Chapter five

ZIRAH’S POV

Acceptance 

I clutched the sheets tightly between my fists, unsure of what to do. Fates, it seemed like I couldn't catch a break for once. The last thing I could remember was the cold droplets of rain falling on my naked body as I leaned against a tree that provided me with little shelter, prepared and hoping to die.

Although I had felt distantly the sensation of being carried away I figured it was a figment of my imagination. I guess it wasn't.

I looked at the thick muscular arm banded around my waist, and I bit my lip as I contemplated what to do.

I couldn't move even if I wanted to, and there was a very slight chance that I would be able to leave without waking the strange man up. After waiting a while, my bladder made up my mind for me as I couldn't wait anymore and needed to use the restroom. I used my thumb and my forefinger to get a hold of his hand and gingerly removed it from my waist. 

The man made a slight movement and I froze staying still and holding my breath but he didn't wake up. Instead, he flopped to his other side, letting me catch a glimpse of his features. His dark, curly hair looked so soft and silky which made me want to sink my fingers in it, partially hid his face but I caught a hint of chiseled cheekbones and a soft, pouty mouth.

The longer I stared at him, I felt my lower region stirring to life and I quickly flung my gaze elsewhere disgusted with myself. Less than twenty-four hours after having sex for the first time and being rejected by my mate, I was ready to jump in bed with the next man I saw.

After much shimmying and wiggling, I managed to get free and I padded around the suite trying to figure out where the bathroom was.

As I walked around, I noticed several things about the man. Firstly, he had amazing tastes in decor, each piece here was artfully furnished in soothing and slightly masculine colors. The furniture also was very expensive and there were some really beautiful art pieces on the wall, some of which were custom made I guessed. I trailed my fingers over a gold-edged settle, feeling each detail and the softness imagining myself lounging in it while sipping wine and chatting with friends.

I snapped myself out of that daydream, I had to get out of there and fast. But the first order of things, bathroom, clothes, then leave. That is if I could figure my way out of here.

I walked towards a dark wooden door and pushed it open, walking past it until I got to the end of the small hallway and entered the bathroom. After relieving myself and washing up, I wondered what I would do for clothes. I can't possibly leave with this bedsheet wrapped around my naked body.

I made my way back to the bedroom, intent on borrowing some of the strange man's clothes and leaving, only for me to see an empty spot where the man's body should be.

I gasped, glancing around and finding no sight of him. I cursed internally, blaming myself for spending too much time admiring the suite and in the bathroom.

Moving to the window, I glanced down only for my heart to plummet. We were several stories high.

I thought about shifting and jumping down from the window since that was the only way I could leave. I'm sure there would be guards stationed at several intervals in this building as no one this wealthy would leave precious things unguarded.

I tried reaching out to my wolf, even though I was a weak Omega, in my wolf form I would survive the fall but I heard nothing from her. I guess she was still sulking after Noah rejected us. Since that was a dead end, I needed to think fast.

My mind made up, I went to drag a stool over to the windowsill. Better to be bruised, alive, and free than to be a slave to another man. Securing the sheets tighter around me, I took a deep breath and hiked one leg over the window frame. I was about to lift the other leg when I heard,

"Stop!" A voice thundered out and I froze. I hesitated for a moment, thinking of stopping or going ahead and jumping but that moment was all the person needed. 

Familiar muscular arms banded around my waist and the next thing I knew I was upside down staring at a very tight ass with the bedsheets tangled around my legs. Well, at least the view wasn't bad.

Realizing that a strange man was carting me off to goddess knows where probably to rape or kill me, I started thrashing against his body hitting every available surface on his body I could find. My blows didn't seem like they were affecting him, he just continued walking without a break in stride.

Suddenly I found myself bouncing on the bed, the sheets covering me in disarray while I finally caught a glimpse of the neathandral who carried me like that. 

It was the man that was on the bed!

He was glaring at me as if I was the one who abducted him and not the other way around.

"Hi." I croaked out with as much dignity as I could muster. Well, as much as I could be dressed half-naked with all my bits out there.

He continued glowering not saying anything, his gaze was just raking over me, mentally undressing me with his eyes.

"What were you doing?!" He yelled at me, speaking at last.

My brows furrowed in confusion, why was he yelling at me now? What did I do?....apart from trying to escape?

"U..uh…" I didn't know what to say so I just stuttered out.

"You could have died or broken your neck if you fell from that height," he said, still glowering.

So he didn't want me dead, I thought. But I guess he could just want to do it himself or he had more depraved plans for me, and he's livid I tried to take that pleasure from him.

I thrust out my chin, narrowing my eyes at him. He was even more beautiful than I expected. His eyes were piercing blue, his brows perfectly arched and his hair flopped into his eyes with that perfect 'I just got out of bed' hair. But even as good-looking as he was, he kidnapped me and I didn't just escape from one tyrant to jump into another.

"I want to leave," I said.

"And the best way to do that was through the window?" He asks, arching one perfect eyebrow at me.

"Well, it's not like the door was wide open for me to leave." I huffed, folding my arms across my chest.

"It was unlocked." He smiles at me.

"I didn't know that." Damn. I could have just walked out.

"Why were you leaving?"

"Are you serious right now?" It was my turn to arch my eyebrow at him.

He had the grace to look bashful, and he flicked his eyes toward the bed.

"You could have woken me up."

"Well excuse me for wanting to run away when the first thing I see when I wake up in the morning is a strange half-naked man in a strange bed with his arms around me."

"I saw you almost frozen to death in the forest during one of my nightly runs. I couldn't just leave you out there and I didn't trust you with anyone else so I brought you here." he shrugged. "Would you like to tell me what you were doing alone at night?"

"Nothing," I said quietly, refusing to let myself remember the pain of rejection from Noah.

"You just felt like lying down naked in the middle of the night in the woods?" He scoffed.

I narrowed my eyes at him, refusing to comment any further.

He rubbed his hand against his face and moved towards where the bathroom is. But before he left, he half turned to look at me and said,

"I want to take a shower. Can I trust you to stay here?"

"It depends," I replied impishly.

He smirked at my response, and he left closing the door softly behind him.

I took another look at the stool that lay upturned on the floor and debated running again. I thought against it though, he was right and I would just cause pain to myself. He didn't look like he wanted to hurt me, I'll wait to hear what he has to say then decide if I would make a run for it.

He came out using a towel to wring out the water from his hair, and there was a white towel tied around his waist with a tiny strip of hair leading down his….drool gathered in my mouth, and moisture pooled between my thighs.

I adjusted myself on a bed which made him glance towards me, a knowing smirk on his lips.

He pressed a button on the far side of the wall and the fake wall parted to reveal an inner chamber. He opened a glass door and an array of carefully arranged clothes were stacked up on a special type of wardrobe thing. He picked some clothes and then dropped his towel…

Goddess. His ass looked way better than they felt. The man had no shame though.

Quickly dressing up in a soft grey shirt and stretchy comfy pants, he walked up to me and gestured towards where he just came out from.

"I don't understand," I said.

"You can take a shower, get some clothes, and then we'll talk."

I stubbornly refused to move an inch and he shrugged.

"Suit yourself, if you want to have this discussion dirty, that's fine by me."

I waited till he left the room before I moved off the bed and glanced left and right, thinking he might just pop out from anywhere. Not seeing anyone, I dashed into the bathroom the warm steamy air wrapping itself around me. The smell of charcoal musk and strawberry citrus shampoo was concentrated here. I flipped on the shower and set it to hot. When the warm jets landed on my body, I relaxed and felt all the emotions I'd been keeping inside of me bubble up to the surface.

Slinking down to the floor of the bathroom, I hugged my knees and let it all out.

I sobbed, crying out every single pain and hurt I’ve felt ever since that I buried deep in my heart. I allowed myself to feel everything that had happened to me.

Killing my stepfather, sleeping with Noah, and then him rejecting me, then him making me reject him. It all hurt, goddess it hurt so much.

Big, fat tears rolled down my cheeks, sobs racking my body.

I had no idea how long I cried, my tears mingling with the hot water flowing down my body.

I felt a bit free as the tears slowed to a trickle and I calmed down. I sat there a little bit longer, feeling weak from all the spent emotions before I stood up and used the washcloth I saw on the stand.

 Drizzling the shampoo into the washcloth, I washed my body thoroughly mindful of the fact that the man was waiting for me.

Once I was done, I quickly toweled off my body and walked back out into the room. On the bed, I met some clothes and relief flooded me at his thoughtfulness. I was wondering what I was going to wear after showering.

I put them on, feeling the soft fabrics caressing my skin.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed in the handle of the door for the suite, taking a tentative step outside I couldn't see anyone, no guards or anything. Hmm, maybe I should have tried this route at first though.

I walked down the long hallway, turning left down another hallway where I saw a guard stationed at a door.

I opened my mouth to ask him for directions but the guard beat me to it, pointing a hand toward the long stairwell.

I took a deep breath and braced myself for whatever may come.

Goddess help me.