Zoe’s POVTo say that I was shocked, would be an understatement. What was happening? I had no idea what Xavier’s Grandmother had seen but I was confused as to how she reached the conclusion. It was a pleasant conclusion, of course. But still a very shocking one. I stayed silent for the rest of the little tea party as his grandmother told stories of his childhood and I understood why he held her in such high regard. On the way back, Xavier had offered to drop me off, since he was the one who had brought me and my car was still at home. “So, are you going to tell me, what were you thinking when you dropped me at your Grandmother’s house and left?!” I asked when we had left her driveway. “After you tell me, what you were thinking when you chose to get drunk and flirt with a barkeeper at midnight.” He retorted. “I was in my pack territory. And it’s none of your business.” I tried to hold on to the little dignity I could muster. “You made it my business when you texted me and call
Zoe's POVI was expecting bad news, but what I heard was not something I had in mind. I was shocked to hear Xavier. I should’ve expected it. With Claire back, it was the obvious course of action. I shouldn’t be sad or shocked. “Zoe.” He called me and I realized that I hadn’t said anything in a while. “Okay.” I managed to utter. “Okay?” He asked. He must’ve expected a different reaction. Maybe he was expecting me to ask or maybe even negotiate. But I was still in shock at the news to understand the future outcomes. “Okay.” I repeated. Before either of us could discuss any further, the waiter arrived to get our orders. Xavier placed his order first and since my brain was not working at all, I agreed to have whatever he was having. The waiter offered some wine and I knew I needed alcohol to pass the evening. I had already made a fool of myself in front of him yesterday, I was not going to do it again. Once we were left alone, he said, “Don’t worry. I have taken your father’s c
Zoe's POV“So, let me get this straight. Xavier’s secretary wants to take you on a hillside vacation?” Maisie asked confused. I had called her and she had dropped everything to come over. Now we both sat on my bed and I could not understand if she was skeptical of it or happy about it. “That’s what the message says.” I shrugged. “And what do you want?” She asked softly. “Honestly?” I asked. She nodded. “I just want to crawl under a rock and disappear until everything blows over.” I sighed, feeling defeated. “You know what I think?” She asked. I urged her to answer, “What?” “You know what.” She said meaningfully. “What do you-” I was about to ask when she nodded with a smile, and I asked shocked, “Are you serious?” “I mean, first thing first, we need to know how he wants to take you. Like as a friend or is he looking for more?” Maise picked up a cushion and placed it in her lap, getting comfortable. “Jacob and I have had a very nice friendly relationship so far.” I thought to
Zoe’s POV“I still can’t believe it is really happening.” Maisie exclaimed excitedly. “I’m glad it worked out this way.” Jacob, who was driving, smiled at me. “Who would’ve thought my plus one would be friends with Jacob’s plus one.” Micheal, Maisie’s friend from Xavier’s Pack said from where he was sitting beside Maisie in the backseat. “This weekend is going to be so much fun.” Maisie was beyond giddy with excitement. She nudged my shoulder, “Say something. You love nature.” “Yeah.” I only managed. I was thinking about Xavier and the way he had cut ties with me. That was all I seemed to think about recently. “Wow. Love the enthusiasm, Zee.” Maisie said sarcastically and rolled her eyes. “Jacob, how long till we get there?” She asked, suddenly. “About 3 more hours.” He answered, focusing on the road. “Alright, how about a freshening up break then? We have been on the road for two hours. I need to stretch a little.” She asked. “There is a gas station in about half an hour, w
Zoe’s POV“Alright people, gather your stuff, we’ll be there in ten.” Jacob announced and we all sat straighter. I was now seated beside Maisie who nudged my elbow, “Hey, we are going to have so much fun. Aren’t we.” Since the gas station when I had confessed my feelings to Maisie, it had lifted a weight from my heart. I was relieved. All the time I had spent with Xavier, I had seen how he kept women at a distance. From his receptionist to his clients who were all interested in him. He never cared. But he had brought me into his home. He had allowed me a side of himself I was sure that no one had seen and I knew that it had to be special. Suddenly a thought came into my mind and I had to share it with Maisie, “When we get there, I’ll tell you something.” “About you-know-how?” Maisie asked, excitedly. This girl was more excited about my love life than me. I nodded and she gasped. True to his word, Jacob pulled up in the driveway of a gorgeous mansion sitting snuggly in the hill
“That’s my lioness!” Maisie exclaimed from behind me. “Where did you come from?” I whirled around, shocked. “Through the door.” She smirked. I sighed. Of course, I didn’t hear her because I don’t have super hearing and I was so deep in my thoughts. “Oh my god, have you seen the view from these windows? Sunrises are going to be gorgeous. And we share a balcony!” She said hopping on the spot like an overjoyed child who doesn’t know how to control or fully express their joy. I nodded, still unsure about fighting for Xavier. He had explicitly told me to stay away and his ex was perfect. She was the type of woman who suited him. “Earth to Zoe!” Maisie snapped her fingers in front of me and then pulled me to sit on the bed. She was looking at me expectantly and I furrowed my brows in confusion. “What?” I asked. “You tell me what.” She replied. “I don’t get it.” I shook my head confused. “You said you would tell me something when we got here. We are here.” She told. I nodded in r
Xavier’s POVDespite being overwhelmed with Council duties, John’s case, and most importantly, my self-imposed distance between Zoe and myself, I couldn’t refuse Claire. She was so excited. She called all her older friends, who had been just as surprised as me but also very welcoming. I bet they were all curious why she up and left so suddenly without a trace. I wondered what she would tell them. The day arrived to leave and as we drove Claire kept talking about everything she had planned for the getaway, especially because some of her friends were going to bring plus ones whom Claire had not yet met. All I could think about was, what Zoe would be doing now? Was she upset? Unlike the time she had been devastated when she had seen Claire return and drunk herself to near oblivion. She hadn’t called or texted me. Maisie, her best friend, hadn’t contacted me either. Was she already over me? Was I the only one overthinking? After all, I was the only one of the two of us who knew of
Zoe’s POVI contemplated walking away, but I knew it was impossible for a wolfless one like me to walk down the hill back to the city in this state. And that too in a different territory. It had taken us six hours to get there. I needed a car to go back. But I was determined not to face Xavier and especially not Claire. For that purpose, I knew I couldn’t just walk in through the main entrance and after a minute of gathering courage, I decided to climb in through the balcony of my room. The moment I was inside my room without any hitch, I breathed a sigh of relief. “What happened out there?!” I whipped around in shock to see Maisie sitting on my bed, looking worried. She immediately got up and rushed to me. She started examining my face and arms, “Are you hurt? Tell me, Zoe.” “I slipped.” Was all I could manage. The image of Xavier helping Claire out of his car and her kissing his cheek haunted me. “You are not okay.” Maisie led me to bathroom, “Go on. Take a shower. I'll br
It took an hour and a lot of emotional blackmail from Aunt Julie to convince me to let Xavier come to Kansas City. The only reason I agreed was to test if he could keep his word. Nothing more, nothing less.After endless talk about mates, second chances, and the Moon Goddess, Aunt Julie smiled and patted my back. "I'll go tell him you need to talk. Be nice, okay?"I didn’t roll my eyes, though I wanted to. I respected her too much for that. Instead, I shook my head, knowing she had played me perfectly. She always did.If anyone had a right to push me, it was Aunt Julie. She had done more for my family than anyone. More than just a distant cousin of my dad or a housekeeper—she was family. The closest thing I had to a mother."Be nice, Princess." She gave me one last sweet smile before heading inside.I sighed, leaning against the hood of my car and fidgeting with my keychain. My fingers itched for something that wasn’t there—my father’s necklace. The one I had given him in the prison.
Zoe's POVI climbed the stairs, leaving Xavier in the garage. He needed time to calm down. My forgiveness—if it ever came—wouldn’t be immediate. That was his problem, not mine.He wanted to tell me something about Claire, probably to convince me I had nothing to worry about. But I didn’t care about her. I was done caring about him. His past didn’t matter to me anymore.The only thing that mattered was getting to those coordinates. I had no idea what I would find there, but it was my only lead. My mother left me that clue for a reason. I wouldn’t ignore it. A decade had passed. Anything could have changed. But I needed answers.I rushed through the house, grabbing only the essentials. Clothes, water, a flashlight, a knife. I packed quickly, like I had done this before. Because I had. Running was second nature now."She’s really doing this," Aunt Julie muttered from the kitchen doorway.I ignored her. Nothing to say.Xavier, however, had other plans. By the time I reached the garage, my
Zoe's POVI barely heard Xavier start talking. I knew he had been planning this speech since we got in the car two days ago."Zoe, I won’t pretend to understand your pain. I won’t insult you by saying I do. But I know how many times I’ve let you down." His voice was careful, like he was walking on thin ice."Don’t. Please." I turned away. I had dreamed of this moment so many times—Xavier realizing what a huge mistake he had made. But not like this. Not when I was barely holding myself together."Let me say this. You need to hear it, and I need to say it." He stepped closer, his hands resting lightly on my arms. Not trapping me. Just asking me to stay."Why?" My voice was bitter. My body tensed under his touch. I hated how my senses reacted to him now—too sharp, too raw. "You didn’t care about talking months ago.""Believe me or don’t, but I thought letting you go was the right choice. I wanted you to have a fresh start." Regret thickened his voice, but I didn’t care.I let out a short
Zoe's POV"What are you so happy about?" I asked Aunt Julie whose excitement was confusing me.Instead of answering right away, she gave me a nostalgic look, sat me down on the couch, and took my hands gently, like a mother would."Did your dad ever tell you that you have your mother's eyes?" she asked, her smile soft but sad.She didn’t wait for me to respond—probably because she already knew the answer, "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 apparently, it was deep enough for
Zoe's POVI ran to my room, grabbing everything from the box. My old laptop barely held together, but I powered it up and searched the coordinates. Then, I rushed outside to my broken car.Xavier and Aunt Julie followed as I yanked open the backseat door."You can't take that. It won’t even start," Xavier commented."It better. The coordinates are a two-day drive away," I muttered, then turned to him. "Key?" I held out my hand."Zoe—""Key. Now."He sighed, pulled the key from his pocket, and placed it in my palm. I grabbed it and turned without a thank you."You can't let her go alone," Aunt Julie protested."I'm not," Xavier assured, arms crossed as I tried to start the car. It didn’t even sputter.I kept turning the key, refusing to admit he was right. The car had been through too much. It wasn’t taking me anywhere.Aunt Julie whispered to Xavier, "How long do we wait?""You can wait inside. She won’t last long," he replied, knowing full well I could hear him."I heard that!" I sna
Zoe's POVI placed the envelope on the coffee table between us, staring at Xavier. "What are these?"His brows furrowed as he leaned forward, confusion flickering across his face. "A letter to you?""The numbers. What do they mean?" I resisted the urge to roll my eyes—or worse, to kiss the perplexed look off his face. He was trying not to upset me. I didn't know why he suddenly cared, but a small part of me was relieved he hadn’t mentioned his so-called chosen mate. Right now, it seemed like he only cared about me. I didn't want to let him in again, but deep down, I wasn’t sure if I had ever truly let him go."Looks like coordinates," he murmured, thinking out loud.I knew it. Snatching the envelope back, my fingers brushed against his, and for a brief moment, we both pretended not to feel anything."I can have the location checked. If you want," Xavier offered softly.I didn’t answer. Dahlia, my beast, was already debating with me.'Say yes,' she urged, practically purring."I won’t.
Xavier's POV"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.""What d
The next morning, I was up and out of the house just as the dawn broke through the sky.I barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, the same nightmare burned through my mind. I had waited for my wolf for so long, only to realize I would never transform like the others because I was wolfless.But now, I had a beast. Not a regular wolf, but an animal nonetheless. And I wanted to transform. I needed to know it had actually happened, that I wasn’t imagining it. Focusing on that need kept me distracted from my grief, kept me from falling apart over the loss of my father."Dahlia," I called out, dropping to my knees. I willed my bones to shift, for my skin to be covered in thin gray fur, for my canines to elongate and sharpen. But nothing happened.Dahlia tried to help me, pushing her strength into me, but it was useless. No matter how hard we tried, my body refused to transform.“UGH!” I screamed in frustration.I could talk to her. That was proof enough that I wasn’t wolfless anymore. Bu
[WARNING: This chapter contains details of gore and death. Proceed with caution.]Zoe's POVThat night, I slept in my old bed. Apparently, no one had known about our departure from Golden Eclipse or our arrival at Silver Moon. Xavier chose to stay, and Aunt Julie offered him my father’s room, but he refused. He knew I’d be furious if he stayed there. I blamed him for my father’s death, and honestly, so did he.Aunt Julie wanted to ask Xavier about his pack, but he’d been so quiet that she decided against it.I sat on my bed, staring at the contents of the wooden box. I looked at the pictures again, this time paying more attention to the details. I read the notes on the back of each one. Some were simple comments about the photo, while others were written in the same unfamiliar language as the bundle of papers and needed to be deciphered.It was all too much to process at once. The only good thing about opening the box so far was that it had distracted me from my grief, even if just for