Cleo is close. Her breaths are coming out in pants, and she’s digging her nails into my back. I increase the pace of my thrusts, and soon, we are moving together like a welloiled machine.
Her moans fill the room, mingling with my own low growls of pleasure. With one final, desperate thrust, we both shatter into ecstasy. The world around us fades away, leaving only the raw, untamed emotions swirling between us.
As we come down from the peak of our shared euphoria, I collapse beside Cleo, our bodies still humming. We lay there in silence for a moment, breathing in sync as we bask in the aftermath.
“I love you,” Cleo whispers softly, her voice filled with sincerity and vulnerability.
I turn to look at her, seeing the depth of emotion reflected in her eyes. My heart swells at her words, and I pull her closer to me, kissing her forehead.
“I love you, too,” I reply, my voice barely above a whisper. In this moment, all doubts and fears melt away, leaving only the certainty of our bond. I can feel her fear, and I know where her mind goes instantly; her father, her pack, her anxiety gnawing at me through the snippets I get through our bond. She doesn’t trust that I can fix this. I brush my lips against Cleo’s forehead once more before getting up reluctantly. She looks over at me, but I am already moving to scoop her up off the bed.
“What are you doing?” she asks.
“You’re not running from me yet; I know you want to go home, that you fear your father,” I tell her, and she falls quiet. Her eyes, once so fiery and full of life, now seem dull and resigned. They reflect the flickering light of the fireplace, casting an ethereal glow on her delicate features. “You’re not marrying Boyd,” I tell her, and tears prick her eyes. She doesn’t want to marry him.
“I have no choice,” she whispers as I move toward the bathroom. I set her on the sink basin and turn on the taps for the bath. She cradles her head in her hands, her tears silently falling onto the white marble countertop. “Zayn, I can’t stay here. I need to go home; my father will come looking for me and—”
“And what, Cleo?” I ask her. Her father can’t hurt me; he certainly won’t win challenging me, and my pack outweighs his easily, yet she is scared of something. I know it’s not for my safety, leaving only one conclusion. She is scared for him or her pack.
“Let him; I think it’s about time he and I have a chat,” I tell her.
“You want to talk to my father?” she asks hesitantly, her nervousness obvious, and her fear perfumes the bathroom. I nod, and a look of understanding crosses her face.
“Okay,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. I kiss her on the forehead, and she stands and moves away. I feel anger bubbling inside me at this archaic tradition. It’s one thing for arranged marriages between two consenting adults, but forcing your own daughter into an unwanted marriage just for the sake of an alliance?
“I don’t know why you think it will help.” She looks like she wants to say more yet hesitates, and I know she is hiding something, protecting him or his pack; I am not sure.
“Yes, because I need to know what Alpha Dane and Samuel have over him because if it is what I think it is, he doesn’t have to fear retribution from me. It would have come out eventually anyway, and he’ll have no excuse to force you to marry Boyd,” I tell her. Her brows furrow. It’s one question I’ve always danced around, one I always evade, and that is why I killed my father. Her father knows exactly why since he is the reason he is dead.
Chapter 27
• Cleo •
I scrunch my brows together at his words, and I watch him carefully, trying to figure out what he knows. I sit on the edge of the sink basin, Zayn starts to fill the large tub with warm water. My mind is racing, trying to process what he just said as he tips oils and soaps in the tub. How does he know about my father’s dealings with Alpha Dane and Samuel? And why does he think it will help?
“I-I don’t understand,” I stammer out, my voice shaking slightly. Zayn turns off the tap and looks at me, his expression serious. “So you know of the money?” I ask hesitantly, and he tenses. He glances over his shoulder at me quickly before shutting the water off.
I bite my lip nervously, unsure of what to say. Zayn’s piercing silver eyes are locked on mine, and I can feel his confusion through the bond, making me wonder how much stronger the bond will feel once and if I can mark him.
“Wait, so you know about the council money?” he asks, and I nod slowly. He turns to fully face me, his expression guarded.
“What else did your father tell you?” he asks, and I know he’s probing for information. I try to come up with a response that won’t reveal too much while also satisfying his question.
“He didn’t tell me much,” I say cautiously. “Just that our pack needed to maintain alliances with powerful Alphas.”
Zayn narrows his eyes at my response, clearly not satisfied with my answer.
“That if it got out, he could go to prison, that we’d lose the pack,” I shrug. “That’s what Alpha Dane has over him,” I admit, wondering if Zayn will use that information against my father. “Alpha Dane covered for him, he put the money back, he paid my father’s debt to cover for him, and dad put the pack up for collateral.”
Zayn shakes his head and offers me his hand. “That bastard, he should be named Alpha Stories, he never lets the truth get in the way of a good conversation,” Zayn laughs, though there is no humor in it. I take his hand, and he helps me into the huge tub before climbing in behind me.
“That can’t be what Dane has over him unless he is threatening to expose him to the public,” Zayn states, pulling me back against his chest. He reaches for the loofah and soap and begins gently scrubbing my back, his touch careful and soothing.
“What do you mean?” I ask. I relax into Zayn’s touch and let myself enjoy the warm water and his gentle caresses.
“Because I paid the debt,” Zayn states.
“What, why?” I ask, sitting forward and twisting to look at him. He tugs me back down against him.
