Zayd stood at the edge of the borders, watching with narrowed eyes as Jake’s men gathered in front of him. This reminded him of the first time he’d stepped upon these lands, proposing a challenge his mother had warned him would be deadly.
He’d been confident in his skills back then, and he still was, but his heart felt heavy; complex and yet it felt so broken at the same time. He wanted to see her…his queen. He honestly and shamelessly missed her.
If only he’d been more attentive…
If only he’d protected her better…
If he had…then none of this would’ve happened, the mating ceremony would’ve come to past, and she’d still be in his arms. But right now, she was out of arm's length, out of reach…
He couldn’t see her, couldn’t feel her, couldn’t f*cking touch her, and it was driving him crazy. He was so close to losing it, to going on a rampage, but what good would that do?
Nobody would look up to him, and it wouldn’t give Quinn back to him…
He had to be patient, even if he was dying to, he couldn’t grab Jake’s head and stuff it 6ft deep beneath this earth. Who would lead him to Quinn then, huh?
Zayd sighed when he saw the man approaching from afar…he was an alpha Zayd had never looked up to, even when he posed as an alpha above all else. There was just something about him, a selfishness that Zayd couldn’t look away from. He didn’t care about his pack or others…Zayd knew for a fact that he only cared about himself.
He couldn’t be an alpha king, he was too ruined for that…too cold and heartless. But then again, Zayd’s kind heart was kind of what got him into this situation to begin with.
No matter how pitiful that 19-year-old girl had looked, running onto his lands as an escape route from the rogues that were chasing her…he shouldn’t have taken her in. When she’d told him she had no home, no family…that she was nothing but a lost omega…he should’ve turned her out. Quinn wouldn’t have gone missing if he had.
People were funny though…no matter how much you’ve helped them, they could still forget about it and betray you tomorrow.
Maybe he should just become selfish too…selfish, cold and heartless.
Maybe he should use people instead of having them use him…just so he never becomes like Quinn…and just so he could protect her from getting hurt once again.
Maybe he should change, or rather change back…a ruthless king is a king nonetheless.
The men who had gathered in front of him made way for Jake to pass through, and he stopped right in front of Zayd, wearing a smirk Zayd wanted to rip off his face. “I’ve been awaiting you, alpha king…it’s an honor to have you here as a guest.”
“Cut the f*ckery and get to the f*cking point, Jake. We all know what you want.”
“I forgot you were a no bullsh*t person.” He smirked, gesturing towards Zayd. “Let’s discuss this in my office…just you, leave your boys.”
Zayd looked back at Frederick and Dantae. “Stay here, I’ll be back in a second.”
They nodded, and he followed Jake out of the bushes and to what he confirmed was his office. It was different from his personality. It didn’t seem like a space a snake like him would dwell in. Bright colors, ravishing decorations, and in the corner of the room, a young girl sat naked; trembling profusely …a young girl he knew all too well.
Delilah…
She was looking up at him, those eyes pleading for the help he would never give.
“Don’t mind her, just pretend she isn’t here, and just an advice…if you’d like to keep your hands clean, don’t touch the desk…she came all over it.”
Zayd’s eyes twitched in irritation. “I don’t care about you or your f*ck adventure stories. I came here because you’ve taken what belongs to me and I want it back.”
“You sound so sure…but yes, that feisty kitten is in my hands. She’s fun to play with, even when she’s afraid, she knows no manners. She stood up to me boldly and even killed two of my men…for that, I’ll punish her hard at the end of this. I’ll have her trembling, just like her sister.”
Zayd clenched his hands and his jaw…trying his best to stop them from clenching around something else; that disgustingly slender neck. “Just tell me what you want, Jake.”
“You already know what I want, I want a rematch.”
“And you thought the best way to get it was to kidnap my mate instead of kindly asking? When you do this, nobody will look at you the same ever again. If you have to cheat to win, then it wouldn’t be a win at all.”
“I don’t care about that, just know that I’ve got the upper hand…just know that I’ll win.”
“When…?” Zayd asked him.
“Five days from today, 11pm sharp, when the moon shines at its fullest. I’ll bring her here, if you win, you can take her back with you, but if you lose…both sisters will belong to me.”
“Why not tonight? I want to get this over with.”
“No…I want you to suffer first…just like she is.”
Zayd tapped his foot against the office tiles, looking off towards the walls. “I’ll make you sorry…I’ll have you apologizing and begging for your life. Just wait.”
He turned to the door, grabbing onto the knob.
“No, Zayd…it will be you who surrenders…you who dies.”
Zayd pulled the door open. “For Quinn, I’ll make sure that never happens…”
And then he walked out the door, kicking the dirt as he marched back the way he came. In five days…he’d have Quinn back by his side. He’d make sure of it.