I didn’t know what was happening.
The last thing I remembered was Zero pulling me away from the battle, his arms wrapped around me as though he could shield me from everything, from the madness, from the betrayal that had been my life for the past few weeks. But then, everything went dark. A void that swallowed me whole. And now, as my senses slowly returned, I could feel the weight of the silence pressing in on me.
I opened my eyes to find myself in a place I didn’t recognize. The soft rustle of the sheets beneath me made me realize I was lying on something—not the cold, hard ground of the forest or the damp earth beneath the trees, but a bed. A real bed.
My heart raced in confusion. The room was dimly lit, but I could make out the heavy, rustic furniture, a small window with thick curtains blocking out the outside world. The walls were decorated with dark tones, a combination of browns and greens. There were photos on the walls, but none I recognized. The decor felt masculine, but not in a way that screamed danger. It just felt… foreign.
I sat up quickly, the rush of adrenaline shooting through me like a jolt of electricity. My arms—what was this? I looked down at myself, and my blood ran cold. I was wearing a man’s oversized t-shirt.
Panic gripped me. The shirt was too big, loose and hanging off my frame. I could feel the edges of the fabric brush against my legs, and I immediately pulled it down in a reflex, clutching it to my body. I had no idea how I got here, how I ended up in this shirt, and the realization made me freeze.
Was Zero responsible for this? Did he do something while I was unconscious? The thought of being so vulnerable, of being completely unaware of what might have happened while I was out, made bile rise in my throat. A sudden panic hit me in waves, and I found myself struggling to control my breathing.
I couldn’t stay in this room. I couldn’t stay in this place. My thoughts were racing as I stumbled out of the bed. The world was still a little unsteady beneath me, and I caught myself on the edge of the dresser to steady my feet.
“Zero,” I muttered, the name slipping from my lips like a curse. The man who saved me—he had to have been the one who brought me here. He had to have known what I was going through. But what if he had taken advantage of me while I was asleep?
No. I couldn’t let myself think like that. I had to confront him. I had to demand answers.
With as much strength as I could muster, I hurried out of the room, my bare feet padding across the wooden floor. Each step was uncertain, my body still weak from the injuries I’d sustained in the forest, the wolfbane, and the blood loss. But none of that mattered now. What mattered was finding him. I needed to know the truth, to know what happened to me while I was unconscious.
I made my way down a narrow hallway, the house eerily quiet except for the sound of my breath and the occasional creak of the floorboards beneath my feet. My heart was thumping wildly in my chest as I reached the end of the hall and spotted the stairs leading down into what I assumed was the main area of the house.
And then I heard it.
The sound of clinking.
I froze, my ears straining to pick up any other noise. The faint sound of metal against metal. Silverware, maybe? Or—plates? It came from the kitchen.
My heart skipped a beat. If Zero was the one downstairs, preparing food, what did that mean? Was he trying to appease me? Was this some form of manipulation? I couldn’t think clearly. The anxiety was eating away at my resolve, but I knew I had to confront him.
With a mix of fear and determination, I rushed down the stairs, my feet moving faster than they should have, considering how weak I still felt. When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I hesitated for only a second, then stepped cautiously toward the kitchen.
What I found there completely threw me off guard.
Zero was standing in front of the stove, his back to me, and a large apron tied around his waist. The smell of something cooking filled the air, the savory scent of garlic and herbs. A pan sizzled on the stove, and the faint clink of utensils echoed in the otherwise quiet room.
My breath caught in my throat.
I had expected confrontation. I had expected accusations. I had expected anger. Instead, what I saw completely disarmed me.
There he was, moving with a natural grace, his powerful frame evident even beneath the apron. His muscles flexed as he stirred whatever was in the pan, his hands large and calloused—evidence of a life lived with more than just deskwork or luxury. His back was turned, but I could see the broadness of his shoulders, the strength in his posture.
I couldn’t speak. My mouth had gone dry, my mind struggling to make sense of what I was seeing. The man who had saved me. The man who had fought to protect me, despite the risk. The man who had dragged me from the chaos of the forest and brought me here, to some unknown place, to… cook?
For a moment, I simply stood there, rooted in place, watching him with wide eyes.
And then he turned around.
His gaze immediately found mine, and a faint smile tugged at his lips. But his eyes—they held something else. Something deeper, more serious.
“Hey,” he said, his voice soft, yet commanding. “You’re awake.”
I blinked, still struggling to find my voice.
“W-what is this?” I stammered. “Where am I? Why am I here?” My words tumbled out in a mix of confusion, fear, and anger.
Zero didn’t answer right away. Instead, he reached for a cloth hanging by the sink, wiping his hands as he took a step closer to me. I didn’t know why, but my heart fluttered in my chest at the way he moved so smoothly. His presence was undeniable—commanding, yet calm.
“This is my house,” he said simply. “I brought you here after you passed out. I thought you needed rest.”
I frowned. “My clothes… Why am I wearing this?” I pulled at the oversized t-shirt, suddenly self-conscious about the way I looked. I had never been one for oversized clothes, and now that I was standing here in a man’s shirt, I felt exposed.
Zero’s expression shifted, and for the first time, I saw a glimmer of vulnerability in his eyes. He looked almost apologetic.
“I didn’t want to just leave you in those clothes,” he said quietly. “You were unconscious, and I needed to clean the wound. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
I stared at him, unsure whether to be angry or relieved. My emotions were tangled, and I didn’t know what to think. Here he was, cooking me food, caring for me, and yet—he was still the man who saved me from the Gammas. The man who had killed them without hesitation.
I opened my mouth to say something else, but the words caught in my throat. There was no room for anger here.
Zero didn’t look like the man who would hurt me. But I still couldn’t shake the feeling that I had to be cautious.
“You’re safe here,” Zero said, as though reading my mind. He seemed to sense the hesitation in my posture. “I’ll make sure you’re taken care of. You don’t have to worry about anything while you’re here.”
I swallowed hard. “I’m not sure I can trust you,” I said, my voice quieter than I intended.
He nodded, his gaze thoughtful. “I don’t expect you to. But I’m not here to hurt you, miss. I’m here to make sure you’re safe. That’s all.”
His words lingered in the air between us, heavy and real. And for the first time in a long while, I allowed myself to believe that maybe—just maybe—I had found a small piece of solace.
The weight of Zero’s arm draped over my waist felt like a brand—hot, possessive, inescapable. I lay still, my breath shallow, my body thrumming with a foreign awareness. The bond. It pulsed beneath my skin, a living thing, tying me to him in ways I didn’t fully understand yet.I hated it.And yet, when his fingers traced idle circles over my hip, my traitorous body arched into his touch.No.I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to roll away, breaking contact. The moment I did, a low growl rumbled from Zero’s chest. His grip tightened, yanking me back against him.“Running already?” His voice was sleep-rough, laced with dark amusement.“I need air,” I lied.His chuckle was a vibration against my spine. “Liar.”Before I could protest, he flipped me onto my back, caging me beneath him. Golden eyes burned into mine, his body a furnace of muscle and restrained power. The scent of him—smoke and something wild—wrapped around me, intoxicating. My pulse spiked.Dangerous.“You’re thinking too har
A dull throbbing pain spread through my neck as I slowly regained consciousness. My body felt heavy, as if the weight of the world had settled over me. The scent of something warm and slightly metallic lingered in the air, making my stomach churn. I groaned softly, shifting slightly, only to feel a strong arm tighten around my waist.Panic flared in my chest. My eyes flew open, and I found myself staring into the golden gaze of Zero. He was leaning against the headboard, his arm lazily draped over me, his expression unreadable."Easy there," he murmured, his voice rough with sleep. "You're still adjusting."Adjusting. The word sent a shiver down my spine as memories flooded back—pressing the doorbell, stepping into his domain, his mark burning into my skin, the overwhelming heat consuming me. My fingers instinctively brushed against my neck, feeling the raised edges of the fresh bite.His mark.I tried to sit up, but Zero's grip didn't loosen. Instead, he exhaled slowly, as if he was
The door loomed before me like a portal to another life—a life I wasn’t sure I wanted but one I might need. My heart raced as I raised my hand, hovering just above the doorbell. The sound of my breath was deafening in the silence of the night.Do it, Cassie. You came all this way.But just as I was about to press it, doubt surged through me like a lightning strike. My hand wavered, and I pulled it back. Turning away, I took a hesitant step back toward the street.This was insane. I couldn’t give myself to Zero—not like this. I had just escaped the chains of my ex-husband, the suffocating dominance that stripped me of my identity. To step into the grasp of another man, especially one like Zero, felt like trading one prison for another.But as I turned away, a sharp pang of regret stopped me in my tracks. My stomach churned with frustration. I hated this indecision, hated that my freedom was once again tangled with someone else’s control. Yet, deep down, I knew the truth: I needed Zero.
The shock of Zero’s statement left me paralyzed, my mind reeling as I stared up at him. "Are you serious?" I finally managed to ask, my voice barely above a whisper.Zero’s sharp blue eyes glinted in the dim light of the alley as he stood to his full height. Without saying a word, he pointed directly at me, a slow and deliberate motion that sent a shiver down my spine. His meaning was clear even before he spoke again, his voice low and unwavering. "I want you, Cassie. Your body. Your loyalty and everything about you that could satisfy me. I want to claim you mine."The weight of his words crashed down on me like a tidal wave. My breath hitched, and I stumbled back a step, my back brushing against the cold, rough wall of the alley. The realization hit me with brutal clarity: I had only just been freed from the shackles of being mated to my ex-husband, and now I was faced with the possibility of being bound again—this time to a rogue whose reputation was as dark as the blood staining hi
The air in the alley was thick, the scent of my pheromones mingling with the metallic tang of blood. I could barely breathe as I watched the rogues close in on Zero, their eyes dark with rage and desperation. They had underestimated him, mistaking his calm entrance for weakness. They didn’t see what I saw now—a predator in his prime, coiled and ready to strike.Zero stood his ground, his sharp gaze flicking between the three attackers. He cracked his knuckles, a subtle but chilling sound that echoed in the confined space. “Three against one? I guest i’m that strong for you to come to me all at once.” he said, his voice low and steady, laced with a confidence that sent shivers down my spine. “But mind you, You’ll regret this,”The first rogue lunged, claws bared and teeth gnashing. Zero sidestepped effortlessly, grabbing the rogue by the wrist and twisting it with a sickening snap. The rogue howled in pain, but Zero didn’t stop. He yanked the rogue forward, slamming his knee into the
I couldn’t stand it any longer. The days of waiting for news about my father had stretched on like an endless abyss, and the silence only grew heavier with every passing hour. I was trapped in a cage of uncertainty, my mind spinning with endless questions and fears. What happened to him? Where was he? Why hadn’t he contacted me, like he always promised he would?The letter he left behind only deepened the mystery. It spoke of allies—people who could help me, who knew more than I did about whatever danger he was facing—but it gave me nothing concrete. No names, no addresses, just vague instructions to seek out these allies if I wanted answers. How was I supposed to find them with nothing but a cryptic message and a burning sense of panic?I couldn’t stay here anymore. Waiting, hoping that someone would come to tell me that he was okay—it wasn’t working. My father had always been the one to protect me, to guide me, but now it was my turn. I had to find him. I had to do whatever it took