Zara's POV
"Bloody hell, Zara!" Upon seeing me seated on the couch in the living room, Levi let out a sigh of relief. He swooped down on me like a hawk, drew me to my feet, and embraced me tightly in his renowned bear hug.
"Hi to you too," I gently said, as I stroked his back.
I got back home just a few minutes ago.
Zara's POV"Where the hell have you been?!" The office windows shook and rattled as my dad yelled. His wrath appeared to have grown since we last saw him."I haven't been gone that long." I calmly countered, looking to Beta John for support.Beta John, on the other hand, remained silent while maintaining his trademark grin. He probably wants to see how I react in
Zara's POV"Get dressed," Levi demanded, and then he handed me a pair of shoes.As I peered at my shoes in his hands, I narrowed my eyes in confusion at him. I had no intention of leaving the house. I was still quite angry with my dad."Why?" I folded my arms across my chest and mumbled.
Zara's POVA border patrol officer hurried over to where Levi had pulled over his truck. His chocolate-colored hair was streaked with silver, and he appeared to be an older man, perhaps in his forties."Morning, Beta," the guard greeted him, his brown eyes friendly, as Levi opened the window. "It's wonderful to see you. Your father has informed me of your departure. Could you kindly turn over your departure paperwork to me?"
Nicolas POVI returned to my pack at the break of dawn. Ronan waited for me in the cave with a set of new clothes."Your father is angry," he said as we entered the SUV."Let him be," I casually replied, gesturing for him to drive. "There isn't much my father could do to me at this moment."Fury at what he had done to me coursed through my body, and I tightened my fists in response. I had discovered the truth."Are you going to take him on about it?" Ray listened in on my thoughts. "Or could I do the honors?""When the time is right," I responded. "I will see that he suffers the consequences for his actions."After a brief ride, we returned to the pack, and I barely noticed when we came to a halt.I dropped my duffel bag on my office floor, walked straight to the alcohol cabinet, and poured myself a drink.Ronan silently observed me."You have changed," he stated, taking a seat at my desk
Nicolas POVI had my fists firmly clamped around my father's neck, choking him. He was crushed against the wall. Ray's power was more than I had expected."Alpha," Ronan's startled cry resounded across the room. Nor has he ever seen me allow Ray to maintain control, nor has he ever seen Ray lose his fury like that. "I think you should sit your father down before you kill him."My father's face flushed, and his eyes popped out of their sockets as he struggled against Ray's grip. However, I became even more enraged as I relived the memories of what he had done to me."Why should I?" My grip on my father's neck grew tighter as Ray let out a howl. "He erased all traces of your Alpha's past... We thought we were cursed."Ronan turned his gaze away from me, a hidden emotion visible in his eyes as if he had anticipated Ray's words.Was my dad truly so corrupt? Did Ronan realize it? His silence baffled me."Your fath
Zara's POV"Oh my," I exclaimed in shock as Levi dragged me inside a posh boutique in the city. "This is a bit unexpected."I didn't anticipate him taking me here."Well, what kind of mate would I be if I couldn't get you a decent dress for the ball?" Smirking, Levi said."You are the greatest!" I shouted with delight as I reached up to kiss his cheek.Smiling, Levi gestured for the salesgirl to come closer."Good morning, Zara," a friendly and elderly woman with short, light-blond hair greets us. She was a human named Jenn. The last time I was at the dress boutique for an event similar to this one, I ran into her."It is great to see you," she went on to say. "I understand you and your husband will be attending a grand ball this Saturday?" she asked. "Is that right?"With a smile on my face, I nodded. Levi must have notified her about the ball."Great, let's get started. Follow me, please." She gestured
Zara's POV"Nic?" I gasped, startled. "What are you doing here?"My eyes darted around the room, taking note of the fact that Jenn and her assistant were no longer there."Beta Levi called me," he proclaimed as he inched closer. "He told me you needed some assistance in picking the perfect dress for the ball."Finally, Nic paused and leaned close to my ear, saying, "But now it seems like this was a setup."I shivered, closing my eyes as his warm breath brushed over my skin."You seem capable of picking your own dress," he continued, his voice betraying his need.My flushed cheeks compelled me to bite my lip. I was already overwhelmed with desire, especially with Nicolas by my side.Did Levi intend for this to happen?"Let me help you out of that dress," Nicolas said, smirking as he pulled away. "It might be pretty, but it certainly doesn't betray your beauty."A small moan escaped my lips as I bec
Nicolas POV"Mrs. Zara," Jenn, the saleslady, called us as we exited the private room. Despite the strange expression on her face, she maintained an even tone. She must have heard us having sex in the dressing room."Yes," Zara answered, her attention shifting toward her."Your husband asked me to hand you this," she said, handing her an envelope."Thank you so much," Zara replied, opening the envelope.I patiently waited for Zara to read through the contents. I already knew what Levi was planning; he had informed me when I arrived."Levi says he has another surprise for me," Zara said, seemingly a bit worried about it."Oh? That sounds promising," I replied. "Where to?""He says we should meet up at Martino's," she sighed."Then that is where we'll go," I replied, taking her hand and heading to the door.Martino's was a small Italian restaurant, just around the corner from the boutique.
Nicolas POV"This is absolutely absurd! How do you expect us to just hand over our Luna?" Ronan asked angrily. "He injected her with wolfsbane, leaving her in excruciating pain. What kind of animal would do that to another being? And he claims to be her mate? He would hurt her more if we gave her to him!"Noah decided it was safer for him to leave Zara there in the hallway of the restaurant. There were too many humans around to put up a proper fight. He left through the back door of the kitchen, followed by Levi, who vanished as quickly as he had appeared.Zara was completely unconscious when I attended to her. Her reaction to the wolfsbane was normal and not too critical to handle.The local police insisted on taking Zara to the hospital when they arrived.I tried to assure them that everything was fine and that the drug Noah gave her would wear off soon; however, they refused to listen.Kyle quickly got on the pho
Zara's POVI woke up with the sound of birds chirping close by, and I moaned under my breath. I had this annoying pounding feeling at the back of my skull.I dragged my heavy, swollen eyelids open and blinked a couple of times against the blinding light before I could manage to make out anything in the room.I struggled for a moment to make sense of what I was seeing.This wasn't my room at all. I wasn't at home.My heart started to pound inside my chest as my gaze traveled over the room. Yet I couldn't find anything out of place. It was very stylish, yet so simple.I was lying in a comfortable king-size bed, the bedding white and soft.Only a single black-and-white painting adorned the tall white walls, but thick, expensive curtains covered the broad windows.My attention moved to the huge double glass doors. The late afternoon breeze lazily tugged on the thin sheer curtains covering them. They were left open.
Zara's POVMy legs gave way under me as the wolfsbane poison spread through the rest of my body, leaving me in excruciating pain."Why are you doing this to me?" I managed to push the words over my lips. My tongue has already swollen in response to the wolfsbane. "I'm mated... and... marked. I... don't... belong... to you..."My voice sounded strained and foreign to my ears.A sinister smile appeared on his lips; he knew it wouldn't be long until I lost consciousness.My head suddenly felt heavy, dropping to the side, while my eyes rolled back in their sockets. I was fighting with everything inside me to stay conscious—my mind threatening to give in and drift off to the darkness.Noah grabbed my chin between his fingers, forcing me to look at him."I am your rightful mate," he hissed. "The Goddess chose you for me, and we will honor her decision! You will soon belong to me!"Noah moved my shirt f
Zara's POVI could feel Nicolas's eyes on me as I made my way between the tables toward the hallway.There was a long hallway at the exit that led down to the ladies' restroom, and I followed behind Levi in silence. He seemed occupied by his own thoughts and didn't say a single word to me.I wasn't sure if he was angry at me or if something else was bothering him.He appeared more like a guard standing by my side than my closest companion escorting me to the restroom.Whatever the situation was, it made me uncomfortable. Levi's behavior wasn't familiar to me.Levi came to a stop, abruptly held out my handbag to me, pushed open the bathroom door for me, and gestured for me to go inside.His eyes were unreadable, and his body language was stiff and cold.Did something happen while I was in the boutique with Nic? Or was he upset because he could detect Nic's scent on me?"What has gotten into him?"
Nicolas POV"I know what you are going to say," Kyle said, as I pulled a chair back to take a seat at the table.I stopped what I was doing and stared at him in shock. He was no mind reader.My gaze swept over the familiar face, taking in the changes that had occurred. I haven't seen Kyle for more than five years. He looked a bit older than the last time I saw him, and his body and face had changed a bit.Kyle had always been on the thin side, but now he was massive and masculine.My gaze swept over his face. Isabella's illness had etched deep worry lines under his eyes, now replaced by lines of laughter. His face had become more full and less sunken. He looked much healthier, and he had definitely gained some healthy body weight.My gaze swept over his medium brown hair; it was now longer, curling around his ears. Yet, even after all the changes, his green-blue eyes were still the same, clear but sad."Ronan had alre
Nicolas POV"Mrs. Zara," Jenn, the saleslady, called us as we exited the private room. Despite the strange expression on her face, she maintained an even tone. She must have heard us having sex in the dressing room."Yes," Zara answered, her attention shifting toward her."Your husband asked me to hand you this," she said, handing her an envelope."Thank you so much," Zara replied, opening the envelope.I patiently waited for Zara to read through the contents. I already knew what Levi was planning; he had informed me when I arrived."Levi says he has another surprise for me," Zara said, seemingly a bit worried about it."Oh? That sounds promising," I replied. "Where to?""He says we should meet up at Martino's," she sighed."Then that is where we'll go," I replied, taking her hand and heading to the door.Martino's was a small Italian restaurant, just around the corner from the boutique.
Zara's POV"Nic?" I gasped, startled. "What are you doing here?"My eyes darted around the room, taking note of the fact that Jenn and her assistant were no longer there."Beta Levi called me," he proclaimed as he inched closer. "He told me you needed some assistance in picking the perfect dress for the ball."Finally, Nic paused and leaned close to my ear, saying, "But now it seems like this was a setup."I shivered, closing my eyes as his warm breath brushed over my skin."You seem capable of picking your own dress," he continued, his voice betraying his need.My flushed cheeks compelled me to bite my lip. I was already overwhelmed with desire, especially with Nicolas by my side.Did Levi intend for this to happen?"Let me help you out of that dress," Nicolas said, smirking as he pulled away. "It might be pretty, but it certainly doesn't betray your beauty."A small moan escaped my lips as I bec
Zara's POV"Oh my," I exclaimed in shock as Levi dragged me inside a posh boutique in the city. "This is a bit unexpected."I didn't anticipate him taking me here."Well, what kind of mate would I be if I couldn't get you a decent dress for the ball?" Smirking, Levi said."You are the greatest!" I shouted with delight as I reached up to kiss his cheek.Smiling, Levi gestured for the salesgirl to come closer."Good morning, Zara," a friendly and elderly woman with short, light-blond hair greets us. She was a human named Jenn. The last time I was at the dress boutique for an event similar to this one, I ran into her."It is great to see you," she went on to say. "I understand you and your husband will be attending a grand ball this Saturday?" she asked. "Is that right?"With a smile on my face, I nodded. Levi must have notified her about the ball."Great, let's get started. Follow me, please." She gestured
Nicolas POVI had my fists firmly clamped around my father's neck, choking him. He was crushed against the wall. Ray's power was more than I had expected."Alpha," Ronan's startled cry resounded across the room. Nor has he ever seen me allow Ray to maintain control, nor has he ever seen Ray lose his fury like that. "I think you should sit your father down before you kill him."My father's face flushed, and his eyes popped out of their sockets as he struggled against Ray's grip. However, I became even more enraged as I relived the memories of what he had done to me."Why should I?" My grip on my father's neck grew tighter as Ray let out a howl. "He erased all traces of your Alpha's past... We thought we were cursed."Ronan turned his gaze away from me, a hidden emotion visible in his eyes as if he had anticipated Ray's words.Was my dad truly so corrupt? Did Ronan realize it? His silence baffled me."Your fath