Twenty Three
~Devina's POV~
It feels like with me and Zane's relationship, we take two steps forward and one step back.
Right now, I'm currently sleeping in my own bed.
Still at his house, but in my own room. He begged me to sleep with him, actually sleep, but I said no.
Who knows when he might just pick up and leave?
When morning came, I got out of bed. Making my way downstairs I froze when I saw Zane sitting on the couch.
"Is that it?" He asked, not even turning around to look at me. "Are we done?" I flinched and took a step back.
"You want to break up?" My voice cracked, not able to conceal the hurt.
He leaned forward and rubbed his face with his hands.
"I-um I have to get to school." A tear escaped down my cheek but I was already up the stairs and in my room so he couldn't see.
I quickly got dressed and slung my backpack over my shoulder.
"Devina wait-" Zane tried to stop me at the door but I pushed past him.
"I won't be home until eight," I mumbled but he grabbed my arm and pulled me back.
"Why? Devina just talk to me!" I turned around and slapped him. I'm not one to physically hurt people I swear, in fact after I did it, both our eyes widened and I shook my head.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" He cracked a smile as he ran his fingers over the now red mark.
"If I knew telling you to talk to me pissed you off so much I wouldn't have said that." I faintly smiled then turned back towards the door when Ashton honked his horn. "What are you doing after school?"
"I got a job." He frowned and let go of my arm.
"I told you, you don't need a job, Sunshine." I rolled my eyes. "And if he gets to pick you up, then I'm taking you to school." I sighed and motioned Ashton to go.
"I know what you told me. I was there, but I can't just rely on you for the rest of my life." I said as we walked to the car. "Especially not since you want to break up with me." I added as he backed out of the driveway.
"What? No, I don't want to break up with you." I scoffed and looked out the window.
"Seriously Zane. I don't want to be strung along. I'm a big girl, I can handle it." He frowned while looking over at me.
"Well, I can't Devina. I told you, I'm nothing without you." Finally, we pulled up to the school and I opened the door.
"What about this morning huh? When you asked me if we were done?"
"Hey Alpha." An annoyingly familiar voice spoke.
"Ben." Zane acknowledged him but kept his green eyes on me.
"Come on Devie let's get to class!" Ben slung an arm around me making me freeze. Zane furrowed his brows and analyzed my expression.
"Y-yeah." I walked with him to the school building leaving Zane in confusion.
"You little whore," Ben spoke as he pushed me into an empty bathroom.
"Ben don't-" He didn't even let me finish what I had to say before he punched me in the stomach.
"Don't worry, that'll be easy to cover up. Maybe not for you though, you'd have to keep your clothes on." I fell to the floor as he threw another punch to my ribs. He punched me again and again until I finally snapped.
"STOP!" I screamed and he went flying across the room, just like when I was possessed. My eyes widened as I heard my name being called and faded into darkness.
"Sunshine. Come back to me now." I opened my eyes to find Zane sitting in front of me.
"It's happening again! Zane, you have to get it out!" He shook his head and looked over at Ben who's eyes were wide in fear.
"That was you, Devina." He smiled making me frown in confusion.
"You're scaring me, Zane." He just grinned even bigger and helped me off the ground.
"You're a werewolf." My eyes widened and I shook my head.
"No. That's not possible. That's not true. Tell me that isn't true!" Zane just laughed and looked me over.
"It's true. And I like you better now. You're strong, like me."
"Devina!" I heard my name being called. "What the hell did you do to her!
?" I heard Zane yell, bringing me back to reality.
My eyes fluttered open and instead of seeing Zane kneeled down in front of me and Ben whimpering in the corner, Zane was pinning Ben up against the wall while
Ben had an evil grin on his face. He was looking directly at me.
"Zane," I weakly whispered but he was too caught up in his own thoughts and anger to hear me.
I tried again but I'm wasn't strong enough.
I closed my eyes as I thought of my dream if I could even call it that.
Is my self-consciousness trying to tell me something?
The fear I felt when Zane told me what he thought I was, was undeniable.
That's the last thing I want. "Stop Zane," I said louder now, he turned around and searched my body for any new wounds.
"Don't kill him. For me." He nodded and let Ben fall to the floor, hurrying back towards me.
"Are you okay?" He finally asked. "No, you stay right there!" He yelled over his shoulder at Ben who was trying to leave the bathroom. Ben froze and Zane turned back towards me.
"I'm fine. Just let him go, Zane." He smirked and helped me up off of the ground.
"Oh, I will." Once he was sure that I was stable he grabbed my hand and walked us towards Ben.
"You are banished from The Crescent Moon pack.
Come back and you will die." Ben glared at me and stomped out of the bathroom.
"Let's go home." He said as he pulled me onto his chest. Once we were in his car, it was pretty awkward.
Halfway home I unbuckled my seatbelt. "Devina put your seatbelt back on. "
"Stop the car." Zane looked at me like I was crazy. "I said stop the fucking car, Zane!" I screamed making his eyes widen. He nodded and pulled over on the side of a cliff. I opened my car door and walked to the very edge.
"Devina, let's get away from there." Zane slowly approached me like I was going to jump any second now. I turned around and looked at him.
"You have to promise me something, Zane." He kept walking towards me but I took a step back.
"Devina be careful!" I looked behind me and noticed there were still a few feet between me and the edge.
"I'm not going to kill myself." I rolled my eyes.
"What's wrong then?" He asked. I took in a deep breath as a tear escaped my eye, trailing down my cheek and landing in the grass.
"You have to promise me," I hiccuped then continued.
"That if anything ever happens, you can't turn me.
" His eyebrows furrowed. "You can't turn me into a werewolf.
Promise me that if I were to die you won't turn me.
" Zane swallowed and looked at me. "Promise me, Zane!
" A stray tear fell from his eye too, making its way down to the earth.
A promise isn't a binding ritual, you can't make people keep promises and most of the time, they don't. But there's still some sort of relief in hearing them promise.
Like a sick person being told they still have a few months to live.
What matters is that they still have time to live, not how much.
What matters to me, is that he promises and does his best to keep that promise.
"Devina I can't do that. I can't lose you." He took another step forward but I stopped him with my hands.
"Please Zane. I don't want that. If I die then it's my time okay?
Just promise me, please." He nodded and pulled me into his arms, our tears combing into one.
We always seem to make mistakes in our relationship, falling over the hurdles.
But we get back up. We take steps forward and take steps back.
But maybe that's just love. Two steps forward, one step back.
"I promise."