Zoya’s P.O.V
"Ezra… why aren't you going after Silas?”
Shouldn’t that be his top priority right now? Going after Silas and trying to find out the truth?
But even as I asked him that question, and even though Ezra had been quick to forgive me, I couldn’t help the guilt that rose in my heart, making me want to break eye contact with him.
I should’ve called him last night. I should’ve called him and told him about Silas the second I had found out. But I had been selfish and I had become volatile, unable to accept the truth that was right in front of my eyes. And in the end…Silas had managed to escape.
Ezra's gaze met mine, his expression holding a blend of conviction and tenderness. His voice, a soothing balm in the midst of my tumultuous thoughts, even though they still made me feel guilty.
"Zoya,” he held onto my hand tighter. “Silas is already out of the pack territory. My men have been diligently guarding the perimeter, and there have been no signs of him. So if my calculation is correct, then he had left the pack territory last night itself. So going after him is pointless unless we know his destination, which we don’t. So, at this moment, treating you is my utmost priority."
Unconsciously, a shiver coursed through my body, a flicker of realization lighting up the depths of my heart.
No one has ever spoken to me — about me — like that before. Memories of a lifetime filled with neglect and indifference cascaded through my thoughts. I didn’t even remember the last time I had been someone’s priority. I had never been the priority for my parents…or for Ravi.
To my parents, I was merely a nuisance to be married off, a transaction to be completed. They had wanted me gone as soon as my basic education had been completed. And the fact that even at my most desperate times, my mother had only called to pile all the blame on me, told me about what my place was in her life very clearly. A burden.
My so-called fiancé had never considered me a priority, his absence in my life a constant reminder of my diminished worth. He had never showed up to any of my special events and had even forgotten my birthday and the only time he ever acknowledged it was when he replied with a half-hearted apology text after a week or so.
My cousin, Tania, the woman I had grown up since both of our families shifted to New York at the same time. She had been my playmate, my school mate and my best friend since my childhood and I had loved her dearly, enough to trust her with my fiancé when they were alone in the apartment. But I had never once imagined that she would be the one to steal away everything I had and not even apologize for it.
Even the people at the hospital that I had called my friends had snuck up to me because of my good grades and my abilities as a doctor. In the end, they had watched from the shadows and laughed when they found out that Ravi and Tania were hooking up behind my back. Instead of notifying me, they had played the game of ‘when will naïve Zoya realize the truth’.
And now, here stood Ezra, his unwavering presence before me, asserting that I was his priority, his responsibility. Even thought his brother had not only been able to hide in plain sight, but also escape his territory because of me…
My heart almost skipped a beat.
A surge of emotions welled within me, threatening to spill forth like a river breaking free from its restraints. Tears gathered at the corners of my eyes. Maybe I was being so emotional because of my illness, or because everything was crumbling down around me and my mid had yet to adjust to all of it.
But I was unable to contain my emotions any longer, I let the tears fall, their quiet descent a release for the pent-up emotions that had plagued me for so long.
“Hey…” Ezra wiped away at my cheeks. “Shhh…I’m right here, Zoya. Everything is going to be alright.”
His touch was warm, inviting, and it was everything I had always longed for. For the first time in a long time, I felt like an actual human being — loved and alive and not simply a weight to carry for the sake of it.
I leaned against Ezra, allowing myself to enjoy the warmth I felt against his chest. Allowing myself to be cared for, to be looked after.
I let the tears flow, relinquishing the weight of my past, allowing them to carry away the remnants of my brokenness as he wrapped his arms around me.
In Ezra's arms, I found solace, a sanctuary in which my shattered spirit could begin to mend. He felt steady next to me, and that stability was something that I had been craving for a long time.
God. It's only now that I realize just how utterly lonely I've been all this time. How did I ever get through life with neither a shoulder to lean on nor a hand to hold?
I pitied myself.
Wrapped in his warmth, I surrendered to the serenity that washed over me. His steady heartbeat reverberated against my own, a steady rhythm that echoed a promise of steadfast support.
In that moment, I realized that while my journey ahead may still be filled with uncertainties, I was not alone. With Ezra by my side, I realized that I did have the courage to face the unknown, knowing that his unwavering support would guide me through the darkest of days.
And so, in his arms, I embraced the serenity that washed over me, finding solace and a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos.
Maybe this new world I discovered wasn't so bad after all, if Ezra were to be by my side.
"Thank you," I whispered, but I wasn't sure if he could hear me. Oh well, he probably knows the depth of my gratitude, given the way I clung to him like a lifeline.
Still, for good measure, I spoke again, "Thank you, Ezra." This time, my voice was louder, but only barely above a whisper.
He heard it, though. And I heard the smile in his voice when he said, "Anytime. I'll be here for you anytime."
This time, I think even he could hear it when my heart skipped a beat.