Claws

Chapter Thirty-Five

"This girl," Zale sighed, smirking as he studied Mae's peaceful sleeping face, pressing his head into the stiff pillow behind his head. She was making such a fuss just thirty minutes ago, and now she was sleeping so peacefully.

Looking at this beautiful woman he once knew was a skinny kid, he couldn't help but stare. He'd just seen her as a little sister before, but he couldn't deny that something had shifted in him ever since he'd seen her playing around with that beta. He didn't know if they were feelings of attraction, simple jealousy, or just a natural urge to protect her, but now that he'd been told the two of them were imprinted, it had frequently forced him to think about her. He was left in a constant state of confusion. On top of that, they had kissed several times, all when one or the other wasn't in their right mind. He honestly didn't know what to think anymore.

As a wave of exhaustion came over him, he studied his supposed soul mate with tired eyes.

Mae's hair seemed to fall over her shoulders like strands of glistening silk, framing her serene expression as she slept soundly. The contrast between her snow-white hair and the rich darkness of her lashes and eyebrows added to the captivity of her appearance. The beauty of her flawless skin, kissed by the moon's light, created a picturesque scene as if she were a goddess sleeping soundly in front of him. She was dazzling.

Yes. He was, without a doubt, attracted to her. Romantically? He couldn't say. But she was definitely captivating.

He knew he would have to dial down on the teasing if he wanted to get along with Mae. Although her reactions were funny and entertaining, it would be hard to get closer and work together with her in the future if he continued to indulge himself.

Zale closed his eyes and her light aroma of pheromones. Out of all the smells in the world, Mae's scent was the best. It was captivating and memorable, a lot like her in that department.

The sound of her steady breaths and the comforting scent of her pheromones put him to sleep no less than a minute after closing his eyes.

............................................................................................................................................................

"Where do you think she is? She was in her room napping when we left for the council meeting. I thought she might have gone out for some fresh air, but it's been two hours," Abigail sighed as she paced in her living room, glancing at her husband, who stood by the window, eyeing every movement past the glass. She stopped and put her hands on her hips. "Stan, are you listening to me?"

"Don't worry, Dear. She's alright. I had Elliot look for her. Apparently, she's at the infirmary. It seems she went to check on Zale. She fell asleep in a chair next to his bed. They're both fine,"

"Why didn't you tell me that? I've been worried out of my mind!" Stan shrugged when his wife scorned him. She sighed and shook her head. "Anyway, that was the last thing I was expecting to hear. She went to check up on him after all of that? I would have thought she'd want to stay as far away as possible from him for weeks out of sheer embarrassment," Abigail scoffed, plopping down on the sofa, relieved. "Good heavens. A lot can happen in just a few hours."

"No kidding. I have to admit it wasn't smart of me to leave them alone when Mae was in heat. I'm grateful that Zale handled that situation properly," Stan nodded, scratching his chin. "Mae's definitely feeling bad for what she did. Otherwise, she wouldn't have visited Zale. It is surprising to see her act like this, though, especially considering their current relationship. She even put away her pride to check up on him."

"Yeah, that does show progression in their relationship, even if it's the slightest adjustment. It's going to take them a while to become friends, let alone lovers. Mae has to begin her training with him soon as well. There have been so many drawbacks in the past couple of weeks," Abigail sighed. "Anyways, speaking of meeting up, Archeus hasn't replied to your meeting request. Two of his alphas were killed on our grounds. You'd think he'd want an explanation, being the chief of the south pack and all. We need to set firm lines with them to get them to shy away from their rebellion."