Chapter 73 Chapter 73
Zane
I returned to the pack house three days after leaving for the northern territory dispute.
The issue that had taken me out had been resolved, and I should have felt relieved to be back.
Instead, I felt restless.
I handed off my travel pack to a servant and made my way through the familiar corridors of the pack house.
Something felt different about it. I couldn’t place what.
Ezra found me in my office not long after, carrying reports that had accumulated during my absence.
“Anyone urgent?” I asked, scanning the first document.
“Nothing critical.” He set the stack on my desk. “Though there was an incident in the main hall two days ago.”
I looked up. “What kind of incident?”
“Margaret and the Luna had a confrontation in public. Margaret made some… disparaging comments about Luna Tiana’s position.”
My hand tightened on the paper. “And?”
“Kaius intervened, defending the Luna.”
“Where’s the Luna now?”
“In her chambers, last I saw,” Ezra replied. “She’s been keeping to herself since it happened.”
I dismissed Ezra and sat there for a moment, staring at the reports without reading them.
Margaret causing problems didn’t surprise me. I was never in support of the arrangement with her pack and if not for the pressure from the elders, she would not be here.
An hour later, I gave up pretending to concentrate on the pack business and left the office.
My feet carried me through the corridors without conscious direction. Past the main hall, up the stairs, down the familiar path to—
I stopped outside Tiana’s chambers.
This was stupid. I had no reason to check on her. Ezra said she was fine. I knocked anyway.
“Come in.”
I pushed the door open to meet Tiana sitting at the desk near the window, papers spread in front of her. She looked up when I entered, and I noticed a small curve in her lips.
“Alpha.” She stood, smoothing her dress. “I didn’t know you had returned.”
“I just arrived,” I mentioned, closing the door behind me. “Ezra mentioned an incident with Margaret.”
“It’s handled.” She replied immediately, then gestured to the papers on her desk. “I’ve been working on the housing allocation reports. The omega quarters need—”
“I don’t care about the reports right now.”
The bluntness made her pause. “Ohhh. Is there any reason why you are here?”
I moved further into the room, saying nothing and she didn’t back away.
“The bracelet,” I observed. “Where is it?”
Tiana’s hand moved unconsciously to her bare wrist. “It broke. I’m having it repaired.”
“How did it break?”
Her jaw tightened slightly. “I’m sorry I should have handled it better.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“I know.” She replied, then said nothing else.
She moved away from where she stood, and as she whipped her hair carelessly to adjust it, I caught the whiff of her scent.
Ignorant of what she had done to me she continued, “Alpha, are you here because of the incident Beta Ezra told you about?”
“No.”
“Then why did you come?”
Honest answer? I didn’t know.
“I wanted to make sure you were alright,” I said finally.
“I’m fine.” She tilted her head slightly, studying me. “Are you?”
The question caught me off guard. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You seem tense. More than usual.”
She was right. I was tense. I had been since I returned and heard about the incident, and it had amplified after I walked into this room and saw her.
I realized I had missed her while I was gone.
That thought alone should have sent me running.
Instead, I stepped closer.
“I am tense,” I admitted.
“Why?”
Because you’re under my skin in ways I can’t control and three days away made me think about you more than I should. Now looking at you makes me want things I have no business wanting.
I didn’t say any of that.
Instead, I reached out and touched her face. Just my fingers against her cheek.
She leaned into the touch and that small act of surrender broke a restraint in me.
I kissed her.
Not gentle or like I was asking for permission. I took what I wanted because I couldn’t seem to stop myself.
She made a sound against my mouth and then she was kissing me back.
Her hands came up to my chest, fingers curling into my shirt. Pulling me closer instead of pushing away.
I backed her toward the bed, my hands finding the fastenings of her dress. She helped me, pulling at the fabric with the same urgency I felt.
When we hit the mattress, she climbed on top of me.
That startled me enough that I paused. “Tiana—”
“Is this okay?” Her hands were already working on my shirt. “Can 1?”
“Yes.” The words came out without any hesitation. “Yes,” I repeated.
She smiled and finished removing my shirt.
Then her lips met mine again, taking her time now. Exploring like she had every right to and I let her.
Let her set the pace, let her touch and taste and feel what she wanted, allowing myself to be vulnerable in ways I never tolerated.
When she finally took me inside her, moving with confidence she hadn’t had before, I felt my body collapse at her warmth, the only proof that I was functioning being my hardened length inside of her.
And it terrified me even as I craved more of it.
I needed her. For an heir, yes. But even more than that. So it seems.
The realization hit me as she moved above me, her head thrown back and her hands braced on my chest.
It began to seem oddly familiar. I was falling into the same trap my father had fallen into.
Which despite being good did not end well.
The thought was ice water through my system.
I pulled her down, rolled us so I was on top, and thrusted till we released.
The longer I stayed with her motions, the more my thoughts spiraled and I did not want that.
As soon as we were done, I pulled away and started dressing with my back to her.
“Alpha?” She called out.
“I have work to do,” I replied, not looking at her.
“Oh. Okay.”
I could hear the uncertainty in her voice.
I moved quickly out of her room, needing distance and space to think.
This was dangerous. This was exactly what had brought our pack ruins when the enemies saw that my mother was my father’s weakness.
I had not gotten to that point but I feared I was walking down that path.
I was halfway down the stairs when I heard voices from the corridor below.
“—don’t understand why you’re asking me this,” the voice I recognized as Kaius was saying.
“Because you care about her.” The other voice was familiar. Rowan, maybe. “It’s obvious to anyone paying attention.”
“She’s the Luna, my uncle’s mate. What I feel doesn’t matter.”
I stopped moving, standing perfectly still on the stairs.
“Doesn’t it?” Rowan’s voice held something like sympathy.
“It does not. And I will prefer not to talk about this.” Kaius replied and silence followed.
I was left standing there, hoping that it was just a regular conversation I had listened to and I was overthinking again.