Nicolas POV"What do you mean that she is not there?" I screamed at Levi on the phone.Ronan's face turned to ash a few seconds ago, and I could see the fear in his eyes. He had given the phone to me.Levi choked, "I-I-we can find her," over the receiver. "I have searched all over for her.""When was the last time you saw her?" I paced my office as I asked."The last time I saw her, she went to her room to calm down.""And then?" My fingers around the phone went white as I snarled. The fact that I had not broken the phone while I was holding it surprised me. "Has anyone visited her? Taken her?"Was Noah responsible for this?Has he abducted her?"Her bedroom was locked from the inside," Levi clarified. "It is likely that she jumped from her window.""Remember Levi's statement that Zara would not dare do that?" Ray chipped in."If she did that, how the hell did no one notice?" I asked, disregarding what Ray had said. "Is there any other scent in her room?""No!" Levi's voice broke as h
Nicolas POV"I am so glad you waited," Terra said with the sweetest voice. "I wanted to come and give you a personal thank you."Terra tilted her head sideways, observing the quiet Ray. He did not move. He was staring at Terra with disgust.Yet she misread the hostility as something else, which made me nauseous."Do you like what you see?" she asked. "I have ensured that every aspect of me is flawless just for you!"The dark bruises on Terra's slender body had vanished, and the cuts on her face had healed—her wolf had done her magic.Terra grinned, tossed her hair over her shoulder, and placed her hands on her hips. She was not embarrassed by her appearance; instead, she began to parade before me as though she were at a fashion show.She spun around quickly, flaunting all of her assets."This is all yours," she said, pointing to her body. "You can have a taste of me now; I would not mind, and it could be our little secret. I want to express my gratitude to you for saving me."Ray shoo
Nicolas POV"This feels cozy, does not it?" Winking at me, Terra licked her upper lip and whispered. Upon my attack, Terra managed to miraculously shift back into a human. Ray came tumbling down on top of her, and we all ended up stuck in an old rotten tree stump tangled in some overgrowth. Now she was purposefully rubbing her nude body against mine, taking advantage of our vulnerability.Ray became agitated by the second, and I let out an embarrassed sigh inwardly. When he growled at her to stop rubbing her body against him, she became even more determined to do so."I think Alpha Nicholas had enough of your childish games," Ronan said, drawing nearer. "Is it not evident from his growl how irritated he is?""Irritated? That sounded more like a purr than a growl," Terra remarked as she extended her hand to caress Ray's head.Ray growled, but Terra simply winked at him and withdrew her hand.Ray moved his massive body uncomfortably, attempting to put distance between Terra's and his bo
Nicolas POV"Where are you going?" I inquired as Ray abruptly veered off course and sprinted past the cave. "The cave is just there!""The lake," he replied, "we can't go look for Zara smelling like Terra. She would be furious, and I don't want her mad at us."I acknowledged Ray's point and nodded in agreement, but it would cause us to fall further behind schedule.Dammit! Why would Zara decide to run away at a time like this? Couldn't she just stay put?When the lake finally appeared, the sight of its pristine blue water was mesmerizing. At least the cave was not too far away.Ray always loved water, and he crashed into it, making a huge wave.I let him run and play in the water for a minute so he could enjoy the cool water."Feeling better?" I asked after he returned to shore."Yeah," he answered. "We also smell a lot better."Ray shook his fur to remove the water, then scampered back toward the cave. It appeared as if the water had carried away all of his troubles during those flee
Zara's POVMy entire body was burning, and it had spread like wildfire. I was in so much pain that I was having trouble breathing and moving.My frantic screams had long since subsided, and I was now barely conscious."Oh, Goddess, Zara!" A familiar voice chimed in my ears. "What have you done to yourself?!"I could hear the worry in his voice, but I could not tell who it was. My eyes were full of tears, making it difficult to see him.Perhaps it was my dad? Did he find me?"Before the goddess punishes me for neglecting you, we had better get you inside," he murmured to himself. "I can't believe you would do this to yourself! If the goddess sees you in this state, what will she say?"With a sigh, strong arms scooped me up from the cave floor. He stroked my hair tenderly while carefully pressing my head against his chest."Everything is going to be alright," he muttered, his heartbeat lulling me to sleep. "I will look after you."His words contained a promise that I could not ignore.H
Nicolas POV The moment I saw Zara, the anxiety from just a few minutes before vanished."Mate!" The single word escaped my lips, and it felt great to do so.Zara stared at me in confusion, not knowing how to respond.Was she scared of Ray being in control?There was nothing else for me to do. Her scent was so powerful that it led me right to her.Slowly, Zara rose from the bed and approached. She did not know what to do."Ray," she uttered in a tremulous voice. "Return control to Alpha Nicolas, please.""Are you sure?" he asked. "Neither of us thinks that is a good idea."She recoiled in surprise."Why?" Her voice cracked as she asked."Because he would not have self-control around you," Ray answered.Zara's brows furrowed in perplexity. Has she not figured it out yet?"How come?" She looked into Ray's eyes and asked.I sighed.When our mates went into heat, it was usually our wolves who went crazy. Only the Goddess knows why, but it felt like Ray and my rolls were switched around wh
Zara's POV"Heat? I am in heat...?"I could not believe what Nic was saying. I was shocked by what I heard.Why would I go into heat now? Have I done something wrong?I knew I would eventually go into heat, but what caused it? I was fairly certain that we only went into heat when we were marked... or...Slowly, my eyes shifted to Kaya. She appeared rather guilty."Is this your doing?" I asked.She shook her head hastily."So why do you look so guilty?" I asked."It was bound to happen," Kaya said, as if it were nothing. "You two have been taunting the bond for a while now. The fact that it did not occur sooner shocked me.""Really, Kaya?" I lost my temper. "You were aware that this would occur, yet you remained silent about it! Why didn't you just tell me? Now look at us!""I only figured it out this morning," she whispered in defense."You what!? You knew! And you failed to warn me!" I snarled. "If someone had scented my heat, what would you have done?""Well, no one did," she said w
Zara's POV"Isn't it magnificent?" Beta John's low voice surprised me, causing me to gasp in fear. I turned around to see him standing a short distance behind us."Only a true royal can light up a temple like that!" Drawing nearer, he went on."I do not understand," I murmured, cocking my head to the side and staring at him in confusion as he halted.Is he completely insane?I am not a member of the royal family.Beta John's behavior was increasingly deviating from my expectations, which alarmed me. I didn't know what to do while I was in his presence.My heart skipped a beat and then raced in my chest as Beta John smiled at me tenderly but honestly.His smile was completely new to me. Despite his affection, I saw anguish in his eyes. It was unique, and it frightened the crap out of me, too.Why was he acting this way?Instead of responding, Beta John brushed his fingers on the wall, causing the symbols beneath them to illuminate and come to life.Unbelievable, I let out a gasp and st
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