Leilani.
"We all know you wouldn't call security on us…" Caelum trailed off, coming to stand so close to me, his deep musky cologne filled my nostrils.
The scent made me nostalgic, but that wasn't all. It also made me feel disgusted in a way, because it was the same scent he had on him that day four years ago…
That day I had been branded a whore.
I shuddered. "Stay back."
"You actually like the attention, don't you?" he continued darkly, trailing his fingers over my exposed arm, and causing goosebumps to spread over my skin.
My eyes darted to Zevran's to catch him watching our exchange with a mixture of confusion and worry on his face, but he made no move to help. He didn't even move nor speak.
—Not like I was surprised.
He's always had the bystander effect.
My knees buckled suddenly but Caelum quickly caught me, and if I didn't know better, I would've thought that that gesture was born out of kindness… or empathy. But it was none of those.
He flashed me a triumphant grin, his eyes cold as he spat; "Just like now… you like that I am holding you. You like that your body is this close to mine. You liked it when I kissed you four years ago, didn't you?"
Heat seared in the places our skin touched but I didn't feel pleasure like I normally would. I recoiled, shuddering as my eyes met his steely gaze.
"Caelum…" Zevran growled in warning, but ignoring his brother, he continued;
"You act like you're some saint high up in the moral compass, but you're rotten to the core. You're a bitch, just like everyone says you are, Leilani…"
Tears burned at the corners of my eye at his words, but I blinked them back, refusing to let them drop for someone as stupid as Caelum… or for anyone from my past at all. "Stop!"
Enraged, I balled my hands into tight fists, swallowing up whatever was left of my dignity before I slowly but steadily pushed away from him and stood straight.
There was ice in my blood, and a ton of it on my tongue when I spat; "Get out."
But instead of leaving, Caelum only smirked. Zevran looked uncomfortable as hell but didn't do anything besides stare. I sighed, turned away from them and picked up the telephone.
"I'll call securit—"
But before the words could leave my mouth, Caelum snatched the cold metal from my stiff fingers. He leaned close… so close his breath tickled my face in a way I found disgusting. So close I could feel the warmth seeping from his clothes into mine. So close that I could clearly see the small freckles scattered across his nose.
And I wanted to fucking pluck them one after the fucking other— without anesthesia.
I gulped when he tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear, but then my confusion soon morphed into rage when his smirk returned. "Do you see your face?" He seethed, making me blink in shock. "You think… wait, you wanted me to really touch you?"
"Get out, Caelum!"
"You leaned into my touch…!" He scoffed, turning to look at his brother who immediately shook his head at him. "You wanted it! Guess you're a whore after all!"
"CAELUM!" Zevran growled.
"Guess everyone's right about you! I only wonder why Chalice always tries to see the good in you… not like I can blame her. You almost had me deceived; but now, after seeing how you've been sleeping with the Alpha of Frostclaw despite knowing that you're still bound to us, I should've really not given you that much of a consider—!"
I lost it right then and there. For a moment, the world went black. Sounds dissolved into white noise in the background. My rage overcame me. And when next I came through, I realized that my left palm stung.
It was red, sore… but on the bright side, its imprint was right on Caelum's face like a stamp.
He looked like he was about to implode; And I realized to my relief that that finally taught him how to shut up.
"Get out…!" I seethed coldly. Darkly. My voice broke in rage and frustration. And when he still wouldn't move away, probably due to the shock of me hitting him, I stormed out of the office, cussing under my breath as I made my way out.
However, I had just slipped into the closest elevator when a familiar scent hit my nostrils.
My tear-streaked face glanced up, and my heart instantly warmed when I came face to face with familiar deep dark eyes.
I sighed. "Jay,"
"What is it, Sweetcakes? Why do you look so… distraught?"
I contemplated telling him about my run in with the Stormborn brothers, but deciding to ignore that… for now, I looked up at him and whispered; "Aren't you supposed to be in Georgia?"
Jarek shrugged like he couldn't bother about that. His gaze didn't even falter as he muttered; "What happened to you?"
"What happened to Georgia?"
"I had a bad feeling at the airport. I turned back and headed here. So tell me, Sweetcakes, what happened to you?"
Gosh, I didn't want to tell him. I didn't want him always coming to fight my wars. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, but before him, I could let them fall. I shook my head. "It's nothing."
Jarek immediately pressed a button on the elevator, forcing it back open as he turned to me in rage. "You're flushed. You can't look me in the eyes. There's something… and you're lying to me. Who touched you?"
His voice… his rage… his obvious care made me sob harder; and at first, I tried to sidestep his question— I really tried to— but when I noticed that he wouldn't back down, I leaned against him and told him everything.
My breath hitched in my chest when he brushed his thumb over my bottom lip, his gaze soft and genuine as he traced whatever it was over my lips, then my face… my neck, as if wiping off invisible tears. I swallowed thickly.
"I'll make them pay." He said so randomly, and so out-of-the-blue-ish-ly, one would think he was talking about the weather.
But I knew that he was mad—beyond mad even.
Then without a backward glance, he began to head toward my office. However, we had not gotten far when we saw Caelum and Zevran slipping out of my office looking as though the devil was hot on their tails.
Their faces flushed when they saw Jarek and I approaching.
Zevran pulled out his hand for a handshake; "Alpha Frostclaw—" but Jarek ignored him, turning to Caelum who forced out a smile.
"I was told you went on a trip. Seems like the bitch was also lying about that as we—"
*BAM!*
A loud cracking sound filled the air. It took me a moment to understand what was going on and when I saw Caelum clutching his now bleeding nose, cursing under his breath as he glared at Jarek and I, I finally smiled.
Jarek had struck him. Punched him Hard across the face. Hard enough to break his nose. Hard enough to make him bleed.
And hard enough to show him his place around me.
I smiled again.