Chapter 32: Emotions are our Demons

Her nostrils flared with fury and rage. Of course, I know where to hit Hestia painfully with just uttering a couple of rage.

That’s when I knew I hit the spot on her, and her eyes shone with vulnerability. If I was angry, she was infuriating. Hestia’s grip loosened on me when Zarion cast her a killer look, and I used that chance to get away from her. After all, she was way stronger than I am. On the other hand, Zarion and his brother finally halted. Zarion had seen me crawling on the floor earlier and he went directly to help me. Now, I am clutching his hand, tightening my grip around his.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice dropping with controlled wrath as he glared at Hestia, who went to her beloved Brandon.

Like calls to like indeed.

“Is it true?!” Hestia demanded her fiance in an immensely aggressive manner. Brandon snarled at me, “Bitch.” I heard him whisper the word clearly as he struck a death glare towards my direction. Zarion tightens his hold on my arm and leads the way. “Let’s get out of here and find my father.”

“I’m glad you didn’t let these fuckers led you astray to your purpose in visiting here.”

“Where the freak do you think you’re going?” Brandon shouted and his voice echoed on the expanse. I’m glad he couldn’t block our path or else… “I’ll punch him on the throat and kick his dick.”

“Soon, Cassidy. Soon.” He smiled sweetly, too lethal and far too sweet.

“Brandon!” Hestia shrieked his name with so much trepidation. Brandon turned to his fiancee and softly touched her hand. “Darling, you know that I love you, right?” his voice becomes soothing. So soothing that I could puke. Hestia pushed his hands away, and that...made me beamed. “So it’s true,” she declared while looking at him.

Zarion and I slipped further away in the hallway. His hand rested on my shoulder, often lingering on my back, protecting me from possible danger all the way toward the place of his father. I wonder where he will take me. In the first place, I am not safe here,the earlier encounter with the devil and the demoness proves that. Tugging Zarion’s shirt, I jerked my chin higher. “You should go and talk to your father alone.”

“No,” he said with a voice of finality.

“Zarion—”

“I am not going inside without you.” We stopped in front of a wide and giant oak door. A girl in a maid white uniform opened it and gestured to let us in. Zarion was about to enter, but someone already caught my arms, stopping me from entering the room. “Don’t fucking lay your hands on her!” he growled at the two muscled men who seized me—his stance like an animal protecting his prey from other predators. Zarion’s eyes squinted a little when he saw them, his jaw tensing. The man on my right chuckled without humor, “Hey, man. It’s me. Long time no see!”

“Zack,” Zarion whispered his name and looked taken aback. He recognizes him—probably an old acquaintance. He looked relaxed when he saw the man. When I looked up, I saw a chiseled jaw and a square-faced shape. The man looks like Jacob Black in the Twilight saga film series.

Come to think of it, I just thought back then when I was watching the Twilight series that werewolves are fictional. Now…the only thing fictional is my mating bond to that brute Brandon.

Zarion heaved a deep sigh and nodded. The man who has now a name, Zack, loosened his grip on me. The corner of his mouth turned upwards, and he looked like reassuring me that he was not going to hurt me. A sense of relief swept away my doubts and worries. Zarion looked at me and jerked his chin. “He’s not going to hurt you. Stay, and don’t go far away from me. Understood?”

“Yes.” It was a simple and straightforward answer.

“Good girl,” he breathed before closing the door in front of us.

***

The talk with his father turned bad. As I’ve presumed. Or rather, knew.

I could see from the expression Zarion was wearing that the talk didn’t go well. When he  walked away from the room, he just grabbed me and ignored his old friend, Zack, who happens to expect a talk from him.

I don’t know if I should be glad about that.

“Not now, Zack.” His eyebrows met and I saw his jaw tighten like he was controlling his emotions again. Elliot’s voice echoed in my head. According to Elliot, Zarion needs to control his emotions or his emotions will control him instead. If that happens, it would be a disaster like the ones we’ve witnessed.

His emotions are his demons, and his demons are his emotions.

“Fine, but you have to rethink your decision, Zarion.” Zack tapped his shoulders. “We need you here. Zarion needs you here. And Ruben knows that you’re a better Alpha in Madfur Claws Pack rather than Brandon.” Ruben is Zarion’s father's name. He was quiet all the while Zack was talking—or should I say, ‘convincing’ Zarion to stay. “Listen, if you become the Alpha in this pack, you don’t need to worry about your girlfriend’s safety.” Zack’s gaze darted towards me. “We can keep her safe and sound, and we will gladly accept her. Well, it will be hard to accept her at first but everyone won’t have a choice because they will follow you. You are their Alpha, their King. And so the pack still respects you, Zarion and your Queen.” Zack paused, waving a hand to his surroundings. “You can obviously tell they don’t like Brandon’s leadership here.”

I was taken aback by what Zack said. First, I am not Zarion’s girlfriend. I waited for Zarion to correct him, but he didn’t. A fluttering feeling happened in my stomach.

Should I be happy or not? Zarion didn’t flinch at the label of me being his ‘girlfriend’. My heart sings to the song of joy and, at the same time, sorrow.

Both of us are still waiting for Zarion’s response.

“Come on, man. Talk to me.” Zack whispered and nudged at his old friend, who was walking faster now as we went out of the dark alley where everyone could see us—me, a human being. In a werewolf pack. All of them gasped but didn’t do anything to me. Delilah Ferguson stilled at my face, sad eyes shimmering. It looks like she wants to go near me but decided not to; to save her face.

“Thanks for accommodating my girlfriend while I was talking to my dick of a father, Zack.” He inhaled deeply before releasing a shuddering breath. “We have to go.”

“Hey—please!” Zack stopped walking when Zarion ignored him. “Sorry,” I whispered to the man before Zarion.

And then we trekked back to Elliot’s cabin.

***

It was dusk when we knocked three times in the healer’s abode.

“Welcome back.” Elliot greeted with wide open arms. “I hope you didn’t throw tantrums about your hell of a shitty house or whatever it’s called. I made something—tea to be precise—for you to drink when you feel the emotions eating you whole.” When Zarion did not respond, he strode towards me. Both of our eyes focused on Zarion’s back, who was knocked down to sleep. Well, I can relate to his tiredness after all.

“Hey, what’s happened to him?” Elliot nudged me by the shoulder, pointing at Zarion who made the couch as his bed.

Both of his hands grasp his hair. Pulling it out and resting them both on his lap, I knew at that moment that he was about to explode. He is on the verge of rage, he already reached the mountain of madness at its summit.

I turned my attention to Elliot and let worry shroud my expression. “Please bring the tea you were talking about. I think he had a fight with his father.”

And boy how right I am.