Fated To Three, And I Broke Them All

Jaguar:

I didn’t know how I ended up sleeping for so long, but I knew it was because I was really upset.

There was no way I could win Verity’s heart.

Then I found out she’d taken a few days off to spend time with her boyfriend, the same abusive man she knew was hungry for her body.

It was really getting to me. I was so bothered that I didn’t eat anything. I just went to bed.

When I woke up, I decided to head outside for a little break. I needed a cigarette.

Morning was about to break when I stepped out.

Tonight had been the biggest eclipse feast, and I’d missed that too.

I just couldn’t bring myself to enjoy it.

Gigi had blown up my phone all night, and I knew she was upset with me. I just couldn’t do it.

Only one thought kept circling my mind, that Verity was alone with that horrible man, and Goddess knew what he might be doing to her.

So many times, I thought about calling her, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

She had gone there of her own free will, and it hurt like hell.

I had one of my warriors call her. She did pick up.

Then I had my warrior ask when she would be back and whether she was okay.

She had coldly told him that she was having the best time of her life.

That was probably around the time she’d arrived at his place.

After that, I couldn’t bring myself to try again.

"Hello, Gigi. I know you’re probably sleeping right now, but I’m really sorry about last night. I wasn’t feeling well," I said into a voice note as I lit a cigarette and looked around outside.

Now that I thought about it, I’d woken up to a strange thud from the back of the guest wing, almost as though a window had slammed shut.

I wasn’t sure. Maybe Grandma had done something.

Or maybe Jenna was awake and had opened the window for some fresh air.

She had been studying a lot lately.

To my surprise, Gigi called almost immediately.

She was awake.

"Wait, what happened to you? Are you— were you okay?" she blurted out the moment I answered.

"It was just a weird headache," I lied, feeling awful for deceiving her.

I began to wonder if I was doing the right thing, putting everything on hold for a woman who didn’t even care about me.

Verity had just up and left to be with her boyfriend while someone else had planned such a beautiful feast, and I’d missed it.

I felt so fucking guilty.

"Oh, you should’ve told me. Now I feel so bad. We were all enjoying the feast while you were in pain."

I heard a slight crack in Gigi’s voice and immediately threw the cigarette down.

She was crying for me.

This was what I was talking about. This was what care looked like.

Not what Verity did.

She didn’t care about me.

"Oh no, it’s okay. I’m fine. I’m completely okay now. It was only in the moment. But hey, you know what I was thinking? I should take you out for lunch. Just you and me. We never get to spend time together."

I uttered.

"I’m getting bitter now," I complained playfully. "I want to steal all of your time."

I chuckled when I heard her laugh on the other end.

"I would like that very much," she replied in a small, sweet voice.

"Thank you so much, Gigi, for always being there for me," I uttered, swallowing as thoughts of Verity crept into my head again.

She was like a virus. Once she got into my head, she wouldn’t let me live in peace.

"I’m always there for you. You know, I didn’t eat much either. Throughout the night, I was thinking about—-"

As Gigi continued talking, making me feel better, something in the distance caught my attention.

Cars suddenly appeared in the driveway.

Two of them belonged to Ragnar and Theodore.

I immediately straightened.

Dawn was breaking, pale light beginning to spread across the earth.

So where the fuck were they coming from?

"Did Theodor and Ragnar spend the night at your place?" I asked in confusion.

"What?" Gigi stopped. "No. I left for home sometime around midnight. Why?"

"No—" I murmured, slowly making my way toward the parking lot.

There weren’t just two cars.

Several warriors’ vehicles had arrived as well, though they continued past us, heading toward the warriors’ main center.

"Ragnar got some urgent message, I think, so he had to leave. I left when he did. Why? Did he not come home?" Gigi questioned, sounding just as bothered and confused as I was.

My questions were answered when Theodor suddenly walked over to Ragnar’s car, opened the back door, and lifted someone into his arms.

I didn’t have to think.

I didn’t have to look twice to recognize her.

The platinum-blonde hair. The glowing skin. Her build.

Her soft, velvety hand hanging limply at her side, her nails painted red.

It was Verity.

All sorts of alarm bells started ringing in my head.

Why was Theodore carrying her?

What had happened at her boyfriend’s place that they’d had to bring her home with so many warriors around?

"Verity," I breathed, not even bothering to hang up the call before rushing toward my brother.

Theodore was briskly carrying Verity inside.

"Theodore, what is going on? Is she okay?" I questioned.

I guessed he could hear the panic in my voice, but he remained surprisingly calm.

Ragnar looked at me, then turned toward Theodore , whose back was to us as he disappeared into the mansion.

"She passed out from fear, but she’s fine," Ragnar replied, his tone almost judgmental.

I didn’t ask him anything else. I went straight inside.

That was when I heard Gigi’s voice coming through the phone.

"Jaguar? Jaguar, are you here?" she called.

I brought the phone back to my ear as I reached the living room.

Theodore was still carrying Verity toward her bedroom, so I continued after him.

"Hey, Gigi, I’ll call you later," I told her before hanging up.