Ignite | ✔

22

22 - Reduced To Ashes

ZARA

Natalia's voice came as a shock, a discordant note in the otherwise silent room. The very last person I wanted to see was her, but I had to give her credit for her audacity in coming up here. Her audaciousness could either help her case or dig her deeper into the pit she had unwittingly fallen into.

"I'm waving my white flag out here," she added with a nervous chuckle. "I come in peace." Her words hung in the air, a fragile peace offering. Did I want it? The answer never came. After a long moment of silence, she seemed to grow more desperate, and her voice wavered. "I didn't know you guys were mates. I wouldn't have... Can you please open the door?"

She didn't know, and the realization hit me like a sudden gust of wind. The rumors about Haden and me being mates had only surfaced a few days after Jenna had inquired about it in the kitchen. Natalia wasn't here during that conversation, and she didn't see the way Haden and I interacted. It may have been possible that she didn't know.

But there was the probability that Haden would have told her, given the picture-perfect union they had. The thought of secrets flowing between them, given how perfect they were, seemed unimaginable. Wouldn't he have told her? Was he ashamed of our connection?

"Zara, I just want to talk," she continued in a softer tone. "I brought eggs and bacon."

My stomach growled involuntarily, revealing my conflicting emotions. Despite my annoyance, I was hungry. I sighed and gave in, rising from the bed and sniffing the air as the tantalizing aroma of food wafted into the room. I unlocked and opened the door, meeting Natalia's hopeful smile as she held out a breakfast platter, her peace offering. I narrowed my eyes at it, at her, then wordlessly took it and walked back to the bed. Our unspoken tension hung in the air as we retreated to Haden's bed, perching uneasily on the edge.

The heavy silence between us felt stifling, and I couldn't help but wonder what Natalia hoped to achieve with this conversation.

"So," she said softly, breaking the silence, and offering a tentative smile.

"What do you want?" I asked, as I dug into the food, my eyes never leaving her.

Natalia met my gaze, her voice quivering slightly. "First, I want to apologize."

When she said that, I almost choked on my food.

"What happened, the kiss, it was all my fault," she continued, "I shouldn't have crossed that line. If I had known you were mates, I would have never even approached Haden."

Her apology was unexpected, and I found myself stunned into silence. However, I couldn't deny the sincerity in her tone and her apologetic expression. She wasn't the person I had expected her to be, and I would be lying if I said it didn't catch me off guard. I had anticipated her to be resentful and territorial, warning me to stay away from Haden and their seemingly perfect life. I wasn't expecting... this.

So, instead of giving in to the anger, I breathed out and felt a level of understanding simmering within me.

Natalia's eyes darted left to right as she fidgeted with her hands nervously. "I never meant to cause any trouble, especially between you and Haden. There is a level of respect and responsibility between mates and I wouldn't dare come between the bond that the Moon Goddess had joined. She paired you both together for a reason," she added.

My internal struggle was interrupted by a heavy sigh, followed by a bitter smile that tugged at my lips. I couldn't help that my expression softened as I studied her. "Look, I get it. You've got a history with Haden, and he's... well, I don't exactly know what you had. I can't blame you for acting on what you thought was normal. He was the one who found his mate, he was the one who should have set the record straight before you both started locking lips, especially after... no, it doesn't matter now. Instead of updating you, he was focused on himself, and that's the part that has me ticked off. He was so worried about having a rogue as a mate - about screwing up the future he had set out for himself and this pack. Well, guess what, it's his lucky day. Wish granted."