Ezra's P.O.V
The truth of my statement was undeniable, a reflection of the choices that had brought us to this moment.
Zoya's pain on the night of our mating had been a testament to the betrayal she had felt from Silas's decision to mate with another woman, even though he claimed that his heart belonged to her.
Silas's glare bore into me, and I could feel its intensity even though I did not avert my eyes from the road.
"She was my mate," he hissed, the words laden with the weight of his unspoken feelings.
"I know that," I said firmly, my fingers tightened around the steering wheel. "But she is my mate, too. I didn't force Zoya into this. She chose to be with me….just like you chose to be with Anika."
Zoya's decision to be with me had been driven by her own heart, a choice she had made in the midst of pain and the uncertainty of being left behind by someone she thought she could trust
And yet, our connection was undeniable, a bond that couldn't be easily dismissed.
I could swear that on the Moon goddess.
Silas's anger didn't waver, but a flicker of something else — regret, perhaps — crossed his gaze.
In the midst of our heated exchange, I couldn't help but recall the night when Zoya had felt the heat of her mating, and I had been there to offer her comfort.
"When she was in pain due to your treachery, I had been there with her," I said. "She was in so much suffering. I wanted to help ease her pain the only way I knew how."
"That doesn't mean you had to fuck her, you asshole." Silas's anger reverberated in the air, his words sharp and laced with resentment.
The tension between us crackled like electricity, each of us standing our ground as our emotions swirled around us.
"Why Silas? Because you wanted to come back to fuck my mate after you were done with Anika?" I shot back, my own frustration bubbling to the surface. "I slept with Zoya to ease her pain, the pain that you were causing her when you were fucking another woman! You made your fucking choice!"
My words hung between us, another charged silence settling over the space. I could sense that he was affected by what I said.
Silas's anger seemed to falter, his glare giving way to a more conflicted expression.
It was as if my words had pierced through his defenses, unveiling the raw truth that lay beneath his anger.
It serves him right. He should know what he put Zoya through.
Did he seriously expect her to still be okay after he took someone else that wasn’t his mate to bed? Even by his standards, that was seriously fucked up.
And the fact that he continued to be with Anika while still wanting to torment Zoya…what was he even planning?
We were bound by our connection to Zoya, our emotions tangled in a web of hurt, longing, and shared concern.
Moon goddess, I promise I am devoted to you. But why must you be so cruel? Why must I stand by and let another man hurt my mate over and over again?
The silence in the car was palpable, a heavy weight that settled between us, suffocating any attempt at conversation.
My grip on the steering wheel tightened to the point where my knuckles turned white, and I kept my gaze fixed on the road ahead, the lines of the highway stretching endlessly into the distance.
I did not mean to, but whenever I occasionally glanced at the side view mirror, I would see Silas and the tense set of his jaw, the clenched fists at his sides.
He stared out of the window, lost in his own thoughts, a storm of emotions that he had yet to voice.
I urged the car to go faster.
Not only did I want to escape this intolerable pressure, but I also wanted to get to Zoya as soon as possible.
Finally, the grandeur of the Sapphire Mountains came into full view, their peaks lost in the clouds, a serene and untamed beauty that seemed to stretch into eternity.
As we entered the territory of our pack, the tension in the car remained, a thick, almost tangible, force that lingered between us even as we neared our destination.
And soon, we arrived at the place where the pull of our mating bond grew stronger.
My heart quickened in response, anticipation and worry churning within me as I slowly realized where we were.
What the… hell…?
The familiar sight of mine and Lily's old house came into view, the memories of our time there rushing back like a tidal wave.
What was Zoya even doing here? How did she even find out about this place?
The car slowed to a stop as I put pressure on the breaks. The engine's purr died down, leaving only the soft rustling of leaves and the distant call of birds.
Without much time to think too much about it, Silas and I burst through the doors of the house, our eyes scanning the space for any sign of Zoya.
The room was bathed in a soft, eerie light, casting long shadows that danced across the walls.
And there, at the center of it all, was Anika, standing over an unconscious Zoya.