Zane’s POV
“Are you willing to come with me?” Zane asked, eyes locked on mine.
I didn’t mean to answer so fast, but the word slipped out anyway. “Okay.”
His smile deepened, and I felt my chest tighten.
I slid off his lap, and he winced.
“What’s wrong?” I asked quickly.
“My legs are numb.”
“Oh.” My face warmed. I had been sitting there too long. “Sorry.”
He smirked. “If you’re really sorry, help me.”
I reached out my hand, but he just stared at it.
“What’s that for?” he asked.
“To help you up.”
“I can’t feel my legs. Unless you can carry me, there’s no point.”
I frowned. “So… how do I help?”
“Massage.” His tone was casual, but his eyes gleamed. “It’ll
Mabel’s POV“I don’t know if this is a good idea,” I muttered.Zina squeezed my wrist, her grin wide in the firelight. “Stop thinking so much. Just move with us. Picture your perfect guy and let the Moon Goddess take it from there.”Perfect guy? Zane’s face slammed into my mind before I could shove it away.I bit down on my lip. He wasn’t perfect. He was bossy, moody, liked to tease me until I wanted to scream. But he was also the one who pulled me out of that attic. The one who held me when I broke down. The one who stood up to the nutritionist for me. The one who laughed with me at the amusement park. And he never, not once, used his power to force me into anything.He even smelled good.I shook my head hard. Off-limits. Zane was Alpha, and whatever we had, it was complicated. If not him, then who? Ronan? Finch? Iver? I barely knew them. My options were thin unless I counted
Mabel’s POV"I want that wolf," I said, pointing at the hanging toys.Zane followed my finger, eyes narrowing. "I see five wolves. Be specific. Or do you want me to win them all?""Not all," I said quickly. "Just the black one."His brows lifted. The one that looked almost like… him.For a second, I saw his expression shift. He’d never shown me his wolf form, except once, when he thought I was asleep in the forest. Was this just coincidence? I couldn’t tell. His face gave nothing away.He turned to the vendor. "The black wolf. If I land all five rings on the back posts, it’s ours, right?"The vendor nodded eagerly.Zane lined up, cool and calm, and with each flick of his wrist, a ring landed cleanly on the farthest post. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Perfect.I gasped, my mouth open.His grin turned smug. "You saw that?"I nodded, still in awe.He looked
Mabel’s POV"Do we really have to hold hands the whole way in?" I whispered, tugging against Zane’s grip.His fingers tightened, steady and warm. "You nervous already, kitten?"The outskirts of Brimvale blurred past, the street lamps too weak to chase the shadows. No one noticed us. Couples held hands everywhere, moving in and out of the crowd. By the time we reached the festival square, the place glowed like a lantern, packed so tight that our hands didn’t stand out at all.I spotted several men wearing the same gray patrol shirt Zane had on. They blended in easy, and so did he. With his Alpha aura tucked away, he looked like just another warrior passing through."Tell me if something catches your eye," Zane said.I nodded, though my stomach tightened.He added, quieter, "Don’t let go of my hand. If we get separated, meet me at the clock tower."We wove through stall after stall. I trie
Zane’s POV “Are you willing to come with me?” Zane asked, eyes locked on mine.I didn’t mean to answer so fast, but the word slipped out anyway. “Okay.”His smile deepened, and I felt my chest tighten.I slid off his lap, and he winced.“What’s wrong?” I asked quickly.“My legs are numb.”“Oh.” My face warmed. I had been sitting there too long. “Sorry.”He smirked. “If you’re really sorry, help me.”I reached out my hand, but he just stared at it.“What’s that for?” he asked.“To help you up.”“I can’t feel my legs. Unless you can carry me, there’s no point.”I frowned. “So… how do I help?”“Massage.” His tone was casual, but his eyes gleamed. “It’ll
Mabel’s POV"I'm sorry," I whispered, pulling back from Zane’s chest.His shirt was soaked through with my tears, clinging to him in a way that only reminded me of how long I’d been a mess in his arms. The embarrassment made my skin burn."There’s nothing for you to be sorry about, kitten," he said, brushing his thumb across my cheek. His voice was low, calm, almost gentle.I ducked my head, rubbing at my eyes with the back of my palm. "I ruined your shirt."Zane chuckled, though his eyes stayed serious. "That’s the least of my worries."I tried to breathe steadily, but the air still came out shaky. It had been years since I cried like that, maybe ever, and now the scary Alpha had held me through it. I wasn’t sure which part unsettled me more."I should’ve come back earlier," he said suddenly. "The meeting dragged longer than I thought."I blinked. "Meeting?"His
Mabel’s POV“I said leave.” Zane’s voice cut sharp, his hand pressing harder on Ronan’s shoulder.“And I said he stays.” My words came out steady, even though my chest was tight. His Alpha aura pushed like a heavy wall, but I refused to bow. Not this time.Zane’s eyes narrowed. If it weren’t for the space between Ronan and me, Zane would have torn him apart already. One wrong move and Ronan’s neck was gone.Ronan scrambled up, his shirt clinging to his back with sweat. He looked like someone had dumped a bucket of water on him. Every nerve in his body screamed danger, and he knew it.“I’m sorry, Mabel, but—”I hated that he was giving in. Not just to Zane’s order, but to the idea that Zane could walk in here and control everything. He wasn’t my boss. He wasn’t anyone’s boss outside his pack.Zane promised me he’d come to the festival. He didn’t. He promised me he’d show up. Instead, he disappeared with some random gir