Chapter 82
Alpha Kane
I hadn’t planned to be so angry. But the thought of another man touching her didn’t sit well with me, and I ended up losing control and saying things I shouldn’t have.
Jealousy is a disgusting emotion, one I wasn’t familiar with. Especially when it came to a woman.
“So why did you want her to choke? He was just helping her,” my wolf chided me.
“Well, Miranda could have done that.” I was making up excuses that weren’t worth making.
The real reason was that I was becoming possessive. So when she came to me and told me I couldn’t control her life, I became petty.
I said words I should never have said as I approached her, and the anger that permeated every cell of my skin permeated me.
“What if he’s stalking you? Have you thought about that? Or are you too busy ignoring all the signs because he’s your friend?” I chuckled, not even recognizing my own voice.
What was I even doing? Fighting with her like a jealous, overprotective mate.
Her small mouth dropped open in surprise when I heard those words, and her always-shiny eyes blazed like a blue forest fire. She looked at me with disbelief, as if I were an alien she’d just met, not the person she’d gotten to know over the past five months.
Too far, I’d gone.
“Then you should thoroughly vet people before hiring them. Isn’t he from your company? I didn’t know you liked hiring stalkers,” she retorted, blushing with rage.
And then she pointed her index finger at me and accused. “Or are you just jealous because I enjoy his company p>
I didn’t trust people, but Charlie was one of my sweetest and kindest employees. Not a single woman had ever complained about him or been harassed. Besides, I was sure whoever was harassing her had ties to Zara’s past. But why did someone attack in my packs?
But she was right; maybe I was jealous. Before I could respond, she spoke again: “You know what, don’t answer. I can’t talk to you right now p>
Disappointed, she was extremely disappointed by my words, and seeing the pained expression on her face, I wished I could take them back.
She shook her head and turned away from me, hiding her beautiful but angry face. She quickly headed for the office door.
“Wait, Zara,” I called desperately after her, but she had already left the office. The door slammed behind her. Again disobedient. Leaving me in such a chaos of thoughts and struggling with emotions that I didn’t know how to cope.
A blinding pain of guilt began to form in my heart.
I’d ruined everything. She was already under a lot of stress, and I knew Miranda and he made her happy, but I went there anyway and ruined everything.
I couldn’t be happy, and I didn’t want others to feel that way.
We headed home early. We had to get ready for the event. Asbela already had Zara’s dress, and I told her to get ready.
I’d chosen a denim blue for both of us. We were going to wear matching outfits today, and I couldn’t wait to see her in the dress I’d picked out for her.
After getting ready, I put on perfume and fixed my hair. After putting on my coat, I left only that damn tie on.
I held that stupid thing in my hand and looked at it. A light knock on wood drew my attention.
“Enter,” I ordered.
The door opened, and I literally caught my breath.
Zara stood there, bathed in the dim light of the hallway, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still. The dark blue velvet dress I’d chosen for her clung to her figure like a second skin, the fabric shimmering faintly in the dim light.
The neckline was low enough to accentuate the grace of her breasts, and the sleeves hugged her arms, widening slightly at the wrists.
The dress flowed to her ankles, the hem brushing the floor with quiet grace.
Her lustrous ruby hair was styled in soft waves and fell over her shoulders, intertwined with light strands of red silk.
Wild and yet tamed.
But it was her presence that truly stole my breath. There was a quiet confidence in her posture; a subtle radiance seemed to emanate from her.
Her lips curved into a slight, almost shy smile, and her eyes, those deep, captivating eyes, met mine with a warmth that made my heart clench beneath my suit.
It was painful to look at her.
For a moment, we were both silent. My gaze lingered, tracing the lines of her dress, the curve of her neck, the rose pendant. The way the light played across her face. I couldn’t look away, couldn’t bring myself to break the spell she had cast with her mere presence.
“Zara,” I finally managed to say in a quiet, almost whispering voice. “You look… stunning p>
Her smile widened, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. “Thank you, I really like this dress,” she said in a soft, melodic voice.
I gestured for her to come in, not taking my eyes off her, but her gaze fell on my hands and… tie.
“Need help?” she asked, approaching me. The air was filled with the faint scent of roses and sandalwood, intoxicating and familiar.
I handed her the tie.
“Yes p>
Humbly accepting it, she moved into my personal space until we were face to face, barely touching anything.
Slipping the tie around my neck, she began tying the knot; I noticed how confidently her hands held it. Her long eyelashes lowered, almost touching the top of her cheeks.
I watched, my greedy heart unfulfilled. Her fingers moved skillfully, tying a perfect Windsor knot. Her index finger lightly touched my chin, as if commanding me to lift it.
I lifted my head slightly, exposing my neck to her, while she adjusted my tie and fastened the top button of my shirt.
Her gentle fingers brushed the skin of my neck, and I had to swallow, because the mere touch made my heart beat faster.
Then she straightened the lapels of my coat and smoothed them.
“That’s it,” she announced, finally looking up at me.
The fire of passion danced in her eyes, and for a moment it seemed as if the world had narrowed to just the two of us.
My heart pounding, I tried not to look at her lips.
“Thank you, shall we go?” I asked, even though my heart simply wanted to hug her waist and kiss her until she lost her breath, but we needed to be together.
“Yes!” she replied, looking away. It was time to go.