Chapter 0434 , We walk side by side and head down the winding stairs, only to spot Atticus waiting at the bottom of the stairs, pacing restlessly. , “We’re not late, are we?” Valerie asks. , “No, not at all,” he answers, glancing behind us before he turns and leads the way out of the front doors and takes a left, where I can see there’s a smaller side building. , “Has Zaia arrived?” Valerie asks Atticus. , “She has, about twenty minutes ago.” He now turns and smiles at Valerie. He seems a little more relaxed than he was moments earlier. , What’s his issue? Is it because he’s housing me? Or is this meeting stressing him the ** out? If it’s the first issue, I would willingly stay elsewhere. , “Great, and Sebastian, he’s here too, isn’t he?” , “Yes, he is the head of the council, but we can both agree he wouldn’t allow Zaia to come here without him. He’s insecure,” his whispered words are full of mockery, making Valerie , smile. , “You two still at it, it means? Why am I not surprised.” She shakes her head and looks at me. “Atticus and Sebastian don’t see eye to eye.” , “And why is that?” I ask, not interested in them, but always willing to hear my Little Mate talking. , Valerie glances at Atticus. ‘Loving the same woman is hard.‘, Zaia? , Really? , ‘She’s Sebastian’s fated though, right?” , ‘Well, yes. , ‘So really, your brother should back the ** out.‘ , ‘It’s a long story that I will fill you in on tonight.‘ Valerie’s eyes meet mine. , ‘I look forward to it.‘ I pull her close for a second, squeezing her waist. For her, I’d listen to anything she wants to tell me. Watching her and hearing her voice is more than just , 15 BONUS , soothing. I kiss her forehead, relishing the feel of her skin against my lips. , I **ing love her. , As we approach that building, I can hear the hum of talking, but the moment we step into what is clearly a hall used for business, it goes silent. , There are at least thirty men and women there. Every man is in a suit or, like Atticus, in pants and shirts. I’m the only one here dressed down, but I don’t really care, as long as they pay attention. , All eyes are on us, and no one speaks until a certain redhead steps forward. , “Valerie…” Zaia’s vibrant redhead doesn’t go unnoticed as she hurries around the people * standing around and comes over to us., The entire hall has fallen so silent that I can hear them breathe in this quietness. The uneasy tension settling amongst them is also glaringly obvious. , “Zaia!” Valerie steps forward, closing the gap between them as she hugs her. Zaia smiles, hugging her back, but her eyes are trained on me. , I smoothly look away after a moment, my time as their prisoner rushes back and as much as I dealt with it, it isn’t a memory I will ever forget. , “I missed you,” Zaia whispers. “How are you both?” , Valerie doesn’t reply and I can feel their eyes on me, and I turn to them, not missing how their hearts are racing, waiting for an answer. , What do they want from me? , “Good,” I reply. That’s the best they’re getting. , “Good to hear… I’m so happy for you both,” Zaia says softly, as she takes Valerie’s hand and smiles at me. , I hear a cold, deep scoff and know exactly who that **ing voice belongs to. My eyes turn cold as I look at the dark–haired man who stands near the table, his eyes glimmering icily, his hand far too tight on the glass he’s holding. , Sebastian King. , Our eyes meet and there’s nothing but hatred in his eyes, and I match it with my own hostility. , Traitor., Because of him, I lost a lot, regardless of what his plan was… , 15 BONUS , “Umm, shall we take a seat?” Valerie suggests as Zaia instantly returns to her mate, sensing the rising tension. , “It’s him.” , “The Sable member…” , “He’s here… I can’t believe he’s not in chains…” , So quiet, yet loud enough that I could hear. As if they had some sort of protection here… Delusional… I doubt any of them would say that if we were alone., Search the website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.