Zara’s POV
“Come,” Nic said, pushing open the wooden door. “Business before pleasure. We have a great deal to talk about.”
I froze in shock as I followed him inside, my eyes going wide with surprise.
“Amazing!” I let out a gasp. “This is incredible!”
The space appeared more like a sizable apartment than a hotel room. It was furnished with exquisite detail, featuring vast white walls and an open area in front of us.
“I was hoping that you would like it,” he said, and he took my hand before shutting the door behind them.
“It is definitely something,” I replied, looking from side to side.
“It is the presidential suite,” he explained, a soft smile following on his lips. “This hotel’s one and only. I typically hold my private meetings in this suite.”
“I wonder how many private meetings he has conducted here,” Kaya mused.
“And how many attractive women have ever been here?” I commented, feeling a bit self-conscious and jealous.
“Do you believe Nic would have shared his bed with them?” Kaya asked, worried.
I internally rolled my eyes.
Although the idea occurred to me, I could not, for some reason, picture Nic having sex with just any woman. There was something a little different about him.
“I do not believe he brought women in here for sex,” I said, putting my nose up to sniff a little. All I could detect was the lingering scent of cleaning products.
“I guess you could not name it the Alpha Suite,” I said, turning back to Nic.
“No,” he answered, a smile forming at the corners of his mouth. “The humans might have a sneaking suspicion that I am a werewolf. Can you envision the ensuing chaos that would cause?”
“And obviously, you had to hide behind a title made by men,” I said, raising an eyebrow in jest.
“Do we not all?” He asked.
“I guess so,” I said as I moved forward to slide my hands across the designer living room couch.
It was exquisite and clearly costly. I suppose Nic has a taste for upscale and pricey items, but that did not matter to me.
We could easily draw comparisons between the richest in our pack and the Midnight Moon Pack, the main distinction being that we were more engaged in import and export than in hospitality.
“Let me show you around.” Nic drew me toward the kitchen area.
My eyes shifted to the enormous, well-proportioned kitchen featuring white marble countertops. Any chef would love cooking and preparing food there.
I wonder if anyone has ever used this kitchen before. It looked as though everything was brand new inside.
We made our way into the dining room.
The centerpiece of the room was a classic glass table with six chairs, and three abstract paintings were mounted on the walls. That attracted my attention, so I went to take a closer look at them.
“One of my pack members painted those,” Nic said.
“It is different,” I remarked.
Even though I was not a big art enthusiast, I found myself drawn in by the lines and the rich, vivid colors.
Nic took me through the elegantly furnished restroom. The guestroom and the main room. Each with a distinct theme.
“The architectural and interior details are amazing,” I commented when we made our way back to the living area. It was unquestionably not like anything I was accustomed to.
“Well, thank you,” Nic replied. “I designed the layout myself.”
That caught me off guard, and I turned to stare at him bewildered.
“You work as an architect?” I questioned cautiously.
Although studying human courses was not unusual among wolves, it was unusual for them to pursue that career path. Typically, wolves resume working on the tasks that the pack assigned them.
“I am,” Nic proudly declared. “I am an architecture bachelor’s degree holder. My first official project as Alpha was this hotel. I got assistance from someone with the interior.”
“Handsome and smart,” I teased. “Alpha Dalton, what other intriguing and hidden talents do you possess?”
Nic laughed and tossed his head back.
“It is for me to know and for you to find out and discover,” he stated, his blue eyes full of humor.
The thought of what part Nic wanted me to discover made my face flush red.
Nic stepped forward and reached out to take my hand.
“Shall we?” He asked, his voice low with tension.
I nodded slowly, and Nic led the way to the outside of the balcony.
My eyes nearly flew out of their sockets as I gasped. The forest and the ocean were both visible in a 180-degree panorama. It was incredible.
I could make out dolphins playing in the water in the distance as the sun had already lowered to the horizon, turning the sky a variation of pink and orange.
“Amazing!” I paused at the balcony rail and whispered in wonder. “This type of scenery is something I could definitely get used to.”
“It does not compare to how beautiful you are,” Nic whispered, behind me, his rich, intoxicating scent of honey and vanilla enveloping me.
His words caused my body to react, sending a shiver down my spine and clouding my thoughts. Nic was like a drug, clouding my senses, and I was ready to take anything he offered me.
Kaya gave a purr. Nic’s scent had already influenced her.
“Why does his scent seem so much stronger now than it did earlier in the day?” I asked, intoxicated.
“It is his wolf, Ray’s doing,” Kaya purred. “He is able to mask Nicholas’s scent when he wants to.”
“What about you?” I asked, curious about this ability. “Are you able to conceal our scent?”
I had no idea if Kaya was capable of doing that.
“Near Nicolas?” Kaya asked.
“Yeah, near Nic? Ray? Or anybody else, for that matter?” I asked.
“I am not sure,” she said and pouted. “It was never something I had to do.”
I slowly turned to face Nic. He had gotten closer, and I could feel his body heat radiating around me.
My breath caught when I realized that he was practically standing on top of me, and I almost bumped into him.
I could see the sadness in his eyes, reflecting my own longing, as I slowly raised my own to meet his.
“I can’t stay away from you any longer,” he whispered. “It is too difficult.”
Nic reached out, tucked a stray hair behind my ear, and cupped the side of my face tenderly.
His warmth had me so at ease that I found myself burying my face in his big, warm hand.
“Zara Silverwood, I want you,” he lowered his head to meet mine in a whisper. “I want you to be my mate. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Tears of happiness burned behind my eyes, and my bottom lip quivered.
Was Nic going to accept me? Was he formally going to say those words of acceptance?
“I, Nicolas Dalton…” he uttered, and I shut my eyes. I was afraid he would decide to change his mind and turn away from me.
“Alpha of the Midnight Moon Pack, accept you, Zara Silverwood, from the Silverado Pack as my mate and future Luna.”
My heart felt like it wanted to burst with happiness as warm tears flowed down the side of my face.
Nic used his thumbs to gently wipe away his tears before flashing a sad but worried smile. He must have sensed that my emotions were getting out of control.
“Zara?” He muttered. “Are you going to accept me too?”
That nearly made me laugh out loud. Nic sounded a little uneasy.
I nodded slowly and opened my eyes to see the worry in Nicolas’s blue eyes.
Did he think I would not accept him?
“I-I,” my thoughts raced as I stammered nervously.
“Take control of yourself!” Kaya growled in frustration. “And pull yourself together. You are not a weakling; you are a silverback wolf! Now respond to our mate! Declare your acceptance of him!”
“Zara?” I met Nic’s gaze as his terrified voice resonated in my ears. “You do not need-”
I shook my head at him to stop, unable to form the words-his fear was sucking up all the surrounding air around me.
“Oh, Goddess,” I inwardly whispered. “What the hell just happened?”
*****