by L. P. Dover
Kami clears her throat, but I don’t move from his arms. “I’m going to go so you can have some alone time. I’ll text as soon as the Channons leave the bar, so keep your phones close.”
Zayne rubs a hand soothingly down my back. “Thanks, Kami. I’m not staying long.”
She leaves, and I honestly don’t think I can let him go. My grip on him tightens, and he kisses the top of my head. “What’s wrong, Amelie?”
“Nothing. I don’t want you to go. All day I felt sick, but now that you’re here, I feel a million times better.” I look up at him. “That’s not part of the bond, is it?”
He shakes his head. “No. You shouldn’t be feeling sick at all.” His fingers caress my cheeks, and he kisses me, his lips warm and firm. “There’s something we need to talk about.”
Looking into his bright blue eyes, I can see the seriousness in them. “What’s going on?”
“I think it’s time we leave. You and me.”
“And go where? For how long?”
He brushes a thumb over my lips. “Only until the full moon so we can complete the bond. That way, we’ll be stronger together. Right now, you’re too vulnerable. Even if I were to fight Knox, there’s no guarantee I’ll win. We both have the same strength.”
“What would happen to Knox and Kara? They’ll come after us.”
“No,” he says, shaking his head. “Laila’s going to put them under a sleeping spell this Friday so we can get away. And Chase is going to let us use his private jet to go to Maine. This is the only way I could think of not to hurt you. You know what I want to do.”
He wants to kill Knox. Pressing a finger to his lips, I smile. “Let’s do it. I’m ready to go.”
His eyes widen, and he lifts me in his arms, crushing me against his chest. “I was so afraid you’d say no.”
The need inside of me courses through my body. Kissing him hard, I wrap my legs around his waist. “I’m way past ready, Zayne. I hate being here and not knowing what’s going to happen. Knox and Kara told the others tonight that they’ve given up their revenge on you, but I don’t believe it. They’re going to strike. I just don’t know when.”
Zayne’s hands slide over my ass, and he rubs the back of my thighs. My insides tremble with the need to feel him inside of me. “Let’s not worry about that right now. All I want is to spend these next few minutes with my mate.”
He kisses me gently, and the stubble on his cheeks tickles my skin as he trails his lips down my neck. “Why don’t we go upstairs? If we only have a few minutes, I can think of plenty of ways on how to spend them.”
Zayne’s eyes flash to his wolf’s, the need in him blasting all around me. It intensifies my desire to be with him making my wolf greedy for his touch. A low growl vibrates in his chest, and he carries me up to my bedroom, tossing me onto the bed. He rips off his T-shirt and unbuttons his jeans, letting them slide to the floor along with his boxers.
“You are so unbelievably sexy,” he murmurs, climbing onto the bed. He helps me take off my clothes and stares down at my naked body, his cock growing harder. Spreading my legs wide, his warm breath blows across my clit as he pushes his tongue inside of me. My body jerks, and I can feel the delicious ache of orgasm approach, but he stops and trails his tongue up my stomach to my breasts. The second he sucks my nipples, my orgasm builds even more.
With his eyes on mine, Zayne settles his body between my legs and thrusts as far as he can go. “I love the way you feel around me.”
“And I love how you feel inside of me,” I murmur back.
He picks up his pace but only a little bit. It’s enough to drive me insane. I love how he can be gentle but rough at the same time.
“I love you, Amelie,” he whispers, holding me tight.
My breath hitches, but I don’t get the chance to reply. His hips thrust harder against mine, making me lose control. I scream out his name as I milk him, his hot release pouring inside. Breathing hard, he rests his forehead to mine, and I kiss his lips.
“I love you too.”
29
Amelie
After Zayne left, I took a quick shower and threw my bedsheets in the washer. There’s no trace of him anywhere in my bedroom. Luckily, Knox and Kara stayed at the bar for a while, giving me the time I needed.
Kami: Knox just left. The offer still stands if you want to stay with me tonight.
It’s tempting, but I only have two more days until Zayne, and I leave town.
Me: I’ll be fine. I’m feeling much better.
Kami: I bet.
I can still feel Zayne’s lips all over my body. Being with him for those few minutes wasn’t enough; I need more.
Ten minutes pass, and I can hear Knox’s car pull into the driveway. Thankfully, I only hear him and not Kara. When he comes through the door, he walks around the living room and slowly comes up the stairs. He stops at my bedroom and gently taps on the door. My light is on, so he knows I’m awake.
“Amelie? Can I come in?”
“Yeah. I’m awake,” I say, sitting down on the edge of my bed. After my time with Zayne, I haven’t been able to think about sleep.
Knox opens the door and walks in, his eyes searching around my room. My heart starts to beat faster, and I don’t know how to get it to stop. Of course, Knox will see it as I’m excited, but I’m anything but that.
A smile spreads across his face as he sits down on my bed. He reaches over and places a hand over mine. “I’ve missed your touch, Amelie. I keep waiting for things to pick up where we left off.”
“So much has changed, Knox. I don’t know who you are anymore.”
The words come out of nowhere, and in return, his fiery gaze pierces into mine. “Why do you say that?”
In two days, I won’t see him again for a few weeks, and when I do, things will be different. I’ll be mated to his greatest enemy, and he’ll see it as a deception.
Squeezing his hand, I look right into his eyes. “You said you’d tell me the truth if I asked, right?”
He nods once. “What do you want to know?”
Maybe I shouldn’t bring it up, but I have to hear it from his mouth. “Are you really planning to kill Zayne’s mate for revenge?”
For a split second, he looks away but then his jaw clenches, and he meets my gaze again. “When they failed to tell you about me coming into town, I figured it was because you weren’t a royal.”
I squeeze his hand harder. “Is it true?”
There’s no guilt or remorse on his face when he answers. “Yes.”
Quickly, I jerk my hand away and stand, putting some distance between us. “How could you? We’re talking about an innocent female’s life. How could that even cross your mind?”
Knox stands, his body towering over mine. “It’s the only way to hurt him.”
There’s so much pain in his eyes that it breaks my heart. I want him to see revenge isn’t the answer, especially when Zayne didn’t do anything to warrant it.
“Knox, you need to move on from the past. Your family betrayed the Royal Pack. That wasn’t Zayne’s fault. He stayed loyal to the pack and stood with them. But, unfortunately, he had no choice but to turn his back on you and Kara.”
Knox’s power fills the room, and it makes me stumble on my feet. He grabs my arms and pulls me closer. “That’s not the point. The Lyalls and the Storms didn’t have to kill my entire family, but they did.”
Tears fill my eyes. I lost my parents, but I was lucky enough not to see it happen firsthand. I can’t imagine what that would’ve felt like. “They went on the attack, Knox,” I whisper, letting the tears fall down my cheeks. “What did you expect would happen?”
His grip loosens, and he turns toward the door, stopping with his back to me. “I was stronger than the Storms,” he growls. “If Zayne hadn’t gotten in my way, I’d be the Royal Pack alpha.”
Mouth gaping, I can’t believe what I’m hearing. “Is that what you’re here for? To take over the Royal Pack?”
K
nox glances at me over his shoulder. “No. Once my business with Lyall is over, I’m going to start my own Royal Pack. I know there are others out there. All I have to do is find them. Being here is my first step in doing that. It’s time I take a mate.” The need in him intensifies as he looks at me. “I’m a patient man, Amelie. When we were together all those years ago, I knew you were destined to be my mate.”
I shake my head. “I will never forgive you if you kill an innocent. You lied to everyone tonight when you said you were done with your vengeance.”
His eyes darken. “I did what I had to do to get through the night.” He turns to face me and closes the distance, his body flush with mine as he looks down at me. “There’s only one way I’ll forget all of this and move on.”
Swallowing hard, I believe I already know what he’s going to say. I can feel the dread settle in my stomach. “And that would be?” I ask.
He cups my face in his hands. “For you to come with me and be my mate. We can travel the world and do whatever we want. If you leave with me, I’ll forget about Lyall.” I try to suck in a breath, but I’m frozen in place. There was a time many years ago when I would’ve left with him, but it’s not even a possibility now. The only way I would is if Zayne had a mate out there that wasn’t me. I would leave to save her. Only that her is me now. How do I save us all?
Knox stares down at me with his dark blue eyes, waiting on a response. When I don’t answer, his hands slowly slide from my face, and he steps away. “Your silence is deafening. I don’t like it.”
I wipe the tears off my face. “It’s a lot to take in. I have family here, and I don’t want to leave them.”
Knox steps back toward the door and sighs. “I understand. All I’m asking is that you think about it and make the decision before it’s too late.”
Turning on his heel, he walks out, and I quietly shut the door behind him. When I wanted to learn the truth, I didn’t expect it to be that. But the reality of the situation hits me like a ton of bricks. With everything coming to light, I’m afraid the outcome will be what I’ve dreaded all along. Someone’s going to die.
30
Amelie
I stayed awake for most of the night, and so did Knox. He paced around the living room for hours until Kara showed up around three in the morning. They left and went for a run and didn’t come back until sunrise. I texted Kami to keep an eye on them with her FBI tracking software, but both of their phones were in my cabin. There was no way to know where they went, but Kami sent Colin over here to be with Zayne. They let me feel their power so I’d know they were close by, making sure I was safe.
As soon as both Knox and Kara retreated to their rooms and fell asleep, I quietly snuck out of mine and grabbed an apple out of the fruit bowl in the kitchen before escaping outside. That’s what it feels like having them around. It’s almost like I’m in prison. Maybe it’s me being paranoid, but I feel their eyes on me everywhere I go. The nausea from last night still plagues me, but I’ve come to realize it’s just stress. I’m worried about both Zayne and Knox. There was a time when they were best friends. If only Knox could get over his empty vendetta. With all the years that have passed, Knox has it in his head that it’s all Zayne’s fault his family was killed. He’s harbored those feelings for two centuries, and it’s grown into something that’s poisoned his mind.
I take off into the forest and run as fast as I can to the lake. The fresh air cleanses my lungs as I breathe it in, and the open space of the wild makes me feel free. My leg muscles burn as I push myself to the limits. A part of me wants to keep running as far and as fast as I can just to see where I end up. The thought makes me smile because I know who’d be right on my heels if I did that.
When I get to the lake, it’s still frozen over, but the water is so clear you can see straight through to the bottom. I climb up on my favorite boulder and peer out at the snow-covered mountains. They’re different from the ones in North Carolina; they’re more majestic and grand. However, I do miss the Blue Ridge Mountains beauty; it was my home for many years. My eyes burn, and I close my eyes, allowing the tears to fall. Thinking of North Carolina makes me remember being with the Sierra Pack and losing my parents. I’ve been through my fair share of heartache and pain, and here I am back in it again.
“What are you thinking about?” Gasping, I jerk around, and Zayne is right there, stepping out from the trees. I hop down off the boulder, and he comes to me, pulling me into his arms. “I can feel your sadness,” he murmurs.
Wrapping my arms around his waist, I lay my head on his chest and huff. “It’s also frustration. I was thinking about my time in North Carolina. My mate murdered my parents, and I found myself in a prison I thought for sure I was going to die in.” I look up into his crystal blue eyes. “And here I am, right in the middle of another war.”
He flinches as if my words struck him. “I’m sorry I brought this on you. You don’t deserve it.”
“No,” I say quickly, cupping his face in my hands. I run my fingers over his stubbly cheeks. “You haven’t done anything wrong.” He didn’t mention anything about my conversation with Knox last night, so I’m assuming he didn’t hear it. One thing is for sure, I’m not looking forward to telling him. Sliding my hands away from his face, I step out of his hold.
His brows furrow. “What’s wrong?”
“There’s something you should know. I was afraid you’d burst into my house last night, and since you didn’t, I can only assume you didn’t hear it.”
Eyes blazing, he steps toward me, his anger potent in the air. “What the fuck did Knox do?”
“Nothing,” I say quickly, “at least not what you’re thinking. Knox would never force himself on me in any way.” Do I know that for certain? I’m not sure. If he’s willing to kill an innocent female, there’s no telling what he would do to me.
“Tell me,” Zayne demands, his voice a growl.
Taking a deep breath, I let it out slow and meet his glowing gaze. “He says he’ll forget about you if I leave town with him and become his mate. He wants to start his own pack.”
The rage inside of him intensifies, and his hands clench into tight fists. “That’s not going to happen.”
I reach for his hands, and as soon as I touch him, he relaxes. “I know,” I murmur. “Knox told me the truth about his plans to kill your mate. I never thought he could be that evil.”
Zayne nods. “His whole family shocked us that day two centuries ago. I’m not surprised by this. The need for power poisons his mind.”
“I can see that now,” I agree. “Knox believes he was stronger than the Storm alpha and that if you hadn’t stood in his way, he’d be the Royal Pack leader right now.”
Zayne’s jaw clenches, and he averts his gaze to the lake. “Knox is one of the strongest wolves I know. I’m surprised his family didn’t branch off and form their own pack years ago. The Channon men were all alphas.”
“Just like the Lyalls, but your family didn’t start a war.”
Zayne’s tormented gaze lands on mine. “No, but we could have. My father would’ve made a great leader, but he chose friendship over power. Honestly, I don’t know who would’ve won if he fought against Marrock Storm. They’re strength matched.”
He said something similar about him and Knox, that if it were to come down to a fight, there’s no telling who would win. That thought alone scares me more than anything. The only way Zayne’s strength will overpower Knox is if we complete the bond.
“Tomorrow, we’ll leave, and we can stay away for however long you want,” I say, feeling the desperation rise in my chest. “I’ll contact the school and put in my vacation time. I have several weeks built up.”
He squeezes my hands. “Good. And as soon as Laila puts Knox and Kara down tomorrow after the party, I’ll take you home to pack. Chase’s jet will be waiting for us at the airport.”
Silence fills the air, and my gut clenches with the unknown. I look past him into the forest, and my heart races.
“Who’s watching the house if you’re here? What if Knox finds us?”
Zayne’s lips pull back slightly. “Colin’s there. He said he’d text.”
I breathe a sigh of relief, but the knowledge doesn’t relax me. All I want to do is stay away from the house until tomorrow. “Your family has been supportive through this whole thing. I don’t know what we would’ve done without them.”
Zayne pulls me closer. “They’re your family too.”
My mind drifts to Kami and what she said to me yesterday. “And speaking of them, Kami told me something yesterday, and I wanted to see if you could clarify.”
Zayne tilts his head back and grumbles. “That woman loves to get in the middle of things just like her mate.” When he drops his head and looks at me, he smiles. “What did she say?”
I shrug. “You mentioned it before on how you knew I was your mate several months ago. So why did it happen to you first and not both of us together?”
His smile slowly fades, and his focus falls to our clasped hands. He gently pulls away and slips a hand into his pocket, clutching something I can’t see. When he brings his hand out, he opens his palm, revealing a smooth, mint-colored stone. I’ve seen plenty of magical stones because of Laila, but I have yet to see that one.
“What does it do? Did Laila put a spell on it for you?” I ask.
He keeps his eyes on the stone and rolls it around in his palm. “Laila gave it to me, but it didn’t come from her. I don’t know what all she told you, but when we lost her, she had crossed over to the Hereafter.”
When he looks at me, I nod. “Yes, Laila told me about that. At that point, she was upset about losing her magic, so I didn’t ask too many questions.”
Zayne focuses back on the stone. “She got to see her mother there, Amelie. Alina was there waiting for her.”