登入Zahra's POVTobias takes my hand and leads me into the lobby of the hotel. As we approach the doors out of the bar, Marcus stands from their table and hands him a card.The room key, I'm assuming.I hope it's not Marcus's room. That would be weird.Tobias pats him on the shoulder as we pass. He slides his hand around my waist, pulling me into his side. It's like I'm made to fit the contours of his body, mine aligning perfectly with his like puzzle pieces as we walk.As we stride across the bright entrance hall towards the lifts, my nerves start to rise.Fuck. Am I ready for this?'Yes, you're ready,' Zanthe urges.'He said we can just sleep,' I reassure myself.'Don't you dare delay. I want to mark my mate. You want to mark your mate,' Zanthe seethes. 'You can do it. We can't move forwards if you don't mate them.'It's a valid point, but my anxiety is climbing with every step.Can I do this? Am I ready?We're about halfway across the entrance hall, and I'm about three-quarters of the
Zahra's POVA hotel...He has brought us to a hotel.I balk at the entrance, the sign on the edge of the small horseshoe drive reading:The MoonstoneI know this place. It's Sebastian's dad's flagship hotel. He was starting the build when we were together, and it's meant to be the most sophisticated luxury hotel on the continent.Why are we at a hotel?Worry knots in my gut. Shit. Is this it? Has he brought me here so we can have some privacy? To mate me?Heat rushes through me despite the cool evening air, and my palms immediately start sweating.Tobias looks down at me, quirking an eyebrow."There's a really nice bar in here that's quiet, with good table service and a more discerning clientele," he says as he rubs circles over my hand.I can't sense anything else from him, so maybe I was just overreacting.'Ya think?'We bypass the lobby of the hotel and head straight into the bar.It's dark and moody, all mahogany panelling and thick carpets. It feels more like a gentleman's club t
Zahra's POVThere are five women standing at the sinks, reapplying makeup and fixing their hair. One of them is shoving her cleavage so high her tits are practically bursting out of her skin-tight pink dress.I ignore them, despite every cell in my body telling me to defend my mate.I wash my hands and reapply my lipstick. Just as I'm finishing, I feel eyes on me in the mirror, followed by an unmistakable snort."Fucking Zahra Larkin."I raise my eyebrows and turn my head."Excuse me?" I ask, confused, because I have no idea who the fuck these girls are, but apparently, they know me."You heard me. Bitch."The one in the navy-blue dress sneers at me."Do I know you?" I ask, still not recognising any of them."You stole our birth right."She and another girl in yellow step forwards.I squint. The dim lighting isn't helping my memory, but for the life of me, I don't know who they are.They snarl."Chris, Bea, this dumb bitch has always been an interfering thief. I wouldn't worry about h
Zahra's POVA few minutes later, Marcus returns, accompanied by a woman I assume is our server.She's older than the hostess and wears her dark hair in a neat braid over one shoulder. More importantly, a clear mating mark is visible at her neck.The woman smiles warmly at both of us."Good evening. My name is Hannah, and I'll be looking after you tonight."Relief loosens something in my chest.Hannah doesn't spend a second staring at Tobias as she hands him a fresh menu. Instead, she addresses us both equally before asking if we'd like a few more minutes with the menus.My eyes drift to the mark on her neck.Tobias notices.A small smile tugs at the corner of his mouth.The sneaky bastard.He absolutely arranged this.Warmth spreads through me. He could have simply removed the hostess and left it at that, but instead he'd made sure the replacement was someone who wouldn't make me uncomfortable.The thought makes Zanthe preen.After the interesting start, our evening progresses well.We
Zahra's POVI hesitate at the top of the stairs.I can hear my mates in the great room chatting. Presumably Tobias has been ready for a while, because they're all laughing and talking now.I smile to myself, happy they all get on so well.At least that will make life a bit easier.'Here's hoping it lasts, but the wolves all like each other, so hopefully we'll be fine. You ready?''As I'll ever be,' I tell her as butterflies assault my stomach.The conversation downstairs pauses, and then footsteps approach the stairs.Crap."What are you anxious about, darling?" Xander asks as he approaches.His eyes glance up towards the top of the stairs, and he stills, his mouth falling open."What is it?" Lincoln asks. I hear his footsteps hurrying behind Xander.He stops in his tracks too."Oh my Goddess," he breathes, his eyes widening.Tobias appears last, his face a mask of worry as he steps into view.Then his expression slackens.His mouth opens.Closes.Then opens again.Wonder washes down t
Zahra'a POVI do, in fact, shave everything, though I'm not sure I like the feeling of the extra exposure. I only cut myself once, and thankfully it's on my leg and not somewhere more sensitive.I can barely stop my hands shaking as I blow-dry my hair before straightening it.'Why are you nervous? He's your mate.''I know, but I've never done this before.''Neither had I. Well, not in this life anyway. All you have to do is follow your instincts.'I roll my eyes at her because I'm not convinced it's that easy.Once my hair is straight, I add a few soft curls to give it a little bounce before clipping the sides back into a half-up, half-down style. I don't love wearing it completely down because it always makes me feel more vulnerable somehow, probably because it would be a hindrance in a fight.Not that I'm expecting a fight tonight. But still, I’m more comfortable with it like this.I apply some light makeup: a pale nude eyeshadow, eyeliner, brow pencil, highlighter, and a nude rose
Tobias's POVAfter five hours in the air, we finally touch down in the fae kingdom and are greeted by another convoy of cars. They take us through the city and out toward the palace. The streets are lit up, banners hanging from balconies, music drifting on the air. Clearly there has been a festival
Zahra's POVI am squashed into the back of the SUV, trapped in the middle because of course they put the smallest one between two mountains. My shoulders are pressed into solid muscle on both sides. Nicholson is driving, jaw set, eyes on the road as we speed toward the military airfield.I pull my
Zahra's POVA warm hand settles on my shoulder and I glance up to see Henry watching me, his expression softer than usual. “You, ok?” he asks quietly. “I’ve never heard you scream like that.”Great. So that was not just in my head.“Yeah… nightmare,” I mutter, throat still raw. I look over at the t
Zahra's POVShit! Max.My stomach drops. I was meant to see him last night. He’ll be worried now. I really hope he just thinks I got caught up in training and not that I landed back in here again. I don’t want him stressing over me on top of everything else.I yank my T-shirt back on and step out i







