Zara

"Govinda, just put them aside and sit down," I said calmly, understanding what was happening. He nodded and sat down across from me, carefully arranging everything on the table.

Brandon watched him closely, and I, focusing on him, asked, "Did Kane tell you about this? Did he send all this? Didn’t he?"

He smiled sheepishly. "Of course not. I didn’t mean to come empty-handed. Just smell the blue roses; they have such a refreshing, unique scent; red ones are so common." He waved his hand dramatically, and I had to purse my lips.

Brandon had both drama and charm.

Govinda coughed awkwardly next to me, and Brandon’s curious eyes darted to him. I felt the need to introduce them.

"Brandon, this is Govinda, my close friend’s mate," Govinda said, raising his hand. "Hello!"

Brandon formed an "O" with his lips and wiggled his fingers. Expensive rings adorned his long fingers as he removed his gloves.

"Ah, Govinda, this is Brandon. Kane’s brother." They both nodded at each other in greeting.

Govinda’s phone rang, and he excused himself, answered it, and left. Brandon watched him leave until the door closed.

Turning to me, he asked excitedly, folding his hands.

"Your friend’s mate is handsome. Is he a demon?" Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

I knew he was up to no good. Kane, that manipulator, must have pushed him into this.

"Brandon, he’s a good demon. Please don’t use him for your brother’s personal gain," I begged, shaking my head. "I know why you arrived, an hour after he did."

Brandon leaned back, dramatically placing his hand over his heart and shaking his head.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Don’t you have a girlfriend?"

His face darkened like a flat tire; the disgust receded, and he snorted.

"That fucking pathetic bastard..." and then for the next fifteen minutes, he cursed her, telling her about his infidelities and how he got revenge on her.

"I’m so sorry, Brandon. Seriously, you don’t deserve this. And how you got revenge on her..."

"Yes! It’s her own fault. But enough about that bastard. Tell me, how are you recovering?

He leaned over and took my hand in his. A weak but genuine smile appeared on his lips.

"Well, now I’m afraid of strange men, especially those who smile too brightly. And for some reason, I’m afraid to get up and walk; I don’t know where this fear comes from, but yes."

I paused and gave a dry laugh. Brandon smiled sympathetically and gently squeezed my hand.

"I also see a psychiatrist almost every day. I talk about my feelings and everything. And all the while, I get all these beautiful flowers and gifts, so it’s not bad." I tried to smile through the pain.

"You’re such a resilient girl. I saw this spirit in you when we first met, and you’ve proven what a queen you are. I’m proud of you, Zara. Seriously, if I were in your place, I wouldn’t have survived." He brushed away his tears.

"The situation makes you braver. Survival instincts keep you alive." The horrors of what they did to me surfaced again, and I had to take calming breaths to keep from sinking back into that darkness.

"He and Cassidy will rot in hell. I never liked her; she was too clingy, but I was always friendly for my brother and mother’s sake. I’m glad she showed her true colors before it was too late." Brandon shook his head and leaned closer. He took my hand between his.

"And Alpha. He nearly went crazy when you were gone. He stopped eating, drinking, and even smoking."

I tried to swallow, but something stuck in my throat. Brandon continued his little speech.

"I know my brother isn’t a perfect wolf. He can be domineering, manipulative, and pushy. He may be an ass, but trust me, he loves you, Zara. Selflessly and deeply, with all his soul. Just give him another chance. Please."

I knew my voice would probably break if I tried to speak, but Alpha was always clever. He sent his brother to stand up for him.

"I need space, Brandon. He’s hurt me too much. I’m not ready for a relationship. I’m fine in my head," I tried to explain, and he nodded sadly.

"I know, I know. But whenever you want, just turn around and look at him at least once. He’s hurt, he won’t say it, but he’s hurt a lot from all his bad decisions and the consequences." He was about to continue, but Sophia, Ryan, and Govinda entered the room, bringing me food.

Seeing them return, Brandon smiled softly and pulled on his gloves. I introduced them, and they greeted each other.

"It was very nice meeting you all. I must hurry back. If you need anything, please call me, Zara." Brandon’s sly gaze slid over us.

He smiled politely while Ryan and Sophia were. Sophia exchanged glances. As soon as he left, all eyes turned to me.

"Was it just me, or was he checking out Govinda?" Sophia asked, helping me sit down so I could eat.

Ryan placed a small table in front of me and filled it with food. Govinda watched from the side, arranging flowers in vases.

A burst of laughter followed my words.

"If Dad heard us, we’d all be in serious, serious trouble," Ryan shook his head, plopping down in a chair.

"Yes! Keep me away." Govinda raised his hands too, and after a long moment, I relaxed, a genuine smile appearing on my lips.

They never ceased to make me laugh.

***

Kane

After Zara regained consciousness, it was time to deal with her tormentors. Knowing she was surrounded by relatives, I left Kaysir as a guard and went to the warehouse where Marcus and Cassidy were being held.

I received a full doctor’s report on Zara’s wounds and memorized every one of them. It was time to inflict these wounds on those who inflicted them on her.

Olfi held the door for me as we pulled up to the warehouse, and I got out of the car. Hades was waiting for me, his hands behind his back and his back straight as a skyscraper.

"This woman whines a lot, so I stuffed her mouth with maggots. That silenced her," he said coldly, and I had to suppress a bitter laugh. She deserved so much more.

"And I arranged everything as you requested," he added, walking beside me. We entered the torture cell, and I headed to where they were both tied to chairs.

The smell of vomit and urine greeted me as they stood before me. Stripped naked, completely naked, gagged, and firmly bound to metal chairs.

The dim yellow light from the ceiling illuminated their disgusting bodies, the remnants of vomit and bodily fluids clinging to them.

A pleasant sight awaited me. I nodded gratefully to Hades for treating them exactly as they deserved. Cassidy’s wide eyes fixed on me. Her mouth was sealed with silver tape, and I knew removing it would be terribly painful.

The moment she saw me, she immediately started thrashing about. Yellowish-green vomit even lodged itself in her disheveled hair. No more VIP treatment or hair care.

Terror, like patches of darkness, spread across her eyes as I looked at her. I knew she was trying to say something, but I didn’t care.

"I told you not to mess with Zara. You brought this and everything that follows upon yourself. Don’t even think I’ll show mercy just because you’re a woman or because we used to sleep together. Now you only disgust me."

Turning my head the other way, I saw Marcus. The defiance in his eyes remained, and I wondered how long it would take me to break him.

Oh! I’ll enjoy breaking that bastard. There were deep wounds on his face, the same ones I’d inflicted on him earlier, but otherwise he was pristine. My men hadn’t touched him. His lips were sealed with the same tape they’d used on Cassidy.

"Look at you two. My friend and my ex-girlfriend. Together, they hurt an innocent girl simply out of revenge. Hell must have a special place for traitors like you, and I’ll make sure you go from there."

Terror at my words gripped them. Cassidy’s muffled screams echoed around me as Marcus thrashed furiously in the chair. He was bound just as I’d found Zara.

The ropes were tightened even more. Hades had used sisal ropes, made from the agave plant. They were rough and itchy. I wanted them to suffer every second of their remaining miserable lives.

"Take off the tape. I want to talk to him," I ordered Hades, crossing my arms and turning to face him.

Hades stepped forward and mercilessly ripped the tape off, tearing skin in the process.

Marcus growled, and Hades only smirked. The deep scar on Hades’s face darkened in the shadows, making him look even more terrifying.

I stepped forward and leaned down so I was face-to-face with Marcus. Lowering my head, I easily invaded his personal space and asked slowly, my breath brushing his face.

"Who burned Zara’s hand with a cigarette?" He tried to back away. The horror I wanted to see was gone from his face, absent.

"Cassidy!" he quickly replied, betraying his pathetic lover.