Chapter 20

OLIVE

A wave of panic washes over me. I’m lost, unsure of where I am or who I’m with.

I sense a cold, alien presence invading my mind, erasing my worries and replacing them with pure desire.

My mate is gently stroking my breast and planting soft kisses along my jawline.

“Mmm, Zeke,” I sigh. “Don’t stop.”

He teases my neck with his tongue and teeth, drawing out moans from me. He lifts me up and I instinctively wrap my arms and legs around his neck and waist.

“Come with me,” he murmurs.

“Mmmm, okay,” I reply.

My eyes flutter open for a moment and I see…a tail?

~When did Zeke get a tail?~ I wonder, my thoughts clouded.

The long, thin tail moves like a snake, whipping back and forth, ready to strike. Its tip is sharp and pointed.

~That’s not right.~

~Zeke doesn’t have a tail…does he?~

A part of me screams that something is wrong, but the fog in my mind reassures me that everything is fine, that I should just enjoy the pleasure and safety my mate provides.

He takes my hand and we stand together. He pulls me close to his firm chest and whispers, “You’re mine now. Say it. Now.”

I frown. That’s a strange thing to say. Zeke knows I’m his and only his. Suddenly, the fog in my mind starts to clear.

The cold presence retreats, leaving me with the chilling realization that the creature holding me is not my mate.

I push the creature away with all the strength I have left. “No!” I yell, stumbling backward.

I steady myself on the truck bed. Whatever this creature has done to me has left me feeling dizzy and disoriented.

I look back at the creature, who is now hissing. He no longer resembles my handsome Zeke. His cheekbones are sharp, his chin is pointed, and his eyes are yellow and snake-like.

“Stay the fuck away from me,” I warn, panting from exhaustion.

“But, princess, you need to come home,” he taunts.

Before I can respond, he lunges at me. I close my eyes and take a sharp breath, bracing myself for an impact that never comes.

When I open my eyes, I find myself standing just outside the truck bed.

I look around, disoriented, until my gaze lands on someone standing where I was just moments ago.

As my vision clears, I recognize her.

~Daisy!~

She’s in her true form, her long, leafy hair rustling in the gentle breeze. The moonlight hits her just right, making her look stunningly beautiful.

I shake my head, reminding myself that we’re in danger.

Vines have sprouted from her hands. She uses them like whips, lashing at the creature to keep him at bay. With one swift move, she binds his arms to his sides.

Seeing her chance, she quickly summons tree roots and vines.

They wrap around the creature, starting at his ankles and rooting him to the ground, then winding their way up his body, constricting him.

She adds layer upon layer as the creature hisses and snaps at her, struggling to break free.

Then I hear it—a roar of pure rage from behind me. I spin around to see Zeke, his gaze fixed on Daisy. His eyes are aflame and his claws are out.

~He doesn’t think she’s trying to hurt me, does he?~

He charges at Daisy, letting out another guttural roar. Fighting the exhaustion, I force myself to jump back into the truck bed, positioning myself between my mate and my friend.

Zeke skids to a halt and cocks his head to one side, looking puzzled.

“Zeke, please. Don’t hurt her. This can be explained,” I plead.

He nods before leaping into the truck bed, the remnants of our romantic date now scattered and broken.

“What is this?” he asks Daisy.

“I believe it’s an incubus, Your Highness,” she replies respectfully, bowing her head.

~How does Daisy know who the king is?~

She catches my puzzled look.

“Okay! So I’ve been following you. So kill me for wanting to make sure my friend is safe.”

Zeke looks between us, confused. “You’ve got some explaining to do, Little Wolf,” he says, raising an eyebrow.

***

Ezekiel calls an emergency meeting with Max and Max’s beta, James, after locking the incubus in the dungeons for questioning.

Daisy is with me in my quarters. Because her magic is all over the demon, Zeke had no choice but to inform Max about her presence on his land.

It was either tell him before he finds out or let him discover it himself, feel betrayed, and potentially tear the forest apart looking for the nymphs.

Zeke has promised me Daisy’s safety. I trust him completely to keep that promise.

“So, let me get this straight. You’ve been ~following~ me?” I ask again.

“Yes! Don’t make this weird. I just…after seeing how scared you were, I just wanted to make sure you were safe and being treated with kindness,” Daisy replies sincerely.

She perks up with a mischievous grin. “Then I found out that you and the king are ~mates~!”

I smile. “Yeah, I guess that happened, huh! Daisy, he’s amazing! I can’t believe how quick I was to judge him. He’s incredible. I can’t wait for you to get to know him!” I gush.

I feel like a giddy schoolgirl talking about him, but I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.

He’s the piece of me I didn’t know was missing. He’s brought me a happiness I didn’t know I was lacking.

A knock at the door interrupts my thoughts.

“Come in!” I call.

Dinah peeks around the door and grins from ear to ear.

“I can’t believe I’m meeting a real nymph. Hi there,” she gushes like a starstruck fan.

“Hi,” Daisy replies, her cheeks flushing.

“Alright, let’s get back to business. They’re ready for you,” Dinah announces.

“I guess I should make myself more ‘wolf friendly,’” Daisy suggests, shifting into her pale-skinned, platinum-haired form.

“Perfect! Shall we?”

As we approach the conference room, I can hear Zeke, Max, and Beta James discussing strategies to deal with the demon.

I push open the heavy oak doors, my gaze instantly finding my mate. I start to saunter over to him, Dinah trailing behind me.

Daisy is the last to enter the room. The moment she steps in, a spark of electricity seems to ignite the air. A low growl breaks the silence.

All eyes turn to Max, who is staring at Daisy with an intensity that’s hard to ignore.

I glance at Daisy, who is rooted to the spot. Max practically bolts to her, wrapping her in his arms and inhaling deeply. “Mine,” he breathes out.

Daisy’s eyes are wide with shock, maybe even fear. I can’t help but feel a twinge of amusement. Her expression is probably a mirror image of my own when I discovered Zeke was my mate.

Zeke calls for a break, giving Max and Daisy some time to talk.

It’s probably for the best. Poor Daisy looks like she’s on the verge of a heart attack. She never would have guessed her mate would be a wolf.

Max and Daisy take some time to talk, giving Daisy a chance to process the fact that she’s the mate of an alpha werewolf and the future luna of The Dark Wood Pack.

After their chat, we finally start our discussion about the incubus in the dungeon.

Whatever Max and Daisy talked about must have been good because the fear on Daisy’s face has been replaced with pure love and adoration.

They’re still gazing into each other’s eyes, whispering and giggling like teenagers. Max has an arm around Daisy, making sure he’s touching her at all times. They both look so content.

Ezekiel turns to Dinah, “I want you involved in the questioning of this demon. Find out why he was sent for your queen. I give you permission to use whatever approach you deem necessary.

“We need to know if we should expect more visitors. Alpha Max, do you have anything to add?”

Alpha Max is clearly still lost in Daisy’s eyes. “Hmm? Oh, yes. Do that,” he says, his attention clearly elsewhere. I can’t help but smirk.

Ezekiel clears his throat. “Alright then. Dinah and James, as betas to myself and Alpha Max, you will lead this interrogation. Dismissed,” he commands.

Alpha Max and Daisy hurry out of the room, whispering and giggling to each other.

Beta James and Dinah also leave, discussing which warriors to bring in for the questioning. Dinah is adamant about getting her hands dirty. According to Zeke, she loves an interrogation.

I glance at Zeke and raise an eyebrow. “Who would have guessed!” I say, referring to Daisy and Max.

He pulls me close, giving me a wolfish grin. “Don’t think you’re off the hook, Little Wolf. You still have a lot of explaining to do.”

“How much time do you have?” I ask, laughing.

After a long conversation, I fill Zeke in on all the details of how I met Daisy, where I went after I lost it with Amber, and how the nymphs were the ones protecting me in the forest.

He’s incredibly surprised that I managed to track a nymph, let alone befriend an entire community.

Once we get back to our room, I head straight for the shower. The events of the day are catching up to me. I feel dirty.

I’ve been putting on a brave face for everyone else. I don’t want them to see me as weak, but right now, I feel like the weakest creature on the planet.

I start to scrub my body when memories begin to flash in my mind.

I squeeze my eyes shut. Every place I scrub reminds me of where that demon touched me: my breasts, demon, my neck, demon… The thought of it makes Raven’s fur stand on end.

I scrub harder, trying to erase the memories from my skin. The harder I scrub, the more I whimper. The images and memories continue to flash in my mind.

My lip trembles as the memories become too much, my strong façade crumbling. Tears start to stream down my cheeks, partly from the pain.

But mostly because of the emotional scar that’s been etched into me tonight.

Still, I feel dirty. I have to keep scrubbing until I’m clean.

I finally open my eyes, catching sight of my body. I’m raw and bleeding almost everywhere.

I press my back against the cold tiles, slowly sliding down into a fetal position, sobs shaking my body, dark thoughts consuming me.

~How could I have let him touch me?~

~Did a part of me want it?~

~Was it my fault?~

~Zeke deserves a better mate.~

~Zeke deserves a stronger mate.~

A loud growl echoes from the other side of the door.

“Olive! Why can I smell blood?” he growls.

I don’t move and I don’t respond. I’m too exhausted to face him again and pretend that everything is okay, that I’m okay.

He tries the handle; it’s locked.

There’s a loud crash as the door flies off its hinges, wood splinters scattering across the room.

I instinctively hide my head behind my arms that are still wrapped around my legs.

I peek out to see Ezekiel slowly walking into the bathroom, searching for the source of the blood. His eyes are golden, and his breathing is ragged.

His eyes find me and they instantly soften. His eyebrows furrow as he looks at me with concern.

“I’m so sorry,” I sob.

Without bothering to remove his clothes, Zeke rushes to my side. His clothes are instantly soaked from the shower raining down on us.

He wraps me in his arms. A warm shiver runs down my spine, causing me to let out a small sigh of relief.

“Why are you sorry? You have nothing to be sorry for. You’ve done nothing wrong, Little Wolf.”

“I feel so cold, so dirty. I’m sorry I’m not the strong mate you deserve. A queen should be strong,” I manage to say through my sobs.

“Don’t you dare think you’re weak. You’re the strongest person I’ve ever known. Don’t ever doubt that the Moon Goddess knows what she’s doing.

“You were always meant to be mine. You were always destined to be a queen, and you’re going to be an amazing one, my love,” he whispers, punctuating his words with gentle kisses on my forehead.

I can feel some of the tension seeping out of me, his presence soothing some of the pain, both mental and physical. “I love you,” I whisper.

Zeke’s body tenses before he cradles my face in his hands. He gazes at me with such pure love and adoration, then leans in to kiss me softly on the lips.

“You have no idea what that means to me. I love you too, so ~so~ much.”