The drive back to the hospital was quieter than their journey to the hotel had been. The desperate passion of the night before had been replaced by a deeper contentment, a sense of completion that settled around them like a warm blanket."How are you feeling about seeing your parents again?" Trent asked as they pulled into the hospital parking garage.Zora considered the question. "Happy. Nervous. Excited to see how much they've improved." She paused. "Grateful that you're here with me.""Always," he replied, taking her hand as they walked toward the elevators. "We're in this together now."As the elevator doors closed behind them, Zora felt a flutter of anticipation. When the elevator door opened, the same doctor who had intercepted them the day before was waiting.Dr. Matthews stood there, no longer wearing his white coat but dressed in dark clothes.He instantly knelt in front of them. "Alpha, I am very sorry. I didn't mean any harm—I was appreciating her beauty. Please tell the di
Zora noticed the glint in Trent’s eyes. She couldn't hear his thoughts, but something told her he was speaking with Argon."Should we try?" she asked softly, her hand resting on his chest.Trent chuckled. “No. I don’t think Argon’s ready. He probably has issues with Zina.”Inside, Argon kicked at him. Don’t drag me into your lies.Zora frowned. “I’m sorry. Zina’s... not exactly warm. She’s stubborn.”“I actually think they make a good pair,” Trent said, his grin returning. “She’d keep Argon in check.”Zora opened her mouth to argue—to say she was strong enough to shift—but stopped herself. Her first marriage had taught her better. Dane had hated when she pushed too hard. She wouldn’t repeat that mistake.“Okay,” she murmured, settling against him. “I understand.”Trent's arms tightened around her, and through their new bond, he felt her easy acceptance."Is there anything you want to tell me?" he asked after a moment."Nothing, I don't have anything hidden again," she replied."About
The first rays of sunlight filtered through the hotel room's floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a golden glow across the tangled sheets. Trent lay on his side, watching Zora sleep peacefully in his arms, a smile of pure contentment playing on his lips.He was the happiest man in the world.Just hours ago, he had given himself completely to the woman he loved, sharing not just his body but his very soul. For a man who had waited thirty years for the right person, for someone who had never felt desire until he met her, the experience had been nothing short of transcendent.Zora stirred beside him, her eyes fluttering open to meet his gaze. The smile that spread across her face was radiant, filled with a joy he'd never seen from her before."Good morning, my love," she whispered."Good morning, beautiful," he replied, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.What happened next startled them both.“Good morning, handsome,” Zora's voice echoed in his mind, though her lips hadn't moved.Trent
Zora's POV.We left the hospital in a daze. My mind was still reeling from everything that had just happened. One moment I thought Trent was rejecting me, the next he was asking my father for my hand in marriage, just like that. That's not how I dreamed my marriage would happen.As we walked toward the car, our hands still intertwined, I finally found my voice."You... you wanted to marry me?""I wanted to do things right," Trent said, stopping beside the car. "I wanted your parents' blessing before I claimed you completely."The way he said 'claimed' sent heat racing through my veins. The binding ritual had awakened something primal in both of us, and the air between us crackled with barely contained desire."Trent..."That was all I managed to say before he spun me around, pressing me against the car door. His lips found mine in a kiss that was desperate, hungry, consuming. All the restraint he'd shown, all the control he'd maintained—it was crumbling."Yes!" Zina practically sang i
Zora's POVRelief flooded through me like a dam bursting. After months of carrying the weight of my secrets, my shame, my fears—Trent knew everything. He knew about my failed marriage, my barrenness, my damaged past, and he still wanted me. The man I loved beyond reason had looked at all my broken pieces and called them beautiful.When his lips crashed against mine, I felt like I was drowning and being saved at the same time. Every kiss was a promise, every touch an acceptance I'd never dared hope for. My hands fisted in his chest, pulling him closer, desperate to erase any distance between us. This was what I'd been afraid to want—complete acceptance, unconditional love.“Finally,” Zina purred in my mind, her excitement making my skin tingle. “He wants us. All of us.”But then, suddenly, Trent broke away.The abrupt loss of contact left me reeling, gasping for air. Fear crashed over me like ice water. His eyes were wild, his breathing ragged, but he was pulling away from me—again."T
Trent hit the wall, pouring his rage out.The sound of Trent's fist connecting with the wall was like a gunshot in the quiet hotel room. The impact was so violent that a spider of cracks spread across the expensive wallpaper, and Zora jumped backwards with a startled cry.For a moment, he stood there breathing heavily, his knuckles bleeding, his entire body trembling with barely contained fury. When he finally turned back to her, his eyes were wild with a rage she'd never seen before."Who?" The word came out as a growl. "Who removed your womb? Who did this to you?""Trent, I—""Was it Dane?" He advanced on her, his movements predatory. "Did that bastard force you to have surgery? Did he make you—""No!" Zora backed against the window, tears streaming down her face. "No, it wasn't like that!""Then what?" His voice cracked with emotion. "What happened to you? Who took away your ability to carry my children? Who hurt you like this?"The questions came rapid-fire, each one laced with pa