Kiara dallied around the living room until Gabe came. He brought her a small, plastic container of strawberries and that same old boring look on his face. It was his usual look, but since she saw that he could smile last night, she wish he’d do it more often. “You slept well last night, right? You didn’t move an inch when I was leaving...you were probably deep in sleep. Me on the other hand...” he glared at her. “I couldn’t sleep a wink for the first time in my life!”“Why? Because of me?”“No, because of me.” The words were obviously sarcastic, it was indeed because of her. “I was a little worried about you, I didn’t want to leave, but I didn’t want Zique to actually throw me out either, so I left willingly.”“I understand...” she reached for a strawberry from the container they were neatly packed in, bringing it to her lips. “You don’t have to worry about me, I’m fine.”“If you looked fine, then I’d have nothing to worry about...but you don’t look fine Kiara. If you want to go out,
Zique was utterly flabbergasted. What did he mean by that? The words weren’t properly processing. Kiara was pregnant? The doctor…? The doctor lied? Then was everything he did really for nothing? He had put Kiara through all that pain even though she was already carrying his child and he had called her useless, degraded her, pretended not to love her all for a cause that had already been fulfilled… F*ck! What was this? Another punishment from the goddess? He had locked up a pregnant woman and one that was carrying his child, he had sinned, greatly; sinned against both his mate and child. Kara hated him already, when she found out about this, she would hate him even more, after all he had named her something she was not… Infertile…He had called her infertile, told that she could do nothing for him if she couldn’t give him a child and…and… Zique bit his lips, an anxious feeling running right through him. How would she react when he told her? Would she cry again? Would she even want
The morning turned into afternoon, the evening into night and Zique still didn’t come back. Kiara wasn’t worried, she wasn’t, she wasn’t, she wasn…or perhaps that’s what she kept telling herself. Her mind wouldn’t stop running right back to him, he slept on the floor for her last night and yet disappeared right after…why? Had he given up? So easily? She didn’t know the reason behind the bad feeling that had weighed down on her since he left or the knots in her stomach either. Something wasn’t right, something wasn’t right with him. Turning to Damion and Gabe who sat beside each watching TV, she sighed. “Is Zique okay?” Gabe turned to stare at her, his eyes almost seeming dead. “Do you even have a reason to care?” Kiara shook her head. “But something doesn’t feel right, I feel a little anxious…I feel like something’s wrong.” “Then I suppose I should go look for him. He left in anger and Zique has always been known to f*ck up every time he gets angry.” He stood up from his seat. “
Kiara didn’t sleep even when she was dying to, instead she waited out on the porch alongside Damion until Gabe staggered through the gate hauling Zique behind him. “F*cking hell, Zique! At least try to walk.” Both Kiara and Damion got up, rushing over to them. “I can smell the alcohol from here…Jesus Christ Zique!” Damion grabbed Zique’s arm, helping Gabe on their journey inside. Kiara crept behind them like a mouse in the night, her hand gripping tight to her chest when for the very first time in her life Zique’s scent made her stomach turn. There was something about the alcohol that tainted it, it made her head hurt and her mouth water in an unpleasant way, it made he… “Let go!” Kiara’s eyes flashed over to Zique as he pulled away from Gabe and Damion’s clutches, staggering over to her. He didn’t look like himself, his eyes were barely open, his shoulders saggy and his steps weren’t as confident as they once were. “Kiara my princess…” Kiara stiffened when he grabbed her face. “Z
Zique rubbed his eyes as he got out of bed, totally ignoring the nails hammering in his head, he had drunk a ton last night, more than just five bottles. He had drank until his stress turn into pain and his pain into anger. He was also aware of the stupidness he did right after too. He could’ve been killed if it weren’t for Gabe.Somehow that man has always been the one to stop him from doing sh*t he shouldn’t and yet he was too stubborn to listen to him at times when he should.Walking out of his room, he sighed, heading straight down to where Kiara was. His rut was still bothering him, it had been hard to not just come home and curl on the floor beside Kiara instead of drinking.But three bottles in and he became numb even to the matebond. He had talked to the bartender as though the man was his best friend; told him things he wouldn’t have the pride to if he was sane, and had even begged him for advice.He had been f*cking gone! Even as Gabe dragged him home, he was still trying to
Kiara shrugged. “Probably…” “Yes or no, Kiara.” Kiara glared at him. “I don’t have to answer you, I’m not obligated to.” She walked towards the only exit in the room, gasping when his hands grabbed hers before she could run away. His question puzzled her even though it shouldn’t, did she hate him? She did…or rather she was supposed to, but… Kiara clenched her fist, no buts, she wouldn’t let her stupidity blind her. She hated him and even if she didn’t she’d work her way towards hating him. "Just answer me, please…I want to know.” Kiara nodded her head, her eyes not meeting his. “I do, I hate everything about you. I even hate looking at your face now.” “Really…?” he stepped closer to her and Kiara gagged when that scent from last night ran across her nose. It wasn’t as strong as it was last night, but she could still smell it. “Do you really hate me?” “Can you…” Kiara pushed at his chest, feeling nauseous all over again. “Can you give me some space…? Your scent, the alcohol…it’
Kiara sat nervously at the dining table, staring down at the food in front of her. Zique had suggested she ate first, it had been an unexpected suggestion, but he was probably right. If she didn’t eat now, then she didn’t think she’d be able to when she was done listening to whatever it is that he had to say. Picking up her fork, she dug it into one of the biscuits on her plate, bringing it to her lips. She took a bite out of it, the sweet and yet salty taste coordinating on her tongue. She chewed and swallowed, taking another bite. It was so hard to eat when anticipation was killing her. A part of her wanted to hear what he had to say and another part didn’t. What if it was something bad? Something that really prevented her from forgiving him? Something that would have her letting go of him even quicker. She was scared, but who wouldn’t be? The way he approached her was frightening, his words were too…he said he was scared too, so it had to be something unforgivable. Putting the
Kiara pulled her hand from beneath his, his words were stabbing like nails into her heart, he was unforgivably tempting her, coaxing her, leading her right back to him, and she had to put a stop to this before she eventually caved. “Zique stop this. I already told you…I’m done. You’ve hurt me too much.” She dropped her fork, sighing as she did so. “You left me in that prison Zique, left me for her. Did you think it wouldn’t hurt? I was bullied every day, the guard made it his duty to remind me of the fact that I was abandoned, and he was the one to tell me about your ceremony because you didn’t.” “Kiara I…” “No, I don’t want to hear it, I’ve put up with you for too long. I begged you Zique. I told you that I was sorry when you met me at the entrance of my cell. I had been more worried about you than I was worried about myself. ~‘Was he okay?’ ‘Would he hate me?’~ and yet all you could think of was turning your back on me. You left me Zique, I needed you…if not anybody else, I needed