Fated To My Lycan Stepbrothers
Chapter 64

"She is an elder. She can see through anything." Zeke sighed. He was getting back to his usual self. "I think this was one of the things my father feared. How to keep the elders in check. I don't know how he did that."

I cleared my throat. He may have forgotten something. I was an elder, or at least that was what Elder Rosalie told me. "She said I am an elder, Zeke. Doesn't it sound strange to you?" I felt that repeating it was the right thing to do. In a way, he was avoiding the question. "It doesn't. What sounds strange to me is the fact that you are ashamed of us." He sounded hurt, and I didn't like it. I should be the one hurt.

"Well, you were the one who refused to talk to me. Kyle included." The embarrassment I thought was gone was beginning to creep up on me.

"I didn't refuse to talk to you because I was ashamed," Zeke shot back, his voice carrying a tinge of irritation. "I don't know about Kyle, but I stayed away because I thought it was the right thing to do. I am tired, Naya."

I swallowed hard. "Tired of what? We just had s*x."

"That's the problem. You attach a lot of conditions to a night. What do you expect me to do after you are gone by morning? You made it look as if you were a slut."

Ouch. "I thought we were getting somewhere. I know you don't mean those words. I thought we were getting somewhere." I wanted to say more, but it was just too hard to say. "You just told me I don't have to hide anything." Remember when I said he was unpredictable? Yeah, add an a*****e to it. He was an a*****e who didn't care about anyone's feelings but himself.

"I am an Alpha who will be turning eighteen in a few weeks time. My emotions are erratic and restless. I am sorry if I found solace in you, but you are making it a big deal." He gritted his teeth angrily.

No one was here to hear us argue like old couples. We were going back and forth on the same conversation because we were cowards. We have refused to be honest with ourselves. I loved Zeke and Kyle. I was hiding from that fact because I had just slept with the both of them a few weeks before their mate ritual. I knew I was such a terrible person. I tried to hide behind the fact that Elder Rosalie knew about my feelings. In fact, I told her everything. The guilt was eating me out, and all I needed was Zeke to comfort me and tell me he didn't mean it this way.

That's all.

"You're an elder now, and you have responsibilities. I didn't want to distract you from your duties."

"Aren't you wondering how I became an elder, or is that such an insignificant piece of the puzzle to you?" I scoffed. "Many would go ballistic if they heard this. There will be jealousy, striving, and even war. Are you sure you want me to do this by myself? It is not just a duty, Zeke. It's a burden. A burden that I wanted to share with you." I clenched my fists, struggling to control my rising frustration. The worst part of it all? His face was expressionless. It was as if my words weren't penetrating him. What I said was true. I can't even imagine the shock and surprise when people who have always bullied me hear that I am an elder. Hell, Zeke and Kyle would not comprehend the commotion this has brought upon the pack. I was an omega with the strange powers of an elder. It would question my mother and even bring danger to me. Just like the monster attack. I was in worse trouble than I thought. Zeke was ignoring me for a reason. It wasn't because I was an elder. It was because he knew something I didn't. Besides, he wasn't even surprised when I told him the news. He seemed curious, even, but that emotion disappeared before I had the chance to analyze it. I won't let him get away from this.

"Did you think ignoring me was the way to go? You didn't even bother explaining anything. I was left in the dark, Zeke."

Then I saw it. The emotions I have been looking for. He ran a hand through his hair; his expression was conflicted. "I didn't want to burden you with this. This is a new replaceing. I am glad you have these powers. The Elder world is complex, and I don't want to overwhelm you. Besides, there are things I can't tell you, things that are better left unsaid." He was speaking in f*****g riddles. Zeke Storm, what is your problem? Why can't I understand you? What are you hiding from me? You have become Alpha now, and it was almost impossible to penetrate you.

I huffed, the pent-up feelings of confusion and hurt bubbling to the surface. "And why not? What could be so secretive that you can't trust me with it?"

Zeke's gaze hardened, and for a moment, he seemed almost distant. "You want to know the truth? Fine. It's not about being ashamed, and it's not about secrecy. It's about a lot of things you wouldn't understand, and it's about protecting you." There he goes again. This was the reason we couldn't work it out the first time.

I locked my dry lips. "Look, if it was about the s*x... I didn't intend for Kyle to join us. He may be very upset.

"Shut the f**k up, Naya, and listen." He was really angry now. "Just listen, and for once, don't overreact. I don't want your wolf coming out and reminding me of the tough times I had with you." He took a deep breath, as if to calm himself down. "Flame is nearly at the surface, and if I were you, I wouldn't provoke him."

His words cut deep, but I waved his words to the side. "Flame is fine with Naya." We have been speaking gibberish and arguing a lot. It was time to move forward. "What are you protecting me from? Is that why you acted so cold? For the record, I am an Omega. I couldn't bear the thought of sleeping in Alpha's bedroom. I was ashamed of myself and felt guilty for absolutely nothing. It's my right to overreact because I don't have control over my emotions sometimes. This is me opening up to you, Zeke. So tell me... what are you protecting me from?" I really needed to know because he was acting too much like a damn mystery man. I hate it.

He sighed heavily. "No, not from me. From something much bigger than both of us. My father's death came at a price. My coronation." His voice went deeper. "You have no idea what it means to take responsibility. To be an elder or even an alpha. It changes people. It's not just about power and age. It's about responsibility and sacrifice."

He wasn't answering my damn questions!

I shook my head, my frustration boiling over. "You don't get it, do you? I don't care about all of that." I care about you. I wanted to say it, but that would be pushing my luck. We don't even know what we are to each other yet. Zeke's gaze softened slightly, but his stubbornness remained. "And that's exactly the problem. You shouldn't care about me. You should be focused on your new role as an elder."

"New role?" Tears welled up in my eyes as anger swirled within me. "Why are you doing this, Zeke? Why are you destroying the little fence around us?"

He looked at me, his eyes holding an emotion that I couldn't decipher. "Because there's something you need to realize. Being an elder is not the problem here. The problem is that we haven't come to terms with our own feelings." I blinked, taken aback by his statement. "Our feelings?"

He nodded slowly. "Yes, our feelings. You're afraid to let me go to my mate, and I'm afraid to admit who my mate is."

My heart pounded in my chest, and I struggled to replace the right words. "Zeke, I-"

He held up a hand, cutting me off. "No, let me finish. I can't tell you who my mate is. That's not something I can reveal. But I can tell you about a friend and who she was before she became an elder."

He wasn't about to talk about me. was he? I swallowed hard, my heart racing with a mix of anxiety and anticipation. "Who was she?"

Zeke's gaze bore into mine, and there was something in his eyes that I couldn't quite grasp. "She was someone who once meant a great deal to me. And she's someone I still care about, even if it's in a different way now."

My mind raced, trying to process his words. "I don't understand. Are you saying that...?

He interrupted me again, a faint smile playing on his lips. He looked really tired. Just a day, and the workload on him was bittersweet. He needed someone. Maybe I am not that person. "Don't overthink it. Just know that I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere." As much as his words provided a sense of comfort, they also left me with a lingering sense of unease. There was something beneath the surface, something he wasn't saying. And as much as he tried to hide it, I could sense the shock he felt at the revelation I had just told him. He was a jerk.

But I love him anyway.