3| Bane of My Existence.

ZARA

I blinked repeatedly, unable to believe what was happening.

The stranger I had met at the bar. The one I had unashamedly asked to fuck me.

Was Ryan’s uncle?

Oh, Lord. The ground should please open up and swallow me whole.

Uncle Xavier had been away from town for a long time, which was why I didn't know him. But I had heard several things about him. He was dark. Dangerous. And unforgiving.

Ryan would never admit it, but from the way he talked about him, I could tell he both feared and hated him.

Before the man could say anything, Ryan’s grandmother who was also Uncle Damon’s mother, Luna Bella, squealed.

I turned to see her hurrying toward him before throwing her arms around him in a hug.

"I missed you so much, Xavier!"

She plastered kisses all over his face as he chuckled. She looked overwhelmed with joy.

I simply stood there, frozen, watching everything unfold.

The embarrassment coursing through me was immeasurable.

After Luna Bella finally pulled away from him, he returned his attention to me, his gaze burning my skin once again.

Then he started moving toward us.

My heart raced faster and faster with every step he took.

And then he stopped in front of us.

The air around us seemed to diminish, consumed by his powerful aura and commanding presence.

He looked like someone who would ruin lives and sleep peacefully afterward.

“Nice to meet you again, Zara,” he extended his hand for a handshake.

Something lodged in my throat, and I swallowed hard.

"Again?"

Ryan’s arm stiffened around me as his gaze darted between Uncle Xavier and me.

Before Xavier could respond, I quickly blurted out, "Probably a slip of the tongue. I've never met him in my life."

There was no way I was letting anyone learn about my embarrassing encounter with him.

I quickly extended my hand and flashed him an awkward smile.

"Nice to meet you too, Uncle Xavier. Ryan has told me so much about you."

His hand tightened slightly around mine, sending a jolt of electricity through my body.

"Hmm. Really?"

Ryan immediately jerked my hand away from his when he noticed the handshake had lingered longer than necessary.

"We should go in now for dinner," Ryan muttered.

Without hesitation, he dragged me with him into the manor.

"What was that?" he murmured as we walked.

"What was what?" I asked, furrowing my brows and feigning confusion.

"You and Uncle Xavier."

"Nothing," I answered quickly.

My eyes narrowed as I glanced at him.

"What are you thinking?"

He sighed heavily and shook his head.

"Nothing. I'm just being paranoid. I just don't want to lose you."

Well, he already had.

The moment my father's surgery was done, I would disappear and be out of his life forever.

The dinner table had already been set.

Ryan sat beside me, while Uncle Xavier sat directly across from me, his eyes burning into mine as though he wanted to read my soul.

The rest of the family was gathered around the table.

On my plate was a medium-rare steak, and beside it sat a glass of orange juice.

"So, how are the wedding preparations going?" Luna Bella asked as she took a sip of water.

"The wedding will not—"

I barely got the words out before Ryan cut me off.

"It's going perfectly." he murmured, shooting me a warning glare.

I shrugged.

"I can't wait to wear my diamond necklace that day. I've been looking for an opportunity to wear it. My baby got it for me,” Ryan’s sister, Naomi, said.

I rolled my eyes.

He probably bought it to apologize after she caught him cheating. Again. That was what he always did. And just like the dozen times before, she stayed.

"When will you start trying for a child after the wedding? The pack needs an heir," Ryan’s mother, Luna Jasmine, suddenly asked as she chewed her sushi.

"On our wedding night—"

Ryan started speaking, but I quickly interrupted him.

"Actually."

I placed my cutlery down and looked around the table.

"I had my tubes tied."

Gasps erupted throughout the room.

Shock was written across every face.

"You... you never told me," Ryan stammered.

"I would've before the wedding."

A small smile touched my lips as I enjoyed the bewildered expressions around me.

Uncle Xavier, however, wore a completely different expression.

Intrigue.

And the way his gaze continued to burn into me...

Oh, Lord.

"My son cannot marry a barren woman!" Luna Jasmine exclaimed.

"I'm not barren," I corrected.

My eyes met Uncle Xavier’s again, and my stomach tightened.

Fuck.

What was wrong with me?

He was Ryan’s uncle.

I wasn't supposed to be attracted to him.

My breath hitched as heat continued to spread through me.

I needed a moment away from him.

"Excuse me, please."

I quickly stood and hurried away from the table.

Ryan rose to follow me, but his mother stopped him.

"Son, sit down. I need to talk to you."

I didn't hear footsteps behind me, so I assumed he obeyed.

Thankfully.

I rushed into the restroom and planted my hands on the basin, breathing heavily.

When I lifted my head and looked into the mirror, I noticed how red my cheeks had become.

Thoughts of kissing him clouded my mind, and I desperately shook my head.

He was completely off-limits.

The bathroom door suddenly opened and I whipped my head to the side to see him standing in the doorway.

Uncle Xavier.

My cheeks burned even hotter. What was he doing here?

"Why are you still with him?" He groaned, His voice carrying a mixture of coldness and temptation as he strolled inside.

His deadly eyes, capable of completely ruining me, never left mine.

A hard lump formed in my throat.

"Did you know?" I asked quietly. "That I was his fiancée?"

"And what if I did?" he asked, tilting his head to the side, “Would that change anything?"

He stopped in front of me and used a finger to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Answer my question, Zara." His voice dropped lower. "Why. Are. You. Still. With. Him?"

"This dinner had already been planned. I didn't want to disappoint Luna Bella—"

"Bullshit." He cut me off, the word coming out as a growl.

His large palm cupped my cheek, gently caressing them. His deep blue eyes stared deeply into mine as he suddenly asked with a casual tone, as though he was asking to take me out for a coffee.

"Do you still want me to fuck you?"

My heart thundered against my ribcage and My breaths became uneven.

"I was drunk," I whispered. "I didn't mean it."

"Oh, really?"

He tilted his head slightly, his eyes darkening, "Then why do I smell your arousal, Zara?"

The way he said my name, as though it belonged exclusively on his lips, sent dangerous heat coursing through me.

I was breathing heavily now, struggling to maintain control. This man was slowly becoming the bane of my existence.

His fingers tightened around my jaw, lifting my face to meet his gaze. Then he leaned close to my face, so close that I could feel his warm breath against my skin. Every nerve in my body seemed to ignite, and all I could imagine was feeling my core clench around his hard cock.

Fuck. What was wrong with me?

"Make your request again," he rasped. "And I'll grant it. This time, there'll be no hesitation."