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Rose x
I stirred awake the next morning, feeling completely worn out and exhausted yet deeply satisfied, meaning I couldn't help the smile that tugged at my lips when my eyes locked onto the sleeping figure of my mate, lying beside me.
His left arm was thrown over my waist, causally weighing me down. His dark hair, ruffled and messy, falling slightly into his closed eyes. I placed my hand gently on his chest, feeling it rise and fall.
The sun had started to come up now, its golden rays streaming in through the floor to ceiling window, casting a brightness into the room and I stayed still, trying my hardest not to move a single inch as I watched Zac sleep. There was only one word to describe how I felt in that moment.
Content.
Simply and ridiculously content.
I didn't even realise what I was doing until a tight grip appeared out of the blue and wrapped around my hand. Zac still had his eyes closed but his grip around my hand didn't loosen.
"If you want to leave this room today, I wouldn't do that." He warned, his voice husky from a mix of sleep and something else. Something I had already experienced first hand last night.
"Do what?" I ask feigning innocence as I slowly pull my hand down his chest, heading further south underneath the bed cover.
"Eve-" He growled, his jaw tightening. His eyes finally shoot open and the amount of lust in those dark orbs made it clear that Zac was close to the edge.
"Zac-" I growl back teasing him and that's when he pulls the cover over our heads and we have another repeat of what happened the night before.
★★
"So yeah, all you need to do is concentrate on me. Like imagine my face in your head-"
"Okay..." I say somewhat doubtful, but still desperate to learn how to mind link. I quickly imagine Kate's face, from her short pixie cut hair and her dark eyes to even the piercing on her nose.
"-and then just say whatever you want to say,? but in your head."
I kept my eyes closed, but at her words raised an eyebrow.
"Seriously? That's it?"
I can almost imagine Kate nodding her head from in front of me, "Yeah that's it. Give it a go."
I let out a sigh but imagine Kate's face in my head and then say the first thing that had popped up in my head.
I want roast chicken.
There was silence for a while and feeling stupid I was just about to open my eyes when I hear a voice in my head.
Seriously Eve? Food? That's what you're thinking off?
I almost jumped at the sudden intrusion in my head but once the shock wore off I couldn't hide my excitement.
Oh my gosh! I can hear you Kate! I can hear you in my head!
Kate's reply is much quicker this time, Alright, yes very exciting but definitely no need to shout.
I opened my eyes with a sheepish grin on my face.
"Sorry, it's just so cool." I say to Zac's sister, who was watching me with an amused expression. Suddenly a devious look came over her face and I had a feeling that whatever she was going to say next was not going to be helpful.
"Oh Eve," she starts, her eyes twinkling, "there's something even cooler than just speaking through the mind-link." She says.
Uh oh.
"I bet you didn't know you could send mental images to other people." Straight away I could almost imagine where this conversation was heading.
For example you could send a little image of yourself dressed in a very special outfit to a very special someone, if you catch my drift." She winks at me, making the tips of my ears burn red.
Oh believe me, I definitely caught her drift.
I cleared my throat, suddenly feeling hot. "Well thank you for that Kate," I blink rapidly, "But I'm gonna have to leave you. I have something urgent I need to do."
I turn away from the smirking girl and quickly make my way back to my room, after all I did have urgent business to attend to, involving a very special outfit and a very special someone.
★★
"Oh Luna? How lovely to see you."
I don't know how I had managed to hold myself back from rolling my eyes at the sound of the most obnoxious voice ever,? but somehow I did so, turning on my feet with a forced smile on my face.
"Kiera!" I practically spit out, whilst still smiling like a maniac. I was helping Carla out in the kitchen and at the sight of Zac's aunts face, I almost wished I could grab the nearest knife and stab her with it.
The woman was sporting her own forced smile on her face, her lips curled so high it almost curled past her eyebrows.
"I heard that you and my nephew have completed the mating ritual." Her voice couldn't get anymore icier, even if she had shouted it from the top of Mount Everest. Her beady eyes hardened as they met mine, practically shooting daggers at me.
At her words, my fake smile shrunk, but only by a fraction and with great determination I managed to speak through the wide smile.
"Oh you did, did you? Well not that it's any of your business," you nosy bitch, "but yes, Zac and I have completed the ritual."?
I almost smiled for real, when I saw her eyes flicker in anger, but she quickly managed to cover it up, simply replying to my words with a nod.
"Mhhh. Yeah I see." And with that the woman abruptly turned around and marched straight out of the kitchen and back to whatever part of hell she had crawled out of.
I stared after her for a few moments, slightly confused at the interaction we had just had and then rolling my eyes turn around to finish the preparations for lunch.
"I have no idea what the hell just happened." I say, sharing a glance with Carla, who had been watching Kiera and I with great amusement plastered across her face.
"Oh I know exactly what that was." Carla smirks, turning around to stir the pot on the stove. "Kiera was desperately hoping for Elena's daughter, Grace, to be Alpha Stones mate. That way she had this delusional thought that she could somehow gain some power over Alpha Stone and manipulate him in whatever way she wishes."
I roll my eyes, of course.
"And then when Alpha Stone introduced you as his mate, without having completed the mating ritual, I believe Kiera got a tad bit excited thinking that maybe Grace did have a chance of becoming the Luna."
"But now that we have finished the mating ritual-"
"Let's just say Aunt Kiera isn't your biggest fan." Carla finishes with a shrug of her shoulders.
I wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness of this situation but there was something about it that made all the hairs on my body stand tall. Suddenly I remember Jayden's words about there being a traitor in the pack and let's be honest, who else sounds more traitorous than a jealous Aunt desperate to get rid of her nephews mate.
★★
"So you don't think it's her?" I ask, sitting on the edge of the bed. Part of my head was filled with suspicions and worry while the other larger part of my mind was currently occupied admiring the way Zac's muscles flexed as he took off his shirt.
Good god, this man is truly a delicious sight. I practically drooled as my eyes roamed over him.
I watch carefully with hooded eyes as he slipped out of the material, his hard tanned skin fully exposed under the light. His back muscles rippled as he took out a hanger from the cupboard and slipped the shirt onto it, before hanging it back in the closet. He clicked his neck from side to side as he slipped out of his trousers and even that action was enough to get me feeling hot again.
Eve! Please for your dignity's sake- get a fucking grip.
But clearly any thought about dignity or self respect had long gone out of my mind as my eyes trailed the length of the man in front of me and despite the fact that somewhere in the back of my mind, I could hear him speaking all I could think about was that this godly specimen of a man was mine, all mine.
"Eve?"
Mine.
"Eve? Eve are you listening to me?"
Mine.
"Eve?!" Suddenly two heavy arms wrapped around my shoulder, bringing me out of whatever trance I was trapped in.
"Uh- what?" I look up to see a pair of dark eyes glaring down at me.
I ran a hand through my hair, feeling my cheeks heat up underneath his intense gaze.
"Sorry, uhm what were you saying. I-uh zoned out." Admiring your drool worthy body, I wanted to add, but thankfully I manage to keep my mouth shut.
Zac's arms and eyes remain with me for a minute longer, his eyes slowly roaming all over my face, a small smirk playing on his lips.
"Right, you zoned out." He says and his teasing tone does nothing but deepen the shade of pink on my cheeks to dark red.
But thankfully he takes pity on me? and steps away, his arms crossed over his chest. I try my hardest not to look at the way his arm muscles bulged against his chest. Try, being the key word. Lets just say I failed... miserably.
"I was saying," Zac begins and his voice manages to distract me away from his arm muscles and I turn my attention back to his face, "Aunt Kiera is unfortunately a? lot of things, and no matter how questionable her loyalty to me is, I can assure you that she would never do anything to harm the pack. She's not the traitor."
I regard his words carefully, after all, no matter how much I hate the woman, she is still his aunt and if he trusts her not to be the traitor, then so should I.
I sigh, feeling heavy with the knowledge that we were nowhere closer to knowing who the enemy within our own pack was.
"You don't have any suspicions?" I ask and Zac ruffles his hair with his fingers.
"I did, but everyone I had suspected has checked out clear. Whoever it is, is doing a very good job of staying hidden." I can tell this was making Zac nervous, of course it would. The knowledge that someone among us was stabbing us in the back and working with the enemy was unsettling.
I stand up and walk softly over to my mate, gently taking his large hand in mine.
"We will find him." I say, hoping that my words reassured him in the slightest. "No secret is hidden forever and when we find out who it is, we'll make sure he regrets ever betraying the Red Moon Pack."
Zac watches me with an adoring look in his eyes and he leans down and captures my lips with his.
"Did I tell you, how much I fucking love you?" He asked, stroking my cheek with thumb.
I make a face and shrug my shoulders, "Meh," I say, "I prefer action over words." I can hardly hide the smile that threatened to split my face in two, when Zac raised his eyebrows and lifted me off the floor and threw me over his shoulders.
My squeal is interrupted by his words.
"Well then my Luna," he says walking towards the bed, "why don't I show you exactly how much I love you."