My hands reflexively plant themselves on Zander's chest as he raises my chin with his index finger and stares down at me with eyes so deep and sensual I almost melt, "You've been avoiding me, Fishy."

"I. . ." I wonder what I wanted to say for a nanosecond then continue, "Am not avoiding you."

"Are you not?" Zander's gaze sweeps over my face silently, his fingers now trailing along my chin to my jaw the same way Dilin's had earlier.

Although it felt entirely different when Zander did it. I felt the tiny sparks slither from my jaw and creep upto my neck as his thumb softly rubbed against my cheek and the other fingers swept behind my ear holding my face in place.

Then he lets go altogether and takes a step back. With a little bow, he offers his hand, "Shall we?" He asks gesturing at the new music that flowed through the ballroom.

I stare at his outstretched palm considering whether I really should do this. But then, I let out a sigh and place my hand on his big warm palm. A simple dance wouldn't hurt, would it?

Zander wraps his fingers around my hand and I'm surprised when he raises it above my head twirling me in the process.

When I retreat from the twirl, he pulls me back in such a way that my back is against his chest and his hands on each of my shoulder.

I feel my heart drum at the close proximity and electrifying current slither as Zander's hands slide down the length of my bare arms ever so lazily until we're in that gigantic titanic pose.

"What are we doing?" I ask, a little breathless as he holds me against him as if in a backward embrace with both his arms covering mine as they rest firmly around my midsection.

"Dancing?" He hums resting his chin on my right shoulder and swishing us side-to-side along the music.

"This is a waltz dance?" I ask even though I wasn't complaining whatever dance it is.

There was an odd comfort in the way he held me, the way his arms were wrapped around my body in a protective manner and the way his soft breaths tickled my cheeks once in a while. The music seemed to be just the cherry on top. Something about it felt so romantic, it was weird.

"I suppose not." Zander says and then he's inching back.

One of his hands grasp mine and before I know it, he's twirling me again and this time when he pulls me back to him, it isn't that comforting titanic pose. It's the dancing position with my hands on his shoulders and his on my waist.

"But it is now." He smiles playfully at me.

I stare like a fool before a slow wide smile pulls at my lips, "Right."

Zander doesn't retort for a while. I breach myself to keep it in check when he leans his face closer to mine.

But he doesn't do anything though. All he does is rest his forehead against mine and shut his eyes.

One of his arms raise to hold my face gently while the other loosely stays around my waist still guiding me to the music's rhythm.

When he opens those eyelids though, his grey irises hold a strange emotion of grave hurt, "Why is it a mistake when I touch you and it's not when he does it, Marilla?"

I blink at the raw emotion in his voice, at the little crack in his tone and at the agony among all other reflecting emotions in his eyes.

"It's so confusing for me ever since we came here. I don't understand half the things I'm feeling and not feeling. I feel like I'll go mad with the confusion sometimes. But. . ." He shuts his eyes again and heaves a deep breath, "It feels right when I'm with you."

I open my mouth to say something but then shut it because I have no words to say.

So I just stare as he continues speaking as if letting it all out,

"It feels like I finally have some grip on my emotions. Finally understand what I'm exactly feeling or what I want. Who I actually care for." He flutters open his eyes and holds my face with both his hand.

"I know things are messy right now. I'm with someone I'm not supposed to be and you. . .I don't know if you like him or not. And if you do. . ." The next words seem to take a toll on him, "I'll respect your decision. I would respect who you choose to be with even if it's going to hurt like a bitch and I'm going to burn with jealousy." He lets out a short bitter laugh.

I'm rooted to my spot. I don't know what to say or what to do. Not when he's speaking like that. Not when he's expressing so much all at once. It's not good for my own conscience. It's not good for the decision I made when Layla brokedown that day.

But at that moment, I didn't really seem to care. The decision could wait. Or it could die.

I wanted to hear the end of this. I wanted to feel the heady sensation it created in my system and the chaos it left in its wake.

"Do whatever you wish, Fishy but. . ." He swipes a strand of hair along my face and tucks it behind my ear before staring straight at me, "Just don't avoid me. Please. It hurts you know. I could live with seeing you with someone else but I can't live without seeing you at all."

The gravity of the words makes my heart skip a beat but what he says next makes my head spin in a whooshing way,

"I like you, Marilla. I really really like you. A lot." His grey eyes like the storm on a cloudy day peers right through my soul.

He doesn't wait for my reaction. Something in the way he steps back nervously, something in the way he gives me one last look before leaning in to kiss my forehead with a heartbreaking gentleness, something in the way his eyes don't meet mine when he turns away in a hurry, tells me he's afraid to look at my reaction.

And so I stare as he walks out of the ballroom and away leaving me in an abyss of new feelings I had no idea even existed before.

Gosh, Zander Hellion. You're dangerous for my heart.

*

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Dilin who had been leaning against the outer wall of the ballroom and eavesdropping on each and every word the mates inside conversed, let a satisfied smile pull at his lips.

Well, atleast that didn't go bad. Although. . .

He waited for Zander's silhouette to dissapear within the hallways before speaking,

"You do know I know that you've been here the whole time listening to them, right Layla?" He asked staring at the form hidden within the darkest shadowy corners of the dimly lit hallway.

A normal person wouldn't have noticed even after paying keen attention. She'd blended in way too well. But when was he ever a normal person?

Besides, even if he hadn't noticed her hidden there. He could've still known she was somewhere close by because of the strong waves and waves of emotions erupting out of her.

Dilin frowned when she didn't move and the emotions just got stronger.

Why is it always anger?

He'd been observing Layla the whole last week just like a researcher observes his latest discovery.

Layla wasn't jealous of Marilla.

She was angry at her. There was hatred and anger and. . .pain? The pain was always there but it was so shrouded by the anger and hatred as if Layla intentionally wanted to fill it with those two negative emotions.

He'd felt Layla's anger everytime she saw Marilla smiling, everytime he poked Layla with a new information he found out and generally all the damn time.

Her jealousy though only wrung out when Zander's attention was focused on Marilla. But even then, there was a deep coat of pain and anger covering it. The intensity of it almost blurred away the traces of jealousy.

Dilin's frown grew. It didn't make sense.

All the 'sources' he'd gathered information from had informed him of Layla's jealousy against her sister being the key reason of every mess she'd caused so far.

On the outside, it did look like jealousy. Even a blind would assume that but the feelings she showed on her face and the ones that she actually felt in heart were two entirely different things.

And Dilin would've actually believed the outward feelings if it weren't for him being able to sense emotions.

Layla's feelings were so deep Dilin wondered what the real cause of it was. It couldn't be just her hatred against her sister for taking the throne. Atleast he didn't think one could feel things so intense just because of a petty throne issue. There was something else. . .he was certain about it.

The part of Dilin that craved knowledge and truth was curious. He wanted to know what the actual reason was.

And he knew if he just pressed on her buttons, if he just urged her to feel more of that anger until it overflowed, maybe he'd be able to fish the truth out of her.

Hence he didn't feel a single remorse as he said the words,

"Does it hurt your ego that he likes her over you?" He asked, his words taunting, urging her to feel something revealing other than that constant anger or atleast feel more of it.

But she didn't reply.

Dilin felt a sinking feeling in his chest and he realized it was Layla's feelings again. She felt. . .dejected and heartbroken?

Again the jealousy was next to non-existent.

Dilin pushed himself off the wall and took a step towards the silhouette hiding within the corner still pretending as if she isn't there.

"Your love spell isn't working. How sad, right?" He cooed taking another step.

He chastised himself in his head before continuing to evoke some truth out of her.

His taunting was working. Her emotions were growing stronger. Just a teeny bit and he'd figure out what this mess was all about.

"It's shameful that you were with him for years and yet he forgot about you completely and fell for his mate the moment he spent little time with her." Dilin tsked, feeling horrible for spewing such stupidity when he could clearly feel the hurt she felt but he was so very curious.

Her emotions were heightened now but she remained silent as ever.

For mortal's sake, blurt something! I don't want to do this.

"He just tossed you away." It was the last attempt to poke her and Dilin was about to give up but then something moved. . .

"STOP TALKING!" Layla burst out emerging from the shadows.

Dilin's eyes widened momentarily as he saw the fresh tears running down her cheeks. Her emotions were overflowing. She felt too much together which in return made him feel too much together as well.

The leash she kept on herself was loose now. He could get the truth out of her. . .

He could ask the question he was eager about since a while.

"I'm curious. The centuries between the time after you left Seagill and found shelter in the Black Sea, where were y-"

Layla didn't know why she did it.

She just wanted to make him stop talking. She just wanted him to not bring out that page of her life and she didn't trust herself to not spurt out everything with the anger and pain she felt. And she definitely did not want anyone to find out about that part of her life.

If she'd had a dagger, she'd have plunged it into his chest shunning his words into silence through death and at that moment nothing would've satisfied her more.

But she didn't have a dagger. She didn't have any weapon on her. She didn't have anything on her to save herself from revealing the darkest parts of her.

She didn't want to either. She was feeling way too much and it was never good.

So to stop Dilin from speaking one more word, she pushed him against the wall and slammed her lips on his.

I kinda ship Dilin and Layla....that wasn't even the initial plan please💀✋

Not that I'm complaining.....

Anyways,

Where do you think Layla was at after she left Seagill? Any theories?👀