Chapter 8: Nox's POV

I wake up with Zara draped across my chest, her leg thrown lazily over mine like we’re some happy couple in a fairytale.

Her hair smells like rosewater.

It used to drive me crazy. Now, it just makes me miss something else—something wilder. Something I turned down before I could even explore it.

All for the better good right? No omega, no curse...right?

Cyan hasn’t said a word all morning, which is unnerving. My wolf usually has something smart or snarky to say the second I open my eyes.

But today? Silence. Heavy, judgmental silence.

"You done pretending?" he finally snaps after almost an hour of silence. "Or are you gonna play house with the wrong damn woman for the rest of your miserable life?"

"Not today, Cyan." I rub my face and try not to groan.

"You promised her forever, Nox. And for what? A woman who doesn’t even look at you like Tamsin does? Nothing, absolutely nothing, can come close to the love from a fated mate. All these...fake bonds you established last night would send you to your grave faster than a damn curse that sounds suspiciously made up!"

My jaw tightens and I slip out of bed, careful not to wake Zara. She mumbles something and turns over, the bite mark on her neck a vivid scarlet against her golden skin.

My mark.

"It should've been Tamsin," Cyan mutters.

I ignore him and head for the balcony, looking over the courtyard. The pack house buzzes with cleanup from the ceremony. Streamers are still strung up.

Someone left out a tray of half-eaten pastries, wine is littered every where, omegas move up and down, trying their best to return the courtyard back to how it originally was.

I didn't even realise how much festivities had gone on last night. Zara and I called it in early, though it was more Zara than me.

I preferred to stay out a little, but what can I say? She always knows how to get her way. Especially when my mother was near by.

My eyes scan through the activities below me until they settle on a familiar blonde. Of course Lior would be out here.

He's always trying to get into the pants of any pretty omega and ten out of ten times, he succeeds.

My eyes fall to the lady walking by his side and I want to roll my eyes at Lior's success in trapping an omega in his charm until I recognise who he's walking with.

Tamsin.

She’s got a loose braid over her shoulder, and there's a single white rose tucked into it. I'm certain that it's the same damn rose that was supposed to be in Zara's bouquet.

He must have taken it out to use it to sway Tamsin.

Cyan perks up instantly. "Look at her. Even sad, she’s stunning. And that rose? That was meant for her."

Lior leans in, whispering something that makes her smile. It's small, but it's real and my chest tightens.

I feel too many emotions all at once. I'm angry. Not at Tamsin, but Lior.

Yes, I rejected her, but why is he talking to her?

Wait...why do I care? I rejected her...why do I fucking care?

"He's just being nice. That’s all." I tell myself and nod twice for good measure, like it will help me believe it more.

"You think he doesn’t want her? You blind now too?" Cyan cackles bitterly in my head. "She's the only lady you'll ever see as beautiful. But that doesn't mean other men don't think she's beautiful as well."

"Cyan," I warn.

"Think of her like a red rose. It's a beautiful flower, isn't it? To someone who is colour blind and can only see the colour red, that's the most beautiful flower. To a none colour blind person, that's just another beautiful flower. It's a plus if the person is interested in roses and I can tell you that Lior is interested in roses."

The pain of the severed bond burns in my chest and I stagger back a bit.

Fuck this.

I walk away from the railings before I do something stupid. Like jump down from this balcony and rip Lior's damn head off.

Cyan is an idiot, but he's perceptive. If he says Lior is interested, then there's a seventy percent chance that he is.

He's unmated, after all.

I head back inside and I'm surprised to see that Zara's up and already packing.

"Morning, love," she says smoothly.

She's in one of those silk robes that falls perfectly off her shoulder. Always perfectly poised. Always elegant.

It was once my style of women, but now I find myself craving a little bit of clumsiness. A little bit of imperfection. A little bit of adorable...

"A little bit of Tamsin," Cyan chips in.

"I was thinking we leave by noon?" She says with a smile. "The cabin's already stocked. Just the two of us. Finally."

I clear my throat. "We’re not going."

She blinks slowly. "Excuse me?"

"Something came up. Rogue activity by the west border. I need to stay."

Lie.

Big one.

There are no rogues in these parts and thankfully, she doesn't know that.

Her lips thin. "You promised me a week. You said nothing would interfere."

I shrug casual like I'm turning down a dinner offer. "Duty calls."

I feel Cyan's smugness. "Someone wants to keep an eye on a certain someone," he coos and I sigh internally.

Maybe...yeah. I'm the alpha, I can do as I see fit, as long as it's not detrimental to the pack, eh?

Zara closes the distance between us enough to wrap her arms around my neck. The new bond formed between us hums at the contact, but it doesn't feel concrete.

Her perfume chokes me so much, that it takes everything in my will power to not pull away.

"I thought after last night, you'd want to get away. Just us. We need this."

"I can't, Zara. Let it go."

She steps back, and for a second, I see something crack in her perfect facade. But she smooths it over with a sultry smile.

"Fine. But you owe me."

"Yeah," I nod. "I do."

I turn around and walk out of the room. I feel her eyes on me, and I feel a little guilty for putting her in this situation.

But then again, a jealous man doesn't really think, does he?