Zara's POV"Slow down!" Kaya let out a panicked cry as I stepped across the river with such force that I almost lost my balance and slipped off the rocks."Why should I?" I whimpered in sorrow.I could not stop thinking about Nic's insensitive comments. It hurt. I should have known that the offer was too good to be true. I should have never fallen for his charms!"He still considers me to be a child!" I responded with a deep, hearty growl. "Why is the pain so great?""Zara, listen to me," Kaya cried out in concern. "You must slow down right now!""How come?" My bottom lip quivered as I asked stubbornly."Because you are going in the wrong direction!" She yelled, fighting for control."What do you mean we are going in the wrong direction?" I stopped and started sobbing.I knew how to get back home from the hotel. All I had to do was sprint through the forest to reach the lake beyond. A few miles further
Zara's POV "Oh, that's nice," Luna Mary sneered when she saw me coming down the hallway with Luke. She is Luke and his brothers' mother, as well as Alpha Jack's mate.Luke's expression twisted with rage; he froze in place, not exactly thrilled to see her."You are being rude, mom," he said, before she could continue and say anything more.I have never received much affection from Luna Mary, and when she found out that Luke and I had dated for a while, her demeanor only became more icy."I am not being impolite," Luna Mary became enraged and threw her long blond hair over her shoulder, her eyes turning emerald green. "A she-wolf should not come around at this hour, especially if they are—""What time is it?" I interrupted her by asking."After 2 am," Derek answered."Gosh," I muttered. No wonder Luna Mary appeared annoyed that I was here at this hour. "My apologies, Luna; I have lost track of time.""Looks like you have lost more than just your sense of time," she barked. "Look at you
Zara's POV "I am sorry for taking so long," Alpha Jack said, settling into his desk chair. "And for the way Luna Mary behaved."I stood up and nodded, but Luke motioned for me to remain where I was."We will be over to sit with you shortly," Alpha Jack remarked.Andrew hurried to answer a knock that was rather softly coming from the office door."Who would bother us in the middle of the night?" With a growl, Luke cast his gaze downward at his watch."An omega," Andrew retorted, oblivious to his sibling's rage."What does she want?" Luke growled, clenching his teeth and putting his hands across his chest."She is bringing food," Andrew replied as he pulled open the door."What for?" Luke asked."So that your precious Zara can stuff her face." Luke's eyes darted to me as Andrew sarcastically answered. "She did not eat, and her hunger sounds apparent.""When was the last time you had any food?" Luke asked."Yesterday at ten o'clock," I answered."In the evening?" he inquired."No, morni
Zara's POV"Oh my goddess, Zara, we were so worried," Levi muttered when he took me into his arms. "Are you alright?"I was at a loss for words, so I just nodded.I was slowly processing everything that Alpha Jack and Luke had told me, and I was hoping and praying that nothing was true."Come," Levi said. "Your father is in the car, waiting for you."Levi thanked Alpha Jack, steered me back toward the car, and opened the passenger door.My dad remained silent and would not even look at me."I'm-""Save it!" He snarled and glanced back in the rearview mirror. "Alpha Nicholas informed me of the incident over the phone earlier.""Your father is not upset with you," Levi mindlinked. "He is just mad that Nic will not have your father sign the treaty; he only wants your signature on the paperwork.""That doesn't make things much easier," I sobbed."Nic called and asked to see you," Levi said.As soon as I did not respond, Levi turned to face me, and I could feel his intense gaze."What happ
Nicolas POV"I will be out in a minute, Levi-bear!" My heart skipped a beat when I heard Zara's voice coming down the hallway. Her sweet remarks about Levi made me feel envious and territorial.Levi raised his hand defensively and hastily, as if sensing my change in mood."It's not what you think," he defended. "Zara has been calling me that for as long as I remember. It is only a nickname. I swear.""A nickname?" The two words rolled tiredly from my tongue. I was physically and emotionally worn out. It was starting to wear on my body and mind because I had not slept at all for the previous two days.Nevertheless, I was compelled to come and attempt to correct things with Zara. I had to tell her I was sorry, hoping she would accept my apology."Yes," Levi replied."Have you heard me,...?" Zara called once more, a little louder this time."Yes, I did," Levi shot back at her. "I am eagerly awaiting your arrival. Our food is starting to get cold. Hurry up and get dressed! I am starving!"
Zara's POVI heard Nic's voice down the hallway, and I silently crept closer, my heart pounding in my ears.How could Levi allow him inside? Does he not realize that I am not interested in seeing him?"Well, technically, you did not tell him why you were not interested in seeing Nicholas," Kaya said, startling me. "It appears that he intervened on his own to encourage communication between the two of you.""That does not mean that he can make decisions about things that are personal for me in secret," I snapped.I moved to get a better look by moving toward the end of the hallway.Unaware of my presence, Nic was facing away from the hallway. His hair was neatly combed back and tied up, and he wore black pants and a white formal shirt."Stop being upset with Levi," Kaya said. "You refused to say anything more when you got home, and he seemed concerned about your emotional state. He cares about you. Levi must have been so distraught that he called Nicholas.""Nevertheless!" I clenched m
Nicolas POVI have spent the last thirty minutes standing at Zara's bedroom door, apologizing.Still, she had not even attempted to unlock the door.Will her heart ever soften enough to forgive me?Will I ever get an opportunity to present my case to her?My phone started ringing in my pocket, and I hesitated to answer. At that point, I was not ready to give up. I pressed the side button on my phone, and it went silent."Zara," I called out. "I am sure you can hear me. I apologize for saying those things, but you only heard one side of the conversation. Please accept my apology.""That would not exactly improve the situation," said Ray.I continued hammering on the door and calling her, ignoring Ray.I was aware that Zara was still in her room. Her rich, euphoric wildflower scent was still lingering in the surrounding air.I called out to Levi and moved away from the door."Yes, Alpha," he replied, looking from the door to me."Have you tried linking Zara?" I asked, desperate to find
Zara's POVI didn't even grab anything to eat. I simply bolted from our quarters, shifted as soon as I was outside the packhouse, and ran as fast as I possibly could.I did not care that I had just destroyed my favorite training outfit or that I had an appointment with my father later that day.All I wanted was to be by myself.I simply needed to get my thoughts straight and see things from a different perspective.I was aware that things were slowly eating me alive from the inside out, messing with my head and making me feel lost.Maybe Nicholas was right after all since I am still a kid at heart."You are not a kid at all!" Kaya growled. "You are just a young adult, that all!""What separates the two from one another?" I lost my temper.Kaya said nothing after that. She knew that nothing she said to me at this point would be helpful. I refused to hear it.Though I had no idea where I was heading, I knew that Kaya would not allow me to go past the pack boundary. Given my current stat
Zara's POVHuge green trees stretched far and wide around me, and a sense of calmness had formed around my heart.The forest has always been my happy place.I closed my eyes, and I inhaled deeply, taking in the earthy scent.A sad smile formed on my lips; I felt the wind softly tug on my hair, and the sunrays lightly kissed my face. I haven't been in the woods for some time, and maybe it will help me clear my head.I opened my eyes and scanned my surroundings."Where are we?" I muttered to myself as I scanned for any kind of clue. I wasn't sure where I was, but I felt kind of excited and scared at the same time.Kaya quietly observed me. Her eyes were dull, and her ears were hanging. She seems to be a bit depressed about leaving Nicolas like that, and I had a suspicious feeling that she wanted me to go back and confront him about the photo.But even she knew I wasn't emotionally strong enough to do tha
Nicolas POV"You better get dressed," my father ordered when he entered my quarters. With his gray hair combed back and already dressed in a black penguin suit and blue bow tie, he looked dashing."The opening of the carnival starts in less than an hour!" He continued, closing the door behind him.I rolled my eyes at him and released a breath I didn't know I was holding.I have locked myself in my quarters after our search. Zara was nowhere in sight. I have been moping and drinking here for most of the day. I couldn't believe that Zara could just disappear like that."She didn't just disappear," Ray growled. "She ran away from you!""How?" I snapped. "She can't just disappear in thin air! Someone must have taken her.""I refuse to believe that!" he hissed. "She must have discovered Isabella's photo and embraced the worst! She must have run away! She could have used her magic….""You can't be so
Zara's POVBig, blue-green eyes kept staring back at me; they looked so full of life and love that it was hard for me to turn my gaze away.Who is she?Why did Nic keep a photo of her in his pocket?Is his heart longing for her?Am I just a destraction?My mind kept reminding me of the girl's features in the photo. Her long, flawless golden hair looked so soft and beautiful. Her full pink lips would mold around Nic's easily, and her perfect straight nose and high cheekbones made her look like a sun goddess compared to me. Everyone she met must have loved her.Love her.A sob escaped my lips.Nic must love her if he kept a photo in his pocket of her.I gasped as if all the air was knocked out of my lungs and stumbled backward as the realization hit me.Nic must be in love with her.How else could I explain the photo?My whole world crumbled around me. Was our relations
Nicolas POV"Morning, Alpha," Mariana called from the kitchen as I entered the dining room. "Did you sleep well?""You should rather ask if he slept at all," Ronan chirped teasingly. He was casually sitting at the breakfast table reading the daily newspaper.Ronan's words left me stunned. There was no way that Ronan could have heard us this morning, or did he?Ronan slid the newspaper aside, a wide grin painted on his lips as he slowly raised a taunting eyebrow at me, waiting for my response."I slept fine," I quickly said. "Thanks for asking."Ronan rolled his eyes, chuckled, and straightened the newspaper to continue reading.I took my seat at the table, and Mariana's granddaughter, Amelia, quickly came closer with a pot of coffee."Did Luna enjoy the outing to the waterfall yesterday?" Mariana made small talk as she entered the dining room with our breakfast."She did," I replied, taking a sip of my c
Zara's POVI woke up with the sound of the shower door closing and the shower tap opening, and I lazily stretched my body over the bed.The bed was still warm where Nic lay moments ago, and my gaze shifted to the empty pillow next to me. I could still smell his intoxicating scent on them.A lazy smile crept onto my lips.Last night will be one of the most memorable nights of my life.As anticipated, Nic and I found ourselves engulfed in the midst of the storm. We arrived home completely drenched.My mind strayed, recalling how I trailed Nic during the storm."That was the last thing I hoped would happen," Nic muttered as we reached the porch. "I hate it when we get these unexpected storms."I didn't say anything; I couldn't; my teeth were chattering together, and I was shivering from the cold. My hands were tingling and turning blue, and the rest of my body had lost most of its sensation."Oh, G
Zara's POVAfter spending all day in the gardens, Nic and I headed to the waterfall.At first Nicolas seemed to be a bit tense, but later on he started to relax.I guess he was now certain that the dark figure had disappeared, and I wasn't in danger anymore."Did you enjoy the gardens?" Ronan asked as we stopped on the porch to pick up our lunch. "Not many had the privilege to wander the Alpha's personal garden.""Yes, thank you," I chirped happily. "The garden is spectacular. I especially loved the rose garden. The roses smell so heavenly."Ronan nodded, a grin forming on his lips."Ronan helped me lay out the gardens," Nic interrupted. "He planted most of the rose bushes.""Oh? That's interesting," I replied. "Do you love gardening?""Only for special reasons," Ronan stated, his face turning sad.His statement surprised me, but Ronan quickly recovered."Will you be showing Luna t
Nicolas POVThe soft kiss of the early morning sun on my cheek woke me up."Urgh," I moaned, feeling my back hurt. I must have fallen asleep during the early morning of the night, laying my head on top of the bed.I blinked a couple of times against the bright light, rubbing the spit from my mouth as I tried to get my eyes focused."Morning, Alpha," Ronan said, his lips twisted in a mocking smile. "Did you sleep well?""As well as any other," I lied, compressing a yawn as I shifted my attention to where Zara was lying.I quickly furrowed my brows—she was not there.Did he manage to take her while I was sleeping?I jump to my feet, adrenaline pumping through my veins."Slow down, Alpha," Ronan said, his hands in a defensive motion. "Luna is in the bathroom. She didn't want to wake you."Zara wasn't taken?I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and sank back into the chair.
Zara's POVA deep and lengthy breath escaped Nic's lips, and my attention quickly shifted toward him.If he couldn't see me, how could I possibly calm him down? He was ready to obliterate everything in his path like a hurricane.Nicolas's body suddenly relaxed a bit, and the wind abruptly calmed down a bit.My gaze fixed on the window—the storm was still there, but it seemed to be preparing to destroy.How was Nicolas controlling the weather?Was it because of me—or was it because he knew there was danger roaming around?I placed my hand on top of Nic's, hoping he would be able to feel me, or just maybe he would sense that I was next to him.That's when the strangest thing I have ever seen happened.While Nicolas held my hand, a soft glow appeared between our hands, and I could feel how a warm current—his magic—moved between us.Nicolas stiffened next to me, yet he didn't l
Zara's POV"It's nothing to be too concerned about," the now-familiar husky voice chimed in my ears. The voice belonged to the infirmary doctor, and he was explaining to Nicolas what was wrong with me.I was having some kind of out-of-body experience, standing next to Nicolas, and I wasn't sure how. I was able to observe everything that was going on around me and still feel, smell, and hear everything—as if I were awake. I scrunched my nose in disgust; the distinctive smell of hospital chemicals was burning my sensitive nose, making Kaya whimper.Kaya sounded in distress; it must be because we were inside the infirmary—she hated hospitals."Alpha, I can assure you that Luna Zara will wake up soon," the nurse chirped next to my bed. Her soft flower scent was all over me; she had checked my vitals earlier, and her soft, warm hands were skillful and precise. Now she was fiddling with the annoying beeping heart monitor ne