Chapter 53: Her Sharp Peaks Would Brush His Bare Chest

"They’re for eating, not for underwear," I emphasized. Our gazes met, our hearts beat in unison, our chests almost touching. One more step, and her sharp peaks would brush my bare chest.

"I disagree," she said lifelessly. She did not attempt to brush the strand of hair from my hand.

"Are you always this irritable, or did you just get out of bed? If I were your mate, I’d kiss you until you were speechless." The desire to touch her smooth face was genuine; my gaze was fixed on her slightly parted lips. Their taste was forever imprinted in my memory.

Would she push me away if I claimed them right here and silenced her?

But something had changed in her demeanor; the impudence had suddenly vanished.

"I’m glad you didn’t do that, Alpha. You have someone to practice kissing with." This time, she pulled away, and I felt a wave of disappointment wash over her. A strand of her hair slipped from my hand, and the loss of touch left a throbbing pain in my heart.

Did she want me to kiss her?

Did she feel the same tension as I?

"Goodnight, sir. Wishing you many strawberry dreams." She turned and walked away, her hair flowing behind her, her firm butt moving so enticingly that I wanted to hug her and immerse myself in her velvety softness.

I kept my eyes on her retreating figure until she disappeared into her room and closed the door firmly behind her.

"See you later, Zara. I’ll save this kiss," I muttered before heading to the guest room to get some sleep with such a hard-on.

***

[Present]

"I know, thanks for last night. I appreciate what you did, Alpha."

I raised my left eyebrow. She had no idea I’d left her shorts behind.

"By making me wear your strawberry shorts." Her plump cheeks quickly flushed pink, and she pursed her lips.

"You’ll never let that go?"

I tilted my head slightly left and right.

"But you looked stylish." She shrugged slyly, reminding me she was keeping it a secret.

The blush on her cheeks deepened, and she quickly cleared her throat, preparing to leave before the conversation took a more awkward turn. But her gaze never left mine. We both froze in place, simply looking at each other, for a moment that seemed to last an eternity.

"See you Monday, sir. Good evening." She finally looked away and stepped back. A feeling of loneliness washed over me the moment she closed the door. I didn’t like this feeling; I always found a way to avoid it.

But today, I wished she’d stay a little longer and argue with me. I loved her cheeky jokes and witticisms. She was so vibrant, whether it was her clothes, her personality, her words, or her entire demeanor.

Shaking my head, I reminded myself that I couldn’t allow such thoughts about her. We had a symbiotic relationship, nothing more. I couldn’t allow myself to get too carried away. Relationships only bring pain; the example of my mother and stepmother was right in front of me.

"Don’t touch everything physically, don’t drag it out. Keep your distance," I reminded myself, and plopped down in the seat, but the emptiness inside me only worsened today.

***

Zara

I went to the pack over the weekend to meet my family. I wanted to meet Sofia because I’d received a threat about her. After returning from the club, Sofia and I headed home, chatting about the invisible intruder.

No one could figure out what it was. Some whispered about demons, but that was nearly impossible. Demons never gather in groups and rarely attack in packs. Demons had their own abilities and powers, but they were often no match for werewolves. There was no reason for a stray demon to wander into our territory.

My mind raced. Marcus would never hire a stray demon for his dirty work. He hated demons more than he hated Alpha Kane, and that was saying something. Demons kept to themselves, never living together or meeting. If this were a demon wandering into pack territory, there must have been a reason.

My questions were answered when I returned home. Dad made dinner, which I eagerly devoured. Dad and I talked for a while, but eventually I went back to bed. After a long shower, I stood by the bed with sleepy eyes.

The white card made me let out a strangled cry. I thought the recordings would stop as soon as I told Alpha Kane.

With growing irritation, I yanked the card off the bed.

"Meet me at the swimming hole. Midnight - Tomorrow.

Come alone if you need important information about the threats.

If anyone follows, I’ll find out."

I debated whether to tell Alpha Kane about my last note.

He would insist I don’t go or insist I bring his men as reinforcements. I, on the other hand, had my next move planned out. If it were Marcus, I could easily deal with him. If it wasn’t Marcus, I only hoped I’d live long enough to pass the information on to Alpha Kane. Besides, he wasn’t here to stop me. My biggest concern was whether I wanted him to...Whether he was drunk or not.

I decided I had to tell him, but also let him know that I was completely... I had to continue. I preferred to keep the meeting place a secret.

"Alpha Kane?" I called softly over the mental link.

Usually, when an Alpha leaves the pack, the mental link weakens. This isn’t the case with stronger wolves, and I assumed Alpha Kane wasn’t one of those weaker.

"Zara." Alpha Kane’s voice was hoarse, sending a shiver of excitement down my spine. "Why aren’t you still asleep?"

"So..." I trailed off, unsure how to start the conversation. "I received another note."

There was silence on the other end of the mental link, followed by harsh, yet cursing, words. Alpha Kane’s anger was a pleasant taste, hanging in the air around me.

"What did he say?" Alpha Kane growled, and my legs instinctively tightened. His voice alone did things to my body I couldn’t explain.

"Oh, nothing important." I teased. "They just wanted to meet me to give me important information about the threats."

"Bring my Beta and the rest of my people," Alpha Kane snapped irritably, and I wondered what he had planned with the other packs.

"Yes, that’s a great idea, but the note specifically said to come alone." I shrugged, remembering his voice.

"Zara," Alpha Kane growled. "Don’t even think about it."