Xavier's POVJacob and Luca, my secretary and my Beta were already in my office when I entered.I locked the door and went straight to my desk as they awaited what I had called them for."Jake, remember the camera I asked you to install in Father's study before he came?" I asked.He nodded."It's working, yes?" I asked.He nodded again."Where is its feed?" I asked."At my tab, Alpha." He replied."It's set to automatically save, yes?" I asked."As ordered. Yes, Alpha." He clicked at the tab in his hands and showed the live video from my Father's study room where he had wrecked the room after I had left and then made a call that could clearly be heard through the camera's microphone."Take everything that can be used against him and save it to at least three backups. I know my Father did not return of his own accord. He hated this house. He hated most of us. He has a plan. Find his reason for coming back and make sure he doesn't sense you sniffing." I ordered."Yes, Alpha." Jacob nodde
Xavier's POVI knocked on the door and Claire opened the door. Her face lit up when she noticed who had knocked on her door."I have been waiting for you." She softly said and let me in."Claire, you know what you mean to me, right?" I wanted to get straight to the point but I knew that she would never take it well. So, I started with what I knew she loved to hear."Of course, Xavier. And you mean so much more to me, too." She stepped closer and looked up at me."You know you are one of the most important people in my life, yes?" I held her hand in mine despite Spike's growls in my head. He and I were going to have a conversation later because he needed to accept my decisions or we would live the rest of our super-long lives at odds with each other.She nodded as her smile widened and I resumed, "And you know that you have always been irreplaceable in my life. From the moment we met to our years in school and college. ""I know, love. And you are the most important person in my life to
[TRIGGER WARNING = This Chapter has a mention of miscarried pregnancy.]Zoe's POVFrom the moment I had been dropped at my house. My thoughts and feelings were at odds. I was confused, upset, and weirdly calm.Instead of walking inside, I had waited for Xavier to leave and then I had rushed to the woods. The only place where there were no threats, or exes, or love, or frauds, or odd jobs that made me feel like a nobody.I ran and it helped me calm my nerves. I didn't want to think about what was next but I had no choice. Maisie had tried her best to get me a job at that catering company and it had turned out to be more problems. Now, I had no idea if I was even going to get paid at all. And I definitely wasn't going to keep the job. The manager was already breathing down my neck and the rest of the staff members hated that I was not from their pack.I returned home breathless and greeted Aunt Julie, who was overjoyed to see me back. She instantly got worried because I hadn't told he
Zoe's POV"Girl, I'm still not sure about this. Like, at all." Maisie had been driving me to the Blood Cresent and she hadn't stopped about what a wrong decision it was to accept Claire's invite, since the moment I had told her a few days ago."You think I do? MJ, I know what a wrong decision it is. But, as I have said it a million times now, the lesser of the two evils.-""-Lesser of the two evils. I know." She mimicked me."Exactly. Would you rather she show up with all her drama to Silver Moon and paint a bigger target on my back? So that I lose any minuscule chance that I might still have to pay Xavier's f*e? I would think not." I gave the same argument."So, we are clear. We know it is a trap. Right?" She glanced at me momentarily before keeping her focus on the road."Of course. Whichever world would Claire Devereux apologize to me, this is not it." I sighed. I knew my luck and it was sure not overturned in one night."I just wish we had any idea of what we are walking into. I me
Zoe's POVClaire was expecting tears. I believe wanted to crush any hope that any woman would ever have for snatching her man.So, when I simply accepted the fake apology and turned, Claire felt like she was the one who had gotten played despite it being her plan. She was about to go off on me when Xavier entered.Apparently, he hadn't been at the party and had just arrived.He stopped in his tracks when he saw both of us in the living room."I invited Zoe." Claire perked up immediately and walked over to her man, hooking her arm with his, she pulled him away.I stared at them for a moment, before trying to pull myself together. I walked outside to find Maisie. It was time to leave.Before I could find her, one of Claire's friends found me, "Is it true? That you couldn't afford a branded bikini and had to wear these rags?" She looked me up and down.Another of her friends joined and started, "How about you get me a margarita? You are a waitress after all, no?"Oh, how I wished to punc
Zoe's POVMy lungs burned as I tried to breathe.I coughed and it hurt. There was a distant sound of someone calling my name. Was someone holding me?I tried to open my eyes and get some oxygen in my lungs. What happened?I looked up and saw Xavier's steel greys looking into mine. He looked worried. Where did he come from? Why was he worried? I tried to look around and noticed Maisie was sitting next to me."It's okay. You are okay. Alpha Shaw saved you." Maisie was saying.Save me from what?And then I realized how dripping wet I was. Xavier's hair still had droplets dripping as well. My jumpsuit felt restrictive to move or breathe in as it clung to my body. Thankfully, it was not see-through."Oh, Goddess! Zoe, you slipped and fell into the pool. So lucky that my Xavier was here to save you." I heard Claire as she came into view. She had discarded the satin cardigan that she had been wearing to cover up her revealing bikini. Her face did not betray a single emotion that she had expr
Zoe's POVI knew going to Claire's was going to blow up in my face. But I had no idea how bad things would go and how quickly out of hand too.Now, Maisie was gone. Xavier had taken Claire to hospital and despite everything, I was praying, hoping, that she was okay. Jacob had gone with them. I was alone in Claire's home, surrounded by all the pool party/engagement party guests of Blood Cresent. Everyone who thought I was a slut and a gold digger."I know you did this." The dark-skinned girl from earlier raised her accusing finger at me as she walked inside and saw me still there.I knew replying would make it worse and there was no way I could protect myself from so many wolves who loved Claire. So, I stayed silent."I saw Claire drinking from the glass that you planted on the table for her." She was glaring at me as more people joined her."Say something, Slut." One of them shouted, "No apology or regret?""So, apart from being a whore by trade, and a gold-digger, you are also a murde
Zoe's POVI felt numb throughout my ride home.It felt like I had lost something very precious. Like I had lost a part of myself. The scene of Xavier's arms carrying Claire as she smirked at me was haunting me. But I did not feel like crying.What was the point of crying? It wouldn't bring back what Xavier and I had shared. I wondered if any of it was real. Or did he really just use me?The cab dropped me near my house as evening enveloped the pack, but I didn't want to go inside yet. Aunt Julie had been so worried about me lately. I couldn't let her see me like that. I had to get a grip on myself. I had to run.I needed to run.I rushed into the darkening woods.I took off my shoes and allowed nature to lead me. I focused on the sounds and smells around me and hoped that, like always, I would be able to run from my thoughts. I never realized when the casual fun runs through the woods as a kid turned into me running from my present.I stopped when I absolutely needed air. I bent on my
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