Snow's POV
" Snow…where are you?"
" Amelia?" I asked in surprise. I was far, too far away from Jade Pack for my best friend to mindlink me. What the hell was happening?
" Snow, I don't know if you can hear me. But wherever you are, please be safe. Stay away from Jade pack and-"
" Amelia-" her voice was breaking. I tried calling out to her but the mindlink was cut off. I pondered on the possibility of Amelia mindlinking me.
Still puzzled about what just happened, I stood from the bed. The world swam before my eyes, but at least I didn't end up face-first on the floor like last time.
I pressed my palm against the wall and took a breath before shuffling toward what looked like a bathroom door. Inside, I found a mirror. The reflection staring back at me barely looked like me.
My clothes were a mess. Dirt was meshed to the fabric, smudged into the seams. My black hair was tangled, sticking out in odd angles and my eyes looked dull and sickly.
A small note was stuck to the glass. I peeled it off, scanning the neat handwriting.
Left you a toothbrush and fresh clothes in the closet. Try not to die again. – Sharon.
I smiled as I returned the note. That woman had a way of making kindness sound like a threat.
I brushed my teeth and turned toward the shower and peeled off the dirty layers of fabric. The hot water hit my skin, and I nearly groaned at the relief. It washed away the grime, the soreness and the pain. By the time I stepped out, I felt like a new person.
I found the fresh clothes in the closet: simple black leggings and a long-sleeved blue shirt. The shirt looked like it belonged to Zaydin; I laughed to myself as I imagined Sharon wrestling his favourite shirt from his hands. I pulled the clothes on, ran a brush through my hair and stepped out into the hall.
The pack house was massive. I wandered through endless hallways, passing closed doors and empty corridors. The place was very quiet. Having lived in Jasper's pack house for a month, I knew from experience that the inhabitants of the house were training somewhere.
I finally stopped in front of a slightly open door. I peeked inside, and my brain immediately short-circuited.
I saw a very shirtless Zaydin.
His back was to me, his muscular frame stretching as he pulled a black dress shirt from the closet. Broad shoulders, defined muscles, arms lined with tattoo ink. His biceps flexed as he moved, and the sharp lines of his back tapered down to his waist.
I should have looked away. I should have knocked. But I stood there staring like a complete idiot.
A very aroused idiot.
Zaydin suddenly paused like he could sense me. With the swiftness of wind, he turned towards the door. The blade knife flashed in his hand, pointed straight at my face.
"FUCK!" I screamed and slammed the door shut. Ten seconds later, I heard footsteps from the other end, then the door opened again.
Zaydin stood there; the knife was now gone. A green robe hung loosely over his shoulders, but it didn't do much to hide the solid lines of his chest. A strip of toned abs and that deep V-line peeked through, and I hated that I noticed.
He cleared his throat. "Uh, why were you peeking into my room?"
My face burst into a blush as I stammered. "I—I wasn't peeking! I was just walking around the house, and I..." I stopped myself, realizing how ridiculous I sounded. "I wasn't peeking."
"Hmm," was all he said.
Desperate to shift the focus, I blurted out, "Where is Sharon?"
Zaydin raised a brow.
"Your mother," I repeated.
"I know." He replied. " She should be training somewhere."
"Oh." I sighed in relief. "Thanks. That's.... that's what I wanted to ask you."
"Really?" He cocked an eyebrow. "I thought you said you were 'just walking around' the pack house."
There was nothing else to say; Zaydin had caught me in my lie. I turned to escape but his voice stopped me in my tracks.
"Wait."
I squeezed my eyes shut and cursed the Moon Goddess. Why couldn't he just let me leave?
Slowly, I turned back to face him. He said nothing, just pushed his door open wider and stepped aside. And step inside I did.
Zaydin's room was spotless. The bed was made so neatly that I doubted anyone had ever slept in it. The floor gleamed without a single speck of dust. Everything was arranged with surgical precision. The room had minimalist furniture, a plain desk, a shelf lined with books that looked like they had never been touched.
I muttered under my breath, "Does this guy even have a personality?"
"What was that?" Zaydin asked.
I snapped my head up. "Nothing."
He didn't push. He walked past me and gestured toward the window. I followed him, stopping beside him as he stared down at the training grounds. Below, a group of warriors were engaged in combat drills.
I frowned. "Why are you showing me this?"
Zaydin's eyes stayed on the scene below. "Tell me what happened."
" What?" I asked, biting my lips. Something tells me he knew something.
" Jade Pack. Alpha Jasper. Everything."
I sighed. He must have dug up on me, as expected of a competent Alpha.
" I know you are from Jade Pack. I smelled Jasper's scent on you. But I still want to give you a chance to explain. Everything."
I knew exactly what he meant. It was better to come clean and hope he accepts me. I can't afford to go rogue with my unborn child.
I took a breath and told him everything: the way Aria had left, how I had been forced into marrying Jasper in her place, how she came back expecting to take my place as if none of it had mattered. I told him about our fight, about how I pushed her, how she hit her head and how Jasper had thrown me out like I meant nothing to him. I told him that Jasper didn't know I was pregnant.
Zaydin listened without interrupting. When I finished, he nodded.
"I always knew Jasper was an asshole. He started this whole war with my pack over his wounded pride. "
I laughed bitterly. "That's the Jasper I know."
"Men like him don't deserve power." Zaydin continued. I nodded, because he was right. I kept my gaze on the warriors below, but I could feel Zaydin watching me.
Then he spoke again. "For years, I didn't believe in love."
My fingers curled against the window frame. Slowly, I turned to look at him. He was staring straight into my eyes now, and I tried not to get carried away.
"But now," he continued, "I think I'm starting to again."
My lips parted in surprise. I understood exactly what he meant, because I felt it too. The undeniable pull between us, the way my heart reacted to his presence, the way I noticed every detail about him from the sharp line of his jaw, the inked patterns on his arms, the way his voice always seemed to resonate somewhere deep inside me.
He reached out to me and his fingers grazed my chin. A slow stroke, as if testing how I would react. I didn't move.
His hand slipped into my hair, tucking a loose strand behind my ear. I barely had time to process the tenderness of the gesture before he leaned in and pressed his lips to mine.
It was as if we had done this a thousand times. It wasn't like we just met a few days ago, on a wrong note.
We kissed deeply, intensely, tongues stroking and tangling. He gripped my butt to lift me higher while his other hand cupped my jaw.
I quit thinking, quit worrying and only felt.
I slung my arm around his neck and rose on tiptoe. I pressed my body closer to his. I wanted to touch him everywhere, to map out the strength beneath his skin. My fingers slid under his shirt, tracing the hard muscles along his back. My fingertips followed the curve of his spine, feeling the heat of him against my palm.
I wanted everything. Him. His body and all.
Zaydin pulled back slightly, panting softly. His lips hovered over mine and his eyes searched my face. "Snow," he asked hoarsely. "Are you sure?"
I wasn't even sure I could speak, but I managed. "I'm sure."
" I won't be like Jasper. I want to claim you, Snow. I want you to be mine alone, including the pup," he growled, intensely.
Unable to speak, I nodded.
He muttered something low and desperate, then kissed me again. This time it was hungrier. Then inclining his head, he dipped down and sank his fangs into my neck.
A sharp sting came from the bite, then warmth flowed through me, spreading through every nerve in my body.
He was marking me. Now I belonged to him forever. It still felt like a dream.