Mabel’s POV
“Feed me and I’ll tell you what happened tonight,” Zane said, his voice lazy as he leaned back against the chaise.
I rolled my eyes at him, but I tore a piece of quiche with my fingers and pushed it toward his waiting mouth. He smirked while chewing, smug like a man who had just won a small victory.
The balcony was quiet except for the faint buzz of night insects. The air smelled of cool stone and the faint trace of pine drifting in from the forest. It felt strange to sit here with him, sharing food where no one else was allowed.
He swallowed and finally spoke. “I left the festival as soon as I got the alert. My warriors caught two men sneaking through the trees. They confessed there were others inside town. By the time I reached them, we already had five detained. They’re in the dungeon now.”
My stomach turned at the word dungeon. I didn’t need details about what “i
Mabel’s POV“Are you really putting both of them on my bed?” Zane’s voice cut sharp as I set Blackie and Cinna down.I froze, half expecting him to shove Cinna onto the floor. His glare lingered on the toy wolf, and I almost snatched it back. Instead, I folded my arms and tried to look casual.“You can move them if you want,” I said. “I was just… preparing.”“Preparing for what?” His brow arched, but he didn’t press further.I knew better than to answer. If I admitted I thought he’d make me sleep here, I’d sound ridiculous. So I busied myself with the flower garland in my hands. The petals were already softening. If I didn’t hang it soon, it would wilt.I scanned the room for a good spot. The table by the balcony door caught my eye, and I started toward it. Zane stepped in front of me before I could get close.“Hold on.&rd
Mabel’s POV“Feed me and I’ll tell you what happened tonight,” Zane said, his voice lazy as he leaned back against the chaise.I rolled my eyes at him, but I tore a piece of quiche with my fingers and pushed it toward his waiting mouth. He smirked while chewing, smug like a man who had just won a small victory.The balcony was quiet except for the faint buzz of night insects. The air smelled of cool stone and the faint trace of pine drifting in from the forest. It felt strange to sit here with him, sharing food where no one else was allowed.He swallowed and finally spoke. “I left the festival as soon as I got the alert. My warriors caught two men sneaking through the trees. They confessed there were others inside town. By the time I reached them, we already had five detained. They’re in the dungeon now.”My stomach turned at the word dungeon. I didn’t need details about what “i
Mabel’s POV"Are you seriously holding my hand all the way home?" I asked, half teasing, half nervous.Zane didn’t look at me. His fingers stayed locked around mine as he steered the car toward the packhouse.He always acted like letting go was unthinkable, like it was his hand that kept me grounded. Maybe it was.I tried not to imagine the faces of people who might have seen us earlier in the town square. Him pulling me close in public felt reckless. But Zane didn’t care. He never did.The packhouse roof came into view, and my chest tightened. The night had been too good. Festivals and food and laughter. Plush toys stuffed under my arm like I was a kid again. Now the sight of those walls told me it was about to end.I touched the garland still hanging around my neck. Zina’s words echoed in my head, about giving it to the man you liked. Bold girls might do it. I wasn’t bold. Not like that. Bette
Mabel’s POV"We need to move," Dawn whispered, tugging on my arm.I blinked at her, still caught in the rhythm of the drums, my feet moving with the other dancers. Only when I saw Zina’s worried face beside her did I realize something was wrong."Where are we going?" I asked, refusing to budge until I got an answer."Alpha mind-linked us," Zina said in a low voice. "Everyone who can’t fight has to go to the safe houses. He told us to bring you.""What? Why?""We don’t know," Dawn said. Her hand tightened on my sleeve. "Orders are orders. We’re Omegas, we can’t fight. If things turn bad, we’ll just get in the way."The dancers around us thinned. The music still played, but the crowd no longer swayed as one. My eyes searched for Zane. The spot where he had been was empty. Only his bag remained."Come on." Zina tugged harder. "Don’t run. We don’t want to alarm
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