Chapter 169
Kane
If it weren’t for all this drama, I would have locked her in the bedroom long ago and completed the mating process. Every smirk, every touch was beginning to drive me crazy.
That’s how mating works; it brought us closer and closer until the process was complete. Jealousy and madness wouldn’t subside until her first heat subsided.
It was in my soul that I noticed Marcus’s mark on her skin. That damned wolf had marked her against her will and decided he had some kind of false claim to her. The only thing I refused to take away was her choice.
She often acted and said before she thought, and I would never take that away from her. Marcus had long since declared himself her mate, certain of it, though he was deeply mistaken.
“His mark is still there.” I grimaced, unable to contain a growl. I ran my finger over the vulgar mark, wishing I’d been there that night.
“I asked the shadows. They said, “There’s a pair for each side.” Zara frowned, looking genuinely upset. Her sadness had subsided a bit, and now I was distracted by the desire to remove the frown from her face. “I asked them to remove the mark, but the price was too high p>
I wondered what the shadows had asked for. Another life? Or did they want someone else to die to erase the mark from her neck? I would gladly kill a thousand wolves to repay that debt.
“What did they ask for p>
“They wanted our bond.” Her voice was quiet, though my stomach clenched. I could hear how weak her voice was, how desperately she wanted the mark removed, and yet she flatly refused. She would rather maintain her bond with this wolf than destroy our bond.
I knew it was absurd, that there was no need to ask. I could see how Zara felt for me every time her gaze met mine, but I needed to hear her words.
“What about that, Marcus?” My voice turned into a guttural growl. “What do you feel for him p>
Her words had a calming effect on me, soothing my wolf like a sedative.
“I feel nothing for him, Kane. Nothing compared to what I feel for you p>
The sincerity of her words robbed me of control, and I found her in my arms, my lips on hers. Zara wasn’t my first kiss, but she was the first to evoke such emotion within me. I’d been loved, and I loved her back, but I’d never been in love.
So desperately in love that I was willing to sacrifice everything I held dear, everything I’d worked for, just to keep her safe. The feeling raged and was uncontrollable, but I couldn’t fight it even if I tried. We pulled away for air, a futile need that tore her from my embrace.
We slipped into bed, every inch of her milky skin exposed. Not that she’d admit it, but I knew she enjoyed sleeping naked as much as I did. I caught her gaze wandering over me when she thought I wasn’t looking, and I savored every bit of attention she gave me.
No matter how devious she acted, her eyes shone with innocence. Her face always gave her away, a blush creeping up her cheeks every time I caught her looking down.
With her in my arms, all stress vanished from my mind. Her subtle scent of vanilla and pear calmed me, erasing all worries. Her soft breath fanned my chest; her body molded perfectly to mine.
“Tell me about your family,” she asked, surprising me again.
I smiled, hearing the sleepiness mingle with her words. I was sure she wouldn’t last long without sleep. Zara always fell asleep quickly and could be a real nightmare to wake up. In the mornings, the fur on the back of her neck would stand on end, and her clear eyes would narrow at anyone who dared wake her.
This was another thing I quickly fell in love with, something that made her even more beautiful and charming in my mind.
“My mom’s name is Claire, and my dad’s name is Killian. They had a rocky start to their relationship, but things worked out in the end. I have an annoying little brother, Brandon, and a couple of cousins,” I told her briefly, as she was almost asleep. “What else would you like to know p>
My mother, Claire, hated the idea of finding her mate. My father was a jerk at first, but quickly succumbed to the influence of marital intimacy. It takes a truly terrible person to insult and mistreat his mate.
Although my father had a reputation as cruel as mine, he never harmed my mother. Sometimes I saw a bit of my mother in Zara. Pure strength, the courage to risk everything. They were so similar, and yet so different.
“Where are they now?” she asked, her soft words sounding sleepy, and I smiled as she yawned loudly. “How hard have they been p>
“I sent them away when all this started. My mom, dad, brother, aunt, uncle, and cousins they’re all safe.” I assured her, “As for my mom, she had to deal with some problems in her youth that later plagued her. Dad wasn’t so understanding at first, but he eventually relented p>
I didn’t go into details, hoping Zara would ask when they finally met. I’d heard the story of how my mom and dad had met countless times, how he tried to force a connection between them, and how Mom got her revenge.
Dad told me she bit him many times, and I could easily imagine Zara doing the same. When I was old enough to understand, I asked Mom what had happened to her all those years ago. Even with the rough start and the ghosts of the past, Mom and Dad had made it through.
“They sound so sweet,” Zara cooed, and the sound made my heart flutter. What else was she planning? The words trailed off, and a soft snore escaped her lips.
I chuckled at the sound of her soft snores, tracing the flush on her cheeks with my finger. With her in my arms, sleep came easily, drawing me into its endless depths.
I woke up before her, a common occurrence, as she somehow managed to sleep through half the day. After a long night, I decided to let her sleep for another hour or two.
I went down to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water and a Tupperware container of “Zara the dad” cookies. She had a strange addiction to anything her dad baked, and she could eat them by the dozen.