I didn’t know how to change the subject, so Xavier just blurted it out: "We need to find a way to get into a human-only club. Can you do that?"Maisie and I exchanged a look, like, Seriously? Now? But Xavier didn’t seem to notice. He just raised his hands in surrender. "Sorry."I almost snorted. Yeah, like an apology fixes anything."You're right, Zoe," Spike’s voice echoed in my mind. "Anyone would feel abandoned. You left her in our hands, and look what happened."I bit back a sigh. "What do you want now?" Xavier muttered under his breath.Spike didn’t hold back. You know I’m right. Zoe left her behind, and now we’re paying for it.Maisie had turned her back to us again, fiddling with random things on a shelf, clearly trying to ignore the tension in the room."Maisie," I started softly, "we are really sorry for what happened to you." I nudged Xavier to continue, "And we want to make things right. No matter how hard it is."Xavier added, his voice quieter now, "It starts with you com
Xavier came back after two hours, but something was off."Okay, someone catch me up," he said, his eyes scanning the scene. "That's not how I left you girls."He stopped in his tracks, confusion clearly written on his face as he looked us over.Maisie and I were sitting on the floor, which was surprising in itself since we’d somehow cleared a little space despite the clutter. I didn’t know why, but for some reason, I was dressed in rags that looked a lot like the ones Maisie had on. My hands were resting over a large bronze bowl, filled with some weird, unfamiliar ingredients.Maisie was holding a ceremonial blade with a rune carved into its handle. She was about to start chanting when Xavier’s voice interrupted her."Where have you been for the past two hours?" Maisie asked, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow at him."I asked first," Xavier shot back, still eyeing everything suspiciously."We’re doing the ritual that you came for," Maisie said in a tone that made it sound like
"I hope you're not planning to wear that." Xavier walked out of the bathroom, dressed in a sleek, expensive clubbing outfit, ready to go, while I was still in my sweats, trying to finish my makeup."What’s it to you?" I replied awkwardly, stretching my mouth to put mascara on my curled lashes."Why are you making that face?" He asked, stepping closer with a mix of curiosity and amusement."Again, what’s it to you?" I rolled my eyes, cursing under my breath when the mascara smeared across my eyelid from the movement.Xavier laughed, and I shot him a glare. We were like an old married couple, even if we hadn’t realized it yet."Why are you here? You ready?" I asked, annoyed."What’s that supposed to mean?" Xavier twirled around in his outfit, flipping his coat with a smirk, clearly offended that I didn’t think he was ready."What’s gotten into you?" I asked, confused by his carefree behavior."What do you mean? I'm going clubbing with my mate for the first time." Xavier said it like we
Xavier and I stepped out of the car, handed the keys to the valet, and walked toward the entrance. There was no line. If you were a member, you walked in. If not, you had to buy an expensive ticket, hoping they’d let you in.Xavier had secured two VIP tickets under fake names. We were directed to a non-member lobby. The receptionist asked us to wait while they confirmed our identities.I opened a mind-link. “What if they find out?” I wasn’t ready to give myself away yet.Xavier was surprised. He looked at me and I yelled in his head, “Look ahead!”He flinched but replied, “They can’t hear us. Don’t yell at me in my head.”“Sorry,” I whispered, feeling awkward.“You don’t need to whisper either,” he said with a smile.I rolled my eyes. “Stop smiling and stop being my teacher.” Then I asked seriously, “What if they find us out?”“They won’t,” Xavier said, but his voice wavered. He didn’t know, but he was trying to stay calm.I repeated, “What if?”“Then they can’t do anything to a Werew
I turned the door handle, my stomach in knots with anticipation. I pushed the door open and saw stairs leading down. I stepped forward, Xavier close behind me. We descended slowly until we reached an elevator.I pressed the button to call it. The wait felt like the longest moments of my life. Finally, the elevator dinged open.We stepped inside, and Xavier noticed a camera with a blinking red light. We were being watched. I saw the elevator had buttons for four floors—one, two, three, and the last one with the same seal as the one on the door. Without thinking, I pressed that button.To our surprise, a voice came over the speaker, confirming Xavier’s suspicion that we were being watched."What will happen if a pair of Moonstones is found?" a woman’s voice asked. I froze and looked around, startled. Who is it?Xavier nudged me, motioning toward the camera, and asked, “Do you know the answer?”I frowned, confused. “Answer to what?”He rolled his lips. “Answer to her question?”I had no
Xavier and I exchanged glances.Were we supposed to lie? Improvise? Or tell the truth?No, the truth seemed like the worst option. How could we explain anything to humans when we had so many unanswered questions?The receptionist tapped her pen on her notepad impatiently.“What do we do?” I asked desperately through the mind link.“I have a plan. Just go with what I say, okay?” Xavier replied.“Ma’am—” Before Xavier could say another word, the receptionist’s expression shifted. Her body language became colder, more threatening.“What are you?” she asked, her voice almost menacing.“Excuse me, I don’t—” Xavier started, but she cut him off again.“No! No stories or lies. Don’t you dare! Do you even know where you are?” She stood up, her eyes cold as ice. Even with the two of us here—one being the youngest Alpha Councilor—she was more intimidating.I stood up too, my heart pounding. Things were escalating quickly, and not in a good way.“I’ll make this quick and precise,” the receptionis
I glanced at Xavier from the corner of my eye, but the elderly lady’s authoritative glare held me in place.I didn’t know what to say. I barely had any memories of my mother. All I had was an unopened letter, the one I still hadn’t had the courage to open. How could I explain why I had taken such extreme measures to enter a place so tightly secured and secretive?“I don’t have all day.” The elderly lady raised an impatient eyebrow, expecting an answer.“Who am I answering to, ma’am?” I tried to buy myself some time, though I knew it was futile.“I am the one in charge of your fate. So, be quick with your answers, and don’t try to be smart with me.” Her voice didn’t rise, but the calmness in it was somehow far more threatening. “Let’s start with your and her name.”I took a deep breath, feeling like I was about to take a leap of faith into the unknown. “I am Zoe Simmons. Daughter of Joe and Aroosa Simmons.” Saying my mother's name felt strange—especially after what my father had done t
Walking into the room felt like stepping into another time. The walls were made of massive stone blocks, worn down by time. Claw marks scratched the surface. Low-hanging iron chandeliers added a dark, mysterious atmosphere. The electricity seemed like an afterthought, added later after the building was already constructed."Impressive, isn't it?"I jumped at the voice. I had been staring at the place, lost in thought.I turned and saw the elderly lady from before sitting behind a large mahogany table. The table had detailed carvings of Lycans and celestial symbols. The designs looked ancient. My necklace was placed neatly on the table."Can I have that back?" I asked. I didn't want to upset her, but I added, "Please.""Of course. It is yours," she said with a small smile. "Or rather, Aroosa's."She motioned for me to sit across from her. I hesitated for a moment but walked over and picked up my necklace. I stood there, unsure, and she smiled again. "I know you’re wary. But you don’t n
Xavier's POV I felt Zoe's hand tighten its grip on my arm as Alyssa made way to us, her eyes holding barely controlled rage. "Why was I not made aware of my sister's return?" I asked Jacob curtly through the mind-link. "Alpha, it is as much of a surprise for us as it is for you." He replied. I kn
Zoe's POVI spent hours at the salon. Jacob was insistent that I be taken care of. He had strict orders from Xavier to make sure I was ready for the formal dinner tonight. I got waxed, polished, and painted like a priceless wooden table.By quarter to eight, my hair was shinier and straighter than i
Zoe's POVThe next morning, I woke up alone. Xavier's side of the bed had a note that said, 'Early Meeting. See you at Lunch. Jacok is yours for the day.'I sighed and stretched. This was not how I wanted to wake up the first day in my new home. But I guess it came with being mates with an Alpha. I
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