Old Friend [4]

Sienna’s POV

He had always been short-tempered, a man who wanted everything under his control.

He was ruthless and cruel, and sometimes, I hated myself for ever falling in love with him.

I hated how, even after everything, his presence still made my heart race and my hands tremble. I hated the effect he had on me. I once thought that beneath his cold nature and possessive behaviour was a man who loved me, but I had been wrong.

I felt an unknown fear rising inside me. I remembered who Zev Valerius was. If he wanted something, he could go to any extent to get it. When he said it was just good sex and nothing more, I never thought he would enter my life again against my will. 

I was afraid of what he wanted from me now, and most of all, knowing that he knew about Sera made my heart turn to ice. What if he tried to take her away from me?

I knew he could do anything. 

I wasn't going to step back. I stepped between them, unable to believe that even now, after everything that had happened, Zev still thought he could do whatever he wanted.

“What was that?”

“What do you want from me, Zev? Just get out of here!” I snapped, my voice trembling with anger as I stepped closer to him.

I had spent three years trying to put my life back together after he broke me, and now he was standing in front of me, acting as though he still had a say in my life.

Zev's expression hardened. He stepped closer to me, his eyes boring into mine. I could see his hand clenched tightly into a fist as he struggled to control himself from reaching for something.

“We fucking need to talk about all of this,” he growled.

I could see the anger in his eyes, and for a moment, I struggled to meet his gaze. It would be a lie to say I wasn't scared of what would happen now that he knew Sera was his daughter.

I had spent three years keeping her away from the life I had left behind, and now the one person I had never wanted to find us was standing right in front of me, demanding answers.

But he had no right to interfere in my life or claim that he could decide anything for us.

I tried to walk away, but his hand shot out, grabbing my forearm and pulling me towards him, making me gasp at his action.

“Sienna, I need an explanation. You cannot walk away from me again,” he stated calmly, but the intensity behind his words was unmistakable.

I tried to free my arm, but his grip tightened.

“Let go of me, Zev.”

Before he could respond, Tristan stepped forward and caught his wrist, forcing his hand away from mine.

“She's asking you to let go,” he said firmly.

Zev's gaze snapped towards him, his anger becoming even more evident. For a moment, I thought he would hit Tristan again, but Tristan didn't back down. 

Tristan despite being a werewolf himself, he had always been the more controlled one, calm one and even now, I could see him holding back his own anger.

This needed to stop. I took a deep breath before walking towards him. “You want to talk? Fine. Let's talk.”

“Sienna, you-”

“Tristan, this needs to end,” I interrupted, turning towards him. “Please.”

He looked at me for a moment, clearly unhappy with my decision, before glancing at Zev. I knew he didn't trust him, and honestly, neither did I. But I couldn't keep letting them fight while Sera was lying in a hospital room.

After a moment, Tristan stepped away, leaving me alone with the man I had spent three years trying to forget.

I turned back to Zev, staring directly into his eyes.

“She is mine,” he said, his first words leaving no room for argument.

I almost laughed at the audacity of it.

“She has nothing to do with you.”

“How the fuck does she have nothing to do with me?” he snapped, closing the distance between us. “You ran away, hid your pregnancy, gave birth to my daughter, and now you're standing here telling me she has nothing to do with me?”

My body trembled as he stared down at me, but it wasn't just his anger that shook me. It was the fact that he could stand there and question me after everything he had done, as though I owed him an explanation while he had never given me one for the way he destroyed us.

“You have some nerve, Zev,” I whispered, my voice shaking with anger. “You really do.”

The thick tension broken by the doctor approached.

“Ms. Sienna, could you come inside for a moment? I need to discuss something about Sera.”

I immediately followed him, but before I could enter the room, Zev walked behind me. I glanced at him, hesitating for a second, but I didn't have the energy to argue with him again. Sera mattered more than anything else right now.

Once we were inside, the doctor looked at Zev then between us before asking, “And you are?”

Before I could answer, Zev spoke.

“I'm Sera's father.”

I turned towards him, but he didn't even look at me. The doctor nodded and continued.

“Sera is stable for now, but the problem is that these reactions keep happening. We've been trying to understand what's causing them since she was born, but we haven't found a definite answer yet. It could be genetic, it is getting more and more serious.” My stomach tightened as I listened.

“Is there anything we can do?” I asked.

“We'll continue the tests and treatment, but I'd like you to look into her family medical history as well. That could give us a better idea of what's happening.”

I nodded, trying to take in everything he was saying. After a few more instructions, the doctor let us leave.

The moment we stepped outside, Zev turned towards me.

“I had similar problems when I was young. The Moon Pack healer treated me, and it helped. Maybe he could help Sera too.”

“No,” I replied immediately.

“Sienna, listen to me. I'm trying to help her.”

“And I'm telling you she's not going to the Moon Pack, Zev.”

Before he could argue, a nurse approached us with Sera. I immediately stepped forward, reaching for my daughter, and the moment she was back in my arms, I held her close.

Sera was asleep in my arms, and I could feel Zev's stare on her as he stood beside me, looking at her with emotions I couldn't quite understand. I didn't know what was going through his mind, and honestly, I didn't want to find out.

I needed to get out of there before everything became more complicated than it already was.

Adjusting Sera in my arms, I turned to leave, but the moment I lifted my eyes, my entire body froze.

Wilder was standing a few steps away, staring straight at me.