Chapter 111: Did You Know?

Chapter 111: Chapter 111: Did You Know? The room was simple but clean, with a large bed flush against the wall and minimal furniture. Lily stood awkwardly by the door, watching as Zayn paced the small space like a caged animal. “We should leave at first light,” he muttered, more to himself than to her. “I don’t trust Hunter.” Lily nodded, then signed, ‘You did well today. Not punching Hunter in the face, I mean.’ A ghost of a smile crossed Zayn’s face. “Don’t tempt me. The night’s still young.” She smiled back, relieved to see the tension easing from his shoulders. When he’d hugged her earlier, she’d felt something. Her heart raced, and her skin tingled where he’d held her. “Let’s get some sleep,” Zayn said as he stretched his arms over his head. Lily could not help but glance at the singular bed, then back at Zayn. ‘I can sleep on the floor,’ she offered. “Nonsense,” He said gruffly, “We can share it. It’s not like... It’s not like we’ve never done it before.” His eyes darkened slightly as they swept over her, and Lily felt heat rise to her cheeks. She nodded quickly and moved to the opposite side of the bed. They undressed with their backs to each other. Lily slipped under the covers in her underclothes. The mattress dipped as Zayn joined her, his body heat immediately warming the small space between them. They faced eachother, breathing synchronised in seconds. Lily didn’t move or turn, nor did Zayn. This was the closest they’d been in a while. Lily gently pulled the covers a little higher, unsure of what to do. Zayn looked conflicted. He clenched his jaw, lips pressed together. He wanted to say something, but no words left his lips. Eventually, he gave up. “Goodnight, Lily,” he murmured. He turned over to face the wall, pulled the covers over him, and closed his eyes. But his mind could not quieten down. He steadied his breathing, trying to let fatigue and sleep take over, but it was hopeless. Lily wanted to say something too. But she didn’t know what to say either. In defeat, she squinted her eyes close. Her last thought before sleep claimed her was of Zayn’s arms around her earlier that day, and how safe she had felt in that brief moment. The next day, Hunter saw them off. As soon as they emerged from the underground staircase, Lily breathed in deeply. The morning forest air filled her lungs. “Don’t forget our deal, Luna Lily, Alpha Zayn,” Hunter said when he waved them goodbye. Lily knew exactly what he meant. She still had the coin he’d given in her pocket. She glanced at Zayn, lips pursed, wondering if she should tell him. “Let’s go,” Zayn instructed the group as he shifted into his wolf form. The journey home was uneventful. When they crossed the pack border, all of them sensed it. News of their return spread through the pack quickly. When they arrived at the packhouse, Ezra was there to greet them. He was smiling. A rare sight. Ezra walked up to greet Zayn as he shifted back into his human form. “How did it go?” He asked eagerly. Zayn clasped his Beta’s shoulder with a rare smile. “We secured rations for winter. Four months’ worth.” Ezra’s eyes widened. “That’s excellent news! More than we hoped for!” Zayn nodded, “How did negotiations go?” Ezra’s chest swelled with pride, “It went smoothly. They’ve agreed to trade with us.” Lily lit up at the news. ‘That’s perfect!’ She signed, sharing in their joy. A familiar figure rushed past them. Even Zayn didn’t have time to respond. Lily felt herself being enveloped in a warm embrace. She recognized the scent immediately. It was Talia! “Lily! I’ve missed you,” Talia said, pulling back to look at her face. “You look better than when I left. Stronger.” Lily beamed, signing quickly, ‘I missed you too! When did you get back?’ “Yesterday,” Talia replied. Then her eyes shifted to Zayn, and Lily noticed how he seemed to tense slightly. Lily tugged on Talia’s arm to get her attention. ‘Let’s catch up. I would love to know where you’ve been,’ Lily signed with a small smile. “Sure! But let me speak to Zayn first. I’ll catch up with you after.” Talia didn’t give Lily any time to protest. She turned to Zayn. “I need to speak with you in private, Alpha Zayn.” Her voice dropped an octave. There was a certain darkness in her voice. It made Lily’s skin crawl. She had never heard Talia speak like this to Zayn before. She wondered if something had happened. Zayn nodded curtly. “Of course.” He turned to Lily, casually placing a hand on her shoulder. “You should rest. It’s been a long journey.” Lily hesitated, curious about what Talia wanted to discuss, but agreed. She noticed the way Talia looked at Zayn when he touched her arm. For a split second, she looked as though she was ready to pounce on him. “Come, Luna Lily, I’ll prepare a nice warm bath for you,” Martha said as she and Ragnar ushered Lily away. With both of them pushing her along, Lily couldn’t stay. She glanced back, watching as Zayn led Talia towards his office. Zayn, Talia, and Ezra walked in silence through the packhouse. The moment they parted ways with Lily and the others, the atmosphere grew more tense by the second. When they reached the office, Zayn and Talia walked in first. As soon as Ezra closed the door behind them, Talia slapped Zayn across the face. “What the hell were you thinking?!” Talia roared in anger, face red. The calm demeanour she had put on completely disappeared, replaced with rage. “Is that why you asked me to leave in such a hurry? Were you worried I’d take her away after what you did?!” Talia hissed. Ezra immediately inserted himself between them, trying to diffuse the situation. “Talia, you–” “I wasn’t talking to you,” she snapped, forcing Ezra to retreat. She turned back to Zayn, “How could you, Zayn. After everything... after everything you went through, your people went through. I thought you were different. But you...” She couldn’t bring herself to finish her words. She cursed under her breath as she slammed her fist down on the table. Zayn clenched his jaw. Emotions he had kept locked away bubbled back to the surface. “Do you know what she did?” He asked solemnly. Talia massaged her temples, “Of course I do! I dug up every piece of information I could get my hands on. Imagine my horror when I heard from the Ryker, Axel, and Jett their version of events.” “What were you mad about, Zayn? That she buried my sister and my nephew on our behalf and didn’t give you the chance to do so?” “She wanted to replace them.” “What?” Talia asked in disbelief. Zayn’s expression was dark. He walked up to Talia, “She moved their remains without permission. She was trying to erase their existence like it didn’t fucking matter!” Color drained from Talia’s face. “That... that’s what you thought?” “Yes.” “Really?” “...” Zayn hesitated. Talia looked into Zayn’s eyes. She could see that he was beginning to question his resolve. She pressed further. “Think about it carefully, Zayn. Based on what we both know about Lily, do you think she would do that?” Zayn looked away, his jaw clenched tight. Talia was right. Zayn slumped into his chair. “Did you even question the three warriors you assigned to her? Ryker, Axel, and Jett. The three who helped her?” He didn’t. He was so angry at the time, he did not bother to check the facts. He’d believed his version of events and passed judgment. “Zayn, she didn’t just give your mate and child a proper burial. Together with the three warriors, they exhumed all the remains in the mass grave and gave every wolf a proper burial.” “Lily isn’t the enemy, Zayn. She never was.” “I know,” Zayn admitted quietly, “I will not excuse my own decisions. It won’t happen again.” Talia sighed, “Good. Because if anything like this happens again, I won’t hesitate to take her away from here.” Zayn nodded, “I want the same. Promise me, Talia. If it ever reaches that stage again, take her and leave. Take her far away from me.” The sincerity in his voice surprised both Talia and Ezra. They exchanged glances, neither expecting this admission from Zayn. After a moment of silence, Talia nodded. “You have my word.” The tension in the room eased a little. But Talia wasn’t done. “There’s something else I wanted to discuss with you.” She moved to sit in one of the chairs facing Zayn’s desk. “What is it?” Zayn asked. “I found the person I’ve been looking for. She’s confident in helping you and Lily conceive an heir.” “That’s wonderful news!” Ezra exclaimed. Zayn lit up too. There was hope for them. “She’ll arrive tonight,” Talia continued. “And she has a request which I had agreed to on your behalf.” “What request?” “She doesn’t want to be housed in the packhouse, which was my original suggestion. She wanted to stay deeper in the forest, away from other packhouses.” Zayn creased his brows. It was an unusual request. “Granted.” “Perfect, I’ve already made the arrangement accordingly. I knew you wouldn’t object to it,” Talia explained as she relaxed in her seat. “Bring them to me as soon as they are settled,” Zayn added. Talia nodded, “Will do.” “I should go check on Lily,” She said, rising from her seat. “She looked tired from your journey.” As she reached the door, Zayn called after her. “Talia?” She turned, one eyebrow raised. “Thank you,” he said quietly. “For caring about her.” Talia gave him a small smile of acknowledgement. After she left, Ezra turned to Zayn. “This mysterious healer... do you think they can really help?” “For the sake of our pack, I hope so,” Zayn replied, staring out the window at the setting sun.