The Love of a Lycan

"Why? Am I not allowed to like that jerk?" Serefina asked casually, pretending that she was fine after witnessing Jedrek's protective attitude over Lilac. "Come on, don't sulk here."

"I am not sulking! I am furious!" Kace grunted exasperatedly. He didn't feel like he could stay in this place any longer than a day, knowing that he would live under the same roof with a man like his older brother.

"Let's go." Torak let go of Kace and took Raine's hand. His mate's little face looked worried. "It's all right," he said in soft tone, the exact opposite to the way he talked to Kace and Jedrek before.

"Torak, are you sure we can stay here? Your brother doesn't seem to welcome us," Raine whispered softly to him. The hostility between Jedrek and Kace was very palpable.

Even though Kace and Torak were not really on good terms, but they wouldn't try to tear the other person apart just because they were not on the same page. However, when it came to Jedrek, Kace seemed like he didn't even want to have anything to do with his older brother.

"He is the king, but this place belongs to me." The southern castle belonged to Torak and was a gift for him from their father on his named day while Kace was blessed with the eastern castle and, of course as the firstborn, Jedrek got the main castle in the city center, which was now ruined into shambles.

Raine couldn't really grasp the importance of that, all her concern was over the hostility in Jedrek's eyes which he didn't even bother to hide from them, but she nodded anyway. As long as Torak was beside her, everything would be fine.

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"I don't think it was wise to say such harsh words to your brothers," Lilac tried to talk to Jedrek when he helped her to change her bandages and put some ointment on her scalded skin.

"It was just a warning for him not to make any silly decisions." Jedrek focused his attention on Lilac's hands and his mood turned even gloomier when he watched how her skin turned red with blisters.

"It was normal for him to act like this. You are aware that what you have done to him was wrong, right?" Lilac slightly grimaced when Jedrek wrapped her fingers with bandages.

"I have my own reasons to do that," Jedrek spoke curtly and helped Lilac to stand up.

"But, they didn't know your reasons or what happened with your parents. They didn't know that your choices were limited. Either you let them know about all of that, or you become less stubborn and hostile with them." Lilac tried to advise the king.

Jedrek was being too hard on himself and had been too afraid to show his true emotions. He seemed to think that the only thing he could use to control other people and protect what was important to him, was by fear.

Lilac couldn't blame him, Jedrek had gotten used to that method for as long as he could remember. However, Torak and Kace were his own brothers, the two of them wouldn't bend their knees like the other people or follow his words without going through meticulous discussion.

The problem was; Jedrek was not used to discuss anything. He was used to giving orders.

"I don't want you to go near them." Jedrek ignored Lilac's words completely. All this time, he had taken all the matters into his hands and solved them in his own way. He barely took other people's advice because he didn't trust them, therefore, this was what he was going to do now too, ignoring others words.

"Because you are afraid that your brothers will extract revenge on you through me?" Lilac raised her eyebrows questioningly at him and smiled helplessly.

"They will never get the chance," Jedrek said firmly. He took Lilac wrist and led them out of his chamber.

It seemed the first task that the guardian angels had to do was to help their own mates to get along with each other. They wouldn't go anywhere with the way they were treating each other right now.

Yet, Lilac ignored his foul mood. "So sweet," she cooed, teasingly. "But, don't you think that you always underestimate me? I have proven to you countless times that I can protect myself."

"Like this?" Jedrek raised Lilac's bandaged hand.

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"Kace…" Hope started, but Kace had sent her a deadly glare that rendered her speechless.

"I don't want to hear that!" Kace growled, annoyed.

Hope was exasperated. She huffed and plopped down on her bed. Kace still remembered his way around this castle, thus he brought them here, which was his chamber, without anyone's help.

Serefina suggested for them to take some rest before they started to talk with each other again. Their reunion earlier didn't end up well. Perhaps, after some rest, the three Donovans could act more decently and come up with a truce for the resentment they had for each other so far.

"So, what do you want? Go back to our realm?" Hope patted the space beside her, implying for Kace to sit next to her with her eyes.

The peevish Lycan paced back and forth for a few minutes, but then he sat down beside his mate.

"You have made a promise that you will help fighting this war if your brother allowed the centaurs to have their land again. And Serefina said, Jedrek had agreed to your terms. You will not back out from your words, right?" Hope pressed her hands on the back of Kace's neck to his shoulders and massaged his tense muscles. "You will disappoint the centaurs, the hunters, the shifters and the people from the village."

Kace covered his face with both of his hands and rubbed it roughly until Hope took his hands in hers.

"I don't trust Jedrek," Kace said it frankly. "I don't want you to go near him."

Hope sighed. She could understand Kace's worry. Honestly, she didn't trust Jedrek too. "But, I still need to meet Lilac."

Kace groaned, annoyed. He looked very restless than he had been these past few days.

"Come here," hope stretched her hands and hugged him. Somehow, it helped Kace to relax more.