Chapter 18 - Zoe
To my surprise, given how apprehensive Ezra seemed about the whole thing, I was more comfortable than I imagined.
The two of us were bouncing false tidbits off each other, further pushing our story to his parents, and for the most part, they seemed to be buying it. It was going well, and they came off as very receptive.
Of course, the situation was still strange. On one hand, we were just pretending and doing our best to convince them we were in love, but at the same time, it almost felt like there was an underlying truth beneath it all.
We did have our bond, which was surely working in our favor. So, in a sense, there really was something there, just not in the way they thought.
It was difficult for me to keep track of where the lies ended and the truths began, but despite the strange circumstances, it didn't seem like too much of a problem.
As Ezra talked more about our relationship with his parents, sprinkling in half-truths occasionally, it started to feel real.
It both troubled and excited me since the prospect of us being together seemed less absurd with every passing day.
Looking back, it was almost like Ezra had been so concerned about his parents not budging for no reason. As if he had been so paranoid just for them to end up being completely normal about it all.
The longer it went on, the more relaxed I started to feel about it all.
To be completely honest, it scared me slightly, knowing how at ease I was becoming, all because they were more understanding than either of us expected.
It felt like I was already accepting the role of Ezra's mate and Luna as if there was no room for doubt.
"It's nice to see how enthusiastic you both seem about this," his mother, Ophelia, said with a tight-lipped smile. Despite her other expressions seeming sincere, something about that one almost caught me off-guard.
Dane, his father, leaned back and nodded in agreement. "It seems you've done a lot of growing since the last time we saw you, Ezra. You have a pack of your own, convictions, and even a mate lined up. You've certainly come a long way on your own."
Glancing at Ezra then, I noticed the faintest hint of pride in his features, almost like he had been waiting a long time to hear something like that. After hearing what his parents had been like when he was a kid, I could only imagine that was true.
For good measure, Ezra smiled faintly and placed his hand over mine as he met my gaze for a moment. "It's true...a lot has changed."
There was a moment of silence as we looked at each other, and in that brief period of peace, I could feel our bond pulled between us.
With its presence living within us both, it seemed to swell at the very idea of us accepting it.
Even if we weren't saying it directly, an unspoken understanding was being exchanged. Regardless of our efforts to convince his parents we were legitimate, there was something real, and we both knew it.
I wanted nothing more than to bask in that moment and sit in it longer as that flicker of time seemed to stretch between us.
"But one thing won't be changing," Ophelia said, tearing us both from our momentary reverie.
We glanced over at her, expressions unguarded and curious.
"What's that?" Ezra asked, tone lighter and more trusting than he had been for a while.
Dane cleared his throat and leaned forward a bit. The moment he started speaking, the atmosphere seemed to shift slightly, and a bad feeling washed over me.
That previous optimism fizzled as their neutral expressions became more irritated and determined. Suddenly, it felt like we were in the presence of two completely different people.
"The matter of Kody's daughter," Dane began, tone serious and firm. His eyes shifted to me specifically. "Ezra has already been promised to Nora, and regardless of how ridiculous he's being by convincing himself that any of this will work, he will follow through with this agreement."
That was all it took for the previously friendly facade to crack and crumble. My heart dropped at once as the realization settled into my skin.
From the start, they were never actually considering anything. They were never letting our stories sway them. Instead, they were already set with their decision, and it seemed there was nothing we could do to convince them.
The reality hit me like a punch to the face, and as that weighed on me, knowing they would never actually accept me in the case of it all being real hurt more than I wanted to admit.
I didn't know what to do, and given his speechless reaction, Ezra didn't know either.
Ophelia sighed. "You seem nice and all, dear, but this just won't happen. You should accept that before it's too late."
Her condescending tone set me off. It was enough to get me to my feet, as the house around me seemed to blur, and I lost focus.
I knew then that I didn't need that. I didn't need to feel scrutinized by them.
"Zoe. Wait—"
Catching as Ezra called for me, I ignored it and kept going until I pushed my way out of the house.
The moment the cold air cooled my burning cheeks, ripe with embarrassment, I pressed on and continued walking down the street as the sun began to set, ignoring whatever pack members looked my way.
Many of them had seen me and Ezra together more recently, and they would surely have questions, but in that moment, I didn’t care. If they were bothered enough, they could ask their alpha themselves.
By then, I knew his parents wouldn't change their minds, trick or not.
That wash of shame and hurt felt all too similar to the first time Ezra rejected me, and I couldn't handle it. I couldn't.
Heading straight for Sebastian's house, I didn’t stop. I knew I was in far too deep with Ezra.