Chapter 11 Zera
Zera
Zera awoke with a start, the silk sheets tangled around her legs like some stubborn vine. She felt like she’d been climbing down that nightmarish trellis all night. The memory of the disastrous gala ran through her mind, each scene replaying like a twisted movie reel.
She shuddered at the cacophony of laughter from the ballroom that still echoed in her mind. Monsters. They were all monsters in there. But she was safe and sound now.
The sun’s rays bathed the luxurious silk sheets spread across the massive king bed as she blinked away the remnants of her restless dreams. She brushed the sleep from her eyes, her gaze falling on the royal blue gown strewn on the floor, right where she’d left it, and her mind raced back to the disastrous gala.
She shuddered at the danger they’d faced and escaped by a hair’s breadth. As she thought of the previous night’s events, her heart pounded, threatening to leap out of her chest. A chill ran down her spine as Kraven’s sinister smile and gleaming blue eyes haunted her thoughts.
Ugh, she had to get moving. Otherwise, she would be useless for the rest of the day.
With a determined sigh, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed, threw a kiss to her mother’s locket, which she’d put on her bedside table for luck, and pushed herself up, her pixie-like frame tense with apprehension.
Her feet touched the plush carpet, and she reveled in its softness, a rare indulgence for someone used to the bare wooden floors of her small house. A house that wasn’t even truly hers, that her ex could come and commandeer at any time.
She tried not to think about that, though. It was the only home she had, and without it, she wouldn’t be able to raise her little boy. It was a blessing and a curse.
She padded across the room, her thoughts still swirling with the events that had transpired at the ball.
As much as she wanted to focus on her son, Cole, and the life she was fighting to protect, Zera couldn’t ignore the growing connection between her and Maverick.
Somehow, despite their differences, they fit together like two pieces of an intricate puzzle.
A puzzle that, if she were being honest with herself, terrified her to pieces.
Her reflection in the floor-to-ceiling mirror in the bathroom caught her eye.
Her brown waves were a tangled mess, and the remnants of last night’s makeup did little to hide the exhaustion lining her face.
Zera shook her head, shutting the bathroom door, eager to enjoy the shower that was the size of her entire bathroom at home and to wash away the stress and grime from the night before.
“Time to get myself together,” she whispered as she turned on the hot water that instantly sent a hazy mist of steam twisting through the air.
As Zera slipped under the torrent of water, the heat enveloped her, soothing her muscles and washing away the tension that had built from the late night.
She let out a content sigh, leaning against the cool tiles behind her, closing her eyes and soaking in the calmness of the water from the shower that filled the room with white noise.
Finally, she had a moment to herself. With the warmth and privacy, she let her mind drift back to her first encounter with Maverick. The way he smirked at her. The playful glint in his eyes when he tormented her with his arrogant remarks.
“He really doesn’t give a bloody fae,” she murmured to herself, running a frustrated hand through her mass of tangled waves, letting the water rinse out the soap.
This whole situation was the polar opposite of how she’d imagined her life going.
It felt like a fairy tale gone wrong, a single mother lost in a world of espionage and danger.
A world where she really didn’t belong but was forced to fight alongside a werewolf, a species she despised, and not just any werewolf but one from the Lunar Brotherhood pack—her sworn enemy.
But somehow, despite how much Maverick got under her skin, Zera couldn’t deny the chemistry that sparked between them.
It was like fire and ice coming together, creating a beautiful dance of contradictions.
Each encounter only fueled the growing flame within her, making it harder to resist the pull.
Zera knew she had to keep her distance, for Cole’s sake. A man like Maverick would only bring more trouble into their already-complicated lives. but every time she looked at him and felt his gaze on her, she felt her resolve slipping away.
She sighed, knowing that the tension between them wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. She needed to finish this. To kill Gareth and stop anyone else who came for her and her family.
The water gradually cooled down, and she knew it was time to face reality once again. The reality that last night’s efforts were futile and they weren’t any closer to finding Gareth and whoever his collaborator was than they had been before the gala.
Shutting off the water, she grabbed one of the plush towels and wrapped it around her body, noticing how the thick fabric caressed her skin. She made her way through the bathroom to the closet, still unable to wrap her mind around the extravagance of the penthouse.
It was larger than her entire house back home and had enough closet space for an entire department store.
Her keen eyes spotted several outfits hanging on the rack from Felice’s boutique, waiting for her to try them on.
They must’ve cost a fortune, and after checking several tags, she verified they were all in her size.
But they weren’t just any clothes. Their fabrics exuded a rich softness she’d never experienced before, the structure solid yet relaxed enough that she would be comfortable wearing them while tending to her plants and experiments.
The closet even contained a lab coat, protective eyewear, and gloves.
Tears welled in her eyes. Maverick had bought all of them for her?
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d gotten new clothes in her size.
She’d had her clothes from before pregnancy, but those definitely didn’t fit anymore, and she’d gotten a few items for work, but nothing felt right. Everything fit… wrong.
But between the gowns from yesterday—which must’ve cost a fortune—and this, she’d never felt so seen and cared for.
Maybe he did care after all. It made her wonder what a rogue spy for hire even made.
Probably a lot more than what a bartender in a small country town did. Perhaps she needed a job change.
This is ridiculous, she thought. A single mom bartender turned spy? Absurd.
Grabbing one of the more practical items, a pair of comfortable pants and T-shirt that felt like a cloud was caressing her skin, she descended the stairs.
The scent of hot coffee and a savory breakfast greeted her as she reached the bottom of the stairs.
The open living room had been transformed into a gym, with a giant fighting mat in the center and a rack of weights and various weapons on racks next to the wall of windows.
Maverick stood in the midst of it all, leaning against glass as he peered out across Mystic City’s bustling downtown metropolis.
His chest was bare, and he wore only black fitted leather pants that somehow looked like they would accommodate any movement.
No doubt a work of Felice’s doing. They hung low at his bones that were still visible from his grueling training regimen.
The sunlight kissed his tanned, sculpted chest, highlighting every muscle and contour of muscle.
Zera’s breath hitched at the sight, her heart pounding.
Whether he was arrogant or not, she had to appreciate the raw beauty before her.
“Morning, Zera,” he said, his stormy eyes reflecting the sun as they locked on her when she approached.
There was intensity in his gaze that seemed to read her every thought, leaving her feeling both vulnerable and intrigued.
“I was thinking we’d start your combat training today.
Maybe it’ll help clear our heads before going over last night. ”
Zera’s heart clenched at his words, a sudden tightness taking residence in her chest. She drew a deep breath, the steam from the shower lingering in her lungs like a phantom echo of the fear simmering beneath her resolve.
“Uh… sure,” she replied, trying to hide her nervousness. She’d never considered herself a fighter. She knew a few self-defense moves, sure, and she had made an impact against that snake shifter at the siren’s boutique, but true combat training was something else entirely.
She thought of Cole and the night the druid had nearly killed him, and she balled her hands into fists. Learning how to defend herself and her son from dangers they might face was essential. Plus, she couldn’t deny the allure of being trained like a spy by a true spy.
“Great,” Maverick said, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “You look good.”
His eyes raked over her with appreciation.
Heat crept up Zera’s cheeks, and she bit her lower lip, trying to suppress the surge of desire that bubbled within her.
She didn’t want to admit how his compliment affected her, how his lingering gaze sent a shiver of electricity through her veins, awakening a hunger she hadn’t felt in years.
“Thanks,” she finally said, heading for the kitchen for a mug of coffee. Liquid energy would be necessary if she was going to face off with the massive beast of a wolf that towered over her.
He took her lead and joined her at the kitchen counter, where a pot of steaming black nectar awaited.
“We’ll begin with what you know first, the basic self-defense techniques you displayed yesterday.
Then we’ll move on to more complex maneuvers,” Maverick said, pouring himself a cup of coffee as well.