Chapter 9 Zera #3
A little overwhelmed, she began the process of hunting for a gown fit for a gala. She opened bag after bag, some filled with more practical garments while others held gowns worth probably more than her car.
She finally settled on a royal blue gown made of velvet that caught her eye—elegant yet fierce.
The best part about it was it had pants hidden underneath the sleek skirt like a secret layer, providing both practicality and protection in a moment of danger.
A likely scenario, since they were about to go to a party filled with the Fae Realm’s criminal elite.
She just hoped the weapons woven within it worked similarly to those in the other dress.
Later, as she descended the staircase back into the living area that overlooked Mystic City, she found Maverick waiting for her.
The setting sun cast shadows across one of the two sofas he sat on that framed a giant marble coffee table.
He rose and met her at the foot of the staircase. The striking silver tuxedo he donned clung to his muscles in all the right ways and nearly made her falter on the last step.
“You look…” His eyes swept over her, and her breath caught. “‘Stunning’ doesn’t even begin to describe you.”
She smiled, tucking a curl behind her pointed ear.
While they were in the apartment, she didn’t bother masking her pixie features, though now that her pixie-dust supply seemed to be back to one hundred percent, she didn’t see why she bothered.
But there was something freeing about being herself with him.
Their eyes met, and for a moment, the unresolved tension between them threatened to engulf them once more. But it would be a mistake. A part of her knew she could trust him, at least with her life, but with her heart?
She had to be more careful and knew she had to address it before they left for the gala.
“Listen, Maverick,” she began, her voice steady despite the nerves churning inside her. “About earlier… in the dressing room.”
He looked at her, waiting for her to continue, but there was an unmistakable undercurrent of anticipation glinting in his wolf-gray eyes.
“I think it’d probably be best for both of us if we kept our relationship to what it is—an amicable partnership to bring Gareth and whoever he’s working for down—and then go our separate ways at the end of this.
” Her words were firmer than what she felt but crystallized by the thoughts that had been swirling around in her head since their heated moment.
Maverick’s expression softened with disappointment, but he nodded. “I understand. And I respect your boundaries.” He paused for a moment before adding, “By the way, Jade should have received her faestone by now, so if you need to make an untraceable call to her, you should be able to.”
Her heart swelled with gratitude, not just for the faestone but also for his understanding. She’d been terrified about this moment. History told her men didn’t take kindly to rejection, but Maverick was different, and she was starting to see that. But mostly, it was because of the faestones.
“Her information is already saved,” he said, pulling the rectangular quartz out of his front pocket and handing it to her.
“Thank you,” she said, overwhelmed with relief. He had no idea how much this meant to her. “Can I call her now?”
He checked the time and nodded. “You should have a few minutes.”
Zera swiped through the familiar settings of the faestone, pulled up the information labeled Jade, and clicked on her image. Her half sister’s reflection popped up on the screen. As Zera tried to reach Jade over video chat, her heart raced with the anticipation of getting to see Cole again.
She made her way to the windows of the penthouse, the cityscape of Mystic City glittering below her.
The faestone finally beeped when a connection was made, and she bounced on the balls of her feet, excitement bubbling within her. Magic did only so much for the signal out in Pixie Hollow.
“Zera!” Her half sister’s voice rang through the device, and her image appeared as they switched to video chat. She held Cole up to the screen, his chubby cheeks and bright eyes instantly filling Zera with warmth and joy.
“Hey, Jade! And there’s my little man!” Zera cooed, reaching out to the screen as if she could somehow caress her son’s face. “How are you both doing?”
“Great! Cole’s been perfect,” Jade responded, beaming. “We’re at Dad’s old place. It hasn’t changed a bit.”
A pang of sadness struck her at the mention of their father. He had never understood her independent nature. The need to leave on her own. Especially when she left with her werewolf ex. She had questioned her decision numerous times. But then Cole wouldn’t be here, and he was everything to her.
“But enough about us.” Jade’s voice cut through her thoughts. “Look at where you are,”
“Yep, this is the place,” she said, letting the faestone scan over the lavish open-concept living room and kitchen beyond, where Maverick had retreated, out of earshot.
Jade whistled, and Cole giggled in response, trying to grab her nose. “Looks swanky. And how’s it going with the hot wolf spy?”
“Jade!” Zera hissed, turning a deep shade of red and taking another step closer to the windows. She prayed Maverick’s werewolf hearing hadn’t caught that. “It’s not like that. We’re strictly partners here on one mission. To catch the guys who are hunting me.”
“Uh-huh, sure,” Jade teased, her gaze sharp and knowing. “I can read your face like an open book, Zera. Something happened between you two.”
Zera chewed her lip. Jade was too perceptive for her own good. Zera couldn’t deny there was a connection with Maverick. That much had been proved back in that dressing room. But there was too much at stake right now, and she wouldn’t risk anything with him.
“Okay, fine,” Zera relented, avoiding Jade’s eyes. “We… had a moment. But it won’t happen again.”
“Why not?” Jade inquired, genuine curiosity etched on her features.
“Because he’s a werewolf. Like my ex. And he’s a Lunar Brotherhood wolf, to be more precise,” Zera explained, her heart heavy with the truth of their conflicting natures. “Or at least he used to be. You know what that means for us.”
“What do you mean ‘used to be’?”
“He’s a lone wolf.” She shrugged. “He said he rejected their ways, so his pack kicked him out, which I didn’t think was possible, but maybe there’s something different about him.”
Jade’s eyebrows furrowed, her lips pursing in contemplation.
After a moment, she spoke up, her voice filled with conviction.
“Look, Zera, I know what the Lunar Brotherhood has done to our kind. But think about this: if Maverick was really after your pixie dust, why would he save your life and stop that druid from taking you? He could’ve fooled us all if that were his true intention. ”
Zera paused at that. She hadn’t expected Jade to mirror her same thoughts, let alone voice them. It was true. Maverick had saved her more than once, and there was something about the way he looked at her that made her believe he genuinely cared.
Whenever it mattered most, at least. There were other times when he seemed to change entirely, and the only thing left was the arrogant werewolf faeboy.
But even when he was being the caring lone-wolf spy, the weight of history and the danger they faced threatened to smother any chance of them exploring their connection further.
“Maybe you’re right,” Zera conceded, a hint of hope flickering within her. “But we have bigger things to focus on right now.”
“Fair enough,” Jade agreed, giving her a reassuring nod. “Promise me you’ll be careful, okay?”
“I will,” Zera assured her.
“Hey, is that Zera?” Sloane’s cheerful voice came from somewhere in the background. She peered around from behind Jade, her head of corkscrew curls and cheerful smile coming into view. “Wow, girl, you look hot. Where are you going?”
Cole lit up when he spotted her, and she playfully waved at her little boy. Zera’s heart swelled with love. Though she knew he was safe with Jade and Sloane, she just wanted to be there with him.
“We’re headed to a gala,” she replied, her nerves beginning to unravel. “It’s some fancy party for elite crime lords or something.”
“Oooh, sounds exciting,” Sloane exclaimed.
“Maybe? We’ll see. I’m hoping to be done with all of this soon.”
“Don’t worry, sis,” Jade said, bouncing Cole as the sudden evening fussiness ensued. Zera was surprised he was even still up. “You’ve got this.”
“Thanks,” she said with a small smile. As they said their goodbyes, she knew that no matter what happened between her and Maverick, her family would always be her top priority. Which was exactly why she was going to the gala that promised to be as dangerous as Felice’s boutique, if not more.
With a sigh, Zera hung up the call and made her way over to the kitchen.
“Everyone okay?” he asked, nodding to the phone that was still in her hands.
She nodded, suddenly feeling the weight of her decision of having to leave Cole. She missed him more than she could possibly put into words.
“You’ll see him again. In person,” Maverick said huskily, somehow knowing the fears that swirled around in her mind. “I’ll make sure of it.”
She knew it wasn’t a promise he could guarantee, but there was a certainty in his eyes that filled her with hope.
Zera took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. She knew that her operation at the gala was crucial to their mission, and Maverick was right—she wouldn’t let her personal fears get in the way of their objectives.
“When do we go?” she asked, slipping the faestone into the hidden pocket in one of the folds of the royal blue velvet gown.
“Now, the chariot awaits,” he said, offering her his arm.
She raised her eyebrows. “The chariot?”
“Please, Zera,” he said with a wink. “This is a gala for the most elite in all of Mystic City, and your date is the formidable Dane Brown.”
Zera laughed so hard she snorted as she slunk her arm around his muscled forearm. “All right then, Dane Brown,” she teased. “Let’s go make our presence known.”