Chapter 166
Zara
Nova’s silent approval of my proposal was enough to spur me into action. She wanted to stay as close to Alpha as possible before I gave in. She still felt uneasy at the thought of being overwhelmed by silver, but she understood we had no choice.
Alpha’s lips curved into a smirk, though his eyes were wide with emotion. With a restrained laugh, I pulled him along with me until he stood up and led him away from the study, into our bedroom.
The bathroom turned out to be my favorite room in the house: a large shower and a large tub big enough for four. I used the shower jets countless times, letting the hot water cascade over my aching muscles.
I turned on the faucet and watched the tub slowly fill. Alpha tilted his head toward me, grinning crookedly, and tugged at the hem of my shirt. In one smooth motion, he pulled it off, letting it fall to the floor in a puddle of cotton.
Even after we’d marked each other, his intense gaze made my face flush. As always, Alpha noticed every reaction my body made under his attention and appreciated each one. “Even after all this time, you still blush when I make you undress in front of me.” Alpha grinned, and a chuckle rumbled in his chest.
“It’s not my fault, I have a shred of decency.” I grinned, looking him up and down. Alpha had dropped his shirt to the floor, but he was still wearing low-hanging jeans.
“Decency?” Alpha Kane snorted, his grin widening. “As far as I remember, I caught you swimming in your bra and panties p>
“You caught us because you were hiding,” Nova giggled, though there wasn’t a hint of malice in her voice.
“No one else knew about the swimming hole.” I shook my head, unable to look away as his pants slid to the floor. Muscle covered most of his body, cascading down his arms and stomach in powerful waves. His broad shoulders only made him look bigger, and me smaller in comparison.
“I still don’t understand how you knew that p>
“I carefully patrolled the forest around this town before I attacked,” Alpha smirked, reminding me of when Marcus was here. Marcus had long since angered Alpha by disrespecting him and his pack. “He found the bathing spot easily. When I saw you walking into the forest, I knew exactly where you were going p>
“And yet you felt the need to follow me.” Nova’s purr echoed in my head, and I had a very detailed mental image of how she hoped to end this bath.
Alpha tugged at the hem of my sweatpants and smirked as they fell to the floor. With another gentle tug, my underwear slid down to my ankles. I sank into the tub with a happy sigh; the hot water seemed to wash away some of the stress.
Though my plan was officially underway, tomorrow was the day I’d surrender to the authorities.
I felt Kane’s hand wrap around my submerged ankle, tugging until I slid across the tub into his arms. His sly grin made me roll my eyes, though something else caught my attention. The wound I’d left on his neck had completely healed, revealing a beautiful mark.
Cobalt blue, a crescent moon with two small stars, stood out against his skin. The mark was unique, as were all wolves who had mated. The color wasn’t dull, but rather shimmered and deepened, evoking the night sky.
“Your mark is healed.” I smiled softly, peering at Alpha. He leaned against the bathtub, soaking wet, the water lapping against his abdominal muscles, the cobalt mark… It rubbed against his creamy skin. Strands of his hair were wet and stuck to his forehead.
He looked like a fallen angel, carrying the weight of that backpack on his shoulders and somehow managing to hold it all up.
“He’s the complete opposite of Marcus,” Nova remarked. She was right: Marcus’s was the color of fresh blood, while Kane’s was the color of a midnight sky, with hints of black and indigo. They both looked stunning, but they symbolized different things.
His eyes slid tenderly over my face, reading the awe in my gaze as I looked at him. Alpha grabbed the bar of soap and tried to turn me around. I froze and shook my head, snatching the bar of soap from his hand.
“How many times have you washed me?” I asked. “Now it’s your turn, now turn around p>
A lazy smile appeared on his handsome face, and instead of turning around, he grabbed my hips and pulled me onto his lap. My legs wrapped around his waist, and my stomach pressed against his.
Alpha leaned back in the tub, revealing his muscular chest and arms. Half of his stomach was above the water, and my gaze ran over the lines of his abs.
“Start from the front, darling,” Alpha chuckled, causing me to roll my eyes, even though a blush had already spread across my face.
“Audacious Alpha,” I grinned, sticking out my tongue.
I ran the bar of soap over his chest, unable to stop my fingers from wandering over his muscles. His chest rumbled under my touch, and I watched his eyes darken, clouded with lust.
The sparks were soft, growing brighter as I continued to wash him with the soap. I moved from his chest to his arms, working the soap into a lather, and then down to his stomach.
Surprise flashed in my eyes as something struck me in the backside, and the soap fell from my hand, hitting the bottom of the tub with a dull thud.
A few seconds later, Alpha’s lips covered mine, and we both burned with anticipation.
A day, a week, a month. It had been too long to live without him, to be unaware of my fate. I wanted something for myself, something before I finally fell into Marcus’s clutches. In the past, I was ready to give everything to Alpha, and that hadn’t changed since I received his mark.
I tangled my fingers in his hair, pulling his face closer to mine, his lips deeper into mine. His tongue slid into my mouth, gently seeking mine. His arms wrapped around my waist, and together we burned. This time, Alpha didn’t resist as my hands slid down his chest, over his stomach, and to my rectum.