Was this little brat really telling Arın to his face that he was going to get revenge on İlyara? Had he lost his mind?
"I won't allow that," Arın said.
Yitan glared at Arın for a brief moment.
Maybe Arın could crush this little brat under his foot. He could tell İlyara it had been an accident. The plan seemed perfect.
A small smile appeared on Arın's face.
"Are you hungry?"
İlyara's voice pulled Arın out of his thoughts.
This time, Yitan turned his gaze toward İlyara.
"Do you think I'd eat from those filthy hands of yours?!" he shouted at İlyara.
Arın couldn't take it anymore and kicked Yitan, who was sitting at his feet, hard. The young man slammed onto the wooden floor in pain. Then he leaned toward him.
"You'll do whatever she wants," Arın said. His voice was deep and threatening.
Yitan's eyes widened in fear.
"Stay away from him!" İlyara shouted.
He had to get rid of this young man. Because of him, İlyara kept getting angry at him.
Arın raised his hands as if surrendering. Then he took a few steps back, moving away from Yitan.
Seeing Arın move away from him, the young man let out a deep breath. But he immediately regretted it. Groaning in pain, he held his head.
"Let me see," İlyara said as she crouched down beside Yitan. The moment she touched him, Yitan pushed İlyara's hand away.
"Don't touch me—"
Yitan stopped himself when he noticed Arın looking at him. Swallowing, he spoke again.
"I'll handle it," he said and slowly got to his feet.
İlyara quickly went to the dining table, took a chair, and brought it over to Yitan so he could sit down.
When Arın looked at the young man, he saw him watching İlyara in confusion. So even he couldn't make sense of İlyara's behavior.
"İlyara," Arın said. "What are you doing?"
After making sure the young man was seated, İlyara turned to Arın.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"He's here to kill you," Arın said, pointing at Yitan with his finger.
İlyara remained silent for a while.
"He's little," İlyara said, looking at Yitan. "He should be protected."
What did that mean?
How damaged was her mind? She was practically protecting her enemy.
"Arın."
İlyara had called out to him. His heart came alive again when she called his name.
"Can you catch something?" İlyara asked. "There doesn't seem to be anything in the house."
Of course he could, but what would happen to the brat?
"Get up," Arın ordered Yitan.
Yitan flinched where he stood and quickly got to his feet.
İlyara immediately went over to Yitan and tried to make him sit back down. However, Yitan once again refused to let her touch him and sat down on his own.
After making sure Yitan was seated, İlyara turned to Arın.
"You go," she said. "I need to dress his wound."
Was she going to treat him, too?
"I'm not going," Arın said, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed in front of him.
"Fine," İlyara said. "I'll go later."
Arın quickly pushed away from the wall and stood up straight.
"Fine, I'll go," he said, then turned to Yitan. "If anything happens to İlyara, I'll make you pay for it."
Then he turned around and walked out of the cabin.
---
Arın quickly caught a few rabbits. He couldn't leave İlyara alone with that young man for too long.
When he opened the door, the first person he saw was that brat. He was still sitting where Arın had left him.
Lazy bastard.
When he looked toward the kitchen, he saw İlyara taking out pots and things. When she noticed Arın, she took a knife from the counter and walked toward him. She was pointing the knife directly at Arın.
Was she going to attack Arın?
Arın's Morhena instinct told him to attack. But Arın tried not to listen to the voice and remained where he was without moving.
"Take it," İlyara said, extending the knife in her hand toward Arın. "You can cut them with this."
Without questioning it, Arın took the knife from İlyara's hand.
"Damn it," Yitan whispered to himself. "Why didn't he attack?"
Arın walked toward the dining table and pulled out the empty chair beside Yitan before sitting down. Then he placed the dead rabbits on the table.
As Yitan pushed his chair away from Arın, Arın caught the leg of the chair with his foot. Then he pulled it toward himself.
As Yitan prepared to get up from the chair, Arın this time slammed the knife into the table. Startled by the sudden movement, Yitan flinched and pressed himself tightly against the chair.
Arın spent some time silently working on the rabbits, skinning them first and then starting to chop them up. Yitan, unable to move from his place, was forced to watch Arın.
As Arın worked with the meat, a few pieces splattered onto Yitan. Although Yitan was annoyed by this, he said nothing. But Arın really wished he would.
İlyara came to the table and took the meat Arın had chopped. Then she took it to the stove to cook it.
As soon as Arın got up from the table, Yitan let out a deep breath and rose from his chair. Then he headed toward the door.
"Where are you going?"
At İlyara's question, the young man's hand remained on the doorknob.
"Yes. Where are you going, Yitan?" Arın repeated İlyara's question.
"It's getting late. I should go home now," Yitan said. It seemed as though there was nothing left of his former courage.
"No," İlyara said. "The food will be ready soon."
It would be better if he stayed here. That way, Arın could keep an eye on his every move. The cabin was already small. It had only one room. There was a double wooden bed against the wall and a dining table for four in the middle. The kitchen was by the window.
When Yitan turned toward the door again, Arın spoke.
"You heard İlyara," he said. Then he pulled out the chair in front of him. "Come, sit down."
After giving Arın a brief glance, Yitan took his old seat at the dining table. Arın immediately took the seat right beside him.
İlyara began setting the table while humming a song. Even though Arın offered to help, she wouldn't let him. According to her, Arın was her guest. Arın wasn't a guest or anything. He… he was her fated mate. Yes, he was. There could be no other explanation for this feeling.
İlyara had placed three plates on the table. Had she prepared food for Arın, too? At the thought, Arın felt his heart warm.
Was this what it felt like to be thought of?
When the table was ready, İlyara sat directly across from Arın. Yitan, meanwhile, was sitting beside Arın. Though, he didn't really have another choice.
"Enjoy your meal," İlyara said, and they began eating. However, Yitan wasn't eating anything. He just sat there, staring at his plate.
As Arın moved one hand behind Yitan's chair, İlyara looked at Yitan.
"Why aren't you eating?" İlyara asked. "Don't you like the food?"
"He just wants to get beaten up," Arın cut in.
This time, İlyara turned her gaze toward Arın and continued staring at him, opening her eyes as wide as she could.
Was İlyara showing him those beautiful eyes of hers?
Although that frightening red color had not completely disappeared from her eyes, İlyara had lost none of her beauty.
Yitan looked at İlyara first, then at Arın.
"Are you two lovers?"