Chapter 53 Chapter 53
Tiana
I woke to sunlight filtering through the curtains and the immediate, visceral awareness of my body.
Everything ached.
Not the pleasant soreness from a good stretch or a long walk. This was different. My thighs trembled when I tried to shift positions. The space between my legs felt tender, oversensitive, like every nerve ending had been stripped raw and left exposed.
And with the physical awareness came the memories.
Zane’s hands on my skin. His fingers inside me. His voice reminding me exactly who I belonged to.
The way I’d cried. Not just from pleasure, though goddess knows there had been plenty of that. Heat flooded my face even though I was alone.
I pressed my palms against my cheeks, trying to cool the burn of shame that crawled up my throat.
‘What is wrong with me?’
I should be angry and feel violated, used, or any number of righteous emotions that would make sense given what had happened.
Yet, my wolf practically stirred inside me, stretching lazily like she’d had the best sleep of her life. She purred with contentment, radiating satisfaction.
I turned onto my back slowly, wincing at the pull of muscles I hadn’t known could be sore. My hand drifted to my wrist, the one he’d pinned down for some minutes while his other hand worked me into pieces.
There was no mark there. But I could still feel the pressure of his grip, the way he’d held me exactly where he wanted me.
The memory sent an unwelcome pulse of heat through my core.
I sat up slowly, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed. The nightgown I’d hastily pulled back on last night felt too revealing against my skin. A reminder of how easily he’d pushed it aside.
I stood, my legs unsteady, and moved to the bathroom to wash up before the trip, then to the wardrobe.
I was just picking out a gown, when the door to my chambers opened without a knock.
I spun around, clutching the dress I had pulled from the wardrobe against my chest like a shield.
Zane stood in the doorway. Perfectly put together in dark traveling clothes that emphasized his build. His expression was neutral and his posture rigid in that way that seemed like he was exerting enormous effort to appear unbothered.
“Are you ready?” He probed after about ten seconds.
I clutched the dress tighter. “I… I was just about to change.”
“Do it quickly.” He turned slightly, giving me his back. “We leave in ten minutes.”
Then he walked out, closing the door behind him. I stood there for a long moment, my heart hammering, before forcing myself into motion.
Ten minutes. I had ten minutes to pull myself together and get on this trip I was not sure if I wanted to partake in.
Easy, I thought hysterically. Just ignore the fact that your mate made you come so hard that you cried, when he came to inform you about it and then walked away like it meant nothing. Totally fine.
On second thought, I dumped the dress and picked a shirt, pants, and boots that laced up to my calves.
When I finally made my way outside, the courtyard was already bustling with activity.
Wolves moved with purpose, loading supplies and checking weapons. I recognized several of them as Gammas and elite warriors. And now, I became more nervous wondering how dangerous the patrol mission was.
Near the edge of the group, was the Alpha’s nephew, Kaius.
He looked up as I approached, and his expression softened. “Luna Tiana.”
I returned the gesture quietly, not trusting my voice.
His eyes searched my face for a moment, like he was trying to read something there. Then he turned his attention back to the gear he was organizing, giving me space I desperately needed.
Zane’s voice cut through the activity. “We move in five.”
I didn’t see where he had come from. But suddenly he was there, moving through the gathered wolves, actually a small group of five, with that predatory grace that never failed to make my pulse quicken.
He didn’t look at me.
Not once.
If time served me right, twenty minutes had passed since we began the run. Three of the wolves ran with the packs that contained every supply we needed, while one of the warriors carried me on his back, his wolf form easily supporting my weight.
I had been worried about keeping up, as my wolf was not particularly strong or fast compared to the men there and gladly, Zane gave the command that I ride with the warrior. At least he could be a bit considerate.
The elite warrior who carried me—I didn’t know his name, but he had a distinctive dark mark just above his upper lip—ran slower than the rest.
Thanks to my weight. But on the bright side, I had enough view to take in everything during the course of our run.
Despite the many places I could look at, my gaze remained on Alpha Zane.
His wolf, his sprint, his aura.
It was not entirely the first time I was seeing him in his wolf form, if I was being honest. But every time I remained dazzled at the emerald and red mix of his fur.
His wolf was the only one I’d seen with those colours, and my wolf stirred with interest.
Beneath all of the aura, there was something else I could not help but notice.
Yes, Zane ran at the front, setting a pace that should have been easy for an Alpha of his strength.
But what was it, with the way he kept flexing his left side? And the occasional hitch in his breathing that didn’t match the exertion of the run?
My face rumpled, observing the way he shifted his weight subtly, favoring his right leg.
And beneath the normal scent of wolf and forest and sweat, my nostrils caught something else. Faint. Metallic.
Blood.
Zane was hurt, wounded and bleeding.