Chapter 17
Zara
My cheeks flushed hot, and I blushed so hard I was sure not even a tomato could compete with me.
“Bastard,” Nova gave him the title.
“I was going to show him,” I smirked.
“I didn’t ask your advice on this matter… Sir.” I paused meaningfully before Sir showed that it wasn’t out of respect. “It’s only fair that the two of us shouldn’t be involved with each other. It’s just a pretense p>
The smile faded at my answer. It seemed that not many people had answered me.
“Your personal life is none of my business, Zara, until it doesn’t interfere with mine, and no one will know what you’re doing. You just have to keep your end of the deal p>
He started drumming his heavy fingers on the clean table.
He was going to test my patience; at least he was handsome, otherwise I would have wanted to scratch his face.
“That won’t happen, I take my commitments seriously and can be discreet p>
“Only time will tell. Miranda will show you to your office. Make yourself comfortable and don’t call me yet.” He pulled the phone out of his pants pocket and typed something. Putting it back, he pulled another folder from the stack, opened it, and began to read.
That was my cue to leave. Standing up, I expressed my gratitude. It was not from the heart, but still.
I decided to call home and tell my dad that I was not going back to the office right now because I wanted to take a bath.
After I hung up the phone, a feeling of guilt washed over me. I hated lying to my dad, but bathing was always a safe and private place to go. Life in a pack was like living in a city of siblings; there was never time to be alone. I walked along the road to the edge of the forest, my eyes flickering as I walked inside.
The sounds of the forest always calmed my nerves. The crickets and birds mixed with the smell of wet earth were like a sedative.
In an instant, I could hear and smell the fresh water.
I had had enough of Alpha Kane’s torment today and decided to keep my clothes on. I simply walked to the edge of the water and sat down on one of the giant rocks. This rock had a particularly smooth and even surface.
While a part of me missed home, another part of me desperately missed Moonstone Academy.
Moonstone Academy, with its dense forest surrounding it, was one of my favorite places. It offered endless privacy when Maya just needed to run. The dense forest around the academy provided Nova with the perfect hiding place to run unnoticed.
The fresh smell of herbs and wet grass in the morning became my favorite alarm clock to wake up to. My wolf and human sides were at odds.
Nova liked to be on her own, with only the forest around her. She got annoyed when she was controlled.
I, on the other hand, felt an obligation to my family. Dad needed me, and so did Ryan, whether he admitted it or not.
My swirling sea of thoughts was interrupted by the rustling of bushes and the snapping of branches.
I already assumed that Alpha Kane had somehow followed me to the bathing spot again, but the noise was coming from the opposite direction.
I slid down the smooth rock and away from the churning water when a face I once loved, a face I never wanted to see again, came into view.
Marcus.
Marcus emerged from the bushes of the forest, looking just as I remembered.
His sandy blond hair was a little longer now, and his torso was a little more bulging with muscle. His blue eyes were as arrogant as they had been his entire life.
His blue eyes were wary and filled with some strange emotion as he slowly approached me.
“I’m warning the others,” Nova snapped.
“Wait,” I demanded. “I want to hear what he has to say p>
“If he gets too close, I’ll rip his head off,” Nova growled.
“Agreed,” I replied.
“Zara,” Marcus breathed. “It’s been a long time p>
I blinked stupidly. Of all he’d done and all this pack had been through, that was all he could say?
“No kidding,” I snapped, “You better come up with something better than that if you don’t want the others to know you’re here p>
Marcus shook his head, “You wouldn’t set them on me, and would you, Zara p>
“Like you said, it’s been a long time.” I kept my voice casual, looking at him with stern eyes.
Seeing Marcus in person told me that things had truly changed. The butterflies that once fluttered in my stomach under his blue eyes were now gone. Looking into the depths of his ocean eyes didn’t evoke any of the feelings they had once held. All I felt for him now was hatred, a dangerous emotion for any being.
“Zara.” Marcus’s voice softened as he took another step toward me, “You know I would never harm you p>
My heart clenched at the sincerity of his words, but my mind knew better. Marcus was only interested in himself; he only cared about himself. The girl who grew up next to him was the one who suffered. The new Zara felt nothing for him.
Marcus took another hesitant step: “I made a mistake, Zara. I should not have left you p>
“Don’t listen to him,” Nova growled, not taking her eyes off him.
I shook my head: “I will never listen to him again p>