Fated To Three, Betrayed By All… Until She Rose.

Kael.

By the time I arrived at the dinner table, mother, Zevran and Caelum were already waiting with a large feast spread out before them.

My eyes immediately snagged on mother’s smiling face and as soon as that happened, a feeling akin to dread enveloped me. I drawled; "Mother," but she simply smiled, gesturing to me to join in.

Just then, Chalice emerged from the kitchen draped in a simple pink silk dress exposing lots of cleavage. Her left arm was wrapped in gauze and she still had a limp in her walk. However, besides that, she looked fine— fine enough that her face was covered in layers of make up.

She beamed at me. "Babe!"

But I didn’t respond immediately. I glanced at her and then back at Caelum who looked so enthralled by her presence. Zevran, as usual, seemed unbothered, so I smiled. "Chalice."

After greeting mother and planting kisses on Zevran’s and Caelum’s faces, she then came to sit beside me but for some reason, as soon as her sugary vanilla scant drifted into my nostrils, I immediately lost my appetite.

She squealed; "Kael, I missed you!" whilst planting a kiss on my cheek, but I couldn’t help but wonder why she still hasn’t said a word to me yet.

Not now. I meant a word about that day.

That day she’d caught me masturbating with Leilani’s name on my lips.

Was that why she’d gone to Leilani’s house two days ago? Was it why she’d gotten into this accident in the first place?

But she swears she never met Leilani at home and that what happened to her was purely an accident.

However, I couldn’t help but think that she may have lied about that... or was this just me letting Leilani’s words get to me?

I was however snapped out of my train of thoughts when maidservants began serving us our foods. They had just finished and stepped back when Chalice turned to me with a bright smile.

She muttered; "Could you help me please?"

I frowned. "Help with what?"

"My food." She answered coyly. "As you can see, my left arm is as good as useless at the moment, and that makes eating difficult."

And as soon as she said that, my mother and brothers turned to us. But Caelum seemed the most concerned. He drawled; "Let me help you, baby."

She shook her head. "I want Kael to do it."

Usually, being chosen by Chalice would’ve made me very pleased. I would’ve been grinning from ear to ear, glad that she was taking so much interest in me. But for some reason, I felt none of those.

Instead, I was uncomfortable and frustrated. I gritted my teeth and spat; "Or you could just use a fork. Your right hand is fine. I could help you slice your steak and you’ll do the rest yourself."

Chalice’s face fell when she heard me say that. She lowered her lashes just as tears filled her expressive blue eyes, and muttered; "Do you not want to help me?"

I frowned. "But I just said I’ll help slice your steak!"

"It’s not the same as feeding me. I feel unwell and that’s the least you can do for me!" She cried, but now, I was beyond frustrated.

My nostrils flared. My hand on my lap balled into a tight fist. I usually do not hit women but for the first time in my life, I contemplated hitting Chalice. I squeezed my eyes shut, counted one to ten in my head and opened my eyes.

But just as I was about to say something cutting, mother drawled;

"When are you guys getting married?"

"Not now." I snapped so fast, everyone turned to look at me. And it wasn’t until then that I realized what I’d just done.

Chalice’s face crumpled even more.

Mother, on the other hand, who looked like she was experiencing some kind of real life soap opera, cocked her head to the side. She asked softly; "Last I heard, you all had decided on a very close date. So tell me, what happened?"

But I didn’t respond. I did not want to. I couldn’t bring myself to because deep down I knew... I don’t know when it happened... but deep down I knew I no longer wished to be married to Chalice.

—At least not now.

"Your father and I want to fully step down from everything. His health is failing. I am tired myself... and I thought... I expected that you three would be ready to take up all responsibilities by now."

"We already take care of the pack and the company," Now, it was Zevran who spoke, and as soon as he did, mother’s gaze softened. He continued; "I know that the businesses overseas are still being managed by you and Father, but we can manage it, whether married or not."

I felt the burning sensation from Chalice’s eyes drilling holes into the side of my face but I never for once turned to look at her, and neither did Zevran.

I drawled; "Yes mother, we can handle it."

"I know you can." She answered coldly, setting down her fork on the table. "But right now, it’s not a matter of if you three can handle it or not. It is written in your father’s will that you have no right to his companies abroad or his offshore accounts until you’re married. And that will not be changed, even in his death."

"But mother—"

"If you three do not abide by that rule, just know now that you’ll lose everything in your father’s name. At least the things you don’t control yet. And you’ll lose it to your power drunk cousin, Micah." She said, causing us to freeze.

My fork clattered into my plate before I could stop it, and an unsettling silence descended upon us all.

Slowly, I turned to my brothers to find them already staring at me, and instinctively, I turned to Chalice who obviously was clueless about what was happening, but looked mad that Zevran and I had been willing to hold off on the wedding.

I drawled; "Is that the only way?"

But mom didn’t answer right away. When she even finally spoke, she didn’t directly answer my question. Instead she seethed; "Why do you three think I’m here?"

"Because you missed us?" Caelum answered, earning himself an eye roll.

"Because your father is gravely ill!" She snorted in annoyance. "Because I fear he may not survive it this time, and I cannot sit back and watch you three throw away your inheritance!"

Again, my eyes snapped to Chalice, but this time mother noticed this. She turned to Chalice then, her eyes gleaming with something I could barely recognize as she muttered; "Chalice love, could you excuse us for a moment?"

I frowned. In fact, Caelum and Zevran did too.

Chalice, on the other hand, looked like a toddler whose toy had just been snatched from her. She begrudgingly rose to her feet, bowed at mom and stepped out with her head held high, her hips swaying majestically as she walked away.

I watched her leave for a moment too long, and after she’d finally disappeared through a door, I turned to mother.

"What is happening?"

She smiled instead, whilst her eyes darted between us three. For the first time in a while, Mother didn’t look at us like we were her precious children, she looked at us like we were her subjects. Like we were people in dire need of advice.

She drawled; "I don’t know when this happened but now it seems like you three are no longer willing to wed Ms Chalice Blackthorne."

"I am willing!" Someone cried and I didn’t even need to check to know that it was Caelum. I ignored him whilst staring pointedly at mom to know where this was headed.

"She is your betrothed," she continued, "...even though she’s not your fated mate. And I wouldn’t, for any reason, tolerate it if you three decide to bring shame to this family by calling off an almost half a decade-long agreement with her family."

"But mother—" I began to say but stopped when she pinned me with a hard glare.

"You had your eyes open when you picked her over her sister who coincidentally is your mate. You had your eyes open when you were parading her around the pack as your woman, and you certainly did when you got her pregnant. In our world, she’s now seen as your Luna, so get yourselves together and complete the process!" She yelled, and with that rose to her feet.

However, she had just turned to leave when she suddenly stopped and asked; "Have you rejected Leilani yet?"

Silence.

We all didn’t respond because we all knew the answer to that question, but mother being wise, instantly knew what our silence meant.

Her face fell.

"That poor girl." She cried, "You three are beasts, you know? Filthy beasts! And you deserve her sister for being so cruel!" She snorted, and with that, stormed out of the house, leaving me wondering what she meant by her last statement.

What she meant by; we deserved Chalice.

My heart raced as I watched her leave, and when I turned to my brothers, I noticed the dark looks on their faces.

Especially Zevran.

My heart plummeted.