tell me why you all are like this?" He snapped, pointing at our flimsy attires. "Tell me why you’re glowing in that post sex manner... simply because... because I’d been gone for a couple of seconds?!"

"Hey man, you don’t get to talk to her like that!" Caelum snapped, sounding so gruff, I could swear that I’ve never heard him sound that way before. "Just fucking hear her out!"

Wait... wait, did Caelum just say that?

What kind of drugs are these men on these days?

However, before I could come up with an answer to that question, Jarek rose to his feet with so much force, and so suddenly that I crashed to the floor.

"I should... I should hear her out?!" He snapped, but then as if suddenly realizing that I was still there, he dropped his gaze to meet mine and snarled; "Of course, I want to hear her out! I want to know what this madness is all about! But I cannot stand the three of you here so do me a favor and get the hell out!"

"Jarek!" I yelled, and at the sound of my voice, his eyes came to search my face for a couple of seconds. Something akin to betrayal fleeted across his face before he finally shrugged in a ’this doesn’t matter’ kind of way, and seethed;

"You would even protect them now,"

Those words, so softly said, shattered my heart into a million more pieces. Teas slipped down my face before I could stop them and I shook my head;

"Stop."

"Stop what?"

"Stop interrogating her like a fucking criminal!" Kael seethed,

"She only bears our mark because that’s the only way to keep her wolf from tearing its way out of her body!" Zevran snarled, "...or would you have preferred coming back to her corpse because her body could no longer handle her wolf?"

The way he shouted made Jarek’s lips clamp shut for a couple of awkward seconds; But then he frowned, pointed to my mates and hissed;

"So why the fuck are you three half naked?!"

I couldn’t help but notice the way he pointed at their shorts like it was vile; "...why is there a bottle of wine on the table like you are celebrating? And why did you all seem so cozy when the door opened for the first time?!"

His words, his hurting words and my raging emotions were all I needed to take a step forward and with all the strength I could muster, I poked him in the chest and hissed; "Because they just marked me last night, you dimwit! And their clothes were wet, I just had to bring it out of the dryer!"

He paused, his eyes widening slightly as he hissed; "Lani..."

"What?"

"So this is what I get? This is what I get after coming all the way from... you know where... only to get no welcome? Instead, you’ll stand against me and by their side?"

"How’s it so hard for you to see that I’m not taking sides! I just want you to see that they’re here to help. They didn’t touch me. They never would’ve. They’re only looking out for me!"

"I would have," Zevran butted in from behind and I paused, absolutely confused by his words.

I frowned. "Huh? What would you have done?"

"I would’ve touched you if I had your permission. So never say never."

"And I would have too."

"Me too."

At their words, Jarek looked like he was about to explode.