Xavier took his time cleaning her. She allowed him to rinse every inch of her naked skin. He pooled water from the shower in his hands and let it drip down from her neck to her breasts and down through her belly button. It pained him to see her so unresponsive. But he hoped that she knew that he was not going anywhere now. That he had decided to stay for as long as she needed him to. Everything else and everyone else ceased to matter to him. He was done putting others over her. He was finally going to set his priorities straight and his mate came on top.When he was finally done, he grabbed a towel and wrapped her, gently walking her to the bed. He pulled a simple tee and jeans for her from her wardrobe and she did not resist. She just sat there silently staring into the void. It was a heartbreaking sight. It was like she had lost her fight. She had gone to many lengths for her father. She had faced everyone alone and now she probably felt like the sole reason for her be
Zoe's POVI could barely think. My apartment was a mess. My heart was even worse. I didn't know what to do. Then I heard a voice."Zoe? What happened here?" Angelina asked. She looked around, eyes wide with worry.I wanted to answer, but my throat felt tight. Before I could try, she stepped forward. Then she stopped. She had seen Xavier."Zoe?" Her voice was sharp now.Xavier stood up slowly. I felt numb."Angelina, I am Xavier. There's nothing to worry about," he said.Angelina frowned. "It doesn’t look fine. And how do you know my name?"She moved in front of me, blocking Xavier. Her body was tense.Xavier raised his hands. "I mean no harm."Angelina’s eyes flicked to his cufflinks. Her expression hardened. "Tell me who you are. Now. Or I call the cops. You don’t want to know who my brother is."Xavier stayed calm. "I know who your brother is. That’s how I know you. Trust me, I’m on your side."Angelina didn’t relax. "I just got a call. My brother is missing. Now a Blood Crescent wo
Xavier needed Zoe out of Golden Eclipse borders but Angelina was not going to let him even try to convince Zoe to come with him.So, he made a decision. He looked at Angelina and told the truth, "Zoe's father is dead."Angelina's face changed so fast. She whirled to face Zoe who had sucked a breath at the mention of her father and was looking at the messed-up floor."Goddess, Zoe, I am so sorry. What happened? How?" Angelina asked the questions to Xavier."Long story." He said with urgency, "Please convince her to come with me. I promise you, there is nowhere safer for her than my side.""Why is her life in danger? What is going on?" Angelina asked getting more worried."Because she," Xavier contemplated the truth. He had no idea if Zoe remembered what Dahlia did. Usually during the first transformations, the animals took full control and the human parts had no memory. But Zoe was not a normal werewolf and he was desperate."Her beast killed the guy who killed her father." Z
Zoe's POVI drifted in and out of sleep, my father’s voice echoing in my mind. It felt real, but it wasn’t. I must have whispered his name. The ache in my chest was sharp.When I opened my eyes, the dashboard’s dim light greeted me. I was in a car. Xavier was driving. We were alone.I sat up, my body tense. Where were we going? Why was I here with him? My father was gone, but right now, all I could think about was Xavier."Stop the car," I said, my voice rough.Xavier’s hands tightened on the wheel. He had been waiting for me to speak, but not like this."We’re in the middle of nowhere," he said, trying to sound calm. But I could hear the restraint. He wanted to ask if I was okay. He knew I wouldn’t answer."I said, stop the car." My voice was sharper.He took a slow breath. "This isn’t a safe place. We can stop when we—""What part of 'stop the damn car' don’t you get? I don’t want to be near you. Stop. The. Fucking. Car!" My voice broke. I was done.Something shifted in his expressio
Zoe's POVSomething shifted in the air. A sound. Faint, but growing louder. Fast. Surrounding us.My body went rigid. "You’re right. We need to go. NOW."I bolted for the car. Xavier didn’t need to be told twice. I got into the driver’s seat before he could and started the engine just as he slid into the passenger seat.I slammed my foot on the gas. Our heads snapped back against the headrests. The sudden acceleration was reckless, but hesitation would kill us.The howls came before Xavier could even ask what was happening. He had warned me that this area was dangerous, especially at night. Now, I understood why. We should have taken the longer route, crossed the border checkpoints, and dealt with the scrutiny. But that would have meant exposing an Alpha outside his territory without official business—a red flag we weren’t willing to raise. Instead, we had chosen this unclaimed land, littered with rogues. And now, they had marked us.I gritted my teeth and pressed harder on the pedal.
Zoe's POVWe didn't stop until Xavier took a backroad, slipping us into Silver Moon territory unnoticed. Dawn had begun to break when we finally arrived.Silence had stretched between us ever since the rogue attack. I hadn’t slept. My mind was too restless, too full of memories and emotions I wasn’t ready to face.Xavier pulled up in front of the house—my old home, tucked beside the woods—but neither of us moved to get out. He was waiting for me. I knew he wanted to call ahead, to let Aunt Julie know I was coming, but everything had happened so fast, he hadn’t gotten the chance.I stared at the house, my chest tightening.It had been my whole world once. But now, it felt like a ghost of the past. The place seemed lifeless, frozen in time, its color drained. The flowerbeds were barren. The driveway looked untouched, as if no one had come or gone in a long time. Vines stretched across the roof, dangling in the morning light, adding to the eerie stillness.It looked abandoned. Had Aunt Ju
Zoe's POVI ran into the woods.I couldn't breathe. Coming back felt like a mistake, but I had nowhere else to go. How was I supposed to handle this?The woods looked the same, but everything smelled and sounded different. It felt like I had been living with my senses dulled, and now everything was sharp and new.I used to run until I was too tired to go on, then find my way back. But I wasn’t that weak, wolfless girl anymore. I had a beast inside me, and it wanted out. My body led me to a familiar clearing—the place where I had first met Dahlia."You have to face this, Zoe," Dahlia’s voice echoed in my head.I didn’t answer."The longer you avoid it, the worse it will hit you when it all comes crashing down."A sharp ache rose in my chest. It hurt to breathe."What do I do?" I dropped to my knees on the damp forest floor."Let me out. Let everything out," she urged.I stayed quiet. My emotions were suffocating me. I wanted it to stop. I wanted all of it to stop."How?" My voice was ba
Zoe's POVI was exhausted and pissed off by the time I got home. My feet ached from running barefoot, my body sore from hours of trying—and failing—to shift. At least no one had seen me. Our house sat at the very edge of the territory, tucked away from curious eyes.I stood at the front door, hesitating. Something was boiling on the stove, the smell drifting through the open window, making my stomach twist. Hadn’t eaten since… what, two days ago? A sad excuse for a salad at work.I knocked lightly, but Aunt Julie opened the door before I could even drop my hand. Her eyes were red, her face tight with that look—the same one she had when Dad got arrested. So, Xavier told her everything.I dropped my gaze and walked past her, straight to my room. Xavier stood like he wanted to say something, but Aunt Julie stopped him with a look.Inside, everything was too neat. Aunt Julie must’ve cleaned up after Dad and I left in a hurry. I peeled off my filthy clothes, turned on the bath, and sat on
Zoe's POVI sighed and sat down on the bench beside her. I went there for a reason, I was going to see it through."You say that when you know that not only we weren't aware of the Blood Contract, we were a little busy not knowing you even existed. Excuse us for wanting to accept our fated mates and
Zoe's POVI was braiding the hair on the edge of my shaved scalp when Olivia rang the intercom. Xavier walked out of the wardrobe with a spring in his step and let Olivia in, who rolled in a trolley of steaming breakfast.It was Xavier's idea to have breakfast in the bedroom. He said he wanted to sp
Zoe's POVWhen I woke up next, my head felt like I had been hit by a truck. Xavier's arm rested on my belly as he lay deeply asleep beside me. It was strange to wake up to him after spending weeks of him coming and going while I slept. I took the time to cherish his touch and light breath. He looke
Zoe's POVMy head was pounding. It was like someone had cracked open my skull and was performing brain surgery without anesthesia. It was torture. I wanted to yell,' Stop it,' and I think I said something, but different words were coming out.I tried to yell. I knew Xavier was holding me, but every
Xavier's POVMy head was fuzzy. I was trying so hard to focus on the conversations around me. It was like I had been underwater and just resurfaced. The light, the sounds, the colors, everything felt weird. I blinked as I tried to focus on the fork in my hand. I whispered to Zoe, "Please get ready
Zoe's POVThat night, I stayed up and waited for Xavier. He took his time coming to the bedroom. He must've thought that I was asleep, and that's exactly what I pretended. But, I had a theory and I was about to test it out.I stayed still, kept my heartbeat calm, and eyes closed. Until Xavier went t
Zoe's POVWhen Xavier and I walked in hand in hand, every jaw in the dining hall dropped, but no one was as shocked as Blondie, who entered after us. She must've been waiting for him when he was walking me to the dining hall. She swallowed her shock and forced herself to sit on the opposite end of t
Zoe's POVFinding friendship with Alyssa was one of the strangest things that happened to me that week. Since then, I saw less and less of Xavier. He came to the room when I was already asleep and often left before I had woken up. We missed that one meal we used to share before the coronation.He sp
Zoe's POVThe conversation with Xavier was the hardest I've ever had with anyone. He was acting like I was just another wolf in his pack that he was responsible for. The only emotion I got from him was regarding the baby but even that was fleeting. I was so bewildered that I ended up asking, "Are y