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

Kael.

I thought I was mad when I woke up to the scent of Leilani filling the air like some damned incense. I thought that perhaps I was losing it when I heard her soft voice coming from a couple of rooms away, echoing around the house like ghosts of my past that had returned in a bid to tempt me.

My eyes flew open in panic and I threw the blanket off my now sweat soaked body before I swiftly rose from the bed... But like this, wide awake, her voice still tempted me more than it had in my sleep. It still rang in my head as if reminding me of what could be but isn’t.

"What the heck is happening?" I hissed under my breath as I paddled to the bathroom barefooted and sprinkled some cold water on my face.

The shock of having water so cold against my skin jerked me fully awake, but do you know what happened next?

I didn’t stop hearing her voice. If anything, it got louder.

I didn’t stop perceiving her very... goddess, her very mouth watering scent.

Hell, I could even swear that her scent has become a lot more potent now that I am wide awake!

Earlier, I had thought... hoped... that it was just my mind playing tricks at me. That it may have been some kind of sexual dream, you know, or a sneak peek into one of my deepest fantasies; But like this, with me wide awake, it now meant one of two things. Which were:

One: that she was somewhere in this house, taunting me with her sweet voice.

And two: that I had finally lost my sanity.

Leaning towards the second option, I threw on a sweatshirt and stepped out of my room, my heart hammering wildly in my chest because... I could still hear her. Still feel her.

Goddess, what the Hell?

I slowly made my way downstairs and the scene I was met with almost immediately brought me to my knees. The breath in my lungs was knocked out of me at once and I gasped, feeling as though I was about to pass out from shock.

Why?

Because Leilani was indeed right in front of me!

She was indeed here, sitting on the red couch which Caelum had impulsively gotten from Temu one night when he was drunk, with a cookie tray resting on her thighs. Her striking purple eyes were glued to the TV which was showing a rom-com, but as soon as she sensed my presence, she turned to me, smiled slightly and muttered;

"Alpha Kael."

’Alpha Kael’ like the only relationship we shared was an Alpha- subject relationship.

’Alpha Kael’ like she hadn’t just singlehandedly lit my soul ablaze by simply just existing.

My eyes raked her body in disbelief and when I realized that the gray large top she wore like a dress was actually Caelum’s, my eyebrow shot into my hairline and suspicion crawled into my heart as I whispered softly; "Are you real?"

And at the sound of my voice, she set the cookie tray onto the table and rose slowly, her eyes never leaving mine even for a moment as she stumbled closer in slow calculated steps.

She didn’t need to touch me. In fact, she didn’t touch me for me to feel the warmth emanating from her skin. I didn’t even need to poke her to know that this was indeed her.

I mean, I could feel it.

I could feel the way my wolf was jumping around in excitement. I could sense the slight buzz existing somewhere underneath my skin, vibrating through my veins, merely at the sight of her.

My eyes widened in surprise and I took a subconscious step back, sighing in relief as I hissed; "You’re alive. You’re safe. You seem good."

"That I am," she drawled in that tone that always manages to steal my breath away. "I was kidnapped."

And this was the part where I should’ve asked ’by who?’ This was the part where I should’ve tried to ask her some questions regarding the fire and her disappearance shortly afterwards; But for some reason, I couldn’t bring my mouth to form the right words. I couldn’t bring my brain to function properly and hell, even breathing around her felt like a very tough sport.

Again, my eyes raked her body, a little more slowly this time, and unlike a few seconds ago when I’d just first seen her in Caleum’s cloth, I became slightly jealous.

Not slightly jealous but really jealous.

I hissed; "Caleum found you?"

"No, she found us." Someone answered from behind me and I didn’t even need to turn around to know that it was him. Him who had been fast enough to find her first. Him who now for some reason was holding a plate of creamy pasta and some grilled chicken dipped in sweet sauce.

He was dressed in a crisp white shirt and light brown pants. And guess what?

Heck, guess!

He had a black apron over his clothes! A stained apron signifying that he had just cooked!

My eyes were as round as saucers when he dumped the plate of food on the table in front of Leilani and ruffling her hair slightly with his hand, he drawled softly;

"You should eat up, Lani. I had to bring your food here so that you can continue to watch tv while you eat."

I froze.

Why?

Because there was no way in hell that I could believe what was happening right in front of me.

No way in hell that I would believe that this was not an alternate universe where Caelum had just prepared Leilani’s dinner and was ruffling her hair like they were friends.

Besides all of that, do you know what I found even more surprising?

The fact that she had allowed him!

The fact that she simply smiled when he touched her hair, looked down at the plate of— I won’t lie, it was very good looking— food, and smiled; "Your cooking has improved."

Wait, what?

"I have been practicing in secret." Caelum answered with the pride of a seven year old who had just built a kite for the first time, "...for you."

I blanched.

And blanched again when a soft blush crept up her face. "Thank you for the food." She said,

But now, he didn’t answer right away. Instead, he turned to me, smiled and drawled; "Please, she has nowhere to go for now and would like to stay with us for a couple of days. Is that okay?

What does he mean by: ’Is that okay?’

Hell, I mean— Is there any universe where that wouldn’t be okay?

I swallowed thickly as I turned to cast him a glare, but then smiling at Leilani, I muttered; "Yes, but on one condition."

I had half expected her to frown. I had half expected this whole charade to come to an end as soon as I said those words. But to my utter surprise, it didn’t. Instead, she lifted her chin in order to meet my gaze squarely, and then she asked;

"What is the condition?"

I was the one dishing out conditions, yet I was still the one who was currently a nervous wreck.

I swallowed again and looked away, my voice slightly less confident as I said slowly; "You would have to tell me everything."

She frowned. "Everything?"

"Yes,"

"What do you mean by everything?"

"I want to know where you have been these past few days. I want to know what happened before and after the fire... and I want to know who kidnapped you."

She gulped. "Okay."

But that wasn’t all. It couldn’t be all at all!

I waved my hands in front of her face and pointed to Caelum who was standing to the side like a damned bodyguard. "Also, I want to know what happened between you and Caelum, and why you both now seem like very good friends."

And at that, they both began to chuckle, shocking me even more than I am already shocked.

"And you should start talking now!"