Tonight turned out to be one of the best nights I’ve had in a long time. I don’t think I’ve laughed so much in my life. It’s one of the reasons why I love being around Colin and Kami. Even Kami’s FBI recruit, Whitney, was fun to talk to. The real interesting part of the night was with Zayne. I can see a change in him. He’s always been the silent, brooding type, but tonight he opened up more. I even caught myself flirting with him. What’s even crazier is how much I enjoyed it. The way he looks at me with those intense blue eyes of his makes me wish for things I’ve never had. A part of me knows I shouldn’t think about Zayne like that. I have a mate out there, and the last thing I need to do is get attached to someone. However, I can’t deny that it’s been nice having him by my side the entire night.
Once we’re all finished with our beers, we walk outside into the frosty, chilly air. Whitney gasps and crosses her arms over her chest. “How are you guys not freezing?” she asks, her teeth chattering. “I’m in a huge coat, and you’re all ….” She looks at us all like we’re crazy. “In short sleeves. What the hell is wrong with you?”
Kami throws an arm around her shoulders. “We’re used to it.”
Whitney snorts. “I don’t care if I’ve lived here my whole life. There’s no way in hell I could get used to this.”
“Eh, it’s not so bad,” Colin cuts in. “But if my balls started to freeze, then we’d have a problem.”
Kami rolls her eyes and grins at me. “Come on, let’s get her back to the hotel before she freezes to death, or worse, goes insane for listening to Colin’s ridiculousness.”
Whitney laughs hysterically, and we can all tell she’s a little tipsy. “I think he’s hilarious,” she announces.
Zayne scoffs under his breath, and Colin lifts his brows at him. “You can’t say much, old man. When was the last time you made someone laugh?”
“Tonight, as a matter of fact,” I say, grinning over at Zayne. He returns my smile, and it makes my stomach flutter. “He makes me laugh.”
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Colin chuckles. “I’ll keep my mouth shut.”
Kami pats his shoulder. “Good. Now let’s go.” Then she turns to me. “Do you mind if we drop Whitney off first?”
I shake my head. “Of course.”
Zayne gently grasps my elbow, and I suck in a breath, hoping like hell he couldn’t hear. “I can take you home, Amelie.”
He slowly releases his hold, and I look over at him. The thought of us spending more time together excites me. “You don’t mind?”
“Not at all,” he says, pulling out his car keys from his pocket.
When I glance back at Kami, she waves. “I’ll talk to you soon. Have a good rest of the weekend.”
I wave back. “You too.”
They turn toward one side of the parking lot, and Zayne nods toward the other. “I parked this way.”
We walk side by side through the parking lot, the snow slushy beneath our feet. His little black sports car is parked at the very edge of the parking lot, away from everyone else. I’d do that too if I had an expensive car.
Zayne opens the passenger’s side door for me, and I get in. “Thank you,” I say, looking up at him.
“You’re welcome.”
He shuts my door and walks around to his side. When he gets in, he starts up the car and carefully pulls out of the parking lot. The inside smells like brand new leather, and the dashboard is so high-tech I wouldn’t even know where to begin operating the radio.
I wave my hand about the car. “This is fancy.”
Zayne scoffs. “It’s too much, I know. I gave Colin money to find me a car, and this is what he picked. I wasn’t about to take it back.”
Now it all makes sense. Giggling, I look over at him. “It does look more like Colin’s taste. I often wondered why you drove a flashy car when you like to keep a low profile. But, on the other hand, you look good in it. I know I’d drive it. Although it’s been a while since I’ve driven a stick.”
His lip pulls up in a smirk. “You’re more than welcome to practice anytime you want.”
I laugh. “Might want to rethink that. I have no problems taking you up on that offer.”
Once on the main road, he shifts it into a higher gear and lays on the gas. “Who taught you how to drive a stick? I haven’t met many women who know how.”
It’s been a long time since I’ve thought about that time in my life. It was about thirty years ago when my family was part of the Redwood Pack along with Tyla and her parents. There was a wolf I met who wasn’t part of the pack; he was just passing through. He ended up staying around for a few years, and we grew close. I loved him, and he loved me, but the time came for him to move on. He said he’d come back, but a few months after he left, our pack was attacked, and we all ran as far and as fast as we could. My parents and I relocated to North Carolina, and I never saw him again.
“Amelie?”
Shaking my head, I push the past back into the far corners in my mind. I’ve learned not to dwell on those hard times. “A guy I knew a long time ago taught me.”
“Was he a wolf?”
Keeping my eyes on the road, I nod. “He was.”
It was many years ago, but I still remember the way he looked. He had dark brown hair, and his eyes were a deep shade of blue. I had never seen that color of eyes on any other wolf before.
“Were you two intimate?” he asks.
I nod again. “For about a year.” I can sense a hint of jealousy from him, but it disappears quickly; it piques my curiosity.
“Where is he now?” Narrowing my gaze, I turn to him, wondering if I’ll feel his jealousy again. In a way, I find it sexy. Zayne slows the car down and glances over at me. “Was I not supposed to ask that?”
I wave him off. “No, you’re fine,” I reply, trying not to smile. “And to answer your question, I don’t know where he is. He left, and then our pack was attacked. I haven’t seen him since.” It surprises me how easy it is to talk to Zayne. With other men, you can tell when they have no interest in getting to know you. Zayne's eyes meet mine, and my body trembles in a good way. “It’s been a while since I’ve talked about any of this. Especially with another man. Micah’s the only guy I’ve spent a lot of time with, but we always talked about other things.”
Micah is his brother, and they couldn’t be more different. Zayne turns down my street and slows down since the road is slick from the snow. “What all would you and my brother talk about?”
A smile spreads across my face. “Lots of things. Micah taught me how to fight and trained me every day. He constantly tested me on what I should do in certain situations. The man was a good teacher. I was always envious of Faith for having someone like him around. I’m ready for him to get back, but I also want him to enjoy life on his own terms.”
Micah was Faith’s protector for almost twenty years, just like Zayne was Colin’s until Colin was strong enough to take care of himself. Now that Faith is mated to another wolf, it freed Micah from his duties. I know he’s out on a mission to find the missing royals, but I hope once he’s done, he’ll be able to do what he wants.
My Christmas-lit cabin comes into view, and Zayne pulls up beside my car. “Yeah, I want him back too. It’s been a while since he’s called.”
“Do you think he’s okay?” I ask, not liking the worried expression on his face.
Zayne nods. “He’s fine. If he gets into trouble, he’ll call.”
Breathing a sigh of relief, I reach for the door handle. “Good. Hopefully, it won’t come to that.” I start to pull the handle, but then his voice stops me.
“Are you reading another Game of Thrones novel tonight?”
Grinning, I turn back to him. “Of course. I’m almost done with the fifth book. I think after I finish that one, I’ll move on to some sappy Christmas novels.”
He chuckles, and it makes me smile even more. Every time he lets go, even if his smile or laugh only lasts for a few seconds, it’s a pleasant sight. It’s as if he grows younger every day. I know he’s seen a lot of evil in this world, and it changed him for the worse, but he’s slowly coming back to life.
“I hope you enjoy your Christmas novels,” Zayne says.
“Thanks. Enjoy your time off work.”
“I will. You’ll be done with school next week, right?”
I nod. “Yep. I’ll have two weeks off. It’s going to be a crazy week. The kids are always super excited before the holiday break.” I press on the handle, and the car door opens. “Don’t forget about next Friday.”
Zayne’s heated gaze bores into mine. “I’ll be here.”
My heart begins to race, so I smile and get out as fast as I can, hoping he’s not paying attention. Once inside the house, I watch him leave through the window. I didn’t want him to go, but I very well couldn’t ask him to stay. There are many feelings swarming through me, and I don’t know what to do about them.
Why do things have to be so complicated?