Page 53

Azura

I gasp when we hit the water with a huge splash, drenching us both. Leo’s arm snakes around my waist. He even has the damn audacity to place his hand on my ass for a fleeting moment, a moment that makes my entire body tingle with pleasure. I hate that.

I try to yank away, clawing at his chest. These nails are sure coming in use! I don’t get far, though. He grabs my wrists, twisting them behind my back and against my waist, holding them there with one hand as he presses me against himself. His white shirt is practically see-through, sticking to his skin and making my core clench at how damn good he looks soaking wet.

“Behave,” he commands, his steel blue eyes boring into mine.

My heart is thumping as I continue to struggle, but it does nothing but make my core throb. I can feel his dick rubbing against me, and despite how my entire body feels hot or the way our hearts are pounding, I refuse to calm down.

“Fuck, let me go!” I hiss, my own eyes flashing.

“Not unless you calm the fuck down. I seriously won’t let go. Fuck, just listen,” he growls, his free hand taking hold of my chin. My heart thumps loudly, my anger only rising.

Where have the others gone? I scan the area. Weren’t they just here?

“If you’re looking for Winona or Jackie, they left on my command. It’s just the two of us,” he says huskily, forcing my chin up and making me look at him. Strands of his wet, brown locks tickle my forehead as his words sink in.

“Shame. Now, how about I excuse myself so you and your bitch of an ex can take a swim in here?” I hiss, twisting my hand until I feel his wrist and digging my nails into his skin. He frowns, and I’m not sure if it is because of my words or the pain, but frankly, I don’t give a shit.

“Do you have to resort to violence and anger every fucking time?” He growls.

“And if I do? What’s it to you?” I snap, wriggling in his hold. His nose brushes mine, and my breath hitches, making me tense. We are too close…

I can see behind his anger and cold exterior the carnal hunger he is trying to hide… I can feel him hardening against me, and I pray that my own arousal doesn’t reach his nose.

“Fine. Struggle as much as you want. I just won’t let go until you’re done,” he says, running his tongue along his lips. That piercing...

I swallow hard, glaring at him. I need him to let me go. For more reasons than just my anger…

“I think I broke your girlfriend’s nose. Why don’t you go check up on her?” He frowns.

“She isn’t my girlfriend.”

“Oh, but you just had to protect her when she deserved that fucking slap,” I growl, whipping my head to the side, trying to get my hair off my face. He runs his fingers through my hair and brushes it all back slowly, almost as if enjoying it. I hate the way my body wants to relax into him, the way I relish the sparks… I can feel his hard dick against my lower stomach, and that same intense heat seems to settle between us.

“Yeah, she did, but that’s not how Lunas behave.” My eyes flash, and my chest squeezes.

“I’m no Luna, remember? So, I’ll behave however the fuck I want. Let go of me, or I swear, I’ll claw your eyes out,” I hiss. He suddenly lets go of my wrists, but just when I am about to pull away, his arm snakes around my waist firmly.

“Go ahead. Even if you do, I won’t let you go until you have fucking listened to me,” he growls, his voice low and husky.

My heart thunders as I massage my wrists, wanting to attack him. But when he is letting me, it doesn’t seem so tempting anymore. Instead, I reach up, running my fingers through the long hair on top of his head and twist my fingers in it painfully, yanking his head back. He doesn’t even flinch, simply looking down at me, that chiselled jaw set in an arrogant pout.

“I don’t mind pain. Carry the fuck on,” he remarks, looking down at me with those gorgeous eyes. Fuck, stop looking so good…

“What do you want to say? Hurry up before I mess up that pretty face of yours.”

He smirks, “If you wanted to, you would have already done it. Right, beautiful?”

“Don’t play me.” His words sting… Don’t call me that when I’m nothing to you. His smirk fades, his eyes looking into mine almost as if searching for something.

“I didn’t mean to,” he replies quietly, his gaze dipping down to my boobs. My dress is soaking, and it is clinging to me even more than before. That’s all it is to him… the pull of the mate bond.

“I’ve decided… after we go to Alejandro’s pack… I won’t come back here,” I tell him quietly, looking up into his eyes, our faces only inches apart. Surprise flashes in his eyes as he searches mine. His heart thuds, and I wish I can read his mind, but his walls are up. His scent is like a dream… it makes me giddy, and I feel safe and free…

“The day after tomorrow then. Alejandro’s set up the meeting between Rayhan and me,” he says quietly. So soon…

I swallow and nod slowly. Maybe it is for the best…

“Cool. The sooner the better…” Won’t you stop me? Do you want me in your life or not Leo?

“Yeah… I guess…” Guess not…

“What did you want to tell me Leo?” He seems to hesitate, and I realise his grip on me has eased.

Pull away, Azura…

I don’t. I can’t. Is this the last time he’ll hold me? I let go of his gorgeous chocolate locks, slowly running my hand down the back of his head, paying attention to the sparks that run through my fingertips. This feeling… it is magical…

For a moment, his eyes close, almost as if he is enjoying my touch, but I doubt that. He sighs, opening his eyes, and a few strands of his hair flop sexily in front of his face.

“Nikki, she means nothing to me… what she said is a lie. After I met you and rejected you, it was hard trying to act like everything was normal. We did get intimate a few times, but once you taste something so fucking incredible… nothing else feels good enough. You keep saying that you aren’t good enough for me, but you actually caught my eye at that club before the mate bond even snapped into place. It’s not every day you see a woman just saunter into a strip club alone, looking so fucking fine. Anyway… the only reason I rejected you was because of my anger at the Elite… even though Elijah and Scarlett Westwood have never done anything wrong, they are still related to the Rossis through Kiara… I just… it wasn’t you. I marked you because despite it all, I fucking wanted that… but, yeah…”

My heart is thundering, a storm of emotions inside of me, but I don’t get it. Why now when I am brave enough to leave? He can’t keep playing me again and again…

“Why tell me this now?” I ask quietly. Why? Why confuse me when it’s obvious you hate me? He frowns, looking down, only for his gaze to dip to my breasts. “My face is up here, you old perve,” I growl, trying not to let the pain of his constant rejection hurt. A ghost of a smirk lingers on his face as he looks at me arrogantly.

“You can’t stop me from looking wherever I want… I just told you because I don’t want you to fucking misunderstand because of Nikki.” He becomes serious once more. “So… since you’re leaving… want to tell Corrado tomorrow about the baby?” You really won’t stop me from leaving…

“Sure,” I reply, trying to ignore the pain inside, and I keep my walls up. “What do you want to do about this baby? Do you want to, like, visit? I mean, I want him or her to know their father. Weekly, monthly, or holidays even?” Why is this so painful? Even with his arms around me, holding me firmly as if he never wants to let go, we are talking about splitting up. He looks down before looking back into my eyes, but this time the look in his eyes is regret.

“It doesn’t really matter.”

Wow. I nod, trying to fight my emotions as I slowly pull away. His words hurt… he doesn’t even want to be a part of this baby’s life…

“Okay, whatever,” I say, wading through the water to the edge of the pool. I am about to pull myself out when his arm snakes around me from behind, and his hand rests on my stomach.

“Even if I’m not around, I’ll make sure you and our baby are taken care of,” he says quietly, caressing my stomach gently. These emotions… these tingles… I tense when his lips brush my shoulder, his hand slipping my strap that had slid down, back up. I scoff, glad he can’t see my tear-filled eyes.

“Yeah, I’m sure you would, but don’t bother. The Westwoods don’t need your charity. No one needs a father who isn’t there for them. Maybe it’ll be easier just to tell my baby that you’re dead,” I say coldly, pushing his hands away from me. His heart is thudding, but I don’t care if my words fucking hurt him. I want them to hurt him just the way he hurt me.

He doesn’t reply, and I place my hands on the edge. I am ready to pull myself out when his hands grip my waist, lifting me out. I don’t look back as I get to my feet, walking away with whatever confidence I can muster, not once looking back…

Goodbye, Leo. Just tomorrow night, and we will be going our separate ways…

I return to the party, feeling so many eyes on me. Well, I can’t blame them; I am dripping wet. Song runs over the moment she sees me.

“Zu!” She stops, whispering a spell, and I feel an intense cold surround me, and then a tingle before I look down. My dress is completely dry, but my hair is still soaking and completely straight once more. “Come on, I can quickly fix your make-up before dinner is served, and we can get your hair dried… I wish I had some of my crystals…” she says, smiling gently, almost as if she knows what I am feeling. Only the strongest of witches can do many spells without crystals, herbs, and engravings. Those at the level of Delsanra Diana Rossi, Raihana Somers, and the high witches of the coven.

I nod, not arguing, as I allow her to lead me away…

She has begun working on my hair, and I don’t speak. I don’t say anything. Just her silent comfort is enough. After she has fixed my make-up, we return to the garden. Nikki is nowhere in sight, and I really don’t want to see her anyway.

Marcel calls me over to sit with him, but I refuse to be anywhere near Leo for any longer than necessary. I am relieved that Marcel doesn’t push it when I decline. I force myself to eat, and I do my best not to even look at Leo. He has changed out of his wet clothes and is now in a pair of jeans and a grey shirt. Corrado is sitting at Leo’s table, and I can hear him asking why I’m not there. I’ll miss him too… will he ever get a chance to play with his sibling?

Eric, Jackie, and a few other pack members are at our table, but I can barely focus on anything, whilst Song keeps them occupied enough for no one to bother with me.

I learned from Song that Jax had left shortly after Nikki, and she wasn’t sure about anything else. Well, I sure hope that Marcel does something about it because I’m not so sure Leo would. Okay, maybe he would since he did put his best friend into prison, but still. I will make sure Winona gets justice. No one should have to suffer at the hands of another like that. I plan to fill him in on what happened after the evening is over.

Raj, the Beta, comes over to congratulate me on the baby just as dinner is finished. He has his mate, Kesha, and his seven-year-old daughter, Katrina, with him.

“I really am pleasantly surprised to learn who you are, so once again I would like to welcome you to the pack,” he says. I shake hands with both him and his mate whilst smiling at their daughter, who seems to be an innocent soul. Then again, never trust kids… she shies away, hiding behind her mama. I give her a wave before turning back to Raj.

“Thank you, you were polite and welcoming even then,” I reply simply. It isn’t like I am here for long anyway. Once they move away, Song gives me a small smile.

“You okay? Wait, dumb question,” she murmurs, shaking her head.

“I’m fine,” I reply, my eyes looking around the garden at the pack members. Somehow, I feel comfortable here. I have gotten used to all of them. A life that isn’t meant for me. I exhale slowly, placing my hand on my stomach.

Give me the strength to remain strong… I am a fighter, not someone who succumbs to another.

“Zu…” I turn to her, my eyes flashing silver with a surge of strength and confidence.

“I’m fine, Song. Stop stressing. I may not have a crown, but I’m a fucking queen, and I sure as hell can handle anything that comes my way,” I reply, frowning deeply, my eyes blazing. I am, and I am not going to let anyone break me. She smiles.

“That’s the Westwood Devil I know.”

I give her a smirk just as Marcel stands up. Winona hurries over to him, passing him a box before Marcel takes it and turns to everyone.

“Azura.” I turn my attention to him as his eyes find me, and he smiles. “I just want to say thank you for being here with us tonight, and gracing us with your presence -”

“Yes, thank you, Azura!” Corrado adds. “We love having you here!” Several people chuckle as Marcel lifts his grandson into his arms.

“I’ve loved being here, too,” I reply, trying not to get emotional. I will have to break his heart, too… I can see Leo sitting there like the arrogant jerk he is from the corner of my eyes.

“Then stay forever, okay? You won’t even have to cook,” Corrado offers, smiling brightly. Sorry, baby, I can’t promise that…

Marcel’s smile falters, almost as if he can read my expression. I force a smile, but the moment he returns it with a sad one of his own, I know he knows. Knows that I’m not going to stay…

“Thank you for everything,” he says quietly. Our eyes meet, and I don’t reply, breaking eye contact. He looks down at the box Winona has brought and opens it with one hand, placing Corrado down as the little boy peers into the box.

“Ooo,” he says dramatically, only piquing everyone’s curiosity.

“I know everyone probably doesn’t want to hear me rambling on and on, but there is one final thing I want to share with you all. Something important. My real reign as Alpha started roughly nineteen years ago… when we were freed from the reign of terror inflicted upon us, by one whose name I won’t mention tonight. Nineteen years later, this pack has thrived. Despite everything we went through, we are now a normal pack with everything we could have hoped for. I’m sixty now; damn, I’m getting old.”

“Not that old, Alpha! You still look amazing!” One of the middle-aged she-wolves yells, whilst everyone agrees, making Marcel smirk slightly.

“Thank you.” Yeah, like I said, fine wine...

“He is so handsome,” Song whispers, making me smile slightly as I nod in agreement.

“Well, I still think I want to just sit back and just spend time with my grandchildren now… and so, tonight, I will pass that title to my son, Leo -” He stops, his gaze turning to Leo, who is looking at him sharply. They are conversing through the link.

“Daddy will be Alpha!” Corrado says excitedly.

Yet I don’t feel good. Despite the excitement that is rippling through the garden, something between the look of coldness in Leo’s eyes and the confusion in Marcel’s, tells me things aren’t going as planned.

“Now I know why there’s a special knife,” Corrado adds. My heart thumps as Leo stands up.

“Leo…” Marcel begins, unable to hide the sadness and hurt in his voice.

“I don’t need the title to be Alpha. I no longer fucking want it. Keep it,” he says coldly before he turns and walks away, leaving a shocked silence in his wake.