HERLO: Mutual Hatred

I’d rather jump off a bridge!

What did they expect from me? To be grateful that they were sparing my life? For what? Three months? It was almost laughable, I couldn’t help the sound that came from me. And this snapped Romare’s attention back to me.

“What is so funny, huh?”

Romare was dangerous, so dangerous, a spitting image of danger.

But something had changed inside of me, the realisation that I didn't care anymore.

“I asked you a question!”

I laughed again. “The idea of you thinking I’m going to live for you is what I find funny.”

I refuse to die that pathetically with no shred of dignity left in me. It was better to kill me right then and there, because even as miserable as I was, I would never live for anyone, not someone who clearly hated me.

I chortled to myself again and again and winced, the second Romare snatched me roughly by the chin, his murderous gaze blaring through my skull. “Don’t test me!”

“Or what?”

He crouched closer until his face was close to mine. “Don’t. Test. Me. You might not make it out of here, alive.” That was a lot of threat that even as tough as I was, I’d swallowed, shoving down the desire that was burning inside of me from being so close to him.

I wanted distance or I wasn’t sure what I would do to this man anytime soon. He was like a devil in my eyes, but I didn’t think devils were ever this attractive. Were they?

My head dropped the moment he let go and I breathlessly looked at him, a smile painting my lips. “You can kill me, I don’t care. But you know what I’m not going to do?”

My eyes crossed over to the alpha, and then to my father who was warning me with his gaze to keep my mouth shut. Fuck him! “Live for you, Romare, I would never do that!”

“Don’t you ever speak my na—“

“It’s unfair. I’m not the one who bit me, you did, you marked me, I didn’t force you. And before you keep assuming I trapped you, I was under suppressants, so there is no way I intended to trap you. Hell, I don’t even care about you nor do I want you, so why would I?” I was fuming. “Even if I wanted to trap anyone, it wouldn’t be you, not you, Romare, do you understand that?”

“Herlo!” my father shouted at me. And I shot my gaze over to him. “What?”

He was angry, his body shaking right where he stood. Emilia was no different. This was me putting them in trouble, this was me humiliating them, and I wanted to ask how it felt—I wanted them to tell me how it felt to be humiliated and embarrassed. Did they enjoy it like they’d always expected me to? If they didn’t enjoy it, I sure as hell was enjoying it.

Nothing was more satisfying than that fearful look on their faces, very aware they could be scorned.

“Are you crazy?” Roger forced out.

“What if I am, Dad? Isn’t this what you wanted?” I asked, laughing. “You said I was crazy, everyone thinks I’m crazy, so what’s the problem now?”

“Keep. Your. Mouth. Shut!”

“Make me!” I dared him.

Alpha Elliot’s murdering gaze snapped to me and before I could catch onto it, it vanished as if it was never there in the first place. He took a deep breath and forced a smile at me. “You should be grateful, girl, my son is being as nice as he can, is he not?”

What kind of a stupid question is that? What’s nice about his intention of killing me once he was done with me, I wanted to ask, the words stuck on my tongue, but I didn’t. Instead, I looked at the man right in front of me who was staring into my soul.

There was a fire blazing behind Romare’s green eyes as if he wanted to kill me with his bare hands.

Go ahead. Do it!

As if he could read my mind, he snatched the front of my shirt, jerking me closer. “You little piece of shit.” And he yanked me up to my feet and began to drag me away with him.

I turned to my sister, who was grinning at me as if she knew I wasn't going to make it out alive, and gave her two middle fingers. Shock immediately crossed her face.

Murmurs flew from every corner of the hall and the eyes on me made their thoughts visible. No one was on my side. I should be grateful the Alpha was letting me live for now, they were clearly saying to me.

And it made me want to laugh.

What in any of this was benefiting me?

We stormed through hallways, very far away from the hall until Romare suddenly came to a stop and kicked a white door open. He roughly shoved me inside and the second my butt met the cold marble floor, I backed away, not stopping until my back hit the cream-coloured wall.

I stared at him. “What?”

Romare walked toward me, crouched down in front of me, and leaned in till his face was very much a hair's breadth away from mine.

“I’m trying to decide if you’re stupid or just crazy,” he said. “Which is it, Herlo?”