Broken Road (Fate's Intent Book 7) (24 page)

Chapter 47

Adele

My slow steps carried me farther down the hall towards my room and I just knew Zayden would be in there if he was supposed to be getting ready. I stopped just outside and took a deep breath before I reached for the door knob and let myself in.

I was still upset about what happened but I didn’t want us to fight as much as I hoped he didn’t. I kept that in mind while I closed the door behind me and saw him sitting at the end of the bed petting Rift like he was waiting for me. It was sad but he was just so gorgeous while doing it that I had to keep myself from rushing to him.

“Hey, Love.”

“Hi. Hope your evening was nice.”

“Ah, I couldn’t fully answer that having not remembered it completely.”

“I figured.”

Zayden reached out for my hand before I was able to pass. “Love, wait. I’m sorry, all right.”

“For what?”

“For whatever the reason is that you left.”

I laughed and pulled my hand away. “You can’t be sorry if you don’t even know what you did.”

“Then tell me.”

I didn’t want to get emotional but thinking about it made me and it was hard to hide. I hated feeling this way. It made me weak. “We were getting close and you—you treated me like I was just one of the whores you’re used to. You didn’t even know who I was.”

Zayden sighed and moved closer. “I’m sorry. I should have warned you that things might get out of hand.”

“And then—when I refused you, you called me a bitch. Your voice; it reminded me of when you’ve called me that before and I didn’t want to think of us that way again. I had to leave before something worse happened.”

Zayden got up off the bed and stepped up behind me, putting his hands on my arms. “Hey, it’s okay, Love. That wasn’t me. I didn’t mean any of it.”

“I know. I just don’t ever want to see you like that again. It scared me to think that you didn’t know who I was.”

Zayden wrapped his arms around me and rested his head against mine. “I know. You won’t have to see that again. That was the last time.”

I sighed and turned around. “I don’t want to stop you from having fun, Zayden. I know you enjoyed it.”

“You’re not stopping me. I’m stopping myself. I can’t have fun if you’re not having it with me.”

“Then what about the rest of your night? You can’t tell me that you hated it. You didn’t even know who I was but I’m sure you still had fun after I left.”

“She didn’t matter, Love.”

I paused and my eyes started to narrow. “She who?”

“Ah—she who joined me after you left apparently.”

“You mean I was replaced?” My voice was a little harsh and my sadness was completely gone.

“What? Replaced? No! It wasn’t like that, Love. No one replaced you.”

“Then who was she? What exactly happened last night?”

Zayden hesitated. “I’m not really sure.”

I took a step back with a light gasp. “You didn’t.”

“I—I don’t know.”

“Zayden, how could you?”

“Love, wait!” He used his speed to get in front of me before I could leave. “I didn’t—I mean, I couldn’t have—”

“You don’t even know!”

“Love, please! You trust me, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I do. It’s the other you I don’t trust. If you didn’t even know me, it’s doubtful that you even remembered you were married.”

“Love, I wouldn’t have done anything. I swear to you. I may have passed out next to her but she was already gone when I woke up and I was still—clothed. That would mean nothing came off last night. Please, believe me. Even if I wasn’t thinking of it, I would never have done anything like that to hurt you. I love you and I’m sure a part of me knew that.”

I listened through his words and I was finding my Zayden within them. I knew I came into this not wanting to fight and I didn’t want to continue it. Zayden was home and whatever damage was caused has already been done and couldn’t be undone. Without a word I just stepped to him and wrapped my arms around him.

“I mean it, Love. You’re the only one that I ever want to be with and I’m sorry about every word I said to you. You’ll never have to see me like that again.”

“I guess I’m a little sorry too. I know that I get mad easily. I should have stayed and worked through it. Maybe then you wouldn’t have found yourself in the arms of someone else.”

Zayden let out a long breath as he pulled away. “Don’t make this in anyway your fault because it’s not. It’s mine and I know that. You don’t need a stress like that now.” He slid his hand down to my stomach and I smiled when I put my hand over his. “That’s not something I would ever want for you. You know that, don’t you?”

I smiled back and gently kissed him. “I do but you probably should have been downstairs already. Everyone has gathered for breakfast.”

“I know. I just wanted to make all this right first. You’re more important to me than any of them are.”

“Well, don’t ignore your guests. I’m fine. We’re fine. I’ll just wait here for you. I’ve been stared at enough for one morning.”

Zayden smiled and quickly leaned in, kissing my forehead. “All right. I’ve just got to get Darius and Troy to join me as father’s request.”

I gasped lightly and stepped forward before he could turn away. “Be careful. Ruby and Jaylyn just went in there. They’re probably—you know, something similar to this or worse.”

Chapter 48

Zayden

I walked to Darius’s room naturally next and gave the door a swift knock. There was only a quick silence between it and the frustrated grumble I heard from inside and someone stomping towards the door. I waited and it was Ruby who swung it open and she stood red-eyed and completely naked. “What?!”

My eyes widened and couldn’t help themselves from shifting down her body. “Sorry. I ah—”

“Ruby!” Darius quickly got to her and pulled her behind him. “I said don’t!”

“Well, he interrupted!”

Darius just smiled and looked at me who was still standing with a look of disbelief. “Sorry. What do you need?”

“Ah, well—” I slowly started getting my voice back after seeing that. “On the upside, I’m glad you’ve worked things out but your morning pleasures will have to wait.”

“What?!” Ruby bursts out in anger from behind Darius, still with red eyes.

“You know father is waiting for us. It probably wouldn’t be best to make him any angrier.”

Darius nodded his head and looked back over his shoulder. “He’s right.”

“No!” Ruby moaned, gripping his arm in a deep desperation to get him to stay. “Muscles! I need you!”

“It really shouldn’t take long.” I said. “At least, I don’t want it to.”

“All right.” Darius sighed, ignoring Ruby’s childish groaning of displeasure from behind him. “Let me just get dressed real quick and I’ll meet you while you get Troy.”

I nodded and started to turn from the open door. “Good. Hurry.”

Darius closed it but I could hear Ruby’s whining begging even as I was walking down the hall to Troy’s room and just smiled even when reaching his door and knocked.

The pause was longer and I stood there without a sound coming from the other side. I tried knocking again but still, nothing happened. I lightly sighed and reached for the door knob. I didn’t want to interrupt their talk or intimate scene but I knew we had to get downstairs and just stepped inside. “Troy?”

They were laying together on the bed and Troy carefully lifted his head. “Hmm?”

“I think you already know. We have to.”

Troy just sighed and dropped his head back on the pillow for just a second. “All right. I know.” He carefully started to move himself away from Jaylyn who had fallen asleep in his arms and was able to slip away without disturbing her.

“Everything went well, I hope.”

Troy looked back at the bed with Jaylyn sleeping peacefully on it. “We both want it to be but it’s not over yet. I can’t believe what I did, Zayden.”

“You’ll get passed it.”

“She should never forgive me.”

“And then where would that leave you? You’d lose her and we all know you don’t want that. She will forgive you even if she needs time.”

Troy sighed and turned his eyes from Jaylyn. “I guess so. What about you?”

I laughed quietly as we started towards the door. “We’re okay. It was completely stupid.”

“And Darius and Ruby?”

“They’re definitely okay. I didn’t get the details but I just interrupted at least Ruby’s half of his apology. She answered the door naked.”

Troy laughed while he closed his door quietly. “Really?”

“Yes, really.” Darius was finally ready and walking to us. “I had it all set and you had to go and make her pissed about something else.”

I laughed. “I didn’t mean to. I just knew what we should have been doing. You know father is going to know the moment we walk in there.”

“Yeah, well, he should have known we couldn’t just leave it and I’m glad we didn’t. Everything work out with you?”

Troy met his gaze and turned down the hall first. “Still working on it but it will.”

I looked over to Darius with a nod and we continued down the hall without another word about what happened the previous night or of the outcomes it caused. It wasn’t the time for it. There was somewhere we had to be.

Chapter 49

Troy

We spent the rest of our morning being away from our wives a lot longer than I wanted to be while tending to the guests and wished them a safe farewell back to their home lands. Being more bonded to the leaders of Seni beyond all others, Aleksander was the only one that extended his stay with us. Surely it was noticed by others that the once most hated enemies have now become the world’s strongest alliance.

“Well, I hope your mornings have been productive.” Aleksander said, finally being able to address us on the issue since the guests have all left.

“Of course.” Zayden answered with a smile.

“Easily solved.” Darius added with his own.

“Ah, yeah.” I muttered. “Solved. I’ll—ah—see you guys later.”

“Where are you going?” Darius asked while I headed for the doors.

“If you see Jaylyn, tell her I went out. She’ll know why.” I left it at that and probably left them standing completely baffled while I left on foot into the city.

I walked with a clear destination in mind and was determined to fix everything. My eyes were focused in a straight forward direction and I soon approached a house just around the first turn and walked steadily towards the door. I took a breath before knocking then stood waiting, thinking of what to say.

The door opened and I shifted my eyes up to see Marina tuck her brown curls behind her ears with a sad expression on her face and hugged her arms tightly to her body. “What do you want?”

Her voice made her sadness clear and I sensed a bit of anger in it as well but stuck to my plan. I just wanted answers. “May I come in so we can talk?”

Marina glanced around outside and stepped aside to let me pass and closed the door.

“Thank you.”

“And what is it we need to talk about? How you never once mentioned to me that you were married?”

I sighed. “Look, I’m sorry about that, okay? I really wasn’t thinking about that when I saw you but that’s not what I came to talk about.”

“Then what?”

“What happened last night?”

Marina laughed. “Oh, I see! She’s pissed at you, isn’t she?”

“Marina! This is not a joke!” I shouted over her laughter. “I need to know!”

“Oh, well, nothing happened as far as physical contact goes.” That gave me just a moment to let my mind sigh in relief. “But that’s not what I’m going to tell her.”

My eyes widened and confusion struck. “What?”

“I have it all planned out.” Marina smiled, feeling awfully confident and proud of herself. “You see, I had a wonderful night as I always had with you. I thought that I was getting everything back. I thought you wanted me back but you just strung me along the whole way.”

“No.”

“So, I’m going to go to your wife sometime. You’re not going to know when, you’re not going to know where and I’m going to tell her of what a lying, cheating and completely self-centered man you are and I’m going to tell her in explicate detail of how willing you were to give my body the greatest pleasure you have to offer and hope that she never forgives you.”

Who was this woman in front of me? I was disgusted by her words and just shook my head. “Why? That would be stupid of you. You say that to her face and she’ll just—”

Marina laughed. “Oh, I’m well aware of who she is. I’ve asked around. This whole ridiculous thing of peace. You’ve went and knocked up some Kaluian tramp.”

“Don’t.” I tried to keep my anger under control while Marina disrespected the woman I loved but she just seemed to keep provoking me. “You don’t know her and I won’t let you get anywhere near her.”

“I know enough and you won’t stop me. I’ll make sure you stay miserable like you’ve made me.”

I didn’t want to go on about it. I knew if I did, something bad would happen so I just turned away to leave.

“In reality I feel bad for you. You’ve lost the chance at a child with full blood. Instead, you’ve spawned a little bastard mixed breed that could never live up to anything great.”

I stopped in my tracks before I could reach the door and her words were all it took. My anger overtook every nerve, every muscle in my body and I was tense all over as I turned to her with a look of complete hatred. My eyes were narrowed, my jaw clenched behind my closed lips and I thought of doing things I never would have considered before. “Don’t you ever say shit about my family. You don’t know anything.”

“Oh, Troy—” She stepped closer to me with this caring voice and looked me over. “Look at what they’ve done to you.”

She reached her hand out to my chest but I just pushed it away. “Don’t touch me.”

“Oh, baby. It’s okay. It’s me. I know you’re scared and confused about all of this but I can make it all better.”

I relaxed and was beginning to see her as I once used to. “Can you?”

“I can.” She put her hand on my chest but this time I didn’t push it away. “You don’t deserve all of this stress she’s brought on you but you and I, we can change all of that.” Her hands slid up around my neck as she took a step into me so our bodies were touching. “We can have everything we once shared all back. You’d like that, wouldn’t you? All we would have to do is end her and that little mistake, well, you wouldn’t need that. I could give you something better. Let it end with her.”

I gripped around her back tighter and held her even closer to me. “I’m sorry, Marina.”

“For what, my love?” Her breaths were instantly halted with a light gasp of pain and she slowly stepped away. “Troy?”

I was holding a bloody dagger in my right hand and had a slightly regretful face as I looked into her eyes.

Marina held her hand down by her stomach and there was blood just pouring from the wound. She collapsed down to the floor with quick heavy breaths. “Why?”

“You threatened my family.”

Tears started coming from her eyes as the blood kept spilling out all over the floor. “But we—”

I was getting a little frustrated and kneeled down to her, gripping tightly at the back of her neck. “You must understand. I couldn’t let you get in the way.”

“But you loved me.”

“No.” I looked down at her wound and moved her hand so the blood wouldn’t be stopped. “I cared about you once but that’s over. I never loved you.”

Marina was getting worse and her last words hung on me as she faded away. “Some friend then.”

She was still and breathless with her eyes up on me. I was beginning to feel the regret hit me instantly and panic shot through me. I laid my head down on her for a moment and sucked in my emotions as best I could. “I’m sorry. I truly am.”

I lifted my head from her lifeless body and struggled to get back up to my feet. I had blood on me and the dagger was still in my hand. I looked down at it in shock for what I had done and tossed it towards her to get it away from me. My whole body was shaking as I backed towards the door and I knew I had to get out of here.

I left her house in a hurry and tried to walk in a non-suspicious fast pace back towards the palace. The blood on me was obvious but luckily no one stared long enough to notice. I wouldn’t even have noticed if they did. I was lost in my mind. I was still stricken with what I just done and accepting it wasn’t working. I broke the rule; the one rule I’d obeyed over the years as a Great Seni Fighter and I broke it in an instant.

Ashamed of myself, I made it back to the palace and hurried to get up to my room before anyone saw. I bursts through the door, quickly slamming it behind me and Jaylyn was jumped by the window. She looked back and saw me leaned up against the back of the door with the blood on me. She probably thought it was mine and rushed over. “Troy! Are you okay? What happened?”

“No. It’s okay.” I tried to explain. “I’m okay. It’s not mine. I’m fine. Everything’s fine.”

“Everything’s not fine. What happened?”

I started getting emotional and slid down the door as I shook my head. “No. Everything’s not fine.”

“What happened?”

“She’s dead.”

“Who’s dead?”

“Marina.”

“You found her?”

“No.” I looked into her eyes with that regret still consuming me. “I did it. I killed her.”

“What? Why? What did she tell you?”

I took a breath to calm myself down and spoke in a more normal voice. I had to tell someone and Jaylyn would be the one to understand most. “Last night, nothing happened between us.”

“Then why—”

“She was going to tell you that something did so you’d leave me and I’d be miserable like her.”

“Is that—”

“No. She spoke ill of our family, calling our son a mixed breed bastard. I couldn’t control myself after that. I didn’t go there with that plan at all. I just wanted to know but now she’s dead and it’s my fault. You couldn’t imagine how sorry I am.”

Jaylyn got closer and put her arms around me. “You don’t need to be sorry, Troy. You did what you had to. You didn’t want her getting in the way of us.”

“No, I didn’t but I still saw her as my friend. I feel terrible; a horrible friend.”

Jaylyn pulled away and got me to look at her. “You’re not. This wasn’t all your fault. She should never have provoked you in the first place.”

“But I deserved it. Through all of our conversations last night, she never knew that I was married. I apparently never mentioned it. She was under the impression that we’d get back together. I hurt her when she found out the truth.”

“But she didn’t have to go about getting back at you the way she did. Troy, you’re my husband and you were protecting me, protecting our son. No one would blame you for wanting to do that. Do you see what I’m saying?”

“Yeah, I do. I’d never want anyone to get between us.”

“And no one will as long as you’re looking out for us. Don’t hold regrets for that.”

I leaned right in and hugged her. “I’m sorry you had to see me that way.”

“It’s all right. I’m not going to hate you for wanting to mourn a friend. You let me do that once and I’ll let you. Just don’t regret it. Don’t ever regret protecting your family.”

“I won’t. Are we okay?”

Jaylyn smiled. “Of course we are.”

“Thank you but I know you only say that because she’s forever out of the way. I know you’re happy about it.”

“I won’t lie to you, Troy. I am but it’s not because I was jealous that you had a past thing with her. I’m happy because you chose the right thing, no matter what you may think about it. It’s family that’s more important than anything and I know I can always count on you to be there.”

“Okay. I just want this to go away. I know I can’t undo it and don’t know if I really would anyway. You are more important to me than anything and I’ll always do whatever I can to keep it that way.”

Jaylyn smiled and kissed me before pulling me back up to my feet. “I love you and consider it all forgotten. I just want us to get back to our lives. We have much to look forward to.”

I smiled back and slid my hand down to her stomach. “We do and I’m greatly looking forward to it.”

I still felt some regret for killing a longtime friend but agreed with Jaylyn and knew she was right. Family was more important and I wasn’t going to look back on what I’ve done as shame. I felt I needed to protect her and our life together and I did that. Everything felt right again and I was determined to always keep it that way no matter what I had to do.