Zane’s POV
As the heavy door of the Crescent Chamber slamd shut behind , the sound reverberated through the stone corridor. The cool air hit my skin. My jaw throbbed where Cade’s fist had connected, a dull ache pulsing in ti with my heartbeat. I tasted the taste of blood on my lip, and I swiped at it with the back of my hand, the blood staining across my knuckles. My chest is heaving my breaths coming fast and uneven, the anger still burning hot in my veins. I didn’t know what was worse, the pain of Cade’s punch or the humiliation Cade caused in front of Iris, her voice ordering out of her room.
I halted abruptly in the corridor. My fists clenched at my sides, nails digging into my palms as I turned to face Cade, who had followed out. His face was still taut with anger, his eyes blazing with a fire I rarely saw in him. Kael trailed behind, his expression more subdued but no less tense, his hands are shoved into his pockets.
"Since when did you start having human sympathy for her?" I snapped, the words spilling out before I could stop them. I took a step toward Cade, my chest tight with the need to lash out. "You’re acting like she’s so fragile little thing, Cade. She’s our mate, a murderer, not so damsel you need to rescue! She deserves nothing better."
Cade’s eyes narrowed, his jaw clenching so hard I could see the muscle twitch under his stubble. "Can’t you see she’s lost her mories, Zane?" he shot back, his voice sharp and cutting, each word laced with frustration. "Or are you so blinded by your own ego that you’ve forgotten what Father told us? She’s the mother of wolves, you idiot. We need to be gentle with her, or we’ll ss this up for all of us."
His words hit , and for a mont, I couldn’t respond. Father’s advice echoed in my mind, his gravelly voice, when he’d told us about the prophecy, about the woman who would bind the pack and secure our legacy. The mother of wolves must be cherished. That I know from history. I’d rolled my eyes back then, dismissing it as old-man talk, but now, with Iris’s tear-streaked face flashing in my mory, it felt like a weight pressing on my chest. I hated it, hated how Cade seed to have the upper hand despite we were born the sa day.
I opened my mouth to argue, but Cade wasn’t done. He took a step closer, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous growl. "If we want Liora as our mate later, then we need to play our cards right. You think you can just force your way through this? You’re going to ruin everything."
Liora. The na sent a jolt through , a mix of longing and frustration. Liora, with her fiery spirit and seductive smile, was everything Iris wasn’t. The thought of her made my blood run hotter, and I clenched my fists tighter, trying to shake the image of her from my mind. But Cade’s words stung, and I hated how they made sense, how they forced to question the rage that had driven to pin Iris against the wall.
Before I could snap back, Kael’s voice cut through the tension. "Cade’s right, Zane," he said, stepping forward, his hands now out of his pockets and raised slightly, as if he could calm us both with a gesture. His eyes were steady, but there was a flicker of worry in them. "You can’t keep letting your anger control you. You’re going to push her away, push all of us away from what ever advantage she’s give us as her mate if you don’t get a grip."
I glared at him, my lips curling into a sneer. "Don’t lecture , Kael," I spat. "You’re always so damn neutral, like you don’t have a stake in this. She’s our mate too, or have you forgotten?"
Kael’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t rise to the bait. Instead, he just shook his head, as if he was tired of this fight, tired of . I wanted to scream, to punch sothing, to release the storm raging inside , but before I could move, I felt Liora’s presence.
She appeared at the end of the corridor. Her short satin dress clung to her curves. Her dark hair cascaded over one shoulder, and her lips curved into a knowing, seductive smile as she sauntered toward us, her hips swaying with every step. Her eyes, locked onto mine, and I felt my pulse quicken, the anger in my chest shifting into sothing hotter and hungrier. She’d just arrived just in ti.
"Well, well," she purred, her voice smooth and teasing as she stopped a few feet away, one hand resting on her hip. Her gaze flicked to my mouth, where the cut from Cade’s punch was still fresh, a small bead of blood glistening under the light. "What’s wrong with your mouth, Zane? Did you get into a little trouble?"
I swiped at my lip again. "It’s nothing," I muttered, my voice rough, my eyes never leaving hers. The way she looked at , like she could see right through my anger to the raw need underneath, made my skin prickle. I needed an outlet, sothing to drown out the frustration, the humiliation, the weight of Cade’s words and Iris’s rejection.
Before I could think, I moved. My hands found Liora’s waist, and I pushed her back against the cold stone wall, my body pressing against hers. She didn’t resist, instead, she let out a low, throaty chuckle, her eyes glinting with amusent and sothing darker and lustful, sothing that matched the fire in my chest. Her hands slid up my arms, her nails grazing my skin as she tilted her head, her lips brushing against mine.
The kiss was hungry, desperate, all teeth and heat. I poured every ounce of my frustration into it, my hands tightening on her waist as her body arched against mine. Her satin dress was smooth under my palms, and I could feel the warmth of her skin through the thin fabric. I wanted more, needed more. My mber was already getting hard down there.
"Zane," Cade’s voice cut through the haze. I pulled back just enough to glance at him. He stood a few feet away, his arms crossed. "You’re being too damn addictive with this," he said. "You’re not thinking straight."
Kael stood beside him, his expression unreadable, but his eyes flicked between and Liora with a mix of caution and resignation. "Let’s go," he said quietly to Cade, his voice barely above a whisper. "He’s not listening."
I ignored them, my focus back on Liora. Her lips were wet from our kiss, her cheeks flushed, but her smile was lustful, daring to keep going. Cade and Kael’s footsteps faded as they turned and walked down the corridor, leaving us alone.
My hands moved to the hem of her dress, sliding the satin up her thighs. Liora’s breath hitched, but she didn’t stop . Instead, she leaned into , her fingers digging into my shoulders as she let out a soft, satisfied moan. "Zane," she murmured, her voice a low, sultry drawl that sent a shiver down my spine. My fingers slipped beneath the fabric, finding the soft, warm skin of her inner thighs, and she gasped, her legs parting slightly as she pressed herself closer.
"You like that?" I growled, my as my hands road higher, squeezing the soft curves of her hips, her skin like silk under my calloused fingers. She nodded, her eyes half-lidded, her lips parting as she let out another moan, louder this ti, her nails raking down my back.
"More," she whispered. I didn’t hesitate. I bent her over, my hands guiding her as she braced herself against the wall, her dress hiked up around her waist. The sight of her in a doggy position, so open, so willing, made my blood roar in my ears. I pressed myself against her, my hands gripping her hips as I slid my mber into her, her warmth enveloping inside. She gasped, a satisfied chuckle escaping her lips as her body arched, her fingers clutching at the stone wall to support her stamina.
I moved with her, each thrust fueled by the anger and frustration. Her moans grew louder, her body responding to every touch, every movent, and I could feel myself losing control, surrendering to the heat of the mont.
"Zane," she gasped, her voice breaking as she tilted her head back, her dark hair spilling over her shoulders. Her eyes t mine, glinting with a mix of lust and pleasure, daring to push her further, to take her to the edge. I obliged, my movents growing harder, faster, each one drawing a sharper moan from her lips. Her nails scraped against the stone, her body trembling under , but she didn’t pull away. Instead, she leaned into it, her breath coming in ragged bursts.
I lost myself in her. The anger that had consud in the Crescent Chamber was still there, but it was transforming, channeling into this mont inside her was this connection I couldn’t resist. Liora was on fire, and I was burning, every thrust a release of the storm that had been building inside . Her body shuddered, her moans turning into soft cries, and I could feel her tightening around .
"Harder." She slurred.
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