Chapter 26 – Zanae
26
ZANAE
N ikolai hung up, turning his attention to me, “Elijah’s in his usual charming mood. Says he’s on his way.”
“Thank you for saving me, Niko.”
“Elijah saved you, and to be honest, I think he would’ve saved you from Death itself.”
He would.
I think he really would save me from anything.
A few minutes later, the door creaked open, revealing a blood-stained Elijah, his deep green eyes finding me in the room right away.
“Look who’s back from the abyss.”
Elijah’s eyes, still intense and cold, softened slightly as they landed on me, “How are you feeling?”
I managed a weak smile, “Better. Thanks to Nikolai.”
His gaze shifted to his friend, gratitude and something akin to pride in his eyes. “Good.”
Nikolai shrugged and smiled.
“Just doing my brotherly duties.”
Elijah sank into a chair; I could see the fatigue etched into every line of his face.
“You took care of him?”
His gaze met mine. Green , so fucking green, so comforting yet deep and mysterious.
“He won’t harm you again, Zanae.”
I nodded, understanding the weight of those words.
He killed him to avenge me. He killed him for me .
“You have literally 7 liters of blood on your shirt, even if the human body only has 6, we can understand that he won’t do anything ever again, Eli.”
I chuckled at Niko’s words. Elijah, although still in his psycho mode, cracked a faint smile.
“Man, you need a shower. You’re practically a walking crime scene, Jesus Christ,” Niko added.
He glanced down at his blood-stained clothes, surprised by the amount of red on him. “Yeah, I need it,” he answered before disappearing into the bathroom, while Nikolai settled back on the couch next to me.
“This psycho, I swear…”
I glanced at him, curious, “Why are you saying that?”
“He’s insane. Mind you, after torturing and killing this man, he tattooed his forehead and sent me a picture.”
Oh . He tattooed his forehead. His forehead.
“What did the tattoo say?”
Niko looked back at me and showed me the picture. On this dead man’s face the tattoo said, ‘ Zanae Delle is mine. -The Devil. ’
Why does it feel so good to be his?
I felt like Lucifer’s prized possession, his damnation, his precious enigma in this infernal world. And the thought of it made me relax. Because I knew the Devil would protect me passionately and treat me like his own hell. And strangely, that attracted me more than the purity of heaven.
“Why does he hate me so much if he’s so protective over me?”
Nikolai sighed, choosing his words carefully, glancing towards the bathroom door, “Elijah’s always been... complicated. It’s not easy for him to let people in.”
“But why?”
“Little Z, you represent the most painful part of his life.”
I furrowed my brow, trying to understand. “What’s in his life that involves me? And don’t get me started on that little surname you always use these days.”
“That’s a story only he can tell. But don’t mistake his actions for indifference. And ‘little Z’ is staying forever.”
“And you know all this because...?”
“Because I’m his best friend, obviously,” he declared proudly.
“Well, thank you for not hating me at least.”
“Oh, I didn’t say I didn’t. I just tolerate you.”
I gasped, placing a hand over my heart, “I’m touched Niko, means a lot to me.”
He smiled and shoved me gently away, “Seriously though, give him some time.”
“I will. He’s— he’s different than I thought.”
“And so are you.”
Our conversation shifted to other topics, like how I looked as white as a ghost when he saw me back there. He even called me Casper, so I just pushed him away. This man had the nerve to add that if it were him, he wouldn’t have noticed my presence in that dark room.
But then the sound of the shower stopped, and Elijah appeared again in the living room.
His short, damp hair falls messily over his forehead, green eyes half-lidded, with steam lingering around him like a burning shadow..
Nikolai laughed, eying his best-friend softly, “Now you look good Eli.”
He did look good.
Elijah shot him a mock glare, but the corners of his lips betrayed his amusement and affection for Niko.
“What did I miss?”
“Just discussing how much Nikolai tolerates me.”
“Lucky you,” he replied, locking eyes with me.
“You’re the lucky one Elijah, the only one I truly adore, my only love.” Niko admitted, with a grin so bright it made us all laugh.
And our eyes locked again.
Forgetting everything around us.
He saved me tonight, and I deeply felt that it wasn’t the first time. It felt innate and instinctive for him to come for me, as if it were something habitual.
His eyes reflected relief, and desire. They mirrored possessiveness and control.
Mine echoed gratitude and curiosity. They emulated the craving I felt when he was on the line.
I gazed at this man like he was exactly what I needed my whole life, like he was the only one bringing back my dead soul to life again. Like he was the only one who could take control of me, even the darkest and most twisted parts.
But Niko caught me. And he just smiled as if he was grateful for me to be more open toward his best friend. He smiled at me because he saw in my gaze that I changed my view on Elijah Volkov. My eyes betrayed vulnerability toward him, and Niko was aware of that change.
After that, he left for the night, kissing my palm softly and hugging his best friend with a smirk, “I’m off now. Don’t kill each other, and maybe try getting some rest for once.”
The room seemed to shrink, leaving only Elijah and me. I tried to unravel what I felt toward the man in front of me.It felt like our connection was just the brutal result of two fractured souls finding that momentary peace in animosity and the darkness of someone else.
It might be more than attraction after all.
I wasn’t even sure about the kind of relationship we shared. I think we moved past the point where he wanted to kill me, but you never know with him.
My skin started to shiver and as I lifted my head, I saw the reason behind it.
Elijah was looking at me, not at my appearance, he was staring at the deepest part of me, and I didn’t feel like hiding anything right now.
“How are you feeling?” He asked, slowly.
How am I feeling?
I don’t know.
I have my knees up to my chest, hugging myself like I need it to survive, and I just look back at him. No words were needed for him to understand how I felt; he had learned to read me. Maybe Elijah pretended too, seeing the truth behind my lies. He suffered as well. I can see it and feel it, and it breaks my heart.
I don’t know why, but it’s painful to know it.
He came closer and lowered his voice even more, “He’s dead Zanae.”
“You know, for the devil, you’re not so bad,” I replied, my voice barely audible.
He raised an eyebrow, amused. “Still sticking to that, Milaya ?”
“It sounds nice. Thanks for not denying it.”
“Well, I’ve been called worse.”
Why was it hurting thinking about the way people treated him? He was the one keeping that reputation, it shouldn’t hurt, and I shouldn’t feel sorry for him.
There was a brief pause, and my patience snapped.
“Elijah, I need to know.”
His gaze intensified, the green turned little by little to black, but he was guarded. “Zanae...”
“I just want to know why.”
His features softened, “It’s not that simple.”
I smiled almost desperately and nodded, “Nothing with you ever is.” Leaning into the sofa, I steadied myself before confessing, “I’m not as fragile as you think. Don’t hold back.”
He was studying me, peeling back layers and layers of lies that defined myself, before replying, “I’ve noticed, Little nightmare. ”
Again. Little nightmare.
Confronting this shattered soul before me, I’m at a loss of words, not knowing where to begin, which piece of him to choose and understand first.
Broken souls connect in ways others can’t grasp. It’s messy, angry, and selfless. But it’s also magical, raw, yet strangely beautiful. Our fractured pieces mirror light onto one another, like broken minds, interacting harmoniously without causing pain, embracing each other gently when they touch, without cutting through.
It’s comforting, in a twisted way, to see beauty in someone who’s struggling, as if it validates our own struggles.
And with him, I see it so clearly. He just gets it, because he’s been there himself. Maybe that’s why it’s been hard with him sometimes; he’s battling his own demons, maybe even harder than I am.
“You can be nice once in a while, you know that right?”
“Nice isn’t really my style,” he said. But then, unexpectedly, I caught a glimpse of it—a real smile. It was such a simple gesture, yet from him, it felt surprising. And aimed at me? It was a miracle.
With my heart racing, I edged closer to him, whispering, “Then surprise me.”
Our faces nearly touched, the air between us melted into a burning anticipation, and I could feel his struggle, his need for this simple contact, one breathe away from tasting it.
Just one .
His eyes locked on mine, but for a fleeting moment, they flickered down to my lips before he exhaled heavily, still sounding strangely breathless. “I’m trying to control myself here, Zanae. If I let go, I wouldn’t know how to stop myself from devouring every part of you.”
“Don’t stop yourself.” The words escaped my lips before I could second-guess them.
And in that instant, something shifted in his gaze.
Something unstoppable sparked between us, that deadly, intense tornado reaching a point where we couldn’t contain the chaos and devastation any longer.
His lips met mine in a tender, tentative kiss, his upper lip brushing against mine slowly, in something similar to a delicate wave.
In that moment, I could feel him – every contour of his lips, the warmth of his breath against my skin, the softness of his features under my hands.
But it wasn’t just his lips; his long fingers traced the curve of my cheek, then my nape.
He was touching my neck, and for the first time, it didn’t trigger anything.
I just felt him , not anyone else.
There was no noise in my head, only the sound of his breathing and his heart, in sync with mine, in sync with his nemesis.
His kiss was gentle yet hungry, filled with things we couldn’t put into words.
“Tell me to leave you alone,” he begged, his breath shaky as he pulled away.
“Please stay.”
With those words, I kissed him back, my hands finding the back of his neck. His skin was warm, smooth, and so responsive to my touch.
He inhaled, I exhaled.
There was a silent pact in the air, a mutual understanding of the gravity of this moment.
He kissed me, and I kissed him back.
He saw me, when I couldn’t even look at my reflection.
He found me, when I wanted to disappear.
I wanted to thank him for this, for tonight, for making me feel seen when I thought people were blind to my pain.
But the words got lost in my head. Instead, I closed my eyes and rested my forehead against his.
He placed my hand back on his neck, breathless but so demanding, his voice a whisper of desire.
“Again, Zanae,” he urged.
And I complied, leaning in to kiss him once more.
Our lips met in perfect harmony, passionately melting on each other, as if they were meant to be.
His lips were hot against mine, igniting a fire within me that I couldn’t contain, I was burning, entirely. It wasn’t just good – it was exhilarating, leaving trails of euphoria in my veins, ecstasy coursing through my blood.
I hesitated but pulled away from him.
“You killed him tonight; you took that little darkness from me and made it yours. You have a part of my own demons in you now, Elijah. He deserved everything?—”
My voice faltered, and Elijah reached out to gently cup my face, “Don’t finish this sentence, Zanae. Give me a reason to keep my distance from you.”
Say it, Z, say it.
“You made my world a little safer tonight.”
His expression darkened as brushed a strand of hair from my face, his touch surprisingly gentle in contrast to his eyes.
“If I could, I’ll take everything that’s dark in your heart and make it mine.”
Quietly, my eyes closed letting me remember what the feeling was when I saw them that night and added, “You stopped one of my nightmares, it’s already enough.”
His jaw tightened. “He won’t come back this time, and I promise you they’re all going to pay for this. They took something from you that day, and for that I’ll take everything they have.”
“I can handle it.”
“I don’t want you to waste your soul. I can do this for you.”
Am I dreaming or is it really the same Elijah who tried to choke me to death and even planted a knife on my chest?
“For now, let me take care of you.”
Let him take care of you, Zee.
You deserve it
Guiding me to the bathroom, he began running a bath, careful not to make me feel rushed or pressured.
I hesitated before taking my shirt off.
“Are you going to bathe me, Mister Volkov?”
His eyes were burning, his voice almost inaudible, “I am.”
I slowly eased out of my dirty clothes under his eyes, the green deepened in these irises.
I felt comfortable enough to be naked in front of that man. It wasn’t simple for me to reveal my scarred body, but with him, everything felt right, even the wrongs.