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"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
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