ANNE Zero’s lips release mine and trail down my throat, and my collarbone. My eyes close on their own as I relish the feel of his lips over my feverish, ablaze skin. He groans, low in his throat, causing my insides to heat up some more. My mind has left my body. All that is left…Zero is trying to suck it out of me. I fist his hair, pulling him closer. All of a sudden, my eyes snap open and land on the tree behind him. ‘ You are getting money for this. So be a good whore and do everything I ask you to do. ’ The words from the past echo in my ears as a wave of nausea hits me hard. Shadows are playing with me again. I never think about the past. I never lose myself to my memories—never dared to do it before but now…I can not stop the guilt and disgust from filling me. Fear starts radiating off me as Zero’s lips pause on my shoulder. He breathes against my skin. I snap out of the daze momentarily and instantly pull my hands out of his soft locks. “ Why are you scared? ” He whis
ANNE The pack has changed a little. There is a new Beta, new Gamma—both are former members of Ryker’s pack. He sent them here, it seems, so he can gain control. Zero called them into the packhouse and then they were in the Alpha’s study, Goddess knows discussing what bullshit now. It’s not like I am even interested to know what goes on here. I hate packs and their hierarchy to begin with. I stayed in the kitchen, first wondering what to cook because I didn’t know what Zero liked to eat. It is shitty that I even thought about cooking for him and even wondered what he liked. I only ever did these two things for Giana and Natalie. Frustrated with my thoughts, I settled for making chicken Parmesan, broccoli salad, and some pasta. Then, I waited until the fucking Beta and Gamma were gone before I made my way to Zero. After saying such weird things to him, it was a little awkward facing him. I waited for a few moments outside the study before I knocked on the door and pushed it open.
ANNE The corner of his lips turns up slightly. He leans in, his face disappearing from my sight and down my neck. I breathe, close my eyes, and prepare myself for the sparky waves of pleasure. Zero’s nose touches my neck, earning a low hiss from me. Slowly, he places his lips on my throbbing vein and suddenly, I am too aware of the heat shooting down to my core. My thighs clench around his waist as he opens his mouth and licks my tingling skin. A small loan escapes my mouth, my hands shooting up to hold his shoulders for support. His grip over my waist tightens until I can feel his fingers digging into my flesh roughly. He closes his mouth around my vein before his teeth sink into my flesh, causing me to throw my head back and moan his name breathlessly. He sucks the trickling blood like a hungry beast. My insides twist, my core grinding over his hardening cock for some kind of relief. The intense desire courses through my veins as my body seems to develop a mind of its own
ANNEI yawn, turning on my back and stretching, only to feel sore between my legs. I swear my body hurts as if I have been working for a week straight without even a break.Zero did fuck me up good.I sigh, opening my eyes and glancing at the empty spot in the bed.He is gone.I bet he stayed until the sun came up and then disappeared to do Goddess knows what.My heart skips a scared beat as I shoot up from the bed without even caring how it hurts to do it. Instantly, I rush to the door of the room and pull it open. Where did he go? The question is threatening to snatch the life out of me. Before I can run down the stairs and look for him, butt naked, he appears before me in the blink of an eye. I gasp and stumble back on my feet to let him stand before me.“ Where did you go? ” I inquire, fiercely.“ I have to go check something out. I was waiting downstairs for you to wake up. ” He tells me.My cheeks heat up as I realize what I might be looking like to him—a fucking deranged and
ZEROI don’t know what’s going through Anne’s head. I know she wants me to give up on my plan of putting myself to sleep but she doesn’t understand—It’s not a plan, it’s necessary.I can’t stay here for long. This is not my world. I am in the wrong place. I found her at the wrong time. For some time, I did think about making this time mine. I learned the ways of this world, I forced myself to keep going in hopes that if I stay alive, I will be able to get back at the people who put me through this, the people who killed my mother. It turns out, I was living a lie—once again.This can never be my world. And my mother is very much alive and breathing.It was only me. I was the only one who suffered. Sometimes, I want to feel self—pity and get over this dull, boring ache in my chest but I can’t. It was my fault, to begin with. If I had control over my bloodthirst centuries ago, the Originals would have never found out about me. It’s all on me, so I can’t feel bad.The only thing I can d
ANNEWe ate breakfast that I prepared after one horrendous failed attempt at cooking. It’s not like it was my fault that I lost focus on the pancakes when he barged inside and uttered nonsense. It was Zero’s fault for being this attractive and effortlessly eye—catching to me.Groaning, I slam my forehead on the kitchen island for the third time. No matter how hard I try to divert my thoughts, I go back to thinking about him in no time.I have no doubt. Slowly, I am beginning to lose my shit over him. I sigh and straighten up. I know I have to stay here for a while after hearing Zero’s answer to my demand.He made up his mind. It will be hard to convince him that he belonged to this world—where fate brought and mated us. He was always supposed to be here. If he was in another timeline or another person…we would never meet.It was supposed to happen this way and what happens from here depends on our decisions. He can choose to be here and forget about what happened throughout his life.
ANNEI barge inside the pack house and instantly rush to the Alpha’s office, hoping that Zero was back by now. When I push open the door, I find him sitting on the chair, his eyes fixed on me as if he knew I was coming.I release the breath I held back for some time now before stepping inside. A huge weight slips away from my heart when I see Zero, alive, breathing, right in front of me.“ What are you doing? ” I huff, glaring at him.He scared me for a moment when I realized he had been making all these reforms that he was never interested in doing. I thought he was going to run away while I was gone and when he was done giving all the orders. These thoughts are killing me. Zero remains silent, waiting for me to elaborate on what I am accusing him of, this time. I inhale a deep, necessary breath. My gaze lingers on his face before tracing his body, the desk, and the floor, then rising back to his face.“ Why are you changing the pack ways? ” I ask, closing the door and resting my
ZERO“ You smell different today. ” Edith mentions as she opens the door for me.I stay rooted in my spot, refusing to step inside a witch’s hut where it’s darker than the rest of the world.Her experienced eyes take me in, wanting to figure out why I am here. That’s one thing I like about this specific witch—she never asks questions. She knows what I want and why I want it, always.Her lips form an O as her eyes land on the mark over my neck. It’s now visible to everyone. Anne has marked me as hers when she shouldn’t have.“ I can tell why you are here today. ” The witch laughs, mocking me.“ Tell me a way. I need to get rid of it. ” I tell her without beating around the bush.“ You know this will only disappear if your mate somehow rejects you. ” She reveals what I already know.But I also know that once Anne makes up her mind, she doesn’t give up. She will never reject me.“ There has to be a witch’s potion to get rid of—”“ Witches don’t interfere in Moon Goddess’ work .” She int