The Forbidden Heiress At The All Male Alpha Academy-Chapter 123: The Price of a Lie

Zeke had stopped fighting. His body had given out from the pain, and all the desperate attempts to push her away had halted.

She managed to clean the blood and help him to bed. He refused to lie down at first with his eyes still burning with that hollow hatred he didn’t have the strength to express anymore.

But then his knees buckled.

Theo caught him again, lowering him gently onto the bed.

She sat beside him and placed his head on her thigh.

From then on, she held perfectly still. She wanted to erase her presence if that would help him fall asleep faster without having to keep thinking about her. She didn’t want him pushing her away again because her heart couldn’t take it.

So she stayed.

One hand hovered just above his hair, desperate to touch him with her fingers shaking with the need to comfort him. But she wouldn’t disrespect him by giving him something he didn’t want.

So she held the air.

And then, she burst into tears again.

She sighed silently, a silent cry that didn’t disturb his sleep. The tears slid down her cheeks one after the other, falling onto her shirt, till it was soaked. Not even a drop touched him.

The night grew even deeper, and the hours blurred slowly. Theo wanted it that way. She didn’t want morning to come, to have to face his haunted eyes again, to have him force her to leave. She just wanted to keep crying like this, drown in the misery she had brought into herself and him, but still have him here with her.

But as slow as the night moved, it still eventually surrendered to the first hints of dawn.

But she didn’t move. And she prayed he wouldn’t, either. She prayed he would keep on sleeping for a very long time.

The golden rays of the morning sun filtered through the curtains and touched his cheeks, and he was beginning to stir softly.

Her heart ached.

’Don’t wake up’ she thought to herself.

But he kept stirring and he was up before the next thirty minutes. The moment he opened his eyes, their gazes met.

Theo held her breath.

For half a second, soft confusion flashed in his eyes.

The kind of softness she’d missed, the one he had before she had lied and left the house the previous morning.

And then he remembered.

Everything.

His face closed, and it hardened into stone.

He quickly pushed himself up, as if touching her was repulsive. His back faced her as he walked up to the door and opened it, "Stand up,"

Her heart cracked, but she did.

His back remained turned to her, "It’s morning, get out of my house,"

Then, he walked out of the room.

She followed him quietly, a bigger lump growing in her throat, "Zeke—"

"You’re leaving," His tone was empty.

Completely empty.

Not even anger. Not even hate. Just... nothing. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Theo nodded weakly and stepped toward the door.

She reached the handle, and her fingers softly brushed over it. Was she really about to just...walk away from him?

No!

She turned around, crossed the space between them in three steps, and suddenly wrapped her arms around him from behind.

Zeke instantly stiffened from her touch.

She pressed her cheek against his back, holding him so tightly that her fingers dug into the fabric of his shirt, as if she could anchor herself to him one last time.

"LET GO!"

She buried her face into his shoulder blade, shaking from everything, "No,"

His breath shuddered, "I said... let go." His voice was quieter this time. He sounded less certain of himself and was also trembling.

She could feel it, and that made her squeeze him tighter, "I’m sorry," she whispered into his back, "I’m so sorry,"

His hands curled into fists, and he inhaled a shaky breath like he was fighting something inside of him, "Please," he murmured, his voice breaking at the edges, "Please. Let go,"

It was the ’please’ that shattered her.

Very, very slowly, she released him. Her hands slipped down his arms reluctantly, still trying to clutch every part of him she touched, until they fell away completely.

He didn’t turn around. He still refused to look at her.

Theo wiped her face with her sleeve and stepped back. Her voice was shaking, and she stuttered while holding back more tears, "I’m not giving up on you," she whispered, "Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever. I’m really sorry for breaking your heart, and for breaking your trust,"

Then, she turned around and walked up to the door again.

The morning light spilt over her like a final goodbye as she opened it, and she looked down at the porch. No matter what, she was going to return to him every day. Whether he remained here, or he returns to Gravemont.

She was going to choose him every day.

With that, Theo walked away.

Her shoulders sagged as she walked into the forest again. She didn’t want to return here and risk running into Sylas, but she had left her backpack somewhere around here. The stuffed animals Zeke had spent hours just to catch for her were inside.

When she heard the sound of footsteps crunching down on dried leaves, she didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.

He walked up to her in silence and put the bag over her shoulders.

She didn’t turn to look at him. She just stood there, like someone who had given up.

"Thanks," Her voice was very hoarse.

"Venom--"

"I want to be alone," She cut him off, and continued softly, "You don’t deserve this. You are my mate, and we are bound to be together, and you want to be with me, and likewise for me, but right now--" She cracked, another tear falling, "I would really appreciate it if you don’t stalk me anymore. If you just...left me alone. Just go, please,"

He didn’t say anything. She didn’t even hear him breathe. She didn’t know if her words hurt him or not. She didn’t even hear him walking on the dried leaves anymore.

All she knew was that his presence suddenly disappeared and carried the cold along with him.

And then, she let herself fall to the ground. She let herself sob again, harder than the last time.

Everything hurt.

Her head. Her limbs. Everything.

So she lay there, alone, overwhelmed by the consequences of her mistake. Of her own doing.