Healing Slowly But Surely By R. Joseph 20

Healing Slowly But Surely By R. Joseph 20 Summary

In “Healing Slowly But Surely” by R. Joseph, the story unfolds against a backdrop of emotional turmoil and betrayal among a group of characters. The protagonist, Zevran, grapples with the fallout from his brother Caelum’s reckless actions, specifically a kiss he shared with Leilani, which has led to her being unjustly labeled and ostracized. As tensions rise between Caelum and Kael, Zevran feels trapped in their heated argument, struggling with his own feelings of anger and frustration towards his brothers’ lack of empathy for Leilani’s plight.

The conflict escalates as Caelum reveals his motivations for kissing Leilani, driven by a desire to hurt her in retaliation for her rejection. This self-centered reasoning infuriates Zevran, who is increasingly aware of the emotional damage inflicted upon Leilani. As he confronts his brothers about their cruelty, he becomes acutely aware of the pain they are causing, not only to Leilani but also to Chalice, her sister, who is left to grapple with the consequences of Caelum’s actions.

Zevran’s internal struggle intensifies when he decides to seek out Leilani, feeling a strong pull to ensure her well-being. Upon arriving at her home, he is met with a shocking scene: her room is in disarray, and a pool of blood hints at a violent event. The discovery of a “Certificate of Emancipation” and a note confirming Leilani’s departure leaves Zevran in a state of shock. His heart races as he realizes the gravity of the situation, leading to a frantic search for answers and a sense of urgency to find her.

When Chalice arrives, her panic and sorrow amplify Zevran’s own distress. He feels a sense of responsibility not only for Leilani but also for Chalice, who is devastated by her sister’s disappearance. Their shared grief brings them closer, but it also highlights the complexities of their relationships. Zevran’s resolve to inform his brothers of Leilani’s flight underscores the urgency of the situation, even as Chalice’s fear of losing him too complicates matters. The chapter ends on a tense note, with Zevran reaching out to his brothers for help, setting the stage for further developments in the search for Leilani.

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**Healing Slowly But Surely**
By R. Joseph

The oppressive grey line loomed in the distance, a stark reminder of the tension that hung between us.

Zevran.

“Why did you kiss her?”

I remained silent, my gaze fixed on Kael and Caelum as they launched into a heated argument. I had no intention of stepping into their fray, especially not when my own heart was heavy with the weight of betrayal. I couldn’t bear to look at Caelum, fully aware that he was the one who had initiated that kiss.

That he had kissed Leilani.

And now, she was left to endure the harsh consequences of a crime she had never committed.

She was labeled a whore, a seductress—an insidious thief of her sister’s joy. All of it was Caelum’s doing. All because he couldn’t rein in his reckless emotions at a moment when clarity was paramount.

“I don’t know,” he spat, his voice tight as he lifted his wineglass to his lips. I watched in frustration as he downed his fourth glass in a mere five minutes. “She was just there, and I wanted to hurt her. I wanted to do something that would crush her for daring to ask for a rejection—us—for a rejection…”

“Caelum, that doesn’t change the fact that you—”

“You should have seen the smug look on her face!” he barked, cutting me off. “You should have seen how satisfied she looked when she said it to my face. When she told me she didn’t want to wait a month for the rejection—she wanted it today.”

“And why does that affect you so much?” Kael glared, his expression a twisted mix of anger and disbelief. “It shouldn’t. She’s the reject. The runt. You should have just let her—”

“Because she doesn’t get to win!” Caelum snarled, and I felt my own anger simmering beneath the surface. “She doesn’t get to dictate to me—us. She’s the runt, the one even her family rejected, and we’re Alphas!”

“And that was all you could think of?” Kael shot back, his voice low and gravelly. “That was the only way you could think of to hurt her? Really?”

“Like I said, it was a spur-of-the-moment thing. I wasn’t thinking.”

“Now, all you’ve done is make Chalice see that. You’ve hurt her. Do you even realize what that will do to her?!”

I rolled my eyes, unable to contain my irritation. “Chalice will be just fine.”

“No, she won’t!” Caelum spat, his fury boiling over. “You should have seen how she looked at me. She was hurt… she felt betrayed, and I couldn’t do anything about it. I felt so weak… so useless… so powerless.”

His words struck me like a physical blow, nearly sending me tumbling from my chair. I gritted my teeth, fighting the urge to say something we would all regret. Instead, I simply stared at him and Kael, shock and disbelief coursing through me. How could they be so self-absorbed?

What about Leilani?

“What about Leilani?” My voice was hoarse, teetering on the edge of anger. “What about the innocent girl you just branded a whore?”

At that, Caelum scoffed, while Kael rolled his eyes dismissively. “She was never innocent, and you know it. We all know that she probably even wanted that kiss, given how much she’s doted on us in the past.”

“Exactly. Moreover, it’s unreasonable to use Leilani’s name and the word ‘innocent’ in the same breath. Isn’t she the one who murdered her grandmother?”

“And the one who did that crazy stuff that got us into serious trouble when we were teens?”

“Seems Zevran is forgetting a lot these days,” Caelum smirked, turning to Kael, who chuckled in agreement.

But at that moment, I could no longer bear to listen to their shallow banter or watch as they displayed no remorse for the torment Caelum’s actions would inflict upon Leilani.

I knew I shouldn’t be siding with the treacherous girl over my brothers, but I couldn’t help it.

I was furious. Unreasonably so.

My hands clenched into fists at my sides as I rose to my feet, fixing them with a glare that could burn. Tilting my head slightly, I turned away. “I’m going to bed,” I muttered, my voice low.

“Zevran, it’s only 5:00 PM,” Kael scoffed, but I brushed off his words.

“Yes, I know. But I cannot stand this situation any longer, and that’s more than enough reason for me to retire to my room early today.” I drawled, striding out of Caelum’s room toward mine.

Yet, as I reached my door, an overwhelming urge to see Leilani surged within me, gnawing at my resolve. I slipped out of the house and made my way to hers.

Since Leilani’s father was our beta, they lived practically next door to us—just a mansion away. So she was close by.

I managed to sneak into their house without encountering Chalice, and when I arrived at Leilani’s door, I was taken aback to find it ajar—not just unlocked, but completely torn from its hinges.

Peeking into the room, I froze in place.

The room was a chaotic disaster.

Items lay scattered across the floor, some of her belongings appearing as though they had been intentionally tossed about in a fit of rage.

A small pool of blood caught my eye by her bed, and I didn’t need to step closer to know it was hers. The metallic scent filled my nostrils, and I could feel Mozart, my wolf, thrashing about in distress through our link.

My heart clenched at the thought of what might have transpired here, but what troubled me the most was the question of where she was now.

“If she isn’t here, then where the hell is she?”

I was about to turn away when a piece of paper on her bedside table caught my attention. Amidst the disarray of her room, the neatness of the paper stood out like a beacon.

I approached it slowly, picked it up, and froze once more as the words “CERTIFICATE OF EMANCIPATION” leapt off the page.

My heart raced as I read the contents, my hands growing clammy when I noticed a small, hastily scrawled note beside it.

It was a letter.

Leilani was gone.

G.O.N.E.

My body felt as though it had turned to stone, and in that moment, all I could hear was the frantic thudding of my heart against my ribs, like a bird trapped in a cage, desperate to escape.

Chalice burst into the room seconds later, her eyes widening at the sight before her. She turned to me, panic etched across her features. “What happened here?”

“Isn’t this your house?” I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended. “You should know what happened here, not me.”

“Where’s Leilani?” she pressed, ignoring the bite in my tone. Then, as if a realization struck her, she turned to me. “Why are you here?”

That question caused me to pause, caught off guard.

Why exactly was I here?

What had compelled me to come in search of Leilani?

I forced a smile, though it felt foreign on my face, and replied to Chalice, “I wanted to talk to Leilani about the bond-breaking ritual, but I noticed she’s nowhere to be found.” I pushed the papers into her hands, continuing, “She left this.”

For a moment, Chalice stood frozen, her eyes scanning the papers I had handed her. As she skimmed through the contents, her expression shifted, and tears began to pool in her eyes.

“S-she left?”

“Yes,” I confirmed, my heart sinking deeper.

“Where will she go?” Her voice cracked, breaking under the weight of her sobs. “Why did she do this? Doesn’t she know how dangerous it is out there?”

The more she cried, the heavier my heart felt. Unable to stand by idly, I pulled Chalice into my arms, wanting to offer her some comfort. Deep down, I couldn’t help but agree with my brothers that she was indeed fragile.

I also couldn’t shake the feeling that Leilani was the root of our problems.

She had left, completely unaware of the pain her absence would inflict on her sister. And oblivious to the strange void her departure had carved out within me.

My eyes squeezed shut for a moment as I inhaled deeply, then reluctantly pulled away from Chalice’s embrace. “Let me go inform my brothers about this. Perhaps we can send people to search for her.”

But her grip on me tightened, as if she were subconsciously trying to prevent me from leaving.

“Chalice…” I murmured, wiping away some of the tears streaming down her face. “You need to tell your father about this. Then I’ll—”

“You can mindlink them,” she sobbed stubbornly. “I don’t want you to leave me just yet. Leilani has left me already… and I don’t know what I’ll do if you go too.”

Frustration bubbled within me, but I allowed her to hold me for a moment longer. Then I mindlinked my brothers:

“Come over to Chalice’s!”

“What the hell did that bitch, Leilani, do again this time?” Caelum’s voice echoed in my mind, and I rolled my eyes before replying.

“She fled. We need to look for her.”

The mindlink abruptly went silent, leaving me in the suffocating tension of the moment.

Conclusion

In the aftermath of chaos and betrayal, the emotional landscape has shifted irrevocably for Zevran. The tension that once bound him to his brothers has now frayed, unraveling in the face of Caelum’s reckless actions and the consequences they have wrought upon Leilani. As the realization of her departure sinks in, Zevran grapples with an overwhelming sense of loss, not just for Leilani, but for the fragile bonds within his family that seem to be disintegrating before his eyes. The weight of his anger towards Caelum is now matched by a profound sorrow for Chalice, who is left to navigate the fallout of her sister’s flight. In this moment, Zevran stands at a crossroads, torn between loyalty to his brothers and the undeniable pull of his heart towards the wounded girl who has been cast aside.

As he prepares to take action, the urgency of the situation ignites a new determination within him. The emotional arc that began with betrayal has now transformed into a quest for redemption—not only for Leilani, but also for himself and his fractured family. Zevran’s resolve to find Leilani signifies a shift from passive anger to proactive compassion, as he recognizes that healing cannot begin without confronting the pain that has been inflicted. In this moment of clarity, he understands that true strength lies not in the power of their titles as Alphas, but in the courage to confront their mistakes and mend the wounds they have caused. The journey ahead will be fraught with challenges, but it is a path he is now willing to tread, driven by the hope of healing slowly but surely.

What to Expect in Next Chapter?

In the next chapter, the stakes will rise dramatically as Zevran grapples with the consequences of Leilani’s sudden disappearance. With both his brothers in a state of turmoil and Chalice’s emotional fragility weighing heavily on him, Zevran must navigate the treacherous waters of loyalty and responsibility. As they mobilize to search for Leilani, tensions between the brothers will reach a boiling point, forcing Zevran to confront not only his feelings for Leilani but also the dark undercurrents of their shared past. Will he be able to reconcile his loyalty to his family with his burgeoning feelings for the girl they all seem to scorn?

As the search unfolds, unexpected revelations will come to light, challenging everything Zevran thought he knew about Leilani and the dynamics within their pack. The chaotic aftermath of her departure will force him to question the very nature of their bonds and the implications of their past actions. With danger lurking in the shadows and the threat of external forces closing in, Zevran will be faced with a choice that could alter the course of their lives forever. Will he be able to find Leilani before it’s too late, or will the rift between them widen beyond repair? Prepare for a heart-pounding chapter filled with emotional turmoil, revelations, and the desperate race against time to save a girl who has become the center of Zevran’s world.

Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.

Chosen by None, Feared by All Chapter 20

Healing Slowly But Surely By R. Joseph 20