Chapter 5 The Deal Is Off

• Laura's pov
• Julian's eyes searched into mine, his breath quickened as he waited for my reply.
• I was confused. What exactly was he waiting for? My death should make him happy, yet he looked worked up, why?
• Julian kept me on a rollercoaster of emotions. I just didn't understand him anymore. Sometimes, it seemed like he cared, yet the rest of the time, he hated me, like I was a walking plague, a fatal error he had made in his life.
• "Answer me, Laura! What did you say now? Who is dying?!" Julian's eyes reddened as he glared at me. Even now, I could sense the worry in his voice.
• I couldn't bring myself to tell him the truth. I couldn't bear to watch him worry about me.
• I shook my head and flashed him a fake smile on my lips. "It's nothing, I'm fine."
• Julian wasn't having it. "But—but you just said you were—"
• "I lied okay?" I retorted. "It was a joke, why do you even care?"
• Julian's eyes suddenly went dead and the concern that I saw seconds ago vanished. Rather, a cold and emotionless pit played for eyes on his face.
• "Don't you ever joke with me!" He growled so deeply that the window panes in the hospital vibrated.
• He stepped away from me and stood in the center of the hospital room. "You don't joke about sensitive matters like this, you pathetic woman. Is this how low you get?" He faced me, a menacing look on his face.
• To be honest, I was confused. One moment, he was the Julian I remembered, and the next second, he changed.
• "I asked you a question, Laura. Answer me!" He demanded. He had a murderous glint in his eyes.
• I shook on the bed and licked my lips as I struggled to find the best way to handle the situation.
• "Why do you even care?" I let out, knowing it was weak but all I had to protect myself and change the topic.
• His shoulders dropped at that moment, and he took a step back. It was almost like I had caught him red handed.
• But for what?
• He looked away for a second, clenching his fist at his side with rage growing on his face. Then he glared at me and I felt the bloodlust he had directed to me.
• "I only care because —no, I don't care for you—" He shook his head and took a step towards the bed. "—I only want you to be alive because I want you to get punished for bringing your father into my pack!"
• My palm trembled from his tone. It tore a part of me and I wished things could be different but it was too late now. My chance at saving this marriage was already a failed mission.
• "Julian, we can discuss this," I whispered in a voice that was barely audible.
• A sick smile played on his face and he flashed me his scary canines.
• Julian walked towards the small desk at my side and brought out his claws. Then slowly, he scraped the desk and bore into my eyes with his.
• "You know, the rumors were true, Laura."
• My eyes blinked with confusion as I wondered what he spoke of now.
• "I did attack your pack. I massacred them in one night with my bare hands. I orchestrated it myself."
• His claws slowly peeled off the top layer of the desk. But that did nothing, my body had long frozen as his words echoed into my head.
• "Your father couldn't do anything. I had you in my pack, and he knew I would kill you if he resisted; I would have killed you. So yes—in a way, I used you to avenge my sister's death!" He spat.
• Blood drained from my face. I stopped trembling on the bed and felt very cold after I heard his revelation.
• I had always known that Julian was the one behind the attack, but hearing it from him and the fact I was used didn't make me feel any better.
• Tears played in the corner of my eyes and I looked up at the ceiling to try and keep it inside. I couldn't afford to lose another tear because of this man.
• Loving him was torture and now, it was slowly taking my life with it.
• Julian retracted his claw and stared at me with satisfaction in his eyes. "That's why, I need you alive. You can't die yet. My revenge isn't over, until I say so. I want you at your best so that I can bring you down."
• I looked at him, and a tear rolled down my left cheek. I found it hard to speak up to him, but I couldn't stay silent for long.
• "What more do you want from me?" I shook my head and swallowed. "You killed innocent people—"
• "They were all guilty!" He shot back but I was determined to make my point clear.
• If we were truly ending this, then I didn't want to leave knowing I couldn't even speak for my people.
• "It doesn't matter," I whispered. "You killed people, and you are not satisfied. For one life, you took hundreds and that still isn't enough?"
• My voice cracked badly from the heavy burdens within but I refused to give up.
• "What more do you want from me? My pack is gone, my father is almost dead and I've lost everything. Nothing to my name. Not even a damn cent." I licked my lips and looked up at him.
• His claws had gone back in, but he still looked menacing. He was listening to me.
• "If you hate me so much, Why not let me out of your sight, where you won't see me again? I know you want to torture me for the rest of your life, but in reality, I haven't done anything to you. Haven't I been punished enough?" The tears I struggled to hold back, poured down like a dam and my heart squeezed in pain.
• Breathing became hard as it felt like I was being choked.
• "I lost my child and now you still want to kill my father..."
• The air in the room grew hotter and Julian's shoulder dropped slightly. His hard stare dwindled into a softer one but I refused to think anything of it.
• "Fine." He suddenly sighed deeply. His muscles bulged under his shirt as he clenched his jaw hard.
• "I will let you go, but only after the ceremony. Like I mentioned earlier, you are my Luna. We can't just get separated without a formal ceremony."
• My heart swelled up and my tears increased. This should have made me happy but it didn't. It still hurts.
• Then he raised a threatening finger at me. "But let's make it clear, Laura. I won't give you anything. No money, no property, you leave with nothing."
• A gasp escaped my lips at this point as I realized that what he was saying was next to suicide for me and murder for my father.
• I wiped my tears with the sleeves of my robe and tried to focus my eyes on him.
• "But—but the court," I stuttered but he glared at me.
• "What happened to the court?"
• I sniffled. "The court won't allow me to leave without demanding something from you. You know that's how it works. You can't refuse because it's the law," I reminded him. "The pack court will make me demand something, even if it's little before I can leave."
• His features darkened and his hands folded into fists. It was almost as if this was not what he expected.
• He cast hateful glances my way. But deep down, he knew I wasn't lying. That was the law, and the law was supreme.
• If he didn't want this, then he could just let me go now and none of us would have to face the formal proceedings that came after formal rejections.
• His claws scratched against the drawer once again, the sound snapping my eyes back to him.
• "Alright." He growled. "I am a man with a lot of resources, I couldn't care less what you ask for when you leave because I can provide it. If you get greedy, the deal is off."
• His words tore through my already broken heart and even my lungs squeezed as breathing became more difficult.
• I knew that he didn't care but the way he said it without any remorse pained me more.
• I already knew what I wanted, and it was nothing like what he thought. I wouldn't need anything from him, except this one thing.
• But I was scared he would refuse. Yet this was an opportunity that I couldn't turn down.
• "Speak up! You are wasting my time woman!" Julian growled. "What do you want in exchange?"
• I held my hands together and took a deep breath. "I—I want my father treated. In exchange for the divorce agreement to be settled.”