Rhylie's POV
The moment Zane and Scarlett were out of sight, the moment Zane took her hand, the moment he raised his voice at me. I knew it was time for me to do something I had to do something,
Zane was slipping out of my hand and the bond spell was fading
How dare he humiliate me like that, how dare she even be here, stealing his attention?
I turned to face Kent, but the smug grin on his face only made my anger flare hotter. "What are you smiling at?" I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended.
Kent shrugged, leaning casually against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. "Just enjoying the show. And I am very much confused. Who is she ?"
I glared at him, my eyes throwing daggers. "This isn't a joke, Kent."
" Didn't say it was, I just asked a question why" he replied, his smile never faltering. " But watching you lose your cool is always entertaining."
I clenched my fists at my sides, fighting the urge to lash out. "You have no idea what's at stake here."
"Oh, I think I do," Kent said, his tone becoming more serious. " But if you're losing your grip on Zane, that's something you'll have to deal with on your own."
He gave me one last look, amusement obvious in his eyes, before turning and walking away, leaving me standing alone in the corridor, fuming
Kent's POV
I stepped into Zane's study. He stood by the fireplace, his back straightened as if he'd been
waiting for me. The room felt colder than I remembered, despite the fire burning in the fireplace
" Hey, Alpha," I greeted casually, hoping to lighten up the mood because there seemed to be a lot of things happened
Zane didn'tturn around. "Cut the bullshit, Kent."
I raised an eyebrow, smirking to myself. Same old Zane always to the point, especially when things were complicated. I couldn't blame him. He had a lot on his plate, and I'd been gone for weeks.
"Take it easy on me, man," I said, settling into the chair across from his desk. " I'm just coming back from burying my mate in her hometown."
Zane finally turned to face me, his eyes softening for a moment, and I could see the genuine regret there. " I'm sorry, Kent," he said, his voice low. " I didn't mean to "
" It's alright," I cut in, waving it off. " It's sad, but it's over now. She died of that damn disease. The goddess wasn't fair to her." I tried to shrug it off, but the pang of loss was still fresh, raw.
"Anyway, that's done and dusted." I leaned forward, eager to change the subject. " But speaking of mates... Who was that beauty earlier? The one you called your * mate?"
Zane's jaw tightened, his eyes staring at me. He ran a hand through his hair, clearly uncomfortable with the topic. "That's Scarlett."
"Scarlett?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow.
Zane gave a small nod, crossing his arms. "Yeah... Long story, but she's my mate. And she has the goddess mark."
" No way," I said, disbelief coloring my voice. "Another mate? And the goddess market got to be kidding me."
" I wish I were," Zane muttered, his gaze shifting to the window as if looking for answers out there. " But it's real. The mate bonds with her... It's strong, Kent. Stronger than I expected."
I let out a low whistle. "Stronger than with Rhylie?"
Zane's eyes stared back at me, a shadow crossing his face. " It's... complicated. Rhylie is my first mate, and we've been through a lot. But the bond with Scarlett... it pulls at me. It's like something I can't control, even if I wanted to."
" Didn't look like you were fighting it when you took Scarlett's side earlier," I pointed out, leaning back in my chair. " I mean, you straight-up defended her in front of Rhylie. That's not exactly
'handling both' in my book."
Zane clenched his fists at his sides, his jaw tightening. " I was furious. Rhylie had no right to raise her hand against Scarlett. No matter what's going on, that was way out of line."
I stared at him for a moment, the pressure clear in every bit of his body. He was a man torn
between the curse and now two mates, it was hard dealing with both?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood a bit but also very curious.
Zane sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping slightly as he finally took a seat behind his desk. " Like I said, it's complicated. I had a deal with Scarlett."
"A deal?" I repeated, leaning forward, intrigued. "What kind of deal?"
"She was betrayed by her former mate Rand and her cousin," Zane explained, his voice growing colder with each word. "She wants revenge, and I agreed to help her get it. In return, she helps me break the curse that's been plaguing my pack for years."
I sat back, Taking in the information. "So, you're helping her with revenge, and she's helping you with the curse. And once the deal's done... what? You both just go your separate ways?"
Zane hesitated, his eyes dropping to the floor. For the first time, I saw real uncertainty in his eyes. " I... I don't know. I haven't thought that far yet. But she'll likely reject me, or I'll reject her once we've both gotten what we want."
I raised an eyebrow, my curiosity piqued. " Reject her? After everything?"
It doesn't look like she wants to stay and she's the first Alpha of her pack, and I think it's best if we go our separate ways, I already have " Zane said but I could still see the uncertainty in his eyes
"Well, however, this turns out," I said, standing up and stretching my arms, "your best friend and beta are here to support you. No matter what."
Zane looked up at me, a small but genuine smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Thanks, Kent. It's good to have you back."
I nodded. "Glad to be back, but don't expect me to dive into paperwork just yet," I said with a grin as I made my way to the door.
Zane smirked. "You'll have your grace day. Enjoy it while you can."
I gave him a mock salute as I left the study, but as I walked down the corridor, my thoughts returned to Scarlett.