Zephyr, already a bit lost and a bit sad, simply told them she’d take a look around the grounds, and excused herself. Diaz followed her at a safe distance.
She hated when she got like this sometimes when something completely random would trigger her down a spiral of questioning her self-worth even though she knew it wasn’t real. It felt real.
Walking around the mansion towards the gazebo where people were putting up the frame for the wedding, she took her phone out from her pocket and called the one person with who she could be honest about everything.
“Zee! How was the flight?” Zen’s happy greeting immediately had her heart feeling lighter. Even though she was five years younger, Zenith was her best friend. Since they were kids, they’d had a ritual of snuggling together every night and talking about everything that had happened in their day, from a lame catcalling to a serious crush to bad clients. Now, they did their night routines while chatting. Though it had only been Zephyr doing the sharing in the beginning, over the years Zen had joined in. Now, Zephyr knew she was her sister’s person and vice versa.
“Really good,” Zephyr told her, walking around the hill, her eyes taking in every facet of the mansion.
“Oh no,” she heard her sister mumble. “What happened?”
“Nothing really,” Zephyr felt her lips tremble. “It just… I wish he remembered me sometimes.”
“Oh, honey.” Zen knew exactly how she felt. Zen had been the one who’d looked out for her every time she’d snuck out, the one she’d spilled everything to when she’d returned. Zen knew it all, from the first time she saw him to the last. “Are you sure you want to do this? You can still back out, you know.”
“I have to try,” Zephyr whispered, her chest tight. “He’s different now but I have to try, Zen. I can’t live knowing I found him again and didn’t do anything.”
Zen sighed. “And how’s that going for you?”
Zephyr huffed a laugh. “He wants us to be roommates only.”
Zen was quiet for a moment on the other end. “Then be his roommate. Be the best roommate he’d ever have. You know him, Zee. You know his buttons. Push them, test them. If anyone can make a scary man like that fall in love, it’s you.”
Zephyr sniffled. “This is why you’re my favorite sister,” she declared into the phone and heard Zen chuckle. "I'm your only sister."
They talked for a few minutes, mostly about her mother believing Alpha was the devil’s kin who had brainwashed her, and how she couldn’t ‘wait for him to get out of her life.’ If she did end up separating, she knew one person who would be happy. At least Zen had convinced her father to keep a more open mind. That counted.
Zephyr bid her sister goodbye, her mood still low, and asked a staff member for directions to her room, heading to the guest wing. The sun was setting down, the sky more dark than light, portions of the hill completely submerged in the shadows as she made her way to the building, her eyes taking in the mansion.
Her perusal came to a stop at a large window of some kind of study. Dante and Amara sat with another couple, her husband sitting with his back to her, all having a drink, Amara laughing at something, the fluffy cat napping on the windowsill.
Zephyr stood outside at a slight distance, alone for the first time in a new city of strangers, watching it all. And she didn’t know why but it hurt her. She may have married him, but she wasn’t a part of whatever this group was. She wanted to be.
Stop wallowing,she chided herself. She’d chosen this path, and she knew it wouldn't be easy.
Dante, the only one facing her, looked up and locked eyes with her. She saw him glance at where Alpha sat before looking at her again, something akin to compassion in his dark eyes.
Zephyr gave him a little smile that hopefully looked reassuring, pretending she was completely unbothered, and went on her way to her room, married, miserable, and alone.