Chapter 8 Proposal

Sander appeared calm, but Zenab knew it was nothing more than a façade. Beneath that polished exterior lay a beast. Red perked up for some inexplicable reason, but Zenab chose to disregard her. She recognized Sander for the dangerous man he truly was.

"Where are you taking me? You do realize this is considered kidnapping, right?" she asked, shifting the topic.

Zenab felt as if she were treading into treacherous waters—one wrong move could place her in a situation she might not escape.

"I'm Sander Ford. I own this entire city, and I can do whatever the hell I please, Scarlet."

Damn! He was right. Dave wielded power, but Sander was the king of the city. It was no surprise Miles had pursued him; she was clearly a gold digger. Dave hadn't been sufficient for her; she craved someone more powerful, someone prominent, someone wealthier.

Unfortunately for Zenab, she hadn't been enough for Dave either. The moment that woman re-entered his life, he had decided she no longer measured up.

A wave of bitterness swelled in her chest, but she pushed it down, refusing to let it surface in Sander's presence. The last thing she wanted was for him to glimpse the darkness she concealed.

She glanced out the window, choosing silence over confrontation. There was no point in fighting him—escape was simply not an option.

Before long, they approached the gates of an opulent estate. The driver parked the car in front of an impressive three-story mansion, stunning and grand.

As they exited the car, Sander gently grasped her forearm to guide her inside. They moved so swiftly that she barely had time to absorb the mansion's lavish interior. They entered an office where he seated her in a plush chair before taking his place behind the desk.

"What am I doing here, Mr. Ford?" she asked with a hint of sass.

"Drop the damn attitude, Scarlet," he growled.

"In case you missed it, my name is Zenab, not Scarlet."

Zenab wondered why she was goading him.

A fleeting expression crossed his face, but it disappeared before she could interpret it. She couldn't fathom why she kept pushing his buttons, but perhaps there was a thrill in it.

"I'll call you whatever I want. Now shut up before I lose my patience," he retorted, his face hardening.

What was his problem? He was an absolute jerk, completely rude. Zenab loathed disrespect, and that was precisely what he was dishing out.

Rising to her feet, she declared, "I'm leaving. You're a complete jerk, and I refuse to sit here and let you disrespect and bully me."

That was the frustrating reality with men like Sander; they believed the world revolved around them, that everyone should bow and worship them like gods. Zenab had enough of men like him.

Just as she turned to exit, his words froze her in place.

"I know you're feeling feral," he said softly, catching her completely off guard.

Slowly, she turned to face him, truly looking at him for the first time. He gazed at her with what might have been compassion, though she found it hard to believe Sander was capable of such feelings.

"How do you know that?"

"Sit down, and I'll explain everything," he commanded.

It didn't take much to convince her. Wordlessly, she returned to her seat. He seemed to have answers, and she desperately desired them, even if it meant swallowing her pride and letting him take charge.

"Well?" she prompted after a minute of silence.

As she had said before, she was truly desperate.

"I recognize the signs," Sander began. "I've experienced them myself, so I can easily identify them. This is where my proposal comes into play. It will prevent you from spiraling out of control and give us a chance to get back at those two bastards." His voice trembled with anger.

Zenab felt a wave of shock. It was hard to comprehend that a powerful and feared man like Sander had once faced challenges similar to hers. She wanted to ask about his past, but his proposition took precedence in her mind.

Despite her apprehension, she was intrigued enough to inquire, "What do you propose?"

At this point, she would be willing to try anything to stop herself and Red from going feral. Perhaps this proposal could help her mend her relationship with Emerald.

His gaze locked onto hers as he replied, "A contract mating."

Zenab felt her heart drop. 'What? I wasn't expecting that.'

"You'll have to say that again," she managed to choke out.

He couldn't be serious. Who in their right mind would suggest such an arrangement? It seemed utterly absurd; he had surely lost his mind.

He remained silent, raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow as if challenging her to pretend she hadn't heard him.

"Shit!" she muttered, staring down at her heels, lost in thought.

A whirlwind of thoughts raced through her mind, making it difficult to keep up. The last time she had been involved in a mating, it had seemed like a love match—at least, that's what she had believed, and it had ended disastrously.

What Sander was proposing, however, sounded more like a business deal. It was destined to go horribly wrong.

Could she genuinely consider such a mating after being burned in the past and then discarded as soon as her usefulness was gone?

The familiar pain gripping her heart surged, but she pushed it down, refusing to allow it to take control. That pain only reminded her of her brokenness.

"You sure curse like a sailor for a woman," he remarked flatly.

Zenab shot him a glare, confused about how her language related to their discussion—or her identity as a woman.

She snapped back, letting him see just how colorful her vocabulary could be. "If my cursing annoys you that much, then what am I even doing here? If you're just going to waste my time, you can take your ridiculous offer and shove it up your arrogant ass."

To be honest, she was on edge. Being in the presence of her nemesis's ex-mate while he made such a proposition was messing with her head, and the urge to strangle him simmered just beneath the surface.

"Retract your claws from me, little kitty," he commanded, a warning tone lacing his words, clearly displeased with her disrespect. After all, he was an alpha—The strongest alpha.