*Selena*
I made my way back to the pack house. Zander had ordered one of the soldiers to accompany me.
Zander and Maddox left to interrogate Damon and Emile, and the minutes had crawled by as I anxiously waited for their return. The atmosphere in the pack house had shifted, a palpable tension hanging in the air. Whispers and hushed conversations echoed through the hallways, spreading the news faster than wildfire. The entire pack was abuzz with curiosity and concern, gossiping about Damon and Emile.
Finally, the moment arrived when Zander and Maddox returned. My eyes immediately sought out Zander’s face, searching for any hint of the information he had gathered. His expression was an enigma, his features a mask that betrayed nothing. It was the kind of unreadable demeanor that made it impossible to guess anything.
However, it was Maddox who didn’t look like himself. His usually strong and composed facade had crumbled, replaced by an expression of utter devastation.
“Zander, I told you,” Zander’s mother began to speak, her voice carrying a note of caution. “You can’t trust everyone. You have to be extra cautious and careful, especially because you’re so close to…”
Before she could finish her sentence, Zander’s growl silenced her abruptly.
“Mother!”
His piercing glare bore into his mother, an unspoken warning that left her speechless.
“Oh my goddess! I am so relieved to see you are fine, Zander,” she chimed, running to Zanders’s side.
“I am fine,” he affirmed, his voice steady and calm, as he took a seat in the center of the hall. His presence demanded attention, and the room fell into hushed anticipation.
Maddox, standing beside Zander, leaned in to whisper something into his ear. Zander listened attentively, his expression revealing nothing, before nodding. Maddox swiftly left the room.
“Zander, you are always surrounded by your enemies. That’s why I was saying don’t delay your marriage with Avery,” Zander’s mother advised as she couldn’t hold back her concern any longer.
My eyes darted toward Zander, who remained indifferent. I shook my head, a soft laugh escaping my lips as the time we spent together last night swirled before my eyes. Zander had always put his responsibilities and the pack’s well-being before anything else, often hurting me in the process.
“No, Mother. I can’t marry Avery when Selena is back,” Zander declared unexpectedly, his words echoing through the hall.
A wave of surprise rippled through the room. All eyes raised at him including mine.
“What do you mean, Zander?” his mother retorted, her voice dripping with disdain as she cast a scornful glance in my direction. “You rejected her because she is the daughter of a traitor.”
“No, Mother! You can’t blame her for her father’s deeds,” he snarled, his unwavering defense of me left everyone off guard.
“How can you do this to me, Zander?” Avery lamented, her voice laced with pain and tears shimmering in her eyes. “I have given my whole life to you and your pack. Only I deserve to be your Luna, no one else.”
“Avery, I appreciate your service to the pack, but you also knew the consequences of this contract when you agreed to marry me. Now, I can’t marry you,” Zander said, his expressionless visage revealing nothing.
Avery’s eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at him with shock.
“It would be better if you leave this pack and go back to your own. I think it would help you heal and accept it,” Zander, still composed, offered his advice, though it was clear his decision was final. He rose from his seat as if to signal the end of all conversation for the day.
Avery’s teary eyes shifted towards me, and at that moment, I could see the flames of hatred and anger burning in her gaze. Uncomfortable with the intensity of her emotions, I began to quietly make my exit from the room.
But before I could slip away completely, Zander’s voice stopped me in my tracks. “Selena!” he called out, his tone demanding my attention.
I turned to look at him, puzzled by the sudden summons.
His eyes bore into mine, and he spoke with an authoritative tone that brooked no argument. “I want you to move into my room right now,” he declared.
I gaped at him, taken aback by the unexpected command. His seriousness was palpable.
The room seemed to hold its breath, and I could feel numerous envious and curious gazes upon us as Zander reached out, taking my hand in his. With a decisive pull, he led me out of the room.
I quietly followed him, my hand in his, as we ascended the stairs together. We moved in silence toward his room. Zander reached the door and held it open, gesturing for me to enter first.
“Zander, it’s too soon to announce…” I started to say, but before I could finish, his hungry mouth pressed onto mine, kissing me with a fiery passion that left me breathless.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, lost in the intensity of the moment, as he effortlessly lifted me off my feet and carried me toward the bed, throwing me on it before hovering over me.
“It’s already very late, my love,” he declared, his voice heavy with longing. “I can’t wait any longer to tell the world that you’re mine and only mine.”
I couldn’t help but notice a deadly possessiveness in his eyes, a possessiveness that sent shivers down my spine.
With a swift and passionate urgency, he tore my dress, pulling me closer to him. His hand cupped my pussy, his thick, callused fingers sinking into my wetness. I gasped at the electrifying sensation, my desire for him growing stronger with every touch.
“Tell me, Selena,” he demanded in a voice filled with desire and authority, “that you are mine!”
I nodded, my breaths coming in panting gasps as he continued to finger fucking me. My body quivered under his, and I was lost in the ecstasy of the moment.
“Tell me!” he ordered in his Alpha tone, his demand echoing in the room.
“Yes, I am yours, Zander,” I cried out as he expertly curled his finger, hitting my G spot with precision. Pleasure surged through me, causing me to arch my back.
“Fuck!” He cursed softly before taking one of my hardened nipples into his mouth, sucking on it with an intense desire that left me breathless. It was as if he wanted to mark me as his own in every way possible, and I yearned for him to do just that.
I couldn’t wait any longer.
“Zander, mark me!” I urged, my voice filled with longing.
He lifted his head, his hooded eyes burned with passion locking onto mine.
“Mark me, please!” I begged, my desire for him overwhelming.
Zander’s lips brushed against mine, and he whispered, his voice filled with a promise. “I will mark you, my mate, but not like this. I will mark you in a grand ceremony, claiming you before the whole world. You’re my queen, my love. Everyone will know about it,” he declared, looking at me with his eyes brimming with love.
“I am afraid, Zander,” I admitted softly, cupping his beautiful face in my trembling hand, “what if fate takes you away from me?”
“Why are you afraid, my love?” Zander’s voice was tender, his eyes filled with reassurance peering deep into mine. “I am yours, and you are mine. I love you, and nothing and no one can separate us except death,” he assured me, trying to soothe my anxious heart.
Tears welled up in my eyes as I trembled in his embrace.
“But when you find your destined mate,” I sobbed, the fear of losing him again causing my heart to ache painfully.
Zander’s gaze never wavered as he spoke with unwavering conviction, “I will reject her. I don’t want anyone but you,” he declared, his eyes filled with honesty that I could see deep within my soul.
I shook my head, my doubts lingering.
“It’s not easy to resist the mate bond, Zander,” I whispered, my voice filled with uncertainty.
“Selena,” he said softly, his thumb wiping away my tears, “I have lived a life that felt like hell without you. I won’t let you go at any cost, my angel. Trust me when I say I will choose you over everything. I will do anything to be with you for the rest of the time I have on this earth,” he said, his determination mixed with a palpable fear and pain etched across his face.
Something about Zander’s words felt odd, a nagging feeling that refused to be ignored.
“What do you mean?” I asked, furrowing my brow in confusion.
“Nothing,” he replied with a soft smile, his lips meeting mine in a passionate kiss that left me momentarily distracted from our conversation. His touch was intoxicating, but I couldn’t shake off the unease that had settled in my heart.
As we kissed, I couldn’t forget the pain I had heard in his voice when he uttered those last words-
The rest of the time I have on this earth.
What did he mean by that?
Was it an abrupt sentence, or did it have some deep meaning in it?