Page 22 of Spark (Damselverse #2)

Chapter twenty-two

Zara

I ’m a complete nervous wreck. The whole time, I can’t stop thinking and worrying about Xavier as I do my best to distract myself.

Nolan told me a day with the kittens would do me a world of good, but for all I know, Xavier could be in danger.

George may be the stupidest Pig, but he’s still a slippery little eel.

Xavier will be fine. You will see your moody, British Alpha soon, and he will have one of your biggest enemies in tow, too.

Someone knocks on the door to the kitten pen, but the kittens, as usual, are too focused on chasing a little ball attached to a string.

They’ve done a number on the ball, too, and now its stuffing is poking out like guts.

“Come in,” I say.

Dacre’s face appears, and I sit up straighter.

“Hey, Zara…” he says.

It's so strange to hear him say my name. He hasn’t been able to say it to me these last few days.

Hell, he hasn’t been able to look me in the eye.

I know why. And the secret must have been eating away at him.

He blows a sigh, running a hand through his golden strands. “So… I… just…”

Poor thing doesn’t know how to speak with me. Somehow, he feels guilty and responsible for what he discovered.

I am not mad at him.

In fact, I’m grateful. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t even know that my grandma was still alive.

Because of him, my grandma may just survive. And the best part of all, I will get to see her again.

I will have my family back.

“Look… Zara… about—”

“It’s okay, Dacre. Please understand I am not mad at you.”

The Alpha’s eyes light up with pleasant surprise, and he can be quite sweet when he wants to be.

Then his shoulders slump as a small smile covers his face. “You’ve no idea how happy I am to hear you say that, Zara.”

A small smile comes to my own face as I pat the ground beside me. “Come on. Join me. Little Blaze almost hit a record. He jumps so high now!"

Now the Alpha sits beside me, and it doesn’t take long to make him laugh. Once again, Blaze jumps up into the air, capturing the little toy in his tiny paws. At one point, he gets stuck and just hangs there.

Dacre and I are beside ourselves.

“God, that has to be one of the cutest, most hilarious things I have ever seen,” he says, wiping his eye.

I lower the toy so Blaze can enjoy his ‘prize’, and he bites and kicks at the soft ball like a tiny predator.

He is going to be a handful when he is older, bringing home dead birds every day. It looks like we may need to get him a little bell collar.

My eyes land on Seraphina. She is completely relaxed, eyes closed as she perches on one of the towers. It seems she is coming into her own.

I’m growing attached to all of them, and when the time comes… I don’t think I will be able to let them go.

I love this little cat family, and I want to see them all grow up together.

Perhaps, when everything has settled and the Wolf is no longer a threat… maybe we can give them a permanent home here.

Dacre’s phone buzzes, and when he tugs the device out of his pocket, he rolls his eyes.

“Who is it?” I ask.

His amber eyes find me, and he takes a moment, wondering how best to tell me. Then he sighs. “Dane.”

Halle’s Alpha.

“He’s still asking about that double date.”

I think about it now, chewing my lip in concentration. You know what? I’m sick of staying inside, cooped up, and afraid of the world.

The cats are good company, but I need to get out of the house.

And there is a certain Omega I need to reunite with. The poor thing probably still thinks I am out there in trouble.

“Then let's do it,” I announce.

Dacre looks at me, shocked. “Are you sure, Zara?”

“Yes,” I say. “Besides… there’s something you should know… about Halle.”

The firefighter is all ears as he leans in close. “What is it?”

I meet the fire in his eyes. “We're friends. Well, we were, and… she is most likely worried sick, wondering where I am.”

It takes a moment for the Alpha to clock on. When he does, he freezes. “Shit… you’re… that Zara… Dane may have mentioned her once or twice.”

So, he has heard of me. That’s good.

It's time I stopped withholding the truth from people, especially considering my outburst with Nolan earlier. I would just be a hypocrite.

No more secrets.

It's time we all stopped keeping things from each other.

“Yes, that Zara. I think it’s time I saw her again, Dacre. I've missed her.”

And it would be so good to catch up and take my mind off things.

Xavier will be okay. My grandma will be, too.

All I have to do is hope.

***

I wait with Dacre in the foyer of the restaurant, bouncing on the balls of my feet as I keep stealing glances at the door.

They should be arriving any moment.

“It’s okay, Zara. Just relax.”

Yet I can’t. I don’t know what I expect to happen. Will Halle be angry or happy to see me?

I did leave her hanging with that phone call. For all she knows, I could be dead in a ditch somewhere.

Now guilt gnaws on my insides as I await my old friend and her Alpha.

Dacre glances down at his phone. “They’re here.”

Shit.

My eyes don’t leave the door now as my heart rings in my ears. Soon, an Alpha Irecognize steps into the restaurant—tall, dark, and extremely handsome, just like Dacre.

Then a small blonde steps in beside him, and would you look at that… She has acquired even more freckles since the last time I saw her.

Dane waves, throwing his arm around his Omega just as she fixes her blue wrap around her shoulders. I wear a red dress and a similar wrap.

Dacre grins down at me. I guess now that we’re on a date, it means we're official.

At first, he hesitates, but then he wraps his own arm around me, bringing me closer as we approach Dane and Halle.

Halle’s eyes sparkle as she laughs up at her Alpha, but the moment her periwinkle eyes land on me, she freezes.

The restaurant becomes so quiet next, you could almost hear a pin dropping miles away.

Dane looks down at his Omega, concerned. Then his gaze flicks back and forth between me and her.

“Halle? You okay?” he asks.

I smile shyly, waving up at my old friend. “Hey, Halle. You look good. Pack life suits you…”

And it freaking does, too. There’s a reason why she has more freckles. She’s bloody glowing.

“Zara…” Halle whispers.

I see the moment it dawns on Dane, and then his face pales as he stares at me. “Shit.”

But I only have eyes for Halle as she steps toward me. We’re equal in height, even in heels.

Her eyes shine as they run up and down my face. But I can’t look her directly in the eye. The guilt claws away at my chest.

To my surprise, a sob escapes her, and then she throws her arms around me. Now she squeezes me as she cries into my hair.

"Zara, you’re safe… thank goodness.”

Now I hold back tears of my own, ignoring the stabbing guilt. After all, I know what it is like to worry about someone, wondering if they're even alive.

I have two people in my life right now who are missing. But I know we will be reunited.

Just like me and Halle right now.

Everything will work out. I just know it.

But first, it’s time I got reacquainted with an old friend.

Heaven knows we have a lot to catch up on.