Bullied Mate Of The Lycan Kings
Chapter 72

Lily's POV

"Well, think about that for a while, but I should let you know this since it seems that you can't see it. The only person benefiting from this tragedy, from this self sacrificing decision of yours, from is Mauve." Again, whiplash. Because even though there was a smile dancing on his lips, his words were anything but playful.

And as much as I hated to admit it, Zac was right. I saw the way Ren looked at me. I saw how miserable he had been since I rejected him in the cafeteria. I tried to lie to myself that the decision I made was for the greater good and that at the end of the day, Ren was going to thank me for it but right now, Mauve was the only person who seemed to be enjoying what was going on.

Infact, it looked like she didn't even care about Ren's happiness as long as they were together. She could have left him knowing that he was not happy with her but she did not and she did not look like she was ever going to consider doing that. How delusional can you be, Lily?

I didn't realize that I had tilted backwards when Zac leaned forward to whisper in my ear and when I tried to stand straight, I nearly stumbled backwards and gasped when Zac pulled me up, strong arms around my waist and my head hit his chest. He smelt sweet and tangy like citrus, the fabric of his shirt smooth against my cheek. His heart... his heart was beating abnormally fast, it wasn't even possible to describe it.

"Easy there, tiger." He whispered, dragging a hand through my hair before he steadied me on the ground and when I looked around, I realized that people were staring at us, watching us with sneers on their faces.

I could only imagine what they were saying right now and how compromising this position looked to them. I could already imagine the rumours that would start flying around about Zac and I very soon and it would only hurt Ren more if he heard something like this. Maybe I deserved their scorn and hateful words, I thought as I took a step back from Zac. Maybe it was my punishment for hurting the only person that had been nice to me since the very first day I set my foot on the academy grounds.

Zac must have noticed my drastic change in mood because he tilted my chin up, in a way that gave even me butterflies when I knew that I should be actively hating him. I felt the effect of those pair of dark abysses longer than I should.

"Don't listen to them, okay?" He whispered, "you first, remember? f**k the rest."

Ren had said something like that to me earlier, regardless of how different they looked, they thought alike, and all I could do was nod and allow him to lead me away from the school area into the parking lot.

"Did you replace what you were looking for?" I asked.

He knew what I was talking about immediately. The person responsible for the fiasco today.

He quirked an eyebrow at me. "I told you not to worry your pretty little mind about that, didn't i?"

"You did." At first I had thought that it was Aiden responsible but more and more, it was looking like I had gone and threatened him for no reason. "I just want to know if you'll be handing them over to the school authorities. This is a serious crime after a- Why're you laughing?" I narrowed my eyes as he laughed even harder. "W- what will you do to them?"

"You sure you want to know that?" He said in a voice so low, dark and threatening, a seed of fear germinated in my stomach, taking root in my soul.

No. No, I don't want to know.

Needing something to distract myself, I decided to wonder about why Zac was helping me. I know he said that it wasn't about me, but he was putting a little too much work into ensuring I was safe.

Of all the three best friends, he was the one that confused me the most.

Aiden didn't hide the fact that he was a colossal jerk or that he seemed to derive pleasure in doing a lot of horrible things. My entire body still had goosebumps thinking about the darkness in his eyes when he held my hand and twisted the knife into himself. Ren was the best of the three, at least to me. It was easy to talk to him, to be with him. Perhaps it was because of my feelings for him, but I was certain that even if I was not in love with him, my perception of him would not change. He was gentle and kind. He thought of others before himself. He didn't play games.

But Zac? Zac felt like an onion. The first day I had met him, before he decided that I was someone that he wanted to hated because I looked like the girl that tricked him and hurt him, he gave off a very playful down to earth personality, kind of like how he was acting now. There were times when I saw that he was withdrawn and could pass for a loner, when I had stumbled on him in the club, as if he was unhappy and sad. And then there were times where he was even as intense as Aiden. As wicked and blood thirsty. He was dangerous. I could see myself doing something stupid like trusting him. If I was wise, I would not be allowing him to lead me to where we were going right now.

We were already at his car before I realized that he was not kidding about driving me home. A sleek black Mercedes Benz.

"You were not joking, were you?"I asked when he brought out his car keys and he stopped and turned to look at me with raised eyebrows.

"About what?"

"About driving me home."

Turning around to lean against the car, he folded his arms and crossed his legs.

"I may not look like it, sweetheart but I am a man of my word."

I looked at his relaxed form, his easy confidence. "Well, you don't have to."

"I know that."

"Then why are you helping me? What do you stand to gain from doing this?"

He sighed and unfolded himself, coming to stand before me. He was so close, I could taste his citrus scent on my tongue. I didn't expect it when he took my hair in his hand, curling his finger around my dark locks. "What if I don't want to gain anything? What if I just like being there for you? What then?"

I took a step back, snatching my hair from his grasp and breaking that intense look in his eyes. "Why? What changed?"

He was about to answer when he paused for a few seconds, listening quietly and then, he shook his head with a smirk.

"I know you guys are there." He called out to no one in particular and I was about to ask who he was talking to when two hefty guys came out of another car parked directly opposite Zac's and walked towards us. "Hello Savio, Lucas." Zac said with a smirk and stood to his full height as the two men stopped in front of us.

"Lily, this is Savio and that is Lucas. They are my bodyguards, sworn to shadow my every move and be a royal pain in my a*s. Savio, Lucas, this is Lily, otherwise known as sweetheart."

I rolled my eyes at Zac while the two men chuckled and shook their heads.

"I am not his sweetheart. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Lily." Savio said.

Lucas smirked at Zac as he shook my hand.

"We know you're not his sweetheart, dear girl. The boy's a flirt. He calls everyone babe, even us when he wants something."

"Okay, that's it. Fun's over. Come on, let's get you home." Zac said, opening the door to the passenger seat for me and sticking out a tongue at his bodyguard like a ten year old.

"Bye Lily." Savio waved when Zac closed the door and I watched as he joked around with his bodyguards in a way that told me he was comfortable with them.

It surprised me because I could have sworn that he didn't say more than a few words per day. Just another thing that made Zac Talaverra a confusing individual.

He entered the driver's side of the car and was about to start the ignition when Lucas tapped against his window, making him wind down.

"Are you sure about this?"

"About what? I have a driver's license, you know."

"Not that. You just asked us to not follow you. Or drive you. Are you sure you're fine being alone with her?"

I would have been offended, but I realized that for some reason, that statement did not sound like he was worried about me harming Zac. It sounded like the other way around infact. Zac merely shrugged and gave Lucas a lazy smirk.

"You know how fussy I can get when I'm being hounded, don't you, Lucas? I don't react well to being followed." His tone was easy but I could sense the underlying threat in his voice. And that was the end of the argument.

Lucas nodded and stepped away from the car and Zac looked at me with a cheery smile.

"Let's get you home, sweetheart."