<<Zoe’s POV>>
The tag brought some unpleasant feelings in me.
I felt like I needed to be angry. That there was something I needed to say to anyone who belonged to the Werewolf Council.
I leaned over as if to tell a secret but found that he was already leaning toward me. One of his hands was covering mine that was holding the glass on the counter. His other hand came to tip my chin upwards for a better angle. A tingle ran down my spine.
He was slow, allowing me to move away if I wanted to. But it only made me want to do it more.
So, when his lips brushed mine, the spark that we felt at the touch was undeniable. He leaned in and captured my mouth as I allowed him entrance. One of my hands absentmindedly landed on his thigh that was between my legs as we sat facing each other on the bar stools.
<<Narrator>>
After a hot minute of not caring what the other guests thought of their performance, and taking his time to enjoy the exquisite taste of a woman he had never had of her likes before, the man pulled away slightly.
Zoe was so overpowered by her contradictory emotions that, “John,” simply slipped from her lips in a soft murmur before she realized what she had said. But being as close as they were, he heard it.
It suddenly changed his attitude.
He went from being sweet and sexy to shocked and alert, “Are you John’s ex-girlfriend?”
Zoe felt her face heating up from embarrassment.
She had not meant to call out to her ex while making out with a hot stranger at her ex’s engagement.
“I, I’m so sorry. I don’t know why I said or did that. I just,” She was babbling apologetically as fresh hot tears pooled in her eyes. She didn’t care if she looked pathetic in front of the elegant man looking at her mess herself up further. The alcohol had taken away her sense of logic and reasoning.
Just then, her phone rang saving her from further embarrassing herself as she excused herself from the man to attend the call of her housekeeper, but didn’t leave the sit.
“Hey, Aunt Julie, is everything okay?” She slurred, barely in control of her thoughts and actions anymore.
“Someone dropped a notice to your home just now. It says your father will be sent to the dungeons sooner than later. What are we going to do, Miss?” She was hysterical. Julie had been a part of the family as a housekeeper and caretaker from her youth. So it was just as heartbreaking and personal for her to see Zoe’s father to be sent to the dungeons as it was for Zoe.
The call sobered Zoe immediately.
“I’m coming home, now.”
She needed to be home, instantly. It was pointless to stay at the party. John didn’t care and she was too drunk to state her father’s case properly to any member of the council.
She quickly got up, stumbled towards the exit, and went outside looking for her car even though she was in no condition to drive.
Just then a huge brand new car stopped in front of her and the front glass lowered to reveal her mystery stranger from the bar, “Let me drive you home, you’ll kill yourself or somebody else, or both in your current state.”
Since he was right and she was partially out of her mind as logic had been locked away, without a word or hesitation she slipped into the passenger seat.
She pulled at the seat belt which decided to be stubborn making Zoe pull at it harder, but it wouldn’t budge.
“Ugh!” She groaned in frustration until suddenly the man leaned over and his strong pine-scented cologne wafted to her nostrils, tickling her senses. He extended his arm and looked like he might hug her but reached towards the stuck seatbelt, pressed a button, and eased it around her sensually gliding it and fixing it between her breasts before clicking it in its lock.
Zoe felt breathless and wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or this man who was affecting her so.
She rubbed her naked arms to warm herself up as the car’s heater had just started warming the vehicle up after being parked in the snow all evening.
Suddenly something large, heavy, and warm draped over her shoulders making her look up at the man beside her in surprise. He had taken off his coat to reveal his crisp white button-up underneath. Zoe blushed as his soothing scent enveloped her. He folded the sleeves of his shirt to reveal his massive tattoo, that Zoe had a split-second thought about leaning in and studying because she always found tattoos to be very attractive in a man, if done tight. And Goddess were his sleeves done perfectly.
The car ride began in silence as the crisp winter scenery shining under the moonlight flew past her window. She pulled the lent coat closer and tried to sniff it stealthily. The scent was like everything nice and yet like nothing she had ever smelt before. It was comforting, heavenly, yet very tempting.
Zoe was very aware of the man’s hand with his huge metal ring resting on the gear shaft dangerously close to her exposed knee. All he had to do was unclench his fingers and they could graze her naked knee. A part of her wanted it to happen.
She dared to look at him and got entranced by his strong side profile. He emanated power. It was alluring.
He suddenly glanced at her and caught her checking him out. She instantly blushed as she smirked, the car suddenly picking up speed.
He stopped the car in front of her house precisely making her wonder how did he know her address she had forgotten in her drunken haze to tell him.
“Thank you. For the ride, and. For the coat, and everything.” She tried to formulate proper sentences but her brain wasn’t working in normal capacity.
She missed the smile that graced his lips at her attempts.
She tried to take off the coat to return it but got stuck. It was like her brain had forgotten how to take off clothes.
“Keep it, I can have my beta come collect it later.” He said, stopping her from fighting the expensive fabric off of her.
“I’m sorry, I’ve just had a few very shitty days. I’m never this drunk or clumsy normally.” She tried to defend her actions making him smile again, “I don’t doubt that.”
As she was about to unwillingly leave the car because she had no reason to prolong her stay, he took out a card and gave it to her. She took it and looked up at him confused, so he explained, “It’s my personal card. Call me whenever you need help.”
He never gave out his personal card like that. But something in this girl made him want to see her again and without the interference of the rest of his official team. She was gorgeous despite being heartbroken and was courageous enough to show up at her ex’s engagement as it was the Beta’s engagement, the party that celebrated the alliance of two major packs in this region of America.
He could still taste her lips, he was eager to feel those plump lips against his again. He knew she wouldn’t be able to stay away for long either.
Zoe entered her house and went straight to her bedroom, plopped on her bed, and took a fleeting look at the black card in her hand.
It read, ‘Alpha Xavier Shaw - Blood Crescent Pack’, in silver, with a white crescent moon and a red howling wolf logo, the emblem of his pack printed on it.
>Aunt Julie came sniffling in my room with a knock. I looked at her and felt my own emotions getting the better of me.We cried together as she kept worrying, “John is so heartless, he's so cruel! Your father supported him to become the next Beta, and now he is going to send your father to the dungeons. Your honest father getting locked up for years, maybe a lifetime!”It made me feel even worse. I sat up and wiped my tears angrily but more took their place immediately, “You know what, everyone in the pack knew that John was going to get engaged to another woman and not me. But they knew she belonged to a powerful background and let everything happen. They know my Dad is innocent. They have always respected him for his values and honor. But nobody said a word as John got Dad locked up for a fraud he didn’t commit.”“There has to be a way to save your father.” Aunt Julie said as she placed a comforting hand on mine, “Maybe there is something that John wants so he would spa
>I had been intrigued by the beauty that stood before me, when she had first bumped into me at the party.She was drunk and clearly trying to move on. It made her attractive simply knowing that she was strong enough to show up and not cause any drama at her ex’s engagement, like most women would.Of course, knowing that she was my sister’s fiance’s ex was a shock for me. I loved my sister to the ends of the world, but John was a fool to give up this one. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, I guess. I looked her up and down and up again, to catch her checking me out.I leaned on the door frame, smirking. I was no stranger to this reaction to me. Girls were fond of my body, even if they didn’t know about my political status and wealth. All of which this one knew now.She didn’t have to answer my question for me to know what she had come looking for. Normally, I would find it desperate and a turn-off, but watching her blush as she stood in my coat was alluring. I
>I decided to clarify her confusion, before she became upset, “Sorry, that was my sister. I left her engagement to drop you off and didn’t return. She was looking for me.” I told her, hoping that she could catch my drift and not react badly. I had been looking forward to doing it with her tonight, “ Now, where were we?”“Sister? Alyssa is Alyssa Shaw?” She asked in disbelief.“Yes?” I replied, hoping in vain that it would not turn out to be a big deal, unsure of her reaction.It came quickly and swiftly.I had placed my hands on her waist and was about to dive in when she pushed me away.It was not harsh, she was surprisingly not as strong as a wolf of her age should be. Now that I think about it, Spike had mentioned not feeling her wolf at all. As an Alpha, Spike could sense the wolves of other people, even if they didn’t belong to my pack. I didn’t have time to focus on that part as I heard her decide.“I, I can’t do this right now. I’m, not ready yet.” It should n
>I had every intention of slipping past him and not giving him another reason to make me feel worse than I already did.As I was close enough, he stepped into my path, blocking my way home.I tried to side-step around him but he roughly grabbed my arm and pulled me closer, until it hurt, “Where do you think you are going, bitch?” Since I found him cheating on me and we broke up, every conversation had shown me a frozen face of John that I had failed to notice before. Each time he had humiliated me and hurt me worse than ever.I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of talking to him, even though my heart yearned for the whole last week to be a nightmare that I would wake up from in the middle of the night to find John working hard as the new Beta of our pack and not backstabbing me and my father.But this was the reality. He was an awful person and that's all he had always been. He just revealed his true colors now. Who knows how many times and with how many women had
>I stood in the snowfall, numb and hopeless, before my legs started to lose feeling due to the cold and I rushed to get inside.I twisted the key in the keyhole with trembling hands, and not only because of the cold.I walked in to find a swollen-teary-eyed, Aunt Julie blowing her nose in a tissue before sobbing more.“Oh, Goddess! What happened? Was John here? Did he say something? I promise you he will pay for every crime he is committing against my family. Did he do something to you?” I threw questions at her in panic. If he was not ashamed of acting cruel towards me and my Dad who had loved him like a son, what was preventing him from disrespecting Aunt Julie?“Slow down, Zoe.” She pulled me gently to sit beside her.“Please, Aunt Julie, tell me, who made you feel like this?” I needed to know why she was in such a mess. Usually, she was the one to help me and hold me when I had my bad days.“It’s just, that I feel disappointed regarding your father’s case. He might b
>Xavier had not seen me yet, he was busy in a conversation with a tall attractive woman wearing a tight pencil skirt. Her luscious blonde curls were bouncing as she walked in her stilettos. She had unhidden lust for the man walking beside her, focusing on the file in his hand as they walked towards her.“Thank you so much, Xavier. You have been a great help to me in getting my husband's inheritance. You're wonderful!” She placed a hand on his thick bicep as they stopped close enough for her to overhear them.Xavier turned to face the woman, surely he knew what was going through her head and those obvious flirty touches. He closed the file in his hand and handed it back to her, “Your husband tried to create complications, but his case was weak from the start. I didn’t have to do much.”“Oh, don’t be humble. The case had other members of the Council baffled. And then, you came and worked your magic. Everything got solved in less than a week.”She smiled suggestively, flippi
>My mind blanked at his words. I knew what I wanted but I hadn’t thought out how I would actually say it.He raised a curious eyebrow at my silence, making me kick myself inwardly and shake myself out of my stupor.“I wanted to give you, your coat back.” I brought up the bag with his coat, that I stopped on the way to get dry-cleaned, “I got it cleaned. Once again, thank you for lending it to me.” Did I see a frown on his gorgeous face? Was he disappointed at my words? The expression had shifted so quickly, it could just be a figment of my imagination.Maybe I wanted him to feel more.But his smirk was back instantly as he took the bag from me, “So, you just came to return my coat?” I nodded. Of course, I had more to say. I just needed to build up my courage and was waiting for him to invite me to his office to talk properly, instead of here near the reception. The receptionist had been giving me jealous eye since Xavier had walked toward me.“Well, Thanks.” He said a
>The meeting had been a success.It was expected.I never failed.Alpha Daniels ran a tough bargain. But I found a common ground to make everything work.Spike had howled at me throughout the meeting, despite the mental block I had to put up for him. It had only dimmed his voice in my head.He wanted to me drop everything and go to Zoe. He craved contact with her wolf, which was only possible to begin if we were close, as close as sex.I walked towards my car, exhausted, “Jacob, clear my schedule for the rest of the day. I am going to my loft. And make sure no one disturbs me.”“Yes, sir.” That’s what I like to hear.I got into my car and nodded at the driver to take me home.On the way, I scoured the social media for Zoe.I knew if I didn’t Spike won’t even let me sleep in peace. Plus, I was curious to know about whom the Moon Goddess had chosen for me.I found her socials. She did not have a loud online personality.I liked that about her for some reason.In most of
>It took an hour and a lot of emotional blackmail on behalf of Aunt Julie to convince Zoe to let Xavier go with her to Kansas City. And that too only on the condition that nothing would be expected of her and it was only a test for Xavier to see if he can keep to his word.After a lot of persuasion and tales of mates, second chances, belief in the Moon Goddess, and the fact that technically Xavier was the only one left in the world who was hers and on her side for good, Aunt Julie smiled and patted Zoe's back, "I'll go up and tell him that you need to talk. Be nice, okay?"Zoe didn't dare roll her eyes at Aunt Julie, she respected her way too much for that. But she did shake her head slightly knowing how Aunt Julie managed to convince her but she let her do it. If anyone had any right to Zoe, it was Aunt Julie after everything she had done for the Simmons family and how she had been so much more than just a distinct cousin of her Dad and their housekeeper. She was family a
>Zoe climbed up the stairs decisively while Xavier stayed in the garage trying to calm down and make peace with the fact that his forgiveness was going to take some time. He was hopeful that it would come eventually, just a bit late.He wanted to tell Zoe about Claire so she would stop worrying about him going back to her. But, Zoe already had so much on her plate, that she didn't need to be pulled into everything Claire was a part of. Xavier felt like it was pointless to make his worries hers when she hadn't even forgiven him yet.The more important thing was staying by her side. Which meant, he had to persuade her to let him come with her. The world was a much darker place than she knew and he wanted to protect her from it even though physically she didn't need protecting.Plus, he had no idea how idea what awaited them at those coordinates. Since it had been more than a decade since those numbers had been put down on that letter, there was a possibility that they would f
>"Zoe, I cannot relate to your pain or anything you are going through. So, I will not even try to say that I understand. I don't. And I know how many times I have let you down," He started the speech he had been working for hours as they drove to Silver Moon two days ago."Don't, please," Zoe tried to turn away. She wanted the apology. She had spent nights dreaming of the moment Xavier realized what a huge mistake he had made to let her go. But, that was not the moment for it. She was already an emotional mess."Let me, please. You need to hear this and I need to say this." He cautiously stepped closer and held her arms gently to ensure she didn't leave without hearing but could if she wanted to."Why? You didn't care about saying or being heard a few months ago." Zoe looked up at him bitterly, his touch igniting sensations stronger than she had ever felt because of her heightened senses."Believe me or not but I really thought that letting you go to have a new life was th
>"What are you so happy about?" I asked Aunt Julie whose excitement was confusing me.Instead of answering me straight away she sat me down on a couch with a nostalgic look and held my hands motherly before finally speaking."Did your Dad ever tell you that you have your mother's eyes?" She asked with a soft sad smile.She didn't wait for me to answer, probably because she knew the answer to her question. She resumed, "Of course not. He did his best to remove any mention of her from his life. That was his way of dealing with his grief."What about my grief? I wanted to ask but I chose to listen.She was right, no one was allowed to talk about Mom in our house. I was never allowed to ask any questions. Aunt Julie tried her best to fill that hole in my life but for a ten-year-old girl, no one could replace her mother. I barely had any memories of her either. The psychiatrist had told Dad that it was a form of PTSD. I don't remember what the trauma exactly was, but apparentl
>Zoe ran to her room and gathered the contents of the box. She got her old laptop and searched up the location. She rushed back down and went outside to the broken car.Xavier and Aunt Julie followed her as Zoe opened the backseat door."You can't go in that. I doubt it's even going to start." Xavier commented."It better. The coordinates are a two-day drive away." Zoe replied without looking at him. Then, she suddenly turned to him, "Key?" She brought her hand forward expectantly."Zoe," He started but she was getting impatient, "Key, now."He sighed, fetched the key from his pants pocket, and placed it on her open palm. She grabbed it and turned without a thank you. Aunt Julie tried to protest, "You can't let her go alone,""I'm not. Don't worry, " he said and waited for Zoe to try starting the car. He crossed his arms and waited as she turned the key in the ignition, but the car didn't start. Zoe stubbornly tried to keep trying instead of admitting that he was right. T
>"What are these?" Zoe put the envelope on the coffee table between herself and Xavier.Glad that she was finally talking to him, he leaned, his brows furrowed in confusion and concentration, "Letter to you?" He said."The number, what are those?" Zoe resisted the urge to roll her eyes or go over and kiss his confused expression. She knew he was trying not to upset her further. She didn't know why he suddenly cared but a small part of her was relieved that he hadn't mentioned his chosen mate yet or gone back to her. By the looks of it, he was only worried about Zoe. She didn't want to let him in her heart and get it broken again but she wasn't sure if he had left entirely the first time either."Looks like coordinates." He thought out loud."I knew it." Zoe snatched the envelope back, their fingers brushing for a moment and both tried to not show how the touch affected them."I can get the location checked. That is, if you want.." Xavier offered softly.Zoe didn't answer b
>"Weren't you informed not to call? The lines can be intercepted!" I whisper-yelled into the phone as soon as I was sure neither Aunt Julie nor Zoe could overhear."This one's fine, Sir. I made sure. And this is urgent." Jacob spoke in a hushed tone like he was afraid."Well?" I said expectantly, urging Jacob to resume."We were found. Some of our men work for your father and call him Alpha. I don't know how they found out." Jacob informed."Did they take Claire?" I asked expecting the worst."No. They tripped off an alarm I had planted around the area and I got a fifteen-minute headstart. I drugged Claire and took her before they could get us. They knew about the underground room." He told."Where are you now?""At the Shaw Safehouse. I cleaned up any evidence of the underground room being in use before we left. They won't know Claire was there." Jacob reassured me and then said, "But the bad news is, the cleanup team at Golden Eclipse didn't do as great of a job.""W
>The next morning, Zoe was up and out of the house just as the dawn broke through the sky.She had a restless night, the same nightmare burning her mind whenever she closed her eyes. She had waited for her wolf for so long. And then, she had taken even longer to accept that, unlike her fellows, she would never be able to transform into one because she was wolfless.Now, she had a beast. Granted it was not a regular wolf but an animal nonetheless and she wanted to transform. Her mind focused on her need to feel herself shift consciously just to be sure that it had actually happened. Also, this newfound focus helped distract her from the grief of her father.She called out to Dahlia and fell to her knees, trying to force her bones to move, for her skin to get covered with thin grey fur and for her canines to elongate and sharpen. Nothing happened.Dahlia did her best to aid her human but it proved futile as no matter how hard either of them tried, Zoe's body refused to trans
[WARNING: This chapter contains details of gore and death. Proceed with caution.]>That night Zoe slept in her old bed. Apparently, no one had known about their departure from Golden Ecplise or their arrival at the Silver Moon.Xavier chose to stay and Aunt Julie asked him to stay in Joe Simmons room but he refused knowing that when Zoe found out, she would be furious. She blamed Xavier for her father's death, and truthfully, so did he.Aunt Julie wanted to ask about Xavier about his pack but he had been so quiet that she decided otherwise.Zoe sat on her bed looking at the contents of the wooden box. She stared at the pictures. This time with more attention to detail than she had earlier in the day. She read the notes behind each. Some were normal comments about the picture while some were in the same language as the bundle of paper and needed to be decipered. It was just all too much information to be digested at once. The only good thing that came out of opening that