Zara’s POV
“Could things possibly get any worse today?” I growled under my breath as I observed my image in the bathroom mirror. To my relief, the room was empty, and I released the breath I had been holding.
“Zara, what the hell are you thinking?” I questioned myself aloud. “You are going to destroy everything your father and ancestors have worked so hard to achieve.”
I just could not stand the idea of being mated to Alpha Noah. I did some research on Alpha Noah in the days following Levi’s rejection.
I did not find anything pleasant at all. I was right when I said he was after my pack purely for power. I could not tell how much of a jerk he was, but it was enough to send me running.
“You will need to be honest with your dad,” Kaya remarked. “He will offer you guidance and support.”
“But when he finds out we lied about all of this, he is going to lose his sh*t,” I shot back, terrified at the thought.
The idea of disappointing my father was too much for me to handle. He will be in excruciating pain, and it might even damage our relationship.
“He may be upset or even disappointed, but he will understand,” Kaya tried to reassure me. “He always listens to you. You are his silver-eyed girl, and he loves you very much.”
“I will tell him tonight,” I said. “All I have to do is muster the bravery to inform him.”
I turned on the cold water tap, cleaned my face, and patted it dry with a paper towel. After doing that, I felt somewhat better.
Gazing into the mirror once more, I straightened my blue-wrapped dress, tightened the belt on one side, and slung the scarf around my neck.
“Perfect,” Kaya mused. “You look like a true Luna.”
“That was not my goal,” I said, rolling my eyes in response.
“I know,” Kaya chuckled. “Nevertheless, you have made an attempt to dress appropriately ever since the mating ceremony.”
I was a girl who liked to dress simply in jeans, sneakers, and t-shirts. However, since the mating ceremony, I have been attending meetings all the time, so I have had to work hard to make a good impression.
I wanted to look my best and make my father proud since he was training us for the Alpha and Luna roles in the pack.
“Let us go hear what the elders have decided,” I said to the image of myself in the mirror.
I headed for the bathroom door, and as I stepped outside, the sweet smell of vanilla and honey made my breathing hitch.
Kaya stirs inside my mind, yet she stays quiet.
“I am just going to act like he does not exist,” I muttered at myself, and I headed down the hallway.
Large hands grabbed hold of me as soon as I passed the stairs, encircling my body with one hand and upsetting my view with the other.
Had Alpha Noah sent a kidnapper to take me hostage?
Oh Goddess, no! Please! This is not how I want to die today!
I struggled against the impostor’s grasp, but his strength was far greater than mine. My heart hammered against my chest as I struggled.
I was hauled off, not too far, into a dimly lit little room.
The door closed behind us, and I was released from his powerful arms.
That was my chance. I roared, unleashing my aura as I swung around and sprang forward, my claws extended.
Gigantic hands grasped my wrist, drawing me in closer.
“Temper, temper,” the familiar husky voice called out to me, full of humor. “All I want to do is talk. You do not have to take any drastic action.”
“Alpha Nicholas?” I let out a gasp of surprise and pulled back my claws.
“In the flesh,” he answered, and he slowly let go of my wrists.
“Why did you drag me into this?” I questioned, my eyes darting around in confusion. The room appeared to be a storeroom of some sort.
“I needed to talk to you in private,” he calmly said.
“Why am I unable to sense your presence?” I asked, bewildered.
With a mocking smile on his lips, Alpha Nicholas took a step forward.
“So you are claiming,” he started.
That will be the day. Until he demonstrates to me that he wants me, I will not acknowledge the bond.
My heart painfully clenched in my chest.
Did he come here to abandon and reject me? Does that explain why he pulled me into the storeroom?
“I have not said that,” I lied, cutting him off and gasping for air. This was like being rejected again without having to say those words.
Alpha Nicholas winced, and his blue eyes flashed with something akin to pain.
He stepped forward again, causing me to step back, and collided with a desk.
Alpha Nicholas came to a stop and held out his arm.
What the f*ck is he doing?
There was a flicker of amusement in his eyes as his soft lips spread into a smile.
With a quick pull, a bright light came on.
I narrowed my eyes at him, not sure what he was going to do. He was aware that we could both see just fine in the dark.
Alpha Nicholas bent his elbow and began to take the gloves off of his hands.
Was it his intention to kill me? Is this what this was? Did Noah Alpha send him?
“So, future Luna Zara from the Silverado Pack,” he said, pinning my gaze. “I am aware of your deception.”
“I have no idea what you are talking about,” I growled, losing my temper and feeling my heart violently pound in my chest.
“About you not being marked by your beta,” he grinned broadly.
Was this some kind of trick?
Was he sent by the council, or was Alpha Noah looking for evidence?
Does that explain why he came to sit beside me?
I felt wounded and deceived by that final thought.
“I have no idea what you are getting at!” I sneered. “I have displayed my mating mark to the council and everyone in the vicinity. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to return to my mate.”
I shoved Alpha Nicholas aside and pulled open the door.
He extended his arm in an attempt to stop me.
“That is not a mating mark on your nape!” Alpha Nicholas said, sending shivers down my back. “I do not think that it is even a real mating mark, or even one given by Beta Levi.”
Sh*t, he knows!
I was having trouble deciding whether to be happy or sad.
My eyes met his as I forcefully swallowed. I felt small under the intensity of his blue eyes.
Was his purpose for being here to blackmail me? Was that his strategy? What was it that he desired? Money? Land? A favor?
“I have nothing to say to you,” I growled, ducking under his arm to leave.
Alpha Nicholas grabbed me around my waist, pushed me against the wall, and pinned my arms above my head.
Sparks erupted around my wrists, sending the feeling down to my core.
I snarled and struggled against his grip. I refuse to back down.
“Feisty,” he whispered, lowering his head to the side of my neck. “I like it when you are so full of sh*t. It piques my interest and heightens the excitement of the hunt.”
I stopped struggling, extended my aura, and growled, warning him to back off, but instead of letting me go, he rolled his eyes at me.
“We are equals,” he said, securing both of my wrists in one hand.
I must admit that being so close to Alpha Nicolas was having an effect on me, and I was falling victim to him.
“My goal is not to cause you harm,” he huskily said, his blue eyes darkening and growing serious as he spoke. “I just need to double-check something, and then I will let you go.”
What did he have planned for me? Will he discover my secret and reveal it to the council?
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