Zoe's POVA helpless tear slipped from my eye as John tried to force the kiss on me. He was taller, stronger, and with his wolf, unbeatable.But I was not going to go down without a fight. I let him think he had won and as his lips touched my cheek, his grip loosened slightly, I brought my hands to his face and scratched at his eyes as hard as I could.He cursed and let me go, just as we heard Jacob call from the other side of the door, "Zoe, you have a minute?""Bitch." John whispered not wanting Jacob to know of his presence and immediately opened the door to the balcony before jumping out."Zoe?" Jacob called as I tried to get myself under control."Coming." I replied.I opened the door and he immediately noticed my appearance."May I come in?" He asked politely and I let him."Was John here?" Was his first question as soon as I closed the door. It was pointless to lie to him. His wolf must've already sniffed out the fresh scent. So, I nodded, hugging myself."Alpha knew it was a ba
Zoe's POVThat night I slept in Maisie's room. It was a mutual decision that it was safer this way.The guys had been on patrol all night. I barely slept. I could often hear faint steps outside the balcony after regular intervals. I hoped it was our guys and not rogues or witches working the perimeter.The morning could not come faster.At the breakfast table, we were informed that the additional help had arrived around dawn and the ladies were allowed to be safely escorted back to the city. The people staying were going to make the part of the border secure and make sure that the threat, if any, was neutralized.We packed our stuff haphazardly and were crammed in an SUV as one of the soldiers was directed to make sure all of us reached our homes safely. First Alyssa and Claire were to be dropped at their city hall and then Maisie and I were to be taken to our pack. I didn't see Xavier all morning. I didn't even get to say goodbye for the last time. He was so busy, Jacob had walked u
Zoe's POVIt only took two days and I was already on my first day on a new job. Thanks to the way John had destroyed my Dad's reputation, almost no one in the pack was willing to give me any kind of job. It also didn't help that everyone knew while growing up and was aware that I had no wolf.Maisie had to convince the owners of a huge catering company to let me work for them. The upside was it was a multi-national company so they had promised to let me at a different location than our pack for the sake of their reputation.The downside, as I found it too late, was that the different location was Blood Crescent Pack. I cursed my luck. What were the chances that I could cater unnoticed in the same pack where no one but Jacob did not hate me?"Earth to Zoe." A fellow waitress snapped her finger in front of me and snapped me out of my overthinking daydream, "You know if one of those wine glasses as much as gets the tiniest chip, it is coming off of your salary. So, be careful with those"
Zoe's POVI placed the final tray of entrees on the bench for the waiters to begin serving and nearly jumped out of my skin to find Xavier staring at me from the door of the back room where we were operating for the event."You are not supposed to be here." I breathed."Neither are you." He replied in the same tone. "Yes, I am. I am working-" I started but stopped midsentence when he started walking towards me."I can see that." He commented glancing behind me and then refocused his attention on me."I should get back to work." I tried to bring myself back to my senses and failed as he stopped so close to me that if either of us breathed hard, our bodies would brush."You should." He placed a finger on my chin like he always used to and I felt my resolve crumble. I wanted to ask him what he was trying to do but I needed him to continue. I feared that if I asked, he would stop."But you won't." He leaned in."I won't?" I repeated in a haze."Umhm." And my eyes were closed before his l
Zoe's POVI had been working with the rest of the staff to move everything from our workplace to the event location which was revealed as the great Shaw Mansion. Even though the building was in the center of the city, it was walled in like a fortress. The vast grounds surrounded the main building in the middle. It was majestic. The architecture, the artwork, the designs, everything was so immaculately done that it was overwhelmingly intimidating.Silver Moon Packhouse was a hut compared to this ginormous beauty. "Stop drooling and get work ladies." Alan, a fellow waiter nudged us as we all followed the staff member of the Mansion to lead us from where we would be working for the night.The bus that had taken us to the back of the mansion was parked close to our work stations. We started unpacking the materials. The whole place was abuzz with people coming in and out with things, decorations, and whatnot.This was Xavier's home. His real home. Not the loft in uptown, where he took me
Zoe's POV"But I am not a waitress." I simply said.I was hired to be a part of the prep team. That's all I did. Clean pots and pans, and keep the stations of the chefs clean. I was the help of the help."That's what I told her." He was infuriated. I understood him because I, too, had no idea what she was hoping to achieve, "That you are not trained to wait on people.""And?" I asked helplessly."And she didn't care. She wants you in there. She will get you in there." He decided against his will.Before I could protest or try to reason with him, another staff member joined us, "You called for me, Sir.""Yes. You will teach this one to wait for the guests at this party in the next two hours." The manager shocked the poor fellow."Next two hours? Sir, she is from the prep team." The guy protested and I nodded in agreement."I know!" The manager nearly screamed."You!" He called me, "Take the damn apron and scarf off. You will learn to wait the way we do in our company.""It is impossible
Xavier's POV"Your father will see you now." My father's young assistant formally announced.I stood up and gulped the glass of whiskey in my hand in a single sip before placing it on the table and doing the button of my tuxedo coat."Just you, Alpha." Jacob was stopped at the entrance of my father's study room which he had turned into his office the moment he had returned from the King's court. I nodded to Jacob and he obediently took his place at outside the door."Father." I addressed him. I hadn't seen him for five years since he had gone to the King's court on his Majesty's orders and I had taken the command of the pack as the official Alpha."I thought I taught you better than to allow rogue attacks on our borders. Clearly, not." He spoke without facing me.Of course, it was too much to expect any fatherly notion from a man who hadn't called me his son since the day my mother died."The rogues were collaborating-" I started but he interrupted me. He turned to face me and placed t
Zoe's POVI wanted to encourage myself and focus on the fact that my Dad needed me. But my feet wouldn't move the moment I re-entered the party and noticed Xavier with his grandmother on his arm and an intimidating-looking man who looked like Xavier would when old.They were approached by Claire who was holding on to the arm of an older man, whom I guessed to be her father. Pleasantries were being exchanged as I looked at how close yet far the man I had fallen in love with was.Why was the Goddess punishing me like this? What sin had I committed to deserve this fate?"Serve the VIPs, Zoe. The manager is glaring at you." Sara passed me by swiftly and whispered in my ear, bringing me back to my awful reality.I gathered as much courage as I could and walked straight to the VIPs, promising myself to look at no one, unless absolutely necessary.As I reached their vicinity, I brought the tray to the center, where it was easily available for everyone to reach for the entrees."Ah, the entre
Zoe's POV"This is good," I complimented, taking another bite of the lobster sandwich."Mr. Malarkey is among the best chefs in this hemisphere. He comes from a long line of chefs loyal to Blood Crescent for generations." The way Xavier spoke about the chef made me feel like he was the kind of Alpha
Zoe's POVXavier and I spent the rest of the day packing up and getting ready to leave the cabin. We took a quick lunch break and then loaded up Xavier's car.The hours we spent on the road going to the pack center where the Shaw Mansion stood in all its glory, felt nostalgic. It hadn't been very lo
Zoe's POVXavier was looking at me expectantly. He was waiting for an answer. And at that moment, I loved him so much that I would follow him anywhere if he held my hands the way he was holding them. He had so many problems and wasn't afraid to make me his knowing how many problems were on my tail.
Xavier's POVI knew I should've told Zone about not keeping Claire in the dungeons. It had been a momentary decision because she was still dear to me and I was so shocked at her betrayal. And then, everything else happened and I couldn't move her or expose her yet. It was not like I was hiding the
Zoe's POVBy the time we reached the cabin, a light sprinkle had started. I liked this light summer rain. It made everything look cleaner and fresher as if breathing new life into nature. I loved the smell of wet soil. I also liked how pleasant the weather became after the rain. It was the thunders
Zoe's POVAfter yesterday's activities, Xavier and I slept in each other's arms. For the first time in a long time, I didn't have any nightmares. I slept like a log and woke up with a smile on my face. And it was all thanks to my mate, my Alpha. Xavier's face was tranquil. I had missed seeing this
Xavier's POVI have no idea how I survived without Zoe's touch for as long as did. Was it possible to die due to starvation of mate's touch? I didn't know and I wasn't going to test it either because I had no intention of ever letting her go.It didn't matter how much I tried to worship her body. It
Zoe's POVNow that it was just me and Xavier in the cabin, neither of us knew what to say. I kept thinking of how to start the conversation. We had a lot to talk about, but where to begin?"How have you been?" Xavier asked, tentatively stepping forward.After being with him for months, I wanted to t
Zoe's POVThe more Xavier talked the more I tried not to panic. I knew things were bad, I hadn't realized they were this bad. A part of me felt guilty because all of it could've been avoided if Xavier hadn't left to support me. As much as I appreciated his presence after Dad's death, I never wanted