Unlawful Shadows | +18

Chapter 20

Lysander's POV

Zephyr and Zander sat across from me in the study, their stubborn expressions reflecting the tension that crackled between us like an impending storm. I rubbed my temples, trying to stave off the headache brewing behind my eyes, the weight of our argument hanging heavily in the air.

"What the fuck else were we supposed to do?!" Zephyr shot back, his voice sharp enough to slice through the tension. "We did what we had to do! She needs to know she can't just run away from us!"

Zander crossed his arms, his jaw clenched so tight it looked like it might shatter. "Exactly! If we keep coddling her, she'll never understand her place. We're doing this for her own good! She has to realize she belongs to us now."

I leaned forward, feeling frustration boil beneath my skin, heat radiating from every pore. "You're both missing the point! We pushed her too far, and now she's terrified of us. You think that's going to keep her here? Fear isn't a fucking leash!"

Zephyr ran a hand through his hair, pacing the room like a caged animal, his agitation palpable. "So what? You want us to just sit back and let her think she has a choice? That she can just waltz out of here whenever she feels like it?"

"No! That's not what I'm saying!" I shot back, the heat of anger flooding my veins. "I'm saying we need to ease her into this, show her that we can protect her, not that we're the monsters she thinks we are."

Zander's eyes narrowed, skepticism etched across his face, his disbelief infuriating. "And how the hell do you plan to do that? By showering her with hugs and kisses? She'll never take us seriously!"

"She needs to know we're not going to hurt her," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. "If we don't make her feel safe, she'll only continue to see us as threats. Is that what you want?"

The room fell silent, the tension thickening as my words sank in. I could see their expressions hardening, their refusal to accept that their approach had been wrong painted across their features. They were stuck in their ways, unwilling to shift.

"Damn it, Lysander! You're being naive," Zephyr snapped, frustration dripping from every word. "You think she'll just magically come around if we treat her like a fucking princess?"

"Better that than pushing her to the point of breaking!" I countered, my heart racing. "We need to show her we can be trusted. Right now, all she sees is anger and aggression."

"Fuck that!" Zander growled, fists clenching. "I can deal with her anger, but I can't deal with the idea of her running away. She will never try to run again, and that gives me peace."

"Peace?" I scoffed. "You think it's peaceful to have her cowering in fear of us? That's not peace, that's fucking tyranny!"

"Look at us!" Zander shouted, his voice echoing off the walls. "We're not the bad guys here! We're just trying to protect what's ours!"

I ran a hand through my hair, the weight of their stubbornness pushing me to the edge. "Protecting her doesn't mean suffocating her! If you keep pushing her like this, we're only going to lose her!"

The room was charged with tension, the air thick with unspoken fears and regret. I could feel the argument building to a boiling point, and I knew we were all teetering on the edge of something dangerous.

"You two are fucking impossible," I finally said, the words spilling out in a rush of exasperation. "I can't keep doing this if you won't listen."

"Then maybe you should just accept that you're fucking wrong," Zephyr spat back, his expression unyielding.