Bullied Mate Of The Lycan Kings
Chapter 79

Lily's POV

Zac was still on my front porch by the time I was done packing.

I clenched my hands around the little bag I had packed my things in to head to Bia's place. She was the only person I knew that would accept me crashing with her at such short notice. I was grateful that I had her in my life, that out of all this madness, at least I had one friend I could turn to.

I was shaking like a leaf dropped in water by the time I opened the front door and saw Zac still standing there. My life was falling to pieces and he was the only one here to see me like this. "Duchess," he sighed, his shoulders dropping as he took in my broken form.

"I'll take the bus to my best friend's place. She's human and she doesn't stay in Shadow Cove so it's going to be a long ride for you if you decide to give me a ride. Of course, I don't expect anything more from you after you've already done so much. I can understand-"

He crushed me into his chest. "Shh, stop talking now. Just breathe for a moment."

I did as he asked, taking in large gulps of air as he settled us unto the porch steps

I tried to fight out of his hold. "But I really have to get go-"

"Breathe, Lily." He insisted as I burrowed into his side, feeling safe under the protectiveness of his steady form.

I did as he instructed, inhaling slowly through my nostrils and exhaling through my mouth. I looked up at the stars, letting the cool air sink into my skin.

My pulse slowed down, my heart stopped trying to race out of my chest. I was less jittery.

"Better?" He asked after a while.

I nodded and he stood up promptly when his phone started ringing. I watched him leave to make the phone call.

I stared at him, his dark, dark hair wafting in the cold wind and wondered what I'd have done if he wasn't here with me.

He was the last person I expected to be sharing this dreadful moment with. He had dragged me out of my bedroom when I was still reeling from the shock and horror.

My pet had been pinned to the wall with a knife. The same knife that I had used to stab Aiden in the gut.

Zac had not only tried his best to make me better but since I could barely think or move or even function, he had made sure my mother had been taken by an ambulance to the hospital. She was only left with a minor concussion and the paramedics had assured us that she would live and that the blow to her head was not serious. I would have gone to the hospital with them but I was too shaken to move. To even think.

I could not help but note that all of this had happened because of me. Because I had told Aiden that I had had enough and threatened him to try me. What if that knife had been found in my mother and not in my cat? But even the knowledge that my cat had been injured made me want to vomit. This was all my fault. Everything was my fault. The trashed house. My injured mother. My nearly dead cat.

I felt Zac sit beside me on the steps again and even though I didn't raise my head up, I knew that he was looking at me.
Lily's POV

Zac was still on my front porch by the time I was done packing.

His hand that was around me tightened and shook and I knew without a doubt that it was not because of the cold weather outside. He had been there when I stabbed Aiden. Without a doubt, he knew what I knew. That somehow Aiden was responsible for this. I was scared that he was going to confront Aiden because of me and give him even more reasons to hate me and hurt me and my loved ones.

Forcing my head up, I turned to look at him and tried to keep my face as stoic and as unaffected as I could. The last thing I needed from him was to go and fight with Aiden on my behalf because it would only make things worse and I was already at the end of my rope. The fact that he kept tapping his leg anxiously and looking at his wristwatch solidified my resolve that he needed to leave now. I was tired of being a burden.

"Thank you so much for everything, Zac but you know that you don't have to stay right? You can leave if you want to. I'll just call my friend to let her know that I'm coming over."

His hand fell away from my shoulder in an instant and he stared at me like he could not believe what I had just said but before he could speak, a bright light from a fast approaching vehicle interrupted us and I looked away from him to see who it could be. My home was on the outskirts of Gold Crest and nobody ever stumbled out here by mistake unless they really wanted to.

My eyes squinted at the light, my heart stopping when the familiar vehicle parked in my driveway.

A very familiar silver white Porsche.

I looked at Zac, my heart bursting at the seams and he only nodded, tilting his head, a proud smirk on his lips.

He had done this. He had let Ren know what had happened when I was still a mess on the inside.

He just kept stacking up reasons I should be grateful for him today.

Ren stepped out of the car and I felt my heart accelerate. I inhaled at how handsome he was in the white tux that he was wearing, his white blonde hair, a sophisticated stylish mess like always. He looked even more regal than usual and I wondered what the occasion was for.

My elation to see him quickly dimmed when I remembered why he was wearing a tux. His date with Mauve.

Slowly I rose to my feet but before I could even feel sorry for myself for looking like a mess with my swollen eyes and messed up hair while he looked like a dashing prince that just walked out of a fairytale, he ran towards me and pulled me in for a hug, pressing me to his chest.

I inhaled his sweet scent of oud and bergamot.

It was too much. The feel of his arms around me, his familiar scent, his lips on the side of my head. I burst into tears again and all I could think about as he rubbed my back and whispered soothing words to me was how relieved I was that he was here right now and not on that date, because it meant that he didn't hate me.

I could not even believe that he was standing here, that he was real. I had hurt him, said all those words to him and ended up hurting the two of us and here he was, still taking care of me, still being a good friend to me. He still came here to be with me despite everything I had done to separate us.

"It's okay, Lily. I promise that I understand."

Realizing that he had heard my thoughts made me bawl harder and hug him tighter as he kept speaking.

"I didn't mean to hurt you. I swear, I was just-"

"Shh... I know... I know and I'm sorry myself that I didn't respond well to you back at school. I should never have let you leave on that note. I understand now. I understand why you did it. You're a good person with a kind heart and you had my best interest at heart. I could never fault you for trying to do the right thing, Lily. That takes guts. I was wrong and foolish. I wish I could take it all back."

Pulling back to look up at him, I shook my head immediately.

"No no. I'm sorry. I know that I said things that made you get the wrong idea but I swear that I had no ill will against you. I never wanted to hurt you."

Nodding with that gentle smile that I had missed so much, he wiped my tears and was about to say something when Zac cleared his throat.

"As much as I hate to do this, I'll have to cut this sappy reunion short."

Blushing hard, I moved away from Ren and turned to see Zac walking towards us, holding the knife.

My heart clenched again as I remembered how Zac and I had removed the dagger and tried to stop the bleeding. I didn't even know if Fiona was still alive right now. If she was, then she was one little fighter. Zac had dragged me out so that I wouldn't be there if she didn't make it.

"Tell me." Ren said to Zac and I marveled at the authority in his voice, even more surprised when Zac immediately broke down everything that happened without question.

I watched Ren's face harden to stone when Zac finally broke the news about the owner of the knife.

"I still don't believe he'd do this. You're sure it belongs to him?" Ren said and I watched as he struggled to come to terms with what his friend had done, just another example of how empathetic he was.

"I don't want to cast stones yet, but it looks like the same one that Lily stabbed him with."

Ren nodded and they had a conversation with their eyes to which Zac nodded.

"Take care of her. Come and see us when you're done."

By us, I was certain he was talking about Aiden.

"Thanks, Zac." I whispered. He didn't have to, but he had called Ren here.

Zac stared at me with an intense gaze and I saw his hand tighten into a fist by his side like he was stopping himself from doing something.

"My pleasure," he nodded. "See you later, Lily." He said curtly and I watched as he entered his car, knife still in hand and drove off.