Page 18

Leo

I look at my phone. The message is crystal clear, but even then, I have to fucking read it a few times. I’m going to be leaving. With Marcel here, I don’t think it’s smart for me to linger. Arrange me a car, or at least let your security know to let me out.’

She is leaving. Just like I fucking wanted…

There is no relief, nor fucking excitement at the fact that she is because once she’s gone, Marcel will have a shit-ton of questions for me to answer, why didn’t I fix stuff with her ‘mate’, and then Corrado will do my fucking head in about why I let her go.

Stop fucking with yourself Leo, you know that isn’t the reason.

I light a cigarette, taking a drag on it as I stare at the phone, slowly letting out a string of smoke. It is for the better that she leaves. Her being here is fucking with me. I text her back that I’ll come to get her, but she asks for an hour in return.

‘Fine.’

I toss the phone onto the desk and place my feet on it, resting back in my chair. Is it really Marcel that is pushing her to leave, or is it because of the kiss between Nikki and me? She hadn’t reacted. Did I want a reaction? Yeah, I fucking did, and she didn’t seem to care, or so I fucking thought until she fucking stabbed me. She had gotten pissed, and I was sure the kiss had been the fucking trigger.

Azura Rayne Westwood…

JUST OVER A DECADE AGO

I walked into the garden of Alejandro Rossi’s mansion, not wanting to see Rayhan the Bastard again. I as damn bored. I wanted to get to the battle to see exactly how strong I was. A chance to unleash it all and not to have to fucking hold back.

This lot takes so fucking long to say goodbye.

Alejandro’s twins were out there playing with the Westwood pup.

“I got the ball, Sky! You are slow!” She teased, sticking her tongue out. Skyla frowned as she ran over, knocking the ball from her hand.

“Not that slow.”

Crazy kids. I glanced over at Kataleya, who was standing there lost in thought. I knew what she had been through. I fucking hated it when people did shit like that to kids. I scanned the area, making sure we were alone, before I walked over and crouched down by her side.

“You know, if you keep on making that face, your lips are going to forever stay fucking down. You might end up looking like your dad, and that’s not a pretty look,” I teased, lightly prodding the corner of her lips. She blinked, coming out of her reverie, and forced a smile as she nodded.

“I’m okay,” she said quickly, almost as if it was an automatic mechanism.

I’m okay. Something I always said to Dad when I was child… the times when he was himself and he worried. I’m fine, I’m okay, I’m great… lies to keep him from feeling burdened.

“It’s alright not to be okay all the fucking time, you know?” I said quietly, like the fucking hypocrite I am. I never took my own fucking advice, always acting like fuck all bothered me.

“Oi, boy!”

I turned to see the Westwood pup standing behind me with her hands on her hips. She was a cute kid with big blue eyes, but I swear she gave me a vibe that told me she was not to be trusted.

“What?” She leaned closer and shielded her mouth with her hand, as if not wanting anyone to hear.

“I can see your smelly knickers,” she whispered loudly, making Skyla laugh manically. I raised an eyebrow. What the fuck are these kids fucking bred on?

“First of all, they ain’t knickers. Second, what the actual fuck?” I asked, standing up and glaring at the pup. She simply shrugged.

“Well, I was only trying to help you,” she retorted, about to pick up the ball when I grabbed it and walked over to the steps, spinning it on a finger. “Give our ball back.”

“Ask nicely.”

“Give it back, knicker boy!”

“I ain’t fucking giving it back now,” I growled, tossing the ball lightly against her forehead. I saw Liam step out into the garden, ready to intervene as I caught the ball with ease.

“That didn’t hurt. Try again,” she challenged, catching the ball and tossing it back at me. Doe she mean it, or is it a threat?

I resisted a smirk, bouncing the ball off her forehead again as lightly as I could. Liam stopped a few feet away, clearly fucking worried for his sister, but to my surprise, he didn’t intervene.

“Zuz-”

“Not now, Liam. I said - again.”

“You sure, pup?”

“I. Said. Again,” she challenged, her chest heaving as she threw the ball back at me. Yup, she was fucking pissed. I wondered what’d happen if I carried on. Would she end up crying?

I kept bouncing the ball lightly off her head, but it was beginning to look a little red. Is no one going to stop me? I didn’t want to stop by myself, that would make me look like a fucking wuss.

“Azura, enough. Come on, let’s go inside,” Liam tried again. Why the fuck is he listening to a kid?

“No, I said again,” she said firmly, her large eyes glaring at me. The little psycho.

I saw Alejandro step out from inside from the corner of my eyes as I raised my eyebrow at the determined kid in front of me.

“Again.” I frowned.

“You’re fucking weird,” I stated coldly, tossing the ball at her head again.

“Again,” she commanded, and this time, I realised she wasn’t even blinking. The first sign of a serial killer.

“This kid’s fucking psychotic,” I remarked.

“Again,” she repeated, making me frown. Okay, no. Her fucking head was red, it was going to bruise if I carried on.

“Nah, I’m bored,” I said carelessly, tossing the ball to the ground and letting it roll away.

“Cut this shit out,” Alejandro growled.

She stared at me for a moment, and for a split second I felt fucking bad. She was going to cry. I hated making kids cry. We stared at one another before she quickly ran after the rolling ball. Maybe not.

“Leo started it,” Skyla chimed in, frowning at me. That little shit.

“Yeah, once. She’s the one who told me to hit her again,” I shot back, taking my lighter from my pocket.

Liam sighed, “Azura is just…”

“A weirdo,” I finished helpfully, pulling out a cigarette.

“I thought you weren’t going to come here?” Alejandro asked me, crossing his arms as Azura returned with the ball. Damn, she was totally okay. Maybe I didn’t need to worry. She walked off, and I shrugged as I looked at Alejandro.

“I changed my mind; I was bored as fuck waiting around,” I replied, placing the cigarette between my lips. I was about to light it, when something hits the back of my head hard, knocking the cigarette from my lips.

I growled menacingly, turning in a flash. Kataleya gasped, and it was the only thing that held me fucking back. As for the little psycho, she simply stared at me, anger clear in her eyes.

“What the fuck was that?” I hissed. Alejandro was next to me in fucking seconds. He doesn’t trust me.

“What the, was what?” The psycho pup shot back, stopping herself from swearing.

My eyes flashed and I felt angry, but more so because of the fact that Alejandro had jumped to my fucking side. Yeah, he’d never trust me, no matter how much he fucking pretended to care, but it was half my fault I guess; I did make Rayhan the Bastard’s pup cry not that long ago, although he was the one I was trying to scare. I turned my attention to the pup, glaring at her.

“The actual fuck? You psychotic -”

“Stupid person!”

“Leo did that to Azura first, Daddy!” Skyla added defensively. Liam picked the deranged pup up protectively, as if she was not a fucking psycho but a precious little shit.

“Put me down!” She screamed.

See?

“Come on, Zuzu, calm down,” Liam tried to soothe her.

“No! He hit me first!”

“But weren’t you saying ‘again, again’?” Liam asked gently, trying to calm his sister, who was struggling to get free.

“I don’t care! Give me the ball!” She shouted.

I stood up, ready to get the fuck out of there. I was done. Alejandro placed a hand on my shoulder as if he thought I was going to attack her or some shit.

“She’s a kid. Are you seriously going to start a fucking fight? Why the fuck were you using her as a target?” He asked, frowning. Once again, he had me fucking wrong. Nothing new there. My eyes blazed a steely blue as I shrugged him off.

“She’s a fucking maniac,” I growled.

“You’re the maniac!” Azura shouted, glaring at me murderously. “Get out of my sight, or I will poke your eyes out and cook them!”

Haha, kid. I wouldn’t mind picking on you a little longer, but I think I’ve fucking overstayed my welcome.

“Azura!” Her brother tried to calm her, unsuccessfully.

“Oh, yeah?” I growled.

“Yeah!”

One thing I learned from back then, and what happened over lunch, was not to trust that fucking calm of hers. The calmer she appears to be, the higher the chance that she isn’t okay. I wish I had the power to read her mind. Does Nikki really bother her to that extent? Or is she just fucking pissed at me for some other shit? Either way, she wants to get out of here, and I am going to show her out. I could have Eric or Emmet show her out, but I just need to see her one last fucking time…

She hasn’t accepted my rejection yet. The pull of the mate bond is so powerful, and I need it fucking gone. I’ll tell her to reject me. I’ll make sure this thing between us is destroyed. Just the thought of it unnerves me for some fucking reason. I run my hand through my spiky hair, trying not to let my thoughts divert elsewhere. Azura and I are never going to work.

An hour passes faster than I anticipate, even though I have done nothing but sit here. I have to go get her. I stand up, feeling the weight of reality sitting on my shoulders.

My phone beeps, and I look at the reminder that crosses the screen. Fuck, has a month passed already?

Slipping my phone into my pocket, I leave my office, only for Nikki to jump up from the sofa. She never disturbs me when I am in my office, my rules that she obeys, but sometimes it just let the dark thoughts consume me freely without a distraction. If it was Azura in her place, she would fucking throw out all the rules I had in place. It would make for one crazy life. How the fuck did the Goddess pair us?

“Leo, are you going out already? You changed?” She looks me over, and I frown.

Obviously, I fucking changed. The psycho fucking stabbed me, and I had blood everywhere.

“Azura is leaving.” Azura … I rolled her name on my tongue. I like how it sounded, even if she is a fucking maniac.

“She’s leaving?” Nikki looks surprised, and maybe a tad fucking happy.

“Yeah. Things didn’t work between her and her mate, so I’ll be showing her out.”

“Thank, Goddess.” She crosses her arms, and I raise an eyebrow.

“Do you have an issue with her?” I ask, taking a drag on my cigarette.

“Not really, she’s a little weird.” Her words irritate me, and I raise an eyebrow.

“Not following the fucking stereotype doesn’t make a person weird.” Fuck, Leo, keep your mouth shut. Nikki looks surprised at my comment as she walks over to me.

“So, are you saying you don’t find her weird?”

“I don’t really have an opinion about her.” I shrug coldly. She nods slowly.

“Okay, whatever. I’ll come with you to bid her farewell.”

I need to talk to Azura alone. I’ll send Nikki off once she has said her goodbye. We have just left the apartment when Corrado and Winona appear at the top of the stairs. Corrado is near tears as Winona struggles to calm him.

“What’s going on?” I ask sharply.

“I want to go to Azura’s!” Corrado frowns. I guess me telling him he couldn’t see her went out the fucking window. They had played together at Marcel’s, and I know he fucking likes her.

“Azura is leaving today. Want to go say goodbye?” Nikki asks him.

“I don’t want her to go,” he whispers, stilling suddenly. Something stirs inside of me as I stare at my son. He has never taken to anyone as he has to her… Why does she have to be one of them?

“Leo, you coming?” Nikki’s voice brings me out of my reverie.

“Yeah.”

“Alpha.” I turn to look at Winona.

“What is it?” I ask.

“Can I bid her farewell, too?”

“Sure. I don’t get why an entire fucking entourage is needed to get rid of one woman, but fine.” A smile crosses her face as she thanks me, waiting for me to go down the stairs first. I reach the bottom only to see Corrado with his arms around Azura’s neck as she crouches on the floor in front of him, hugging him tightly.

“Please don’t leave, Azura.”

“I’m sorry, kiddo. I got to go,” she replies. Her black hair, which had been put up into a sexy bun, is half out, and my fingers itch to brush it back.

“Please.”

As if sensing me watching her, her large blue eyes snap up to meet mine, eyes that are filled with so much fucking emotion that if Corrado’s voice wasn’t enough, the pain and sadness in her eyes are enough to tug at something deep inside of me. I force myself to look away and turn, smoking my cigarette.

“If you’ve packed, let’s fucking leave.”