Gemini of the Shifter Realm

Chapter 53 Delulu Is The Solulu

Zoe Lawson P.O.V

Theodore met my gaze with a resolve I hadn't seen before. "I've run away enough; I'm not running anymore," he vowed, his voice firm and unwavering.

His words cut through the silence between us. "You always say if you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it's yours. If it doesn't, it never was," he quoted, his eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that felt both reassuring and heartbreaking.

"I came back," he said, the weight of his statement settling heavily in the air. It was as if our fates were intertwined in an intricate dance, a promise rekindled in the midst of our emotional turmoil.

"You came back," I said, my voice trembling slightly, "not because you chose me, but because you don't have any other options." The bitterness of my words seemed to hang in the air between us.

I wasn't just speaking about his return to me; I was talking about his inability to transform fully into his human hunter self, a reality that made his place in the hunter's realm uncertain. It was as if his lack of choices was forcing him back to me, not out of a true desire but out of necessity.

His declaration cut through the tension, reverberating with a weight that made my breath catch. "No," Theodore said, his voice low and intense, "You're my 11:11."

"You are mine." He grasped my jaw gently but firmly, turning my face to the side. He exposed my neck, where his name was imprinted like an indelible mark, a tattoo of our entwined fates.

Adrian Tepes P.O.V

"You have nothing to worry about," I said, trying to calm my father's agitated pacing. "The child's condition isn't as dire as you think."

"What do you mean?" His voice was sharp, cutting through the tension in the room.

"The rapid aging," I explained. "It means they won't live past twenty."

"They?" My father's eyes narrowed, a hint of disbelief flickering across his face.

"She," I said, correcting myself, even though the truth was different. "But it's the truth. Her time is limited."

My father's eyes were locked on mine, a mix of suspicion and frustration evident in his gaze. "It'll stop," he said with a forced confidence.

"How can you be so sure?" I asked, struggling to keep my frustration in check.

"Their aging slows down when their physical body reaches twenty-one," he insisted, his tone firm.

"You've encountered this before." I pressed, unable to mask my skepticism.

He sighed, a shadow of something ancient and unsettling passing over his face. "The Red Moon is approaching," he said gravely.

"If you think it's challenging for wolves to control their bloodlust," he continued, his voice tinged with dread, "you haven't seen a hybrid."

Lorraine Tepes P.O.V

"We have orders," I said, my voice steady, though a knot tightened in my stomach. His eyebrow arched in curiosity.

"Orders? From whom?" Oz asked, his hands gently resting on Logan, who sat on his lap, blissfully unaware of the gravity of our conversation.

"I spoke with Adrian," I began, my tone more somber. "The round table of the United Nations—or rather, the factions—wants to bring Vanity to court. They want her to stand trial, to decide her fate. They haven't figured out Lucifer's whereabouts yet, but they're getting closer."

"She's just a child," he said softly, his gaze darkening, and I nodded in agreement.

"Not now," I clarified. "They plan to wait until she's older, when she reaches three or four. By then, she'll be physically around sixteen."

Oz's expression hardened, a mixture of frustration and concern. "That's the same year as the Red Moon," he noted, his voice low and tense.

Zoe Lawson P.O.V

The door creaked open, and Caleb stepped inside, his expression darkening instantly at the sight of Theodore standing in the room. The tension crackled like electricity, sharp and palpable.

"I think you've overstayed your welcome," Caleb said, his tone cold as he directed his glare at Theodore.

Theodore smirked, unfazed by Caleb's hostility. "That's because you have something here that belongs to me," he retorted, his eyes locking onto mine with a possessive intensity.

Caleb scoffed, a mocking smile spreading across his lips. "Are you seriously that delusional? Or wait, what is it your generation calls it? Delulu?" he taunted, his voice dripping with disdain, his slight age advantage evident in his patronizing tone.

Theodore's grin widened, his eyes glinting with a mischievous challenge. " That is the solulu. Isn't it?" he shot back, equally taunting, refusing to back down.

Before I could utter a single word, Caleb lunged at Theodore, a furious blur of motion. They collided with a deafening crash, the impact sending them both hurtling through the window. Glass shattered around them, glittering like deadly stars.

Mid-air, they shifted—bodies twisting and contorting as they transformed into their wolves. Theodore's gray, sleek fur and Caleb's rusty red coat appeared, and they landed on the ground below with a thud. Snarls erupted, low and menacing, vibrating through the air as they circled each other.