Nicolas POV
I was experiencing such an emotional overload that I was unsure of how to act, which made me feel both nervous and excited at the same time.
I was afraid Zara might not appreciate my surprise as much as I was hoping she would.
Goddess, what is wrong with me?
Never before have I felt so insecure!
“Get a hold of yourself!” Ray growled inside my head. “You are going to give away the surprise!”
I gave Zara a sidelong glance and forcefully swallowed. She appeared incredibly perplexed, possibly even nervous about the blindfold I had given her.
“Leave her to me,” Ray said, turning to leave. “You just carried out our initial plan. Do not let anything slip! Do you hear me?”
I glanced back at Zara, her eyes pleading. My heart is breaking. Goddess, that look in her eyes! I can’t do it!
“Don’t you dare!” Ray warned, observing the pleading look in Zara’s eyes. “She will be alright!”
“Don’t you think it’s too much?” I tried to reason with Ray. “Levi did express…”
“What? The blindfold?” Ray looked back at me and asked. It seemed to annoy him that I was questioning his strategy.
“Yeah,” I replied. “Do not you think that without the blindfold, it would be just as big of a surprise?”
Levi had informed me that Zara disliked enclosed or dark areas. She gets nervous and uneasy about it, and I was not sure if blindfolding her would be included in that.
Ray shook his head, giving me a frustrated look.
“Let her decide for herself whether she wants to be blindfolded. That is if she feels that it truly bothers her,” Ray said.
And it sparked a bit of hope. Ray was going to let her make her own decisions, not impose them on her.
“But I know Zara,” he continued. “She enjoys a good challenge. She will comply with your request; I am sure of it.”
I internally sighed.
My thoughts strayed back to earlier in my office as I assisted Zara with the blindfold.
I found it frustrating that my father would go to such lengths to find me a mate when I had already found mine.
Why was he so adamant about wanting me to turn my back on Zara?
What made him think she was cursed?
Was there any truth to the story he told me? Or was it all a lie?
“I believe your father is concealing something significant. Perhaps a big secret,” Ray remarked. “And it has to do with the two of you, whatever he is hiding.”
“Yet until recently, I was unaware of Zara’s existence,” I remarked, running my fingers through my hair.
I was relieved Zara could not see my concern at that point. Maybe blindfolding her was not such a bad idea.
“But you recall knowing Kaya’s name?” he stated.
I furrowed my brows and shifted in my chair.
If I had not known Zara before, how could I have recognized her wolf’s name? It did not make sense at all.
I slowly turned to look at Zara. Is it possible that Zara and I met before her mating ritual?
My mind raced, looking for answers, but nothing, not even a single memory of her, sprang to me. But there must have been a time when we were all together because my father was friends with Alpha Rick.
“I think you and Zara must have met one another when you were younger,” Ray said. “Maybe you were too young to remember her.”
“And what is your honest theory about?” I asked. “I do not remember a single thing about her.”
“What if your father asked someone to erase your memories of her?” Ray said. “Could that provide an explanation?”
“How do you suppose he accomplished that?” I scoffed. “We do not have that kind of magic; we are werewolves. There are no witches in the area. The Gemini coven vanished a long time ago. Nobody nearby can cast a spell like that.”
“Let us just focus on the possible reason why he might have cleared your memory,” Ray said.
That raised yet another issue. Why would my dad take such extreme measures?
Has he noticed anything?
Was it his or my mother’s idea?
Was my mom aware of this? Did she agree?
I moaned under my breath as my mother’s face flashed before my eyes. I loved her dearly. Would she take such extreme measures to keep me safe?
“My only thought is that it could be related to the prophecy,” I said. “And I do not even think the prophecy is real.”
“Let us talk about this later,” Ray said, turning his attention to Ronan. “There are more pressing matters that need our attention. We have arrived. Let’s get this party started.”
Ronan turned off into the forest and continued driving for about five minutes until he came to a clearing.
Everything appeared to be in perfect order. It all seemed to be going according to plan.
Zara would be ecstatic about her surprise!
Ronan brought the car to a stop. I hastily exited and closed the car door.
“I will go see if everything is ready,” Ronan mind-linked.
I gave a nod and looked up at the sky.
My lips turned into a smile. The sky was breathtakingly beautiful. It was painted in various shades of orange and pink.
I inhaled deeply, relieving my tension and relishing the aroma of the forest filling my lungs.
If my mom could see me now, she would be incredibly proud.
“We are almost ready,” Ronan mind-linked. “Just give us five more minutes.”
“You got two,” I said and turned toward the car.
It appeared as though Zara had stopped breathing as she sat motionless like a statue inside the car.
Goddess, was she alright?
Terra was a major factor in my decision to bring Zara here. She had already begun to follow me around as though I were some prey.
“Go get our mate and stop thinking about that b*tch!” Ray ordered. “She has spent far too much time sitting there by herself.”
“Times up!” I mind-inked Ronan, hurrying back to the car.
I opened the door and helped Zara out.
“Give us just one more minute,” Ronan mind-linked. He seemed to be getting frustrated about something.
“What is causing the delay?” I growled over the mind-link.
“We are having trouble with the generator,” he answered. “Please just give us…”
“Nic?” Zara called. “Can I remove-”
“Not just yet, my love,” I said, trying to hide my annoyance. “One more minute.”
“F*ck it!” I growled, irritated over the mind-link. “Can’t you guys get anything right?”
I let out a breath of frustration and went closer to Zara. Her head was slightly cocked, giving off a scared, vulnerable look.
“Damit Ray,” I hissed. “Can we…?”
“Not just yet!” he growled.
I tightly clamped my jaw shut while closing my eyes. I could feel my jaw muscles twitch with rage.
I should have sent Ronan earlier to check everything.
“We are set!” My eyes snapped open as Ronan’s voice resonated in my ears. He had a broad grin on his face. “I told you it would only take a minute longer!”
“Finally!” I moved closer to Zara, hissing over the mind-link.
“Come,” I whispered, putting my arm around her narrow waist to provide support. “It is only a few feet up ahead.”
Zara and I strolled a short distance along the pathway before coming to a stop.
My chest was thumping with my beating heart.
It was either now or never.
“You can now take off your blindfold,” I whispered, and I released her.
Zara took off the blindfold, blinking once or twice as she refocused her eyes, and the moment I gave Ronan a signal, everything came to life.
Zara’s expression was everything I had hoped for!
****