Zeus came to my side. His hands tucks under my arms and lifts me up. I stumble slightly, but I got my footing. My father came and pulled me away from Zeus into his arms, "Is this what my daughter has to go through by being here!?"
I pushed away and said, "Dad-"
"NO!" He shouts, "I am not letting you stay here with him anymore. You are coming home right now!"
"You are her father," Zeus says, "And I will respect you for that, but you will not take her away from me. She has a purpose here."
Uncle Xander and Uncle Solomon came and held my father back as he shouted, "You will get her killed! She deserves better than you! Let her go you son of a bitch!"
Zeus's eyes blazed with anger again. Ozai and Sozin appeared and began to hold Zeus back too, "Don't lecture me about getting her killed! She could have died when she fell into that ice! Where were you? Why were you not watching her in a time of war?" Zeus shouts back. My father and my mate began to argue with each other. I sighed. I was tired of this.
"Enough!" I screamed. Both of them fell silent as them and everyone else turned to me, "Has anyone ever asked me what I wanted? What I wanted to do? Do I have no say in this?"
No one answered. I shook my head an walked away. I just wanted to get away.
"Lily!" Zeus yells for me. But I just walk away.
I looked over the crowd and noticed that Ryan wasn't here anymore. I sighed in relief. I was glad he was gone. I didn't want a reminder of my broken heart anywhere. I walked out of the ballroom and I went down the hallway for a little bit, just to have space from the big crowd of people. I didn't want to think.
I looked up at the paintings around the halls. They were beautiful. There were portraits of the Hellhounds and scenery and all. Very well painted and detailed. I heard people approaching and I saw a lovely couple holding their small daughter."
He looked at her like she was everything. She was also heavily pregnant. Looked like she could pop any day. He had his arm round her waist when she groaned, "I want this baby out of me bebé!"
Her mate laughs and gives her a peck on the lips, "I know bebé, I know. We can always try and induce the labour?"
She laughs and smacks his arm playfully.
(I so hope you guys understand this scene because I am OBSESSED with them:)
I wanted something like that one day, but I knew having that with Zeus would be impossible. Might as well forget about it.
I began to hum as I looked at the art when I heard a ruckus come from one of the rooms. I frowned and went to look, making sure everything was okay.
I opened the door to check and my eyes widened as I stood unmoving. Ryan was having sex with one of the freaking females! Who was freaking mated! I stood there with my mouth open.
Ryan froze. He looked down at the girl then back up at me. He shook his head back and forth quickly as he stood up trying to pull his pants up, "No no, Lil, it's not what it looks like!" How can it NOT be what it freaking looks like?! Does he really think he can talk himself out of this?
...Well this night just get's better and better for me doesn't it?
How can it possibly be not what it looks like?! I was already hurt from him before...but this? Really? I didn't want to cry. I hated crying! But I felt my eyes flood with tears, "You love me, huh? You want me to run away with you, huh?"
The girl looked confused and uncomfortable as she sat on the bed trying to readjust her dress.
Ryan took a step forward, "Look, Lil. I do love you! You and I are-"
And that was my tipping point. "Fuck your 'I love you!'" I scream at him, "I loved you! And you went and left me because you couldn't handle me being blind!" I stormed toward him and stood right in front of the disgusting pig, "Then you go off making promises about how you love me and how you want to cherish me and take care of me?!" I wasn't thinking, but a loud smack sound echoed in the room when I realised I slapped him right across his face, "Screw you, Ryan!"
I turned and I ran down the hall. I picked up my dress and I ran with tears falling down my face. I gulped. I was never the self-pity type. But knowing that my ex boyfriend and my mate don't want me...I couldn't help, but assume that maybe something was wrong with me.
I rubbed my eyes and I didn't know where I was going. I smashed into a wall, making me stumble back. Big hands grip my waist and steady me. Am I dreaming or does the wall have arms?
I looked up through my watery eyes and saw Zeus. His brows were in a tight and deep frown as he saw my tears. He looks behind me, at the place where I was running from. He saw Ryan. He looks back at me then back at Ryan again, making the connection.
He clenches his jaw and his lips curl into a snarl. His calm exterior screamed danger as he walked past me and starts to storm to Ryan. I run and grab Zeus's arm, "Zeus don't! Just leave it!"
Zeus pulls my hands off his arm as he continues to march toward the room with eyes that oozed of anger. His nose was flared and his lips began to form into a snarl with every step he took toward Ryan.
I kept trying to pull Zeus away, but he was too strong, "Zeus! Stop!"
He storms into the room and goes straight for Ryan. Ryan's eyes went round as he beheld a very angry hellhound.
Ryan backs up with his hand out, "Hold on, wait a minute, let's just all-"
Zeus didn't even say a word as he grabs Ryan by the throat and slams him against the wall. The girl on the bed screamed in fright.
Zeus gets near Ryan's face and said in a low snarl, "What did you do?"
Ryan's round eyes looked at Zeus and answered in a struggling voice, "It wasn't what it looked like!"
Zeus pulls Ryan forward then slams him back into the wall by his neck, "Bullshit. Why does my mate have tears in her fucking eyes?"
Ryan coughed out, "I d-d-didn't do a-a-anything!"
Now it was my turn to be angry, "Bullshit!" I yell. I swing my arm back and punch him square in the face. His nose instantly pouring down with blood. Zeus let's go of him as his eyes held a bit of shock that I literally just punched the guy in the face.
I winced as I rubbed my knuckles. That actually hurts to punch! The movies make it look so easy! Ryan laid groaning on the ground as he cradled his face. I roll my eyes. Pussy.
Zeus yanks Ryan up and growls, "Leave now before I kill you." Ryan grabs the rest of his clothes and scurried off as quick as he could, not even giving me a second look.
I gulped and muttered, "Asshole," As I left the room.
I marched down the hallway, back to the ball.
"Lily!" Zeus shouted.
But I ignored him. I didn't feel like talking or defending myself right now. I went back to the ball and bumped into Donny. He was smiling until he saw my face.
He holds my shoulders, "Hey...what's wrong?"
I sniff, "Everything is wrong! This whole night is wrong! It's like fate has it out for me!"
Donny wraps his arm around my shoulders and guides me to the corner of the room.
"I'm sure it's not that bad. Zeus only got into that fight because Alpha Jethro was being a dick to you, he did that for you."
I shook my head, "No. He did it for himself." I was exhausted. I was just watching all the people talking to each other about different things of all kinds. I contemplated leaving. I could just go back to the room and sleep.
"I'm just going to go to the bathroom," I told Donny. He nods his head and asked if I wanted him to take me, but I didn't.
I left the crowding ball room and I went up stairs. I skipped Zeus's room and went to my own. I didn't want to be near anything that would remind me of Zeus right now. I loved my room. I felt like I haven't seen it in ages.
I walked out unto the balcony and saw more people looking at the beautiful garden. I frowned because I didn't want people in that garden. The garden was my place, my sanctuary.
I leaned on the rails and looked up at the moon. It was still shining bright as ever. I wish I could escape this place and live up there in the sky. I would much rather be in the company of stars and the moon goddess than people down here.
Out of no where, a hand covers my mouth and an arm wraps tightly around my waist. My eyes wide and I try to fight against it. This strong person drags me inside and kicks the doors shut. He throws me on the bed and steps back. I scramble against the head board and stood there shaking.
Nikolai sits on the chair and snickers, "You should have seen your face. You looked terrified."
I scowled at him, "What're you doing here?"
He placed his hands behind his head casually, "Just checking up on my favourite girl."
I roll my eyes, "Leave!"
He snickers, "You feeling dizzy, yet?"
The word dizziness was something I was very familiar with. I was having random dizzy spells. I never thought to connect it to the bite.
"Oh so you have?" Nikolai enquires, "Yes you should be fully transitioned by the end of the week."
"How do I stop it! Make it stop." I snarled at him.
He closes his eyes and smiles, "I won't be sucking the venom back anytime soon, darling."
I growled and said, "If you're not going to do anything then leave! You're only here to try and intimidate me and let me tell you something...it ain't workin!" It's working. It's working real good.
"Have you forgotten what we agreed on?"
"I didn't agree to anything. You're the one that told me about the ritual and then bit me!" I yelled in disbelief.
He shrugs, "Yeah well, you are roped into this deal whether you like it or not."
I cross my arms over my chest and scoff, "I will not help you steal Zeus's power. He is too smart for you. He'll figure everything out and what if at the end he just kills me and remain a Hellhound forever! He won't let anyone take what's his."
Nikolai smiles, exposing his sharp fangs, "Exactly my darling. He will not let anyone take what's his." He says while staring at me amusingly, "Which means..." He stands up from the chair and slowly walks towards me. I quickly get off the bed and back up, but he keeps walking until he is right in front and I am against the wall.
He grabs my jaw tightly. I whimper as he pulls me forward, but nevertheless, I stare at him with daggers. He leans in and smiles as he stares at my lips, "Which means..." He continues on in a low Russian accent, "He will do everything in his power to keep what is rightfully his." He traces my lower lip with his thumb, but push it away.
"Get away from me!" I shove him away and backs off with a sinister laugh. I snarl at him, "I will never help you. You can go try get his blood all on your own. But then again. He will probably kill you before you could do anything."
Nikolai's sinister smile drops. In a flash he was right in front of me. He grabs my neck and lifts me up against the wall. I grip unto his arm to try and relieve the pressure, but it didn't do anything as he tightens his grip on my airways.
His eyes flash into a bright red as his fangs elongate, "You do the ritual soon...or else I will kill that little family of yours with my army...and then I will come for you," He smirks, "Maybe I should start with that little sister of yours."
I snarl at him and try fight his grip, "You w-w-wouldn't d-d-dare."
He smiles, "Try me, darling."
His grips tightens and I felt my lungs tightening from the burning desperation for air. I felt my eye involuntarily roll to the back of my head as I slowly felt myself fade.
The door bursts open to reveal Zues, Ozai, Sozin and Donny run in.
"Nikoali!" Zeus roars.
The Vampire turns to Zeus and smiled, "Hello, Old Friend." As quick as lightning, he was gone and I was falling to the ground. I fell to the ground at a hard impact. I gasped a load of air back into my sensitive lungs.
I exhaled a violent cough since my throat felt sensitive also. Zeus appears in front of me. He cups my face his eyes were frantic as they searched my body for any wounds, "Lily, are you alright? Are you hurt?"
Donny paces around the room, gripping his hair, "Shit!" He shouts.
Both Ozai and Sozin rush to the balcony and looked around before shutting it tightly as well as pulling the curtains over.
I tried to answer to Zeus, but all I could do was cough. He picks me up like I weighed nothing. He walks past the others guys who were watching helplessly in worry.
Zeus rushes down the corridor to his room. He lays me on the bed where I was surrounded by his scent. I take a deep breath filling my lungs with intoxicating smell. I exhaled and my body sags in relief. I just took deep breathes slowly. Zeus sat next to my lying form and I noticed he was gripping me hand tightly.
"Just breath slowly. I'll get you a water." He leaves for only a minute and came back, placing the glass of water on the bedside table.
He backs away from the bed and began to pace around the room. His bow tie and buttons were undone raggedly.
I slowly sat up and gulped, but winced from the swollen feeling. Zeus was growling and mumbling to himself. His eyes intensely focused.
He was nervous. He snarled as he takes his shirt off and returned to pacing, "I'm wanna kill'em. I want to fucking kill him with my bare hands."
I sat up and asked softly, "Was that the first you've seen him since your wife-"
"Yes," He growls, "He killed her. He fucking killed her. And now he's back to take you." Zeus stops pacing and sat down on a chair he rests his head in his hands. I gulped and looked down at my hands. He was worried. Worried about what could happen now that Nikolai has returned to only steal again from Zeus.
Zeus leans back in his chair and stairs at the floor with no emotion, except one. Hatred. He sighs and closes his eyes, "He took everything from me." Zeus sat there in silence. I didn't know what to say. I was living in my own fear too. If I didn't do what he says he will kill my family and then kill me. I felt this weight on my shoulders. I didn't know what to do.
"She was pregnant, you know." Zeus says in a low and dark voice. He looks at the wall, totally expressionless, "I came home and I saw Lillian dead on the kitchen floor. She was due any day. And I see...my child ripped out of her stomach lying next to her...lifeless body."
Oh my goodness. Lillian was pregnant when Nikolai killed her. His eyes shimmered slightly. Zeus was clenching his jaw as he was fighting back tears. He gulped and said, "The baby was a girl," He waited a couple more seconds before saying, "We were going to name her Everly. I killed a whole village that night. I lost it. I snapped. And I never came back the same."
He stood up and snarled, "I am going to make him suffer. He will not die for a long time. I will make him wish he never touched Lillian...or you, ever again." He sat there fuming while gripping the locket around his neck.
I didn't realise I was crying until I felt my tears fall unto my lap. I didn't exactly like the fact that he was going to build a life with this woman instead of waiting for his mate, but it was still terrible how it all ended. No one deserves that.
He has been through so much pain. So much suffering. And even though he was married before...I felt horrible for his wife. How horrible a death she had. Her child was ripped out of her stomach. I pressed my hand on my own belly and imagined my very own pup, I couldn't even imagine the thought of such a brutal death upon my child.
I wiped my eyes and looked up. Zeus was staring at my hand over my stomach. He stood there staring so intensely.
"Nikolai said that he has an army," I said softly, "He will kill my family if I don't do the ritual soon...and then he will come after me."
I was a little afraid when I saw Zeus. His facial expression can only be described as deadly, "Don't worry, Lily. He will not touch you let alone look at you before I rip his fucking head off his body." Zeus storms to the bathroom and slams it shut. I flinch from the loud sound.
I sat there. Still. I didn't move. My mind delved deep into my thoughts of Zeus. His actions, the way he spoke, the emotion behind it, it confused me. From the start he had made it clear to me what we were. But now I'm not so sure.
He began to tell me things. He began to show what was in the inside. My heart was beating, my skin tingled as if there was a disturbing electricity spiking in the air. I used to feel only hate for him. I compartmentalised my emotions. I set thick lines to shut off certain emotions. But as time went on...the lines blurred and I didn't know what I felt anymore.
I began to feel empathy for him. I felt his pain, his suffering and his disturbed heart. My chest burned from it. I felt everything and I was scared. I wanted to repaint the thick lines again...but I've run out, or maybe...maybe I didn't want to paint thick lines anymore. Maybe I wanted to paint something different. A different picture. A different feeling.
I took a deep breath and exhaled. My eyes drifted around the room. My eyes caught the sight of Zeus's jacket resting on the chair next to the lit fireplace. I went and picked it up. I brought it up to my nose and inhaled. I made sure to prevent my emotions from spiralling whenever he was near, whenever I sensed him. But the lines weren't there anymore, everything inside of me was going out my control. I felt something heavy in the pocket.
I glanced at the bathroom and still heard the shower going. I took what was inside the jacket and laid back on the chair.
It was the small leather book he would always. I gulped as I curiously opened it. My breath hitched. They were drawings. Really good drawings. There was one sketche of roses...forests...hands...eyes. Every page I turned, the sketches only got better. I turned the page again and my breath hitched...it was a drawing...of me. I was frozen with shock. I felt myself automatically sit down on the chair.
It was a drawing of me reading in the garden among the flowers. I turned the page, it was another drawing of me. I was standing on the balcony looking up at the moon. It was drawn from a downward angle. He would have been in the garden below. I kept turning pages and the rest were of me. I recognised that on each page, there were dates on them. I went to see how far the dates go back. At the last few pages I was stunned when I saw drawings of me in high school. Me holding a braille book when I was fifteen. I gasped at the last page. It dated fifteen years ago. It was me as a little girl wearing a fluffy gown, standing in the snow looking at a frozen river.
He was there. Zeus was always there, watching. And I didn't even know it.
I heard movement and my head snaps up. Zeus was standing there, leaning against the bathroom door with nothing but some shorts, staring at me. He didn't come and try to snatch the book away, he didn't even seem mad that I was looking through it.
"You were always there," I said in a breathless shock.
"I stayed away from you for a few months, but it was hard," Zeus kicks off the wall and walks toward where I was until he stops in front of the fire, gazing upon it, "I was walking in the woods when I saw a little girl standing in her fluffy pink robe, gazing upon the snow," Zeus clenches his jaw and said, "Then you fell through the ice. I've never felt such panic in all my years. I pulled you out just as I sensed your Uncle Solomon approaching," His gaze falls upon me as he said, "From then on, I vowed that I would watch over you."
I leaned back in my chair, still in shock, "So you knew about Ryan?"
Zeus rolls his eyes, "Yes."
I couldn't believe ever since that day fifteen years ago, Zeus was there watching over me...almost like a guardian angel as cheesy as that sounds. I stood up from the chair and took a step back, "I thought you had left that night, leaving me to freeze."