Nicolas POV"From where did you obtain the information?" I asked Ronan as I turned the final page of the file. Though I never imagined it went that deep, the contents shocked me and made perfect sense for the Nightingale Pack to be supporting the Red Claw Pack."I have my resources," Ronan said, grinning and interlacing his fingers.He patiently waited for me to complete the file review and offer my opinion."Hopefully, this information was not obtained unlawfully," I responded, closing the document. It could put a target on our backs, and I didn't want that. My pack's safety was more important to me."I did not need to; it was all done in favor," he said, grinning smugly.I turned my head to the side and furrowed my brows. My spine tingled with an unholy sensation.What was Ronan getting up to?Who and why did they provide him with this information?Was there someone he was blackmailing?"I do not think so," Ray said, listening in on my thoughts. He was interested to see what Ronan h
Nicolas POV "Enter," I yelled in frustration as the next round of urgent knocks occurred.I cannot put this off any longer.When the door opened and I saw who was standing outside, my mood plummeted to my shoes."F*ck!" I cursed under my breath.There was trouble coming on the horizon."Nikkie!" I became frozen, hearing the familiar high-pitched voice that set off alarm bells in my ears.The smallest she-wolf I have ever laid eyes on entered the office. Her red lips were painted with a broad smile, expressing her immense happiness at seeing me.My heart skipped a beat when I got a glimpse of her large, gentle baby blue eyes—they were so vibrant and happy."I cannot believe this is happening," I whispered to myself. "She can't be back. I must be dreaming!"I stared in disbelief as the tiny 5'0 foot girl took another step closer.She has changed a lot.Her once short dark chocolate brown hair was now longer and fell past her shoulders and hung down to her slender waist. She still had h
Zara's POV"Are you sure you want to go alone, Zara?" Just as we stepped outside the packhouse, my worried father inquired. I was on my way out with Ronan to formally seal the agreement between the packs."Alpha, it was just a small misunderstanding," Levi said, glancing at me. "I do not doubt that their disagreements have been settled."My dad arched an eyebrow in concern and looked from Levi to me.I moved ahead, clasped his hand, and grinned."It is all good, father," I said and squeezed his hands to reassure him that everything was okay. "Alpha Nicholas and I have moved past our disagreements.""It is helpful to know," he remarked, refusing to accept my words. "I was concerned.""There is nothing to be concerned about," Levi went on. "Zara and Alpha Nicolas seem to be gradually coming to terms with each other,"With a nod, my dad looked at Ronan."You had better drive carefully with my daughter. Do you hear me?" He snarled at Ronan."Always," Ronan answered, attempting to maintain
Zara's POV"Cover your eyes," Nic said, handing me a black blindfold.He had been acting a little strangely for the last twenty minutes, and I could not figure out what was bothering him.I looked down at the blindfold he was holding, then looked up to meet his eyes.I was uneasy about his request.Ronan suddenly slowed the car, adding more tension to the request.I kept staring at Nicolas and twitching my eyebrows while he laughed, clearly amused by my reply.As he shifted in his seat to face me, his expression went back to being serious. "What is the issue?""I am not a big fan," I said, pointing to the blindfold."Zara, I promise not to do anything to hurt you," he said, taking my hand and dropping the blindfold inside. "I swear to you. It is just to amp up the excitement surrounding... uhm... the meeting."Kaya cocked her head to the side and looked at Nic. "He is trying very hard to make his surprise as memorable as possible for you," she said.As soon as Nic got into the car, Ka
Nicolas POVI was experiencing such an emotional overload that I was unsure of how to act, which made me feel both nervous and excited at the same time.I was afraid Zara might not appreciate my surprise as much as I was hoping she would.Goddess, what is wrong with me?Never before have I felt so insecure!"Get a hold of yourself!" Ray growled inside my head. "You are going to give away the surprise!"I gave Zara a sidelong glance and forcefully swallowed. She appeared incredibly perplexed, possibly even nervous about the blindfold I had given her."Leave her to me," Ray said, turning to leave. "You just carried out our initial plan. Do not let anything slip! Do you hear me?"I glanced back at Zara, her eyes pleading. My heart is breaking. Goddess, that look in her eyes! I can't do it!"Don't you dare!" Ray warned, observing the pleading look in Zara's eyes. "She will be alright!""Don't you think it's too much?" I tried to reason with Ray. "Levi did express...""What? The blindfold?
Zara's POVThe lights around me came alive, and I stood there in amazement. I never imagined Nic would take me somewhere like this."Wow!" I whispered to myself. "It is incredible!""Do you like it?" My ears chimed with Nic's voice. I was so engrossed in memorizing the stunning display before me that I forgot he was standing beside me."No," I said, and Nic looked down, disappointed. "I adore it! It is truly amazing! Why did you choose to bring me here?"Nic grinned and appeared incredibly relaxed, as though his anxiety had vanished.We were at the carnival grounds, and seeing all the rides come to life was breathtaking."I would like to show you around," he said, drawing my arm in with his. "And I will fill you in on everything."With a proud stance, Nic began walking in the direction of the merry-go-round, clearly pleased with himself.After pulling the gate open at the merry-go-round, Nic led the way onto the platform, and I followed him."They remain just as remarkable as I recall
Nicolas POVZara quickly tucked into the hotdogs I had ordered for us. She appeared comfortable and to be enjoying the simple meal. I guess Ronan made his special chili sauce and tossed it over the hotdogs."I know that look," Zara said as she noticed my gaze. "Do not worry, I will not become ill while riding the rides.""I hope not," I said, laughing. Zara had already had two hotdogs. "Doing so would ruin the rest of the evening."Zara rolled her eyes and placed the hotdog onto the plate."I am capable of managing myself. I am a big girl," she said.I burst out laughing at that. She could be so witty at times."So, tell me," Zara said, her silver eyes glimmering with delight as her tone returned a bit serious. "What rides are you adding this year?"A grin appeared in the corner of my mouth. Right now, I was not prepared to reveal all of my cards just yet. It was still early in the evening, and I wanted to spend more time with Zara before I showed her this year's brand-new attraction.
Zara's POVA warm smile was forming on the corners of my lips as I lay in bed, stretching myself languidly between the sheets.One of the most unforgettable evenings of my life was last night. The fact that it ended so quickly and early disappointed me a little because I had so much fun.I let out a sigh as I turned to face my bedroom window; it was still dark outside and far too early to get up."I thought I heard you," Levi said in a whisper as he looked into my room while holding two cups of coffee."Good morning!" I gave him a warm response and motioned for him to approach. I pushed myself to a sitting position so he could sit down. "You are up early.""I could not sleep," he said, passing the coffee to me."What time is it?" I asked, knowing that Levi did not like getting up early."3:45 am," he said, getting on the bed. "That is way too early even for you," I said, sipping my coffee.Last night at around nine, Nic had an urgent matter to attend to, so Ronan took me home. I went
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