LOGIN~ ZARIUS'S POV:I tried, I swear, I tried coming closer, to dive deeper into the ocean of her heart but I had seen the consequences.Each slip of control from me results in danger.Each time my heart decided to react, it brought irrecoverable damage.Enough. ‘What? Tired already?’ Azrael teased me, his undesirable laugh echoing in my consciousness. ‘I thought we were going to fall in love with her.’“And let you take advantage of her? Never.” I hissed, leaning against my desk, rubbing my temples in frustration. I hated the look of disappointment in her eyes.She came closer despite I had given her nothing but anguish.She reached me with hopes.And all I did was to murder it.As I was lost in my thoughts, Wind appeared at my door and leaned against the frame, folding her arms at her chest. “What?” “You are hurting her.”“I know.”“She calls for you.”“I know.” I breathed out heavily, running a hand through my locks and making them messy. “But I no longer know how to approach her
Maybe he was just in a bad mood that day, I thought, tracing my fingers mindlessly on the sheets.Maybe I should try harder. Reassure him that I’m not going anywhere. Maybe one day Zarius will hold my hand and actually learn how to love…An unwelcome scoff echoed in the back of my mind. ‘What happened to you, Evelise?’“Huh?” I blinked. “What do you mean?”‘You were determined to leave. To escape this so-called nightmare,’ my wolf replied, her presence shifting in the dark corners of my consciousness. ‘Now you want to give it a chance? How?’“I thought the idea of me leaving would evoke emotions in Zarius,” I spoke truthfully, pulling my knees closer to my chest. “I didn’t know he couldn’t feel what we do.” I paused, the memory of another man’s—Yes, another man—face flickering in my mind. “And when Robbie offered me a way out, like he actually meant it, I couldn’t do it.” ‘That is what I am asking,’ my wolf pressed, her tone filled with protectiveness. ‘Why? What changed?’“Whe
The distance between us had become a physical ache. The mate-bond pulled at me relentlessly—a hopeless, desperate tug—while Zarius continued to shut himself out.Why was he not understanding? He barely spent two moments with me, let alone to talk. Was he still punishing me for the kiss with Robbie?Or punishing himself for letting the curse take over?As I sat alone in my room, heavy-hearted, a sudden breeze swept through the space. Robbie materialized out of thin air.I swear, this man was determined to get us both in trouble.“You? Again?” I frowned. “How do you manage to enter this room?”“That is a secret I cannot tell you.” “Why are you here?” “I thought you had reached an answer by now.” He shrugged, leaning against the wall, his impish smirk lingering.“Or are you thinking of staying for your little darling niece?” He mocked, tilting his head up with arrogance.A brief silence came between us as I looked down at my hands, confused.“What exactly is this Red Night, Robbie?”
~ EVELISE'S POV:What was with Zarius?Did alcohol always turn him into a creature of pure, unfiltered desire?...Useful information, at least.After an encounter that had left me breathless—with a sudden, thick heat pooling deep in my lower belly—the hardest task waiting for me tomorrow would be pretending everything was normal."Here. Do this." Mateo practically slammed a stack of files onto my desk, making me flinch.“What is your problem?” I hissed, glaring up at him.He had been shooting me with venomous looks and treating me like a plague for weeks.At first, I had tried to ignore it, choosing endurance over conflict, but it was pushing me to my absolute limit.“My problem is you,” he growled, leaning over the desk until he was entirely in my space. “You lie, you’re disloyal, and you ruin everything you touch.” Hatred burned raw and unmistakable in his eyes.“I don’t recall asking for your evaluation.” I scoffed, leaning back in my chair and crossing my arms."Oh, come on, Mat
After returning from the long lost memory, I decided to return to my room after days of avoiding her and found her sleeping in my shirt.I didn’t know why but it made me smile.She looked beautiful. She is beautiful. My steps stumbled, the haze from the alcohol had taken over my senses as I sat down and brushed my knuckles on her shoulders.She shivered.“Mhm….” My heart began to race, she was closer, extremely close yet so far that I won’t be able to reach even if I wanted to.But why?Why would I want to reach her in the first place?I had never desired love. Then why?Why did I feel so damn helpless and infuriated?“You’re… so—” Unable to control myself, I leaned down and pressed a kiss on her shoulder through the fabric but this heart…It was burning, screaming for more, to bite down and replace Azrael’s touch with mine. ‘Jealous? That I got her first?’ My jaw clenched, stopping immediately when his unwanted laughter echoed in my mind.I won’t deny it. Yes. I was.Extremely.
~ ZARIUS'S POV:I chugged the alcohol down until my senses were in a blur. “What happened? Why are you so eager?” He murmured, twirling a dagger around his finger.Closing my eyes briefly, I took another gulp and threw the empty bottle away. “I told Evelise I cannot feel the mate-bond.” I slurred, the haze taking over me.He stopped. “I thought you were going to carry that secret to your grave.” Turning to face him, my eyes opened slowly, holding an emptiness I was unable to name.I had no idea myself about what I should feel. “I thought that too but from my behaviour, she would have found out sooner or later. I couldn’t even fake the bond.”“It’s not your fault.” He tried to make a useless justification. “You have forgotten how to express yourself.”“Don’t try to cover up. That is entirely my fault.” I smiled dryly, shaking my head. “I had murdered the leftover hopes she had.” He frowned, stepping before me. “Does it hurt?”“It feels horrible.” I confessed honestly, running a







