Page 36

Azura

I look in the mirror ten times before convincing myself that the shorts and sports bra are totally okay to go out in. I put on Kiara’s strappy black heels, not wanting to rummage in the bag that had been retrieved from my apartment in case Kia got disturbed. Damn, I love this woman’s heel collection. Last year I had liked a pair of snakeskin knee-high boots of hers, and she had told me I could keep them. Selfless as always. After zipping them up, I make my way to the door just as I see my phone screen light up. I am sure it is from Sky, she is the only one up at this time, but I’m not going to cross the room when I have just reached the door. I’ll get back to her later.

I slip out of the room silently, making my way down the dimly lit hallway, tip-toeing down the stairs. I can see the light in the lounge is still on. Are Marcel and Al still awake? Okay… I don’t want them to hear me leaving. Wait, Al has, like, supersonic hearing; he’ll know either way, and I have nothing to hide. Right? Right.

I still open the door super quietly and slip out, only to catch sight of the glowing tip of Leo’s cigarette. He is standing in the shadows across the huge front lawn, leaning against a tree to the side. His eyes are fixed on me, and when I walk towards him, I feel very conscious of the fact that my tiny shorts barely cover my ass. Maybe I should have come out barefoot. I don’t think the heels help.

What am I going to talk to him about? Why did I even ask if we could meet?

His eyes are no longer on my face but rather skimming over my legs. A look of hunger flashes in his eyes before he looks away smoothly. My heart thunders, and the moment his scent hits me full force, I want to close my eyes and inhale it.

“Were you awake?” I ask.

Dumb question. Obviously he was because there was no block or force preventing me when I mind-linked him.

“Yeah.” At least he didn’t mock me.

He is wearing a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt that clings to his body, emphasising his every ridge and groove. I force myself to stop staring and look into his piercing blue eyes.

“What did you want to talk about?” He asks. His voice is so ice-cold that I’m taken aback. He means business. Okay…

“What happens from here? Like, what Emmet did. I know you suspended him, but he -”

“Is in prison awaiting trial. I was a witness to what happened to you, and Jackie will talk.” His voice is murderous, and the way he says ‘will talk’ makes a shiver run down my spine.

“So, you believe that he did beat her?”

“I believed you before, but now he has several more crimes added to that fucking list. Don’t worry, Emmet will not be getting away with this. Although I won’t kill him… I will make sure he can never hurt anyone ever again.”

“Great.”

I run my fingers through my hair.

A silence falls between us, and the nightmare returns to me. I wonder if he had been dreaming about it… It isn’t really my place to ask, but I won’t deny that I’m tempted to.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He asks quietly. I know what he means. About the baby. I look him square in the eye, frowning.

“Why should I have? You left me, remember? Rejected me, too.”

“If I knew you were pregnant, I would have made sure -”

“Of what? That the baby is okay? I was taking perfect care of it. Heck, if it wasn’t for this baby, I wouldn’t have even agreed to stay in this pack of yours,” I cut in, sounding colder than I wanted to. “I never thought your Delta would have attacked me in your presence… I let my guard down…” My anger fades, and I place my hand on my stomach, making Leo’s gaze dip down to it. Something in his eyes softens, and I can tell he wants to say something.

“I didn’t think he would either… I’m glad you’re both okay.”

Both.

My heart skips a beat, but, yeah… I need to be okay for the baby, right?

“Thank you for saving our pup and for calling Kia. I know you never wanted to have them here.”

“Yeah. I didn’t,” he replies, his eyes hardening once again. I am hurt somewhat, but that memory of his keeps replaying in my mind. There is more to Leo than meets the eye. But I shouldn’t care… right? I hate how the moment he is in my presence, my senses become clouded.

“I had a nightmare just before I mind-linked you,” I say hesitantly.

He tenses, his cigarette to his lips, but he doesn’t take a puff, as if waiting for what I am about to say. His heart is racing, and I know now that I have started, I need to end this.

“I saw what she was doing to your mother. How you were begging your father -”

“Don’t.” His eyes blaze as he looks up at me sharply. His anger is raging off him.

“Leo… does your father know what you’ve witnessed and been through?” His silence gives me the answer I really wished wasn’t true. “You need to let it out. You need to tell him, or talk to someone, anyone. I mean, have you talked to anyone about your childhood? We learned about Endora at the academy, her heinous crimes against the wolves in her hold, but… even from what my family was told, there was no mention of you… does anyone know what you have been through and witnessed, Leo?”

Silence. He is a greater mystery than I had thought.

“Leo? I’ll take that as a no.”

“I’m not having this conversation with you.”

“Well, you are because what I saw -”

“Don’t try to fucking get into my head,” he hisses, tossing the cigarette to the ground and crushing it under his foot.

“It’s obvious you don’t want to talk about it, but you really need to -”

“No, I fucking don’t. So, as I said, stay the fuck out of my head,” he growls. My eyes flash, and I step closer, glaring up at him. Even with these heels, I am much shorter than him.

“Out of your head? I was asleep! I didn’t go prowling around in there!” I snap.

“Listen to me, Azura, what you saw better stay the fuck between us,” he threatens.

“Oh? Or what? What will you do?” I challenge, knowing that this baby is my ultimate shield from Leo. His hands are clenched, and on any other occasion, he would have grabbed my chin or neck by now. He doesn’t reply, simply glaring back at me.

“I’m warning you… tell anyone about that dream… and I will fucking do the same about your ex.”

I feel as if I have been slapped. The icy cold look in his eyes tells me he would do it, too. My heart thuds as I realise he is blackmailing me. Like Judah… I don’t know why it just… it leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

“Wow… I never thought you’d go so low.”

“Then don’t fucking try me,” he shoots back arrogantly.

“I told you that in confidence. You were the one who wanted to know and wanted me to stay, remember? I was going to tell Alejandro. Actually, since he’s here, how about I just go and tell him? I don’t fucking need you. And since they are here, I’ll go back with them to their pack. Yeah, maybe that’s better. I’m fucking done.” I turn, ready to storm inside, when Leo grabs my arm, pulling me back. I gasp when he yanks me close, glaring down at me. An intense wave of sparks rushes through me, sending a delicious jolt to my core.

“Calm the fuck down,” he growls.

“No, why should I! You can get pissed whenever the fuck you want, but I can’t?” I growl, trying to break free, only for him to turn us and push me up against the tree. He lets go of me, but before I can even push him away, he cages me between his arms, his legs trapping mine. What the fuck is this guy made of? No matter how much I struggle he refuses to let me go. Instead, he simply watches me.

“Keep struggling. I’m not complaining about the view,” he growls threateningly and I freeze, realising his gaze is on my breasts.

“Stop perving,” I growl.

“Stop struggling,” he counters.

My heart is thundering as our eyes meet, trying not to pay attention to the way his chest is almost touching mine or the way his strong thighs have mine wedged between his.

“You can’t stop me,” I hiss.

“Don’t challenge me because I don’t like to lose.”

His piercing eyes flash, and my heart skips a beat at how close he is. It is suddenly hard to breathe, and a part of me wants to act up to see what he would actually do, whilst another part of me is trying to remember what we were discussing. This tension between us… this closeness…

His eyes dip to my lips and he licks his own. His ball piercing glints under the moonlight and the intense urge to play with his tongue tempts me. Fuck, he has such good lips…

Focus girl.

I can hear your thoughts. His animalistic voice comes through the link and into my haze. I slam up my walls trying to come back to reality.

“Don’t deviate from the topic… you expect me to share my problems… but you can’t share your own?” I ask quietly. He remains silent, his steel blue eyes looking into mine. “Not even with your friends?” Talk to me, Leo.

“Look deeper…”

Dante’s words return to me, and I look intently at the man before me. Leo has so much more to him than one would think. So many have things to say about him, at the academy especially. He is known to be ruthless and cold-hearted. The Rogue Alpha... that is the name they call him. Some who love Alejandro so deeply even go as far as saying they hate him because he doesn’t accept the way of the King and his council, but how could he accept it when he didn’t grow up the way those who make comments had? People are so blinded that they judged others without even listening or trying to learn the full story…

“There is no one that I trust in this world.”

Those words squeeze my heart even though he speaks like he doesn’t care…

I know that he doesn’t want me because of who I am… but he wants this child. I also know he is physically attracted to me, just as I am to him…

The choice of the path ahead is in my hands…