CHAPTER 6

Ava's POV. 

My breath hitched at his question. Did he truly want an answer to that? Should I tell him that I wanted him to let go of everything holding him back? 

“Ava…” He whispered, igniting a slow burn deep inside me. 

“Should I let go?” He repeated, and before I could say anything in response, something warm flicked against my neck 

My body stiffened as realization hit me. It was his tongue on my skin. 

A strange heat that I had never felt before rose within me as he traced a slow path from my nape to my collar. He pulled his lips away moments before pressing them against my collar. 

He began sucking gently on my collar. I had to bite on my lips to stop a moan that threatened to escape. 

“You're so beautiful,” He whispered. 

His voice was filled with desire as he slowly pulled the strap of my dress down and kissed my bare shoulder. 

The slow nibbles became rougher and sent shivers down my spine. My heart began pounding loudly that I was sure he could hear it. 

I was losing myself in every touch and sensation, but then reality struck me. He wasn't just my mate but also the brother of my worst bully. 

Should I truly be enjoying this? 

I thought of Vanessa and what she would do if she learned that I slept with one of her brothers. She would probably unalive me. 

“Zayne!” I gasped, my breath shaky. 

“Why did you just do that?” His voice rang out, confusing me. 

“I…didn't do—” Before I could finish, he grabbed my waist, and with effortless strength, he lifted me onto the piano. 

I gasped as my ass pressed against the cold keys, creating an unholy and chaotic melody. 

“Zayne…” 

“You've done it again.” He pulled closer, his lips inches from mine. 

My heart raced even louder, and for a moment, I forgot about Vanessa. 

“I just love how you say my name.” He smirked and brushed his thumb over my lips. 

His gentle movement on my lips made me breathe faster. I didn't want him to stop, but I was scared of what could happen if this continued. 

“Zayne…I want to go to my room,” I blurted. 

He didn't say anything at first, but then the smirk on his lips faded, and he stepped back. 

“Go,” Zayne replied. 

Without hesitation, I got off the piano and sprinted out of there. I didn't know how I reached my room so fast, but as I did, I slammed the door shut and leaned against it. 

“Oh goodness!” I tried to catch my breath. 

“That was close,” I muttered and walked towards the king-sized bed. 

As I dropped on it, I slowly reached for my lips and muttered, “He almost kissed me.”

I felt more comfortable than ever. The bed was soft, but that was unusual. 

“My bed used to be as hard as a rock.” I smiled, but then realization suddenly dawned on me. 

I snapped my eyes open and sat up abruptly. I wiped the drool from the corner of my lips and glanced at the window where the sunray reflected through the curtains. I had overslept. 

“School! Oh, I’m so late,” I gasped and slipped out of bed. 

As I rushed to the bathroom, I realized that I hadn't returned home yesterday. My stepmother was going to kill me. 

“I have to leave!” I shook my head and dashed for the door. 

The moment I yanked it open, I found Iris standing there, his ocean-blue eyes peering at me. 

“Good morning, beautiful,” He whispered, making my heart skip a beat. 

“Good morning. I have to go. I'm late for school,” I stuttered and tried to brush past him. 

“Calm down, love,” He stopped me. 

Love? Did he just call me his love? Or did I hear him wrongly?

“It's just a few minutes after seven. You are not late at all, and I won't let you leave without having breakfast.” He whispered, his voice almost surreal. 

“But—”

“Shh,” He hushed me and pressed a finger against my lips. 

“Change into these and come downstairs for breakfast,” He muttered, and he placed a shopping bag in my hands. 

“I-Iris…um—”

“I'll go make breakfast now,” He whispered and turned away from me before I could thank him. 

I glanced down at the shopping bag and let out a deep sigh. As I walked into the room, I pulled out what was inside with shaky hands. 

As my eyes landed on the beautiful dress, a smile tugged on my lips. It had been so long since I had received something this…beautiful. 

“It's…so gorgeous,” I gasped, and tears welled in my eyes. 

I couldn't remember the last time I had worn something this nice. 

“Wow,” I chuckled and hugged the dress to my chest. 

Once I freshened up and changed into the dress, I headed to the kitchen and almost got lost. 

“Here you go."

Iris placed a dish in front of me and gave one of the most beautiful smiles I had ever seen. 

“Did you—cook this?” I asked, glancing at the unusual meal. 

I had never seen anything like it before, I just hoped I wouldn't get poisoned from eating it. 

“Yes, I cooked it just for you. Eat up so we can go to school,” He beamed. 

“I'll give you a ride,” He added, and my stomach twisted. 

What would happen if Vanessa saw me in her brother's car? The rumors? The bullying? Wouldn't it only get worse? 

I parted my lips to argue but closed them again. I didn't want to seem ungrateful, especially since Iris and his brothers had shown me more kindness in less than twenty-four hours than most people had in years. 

But...how was I supposed to eat this? I took the cutlery that I had never used before and tried digging into the meal. 

I just kept fumbling with the unfamiliar cutlery, embarrassing myself. 

“Why can't I—” My words caught in my throat when Iris suddenly lifted me from the chair, sat down, and pulled me to his lap. 

Before I could protest, he guided my hands and brought the fork close to my lips. 

“Open those pretty lips… “

I blushed and hesitantly took a bite. The moment the food touched my tongue, my eyes widened. It tasted so good. 

I couldn't help but grab the fork from him and eat the rest of the food like a hungry wolf. 

“I guess you liked it,” He smirked. 

I couldn't look him in the eyes because I felt embarrassed. Why did I have to eat like that? 

“Thank you for the food,” I mumbled. 

“Don't mention, love,” He whispered against my ear. 

We left the mansion shortly after, and I didn't see my other mates, but I thought it was for the best. 

I couldn't help but steal glances at Iris. He had such a calm and handsome appearance. He felt dreamy to stare at. 

Suddenly, I heard…BEEP! BEEP! 

The sharp sound made me jump. “What is that?”

“It's just a call…” He replied, his smile reassuring. 

“Answer call,” He said, giving a voice command. 

“Hello?”

“Iris!” I heard a familiar voice that made me tense. 

“Vanessa,” Iris replied, his expression unreadable. 

“Where the hell are you three? Are you with that bitch?” She snapped. 

I gripped my dress, my body starting to tremble. This was trouble. 

“What if I’m with Ava?” Iris asked, unfazed. 

I turned to him in shock, silently begging him not to provoke her further. 

“I hope you're not serious about this! You three are just going to use and reject her, right? You better not tell me you're considering keeping that stripper!”

My breath fastened, and I tightened my grip around the dress. I looked away from Iris at first, but as I stared back at him, I noticed that he smirked. 

Why did he smirk? What was going on? Had I walked into a trap?