Chapter 16: Worried

I was still in Zander’s embrace. He kept his eyes on mine and brushed a hand down my cheek slowly. It sent shivers down my neck. I wanted him to touch me more and maybe kiss me again.

What was I saying? Remember your fiancé, I told myself. I couldn’t let him make me stray from Ash.

Zander moved close to my lips and said, “I think that’s enough training. It was fun.”

I resisted telling him that he couldn’t trick me. Part of me really wanted another kiss. I felt disgusted that I wanted someone like I did with Ash. It was so bad.

He released me from his hold and got up and walked out of the training room. How could he just leave after putting me in that situation? My heart was still trying to go back to its regular rate. I needed to get a hold of myself and fast.

I sat up and ran a hand through my hair. Had he just been messing with me? Half of me wanted to run after him and make him explain what that was about. A guy couldn’t just do something so intimate and run off.

I decided to forget it. I’d bet he was joking around and wasn’t ever going to actually try something. It’s not like Zander actually liked me. He just seemed to be almost a colleague to me. I wasn’t sure what Zander was to me.

When I got back to my room, I freshened up and changed into clean jeans and a thin sweater. I freed my hair from its ponytail and brushed it out. My hair fell into waves from being up for so long. I also noticed my face was still flushed from the good sparring session.

Shortly after leaving my suite, I went to the living room. Suddenly, I worried about Ash. I checked my phone and saw he still hadn’t called or texted me. What if he had been hurt while I was away?

It became clear what I had to do. My parents would be ticked off at me, but I had to take a chance. Ash was an important person to me. If something happened to him…I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself for not being around.

I quickly packed all my toiletries, clothes, and phone charger into my luggage. I needed to leave and see Ash. It couldn’t wait until my training was over. I missed him and wanted to see if he was okay.

As I walked with my luggage in hand, I heard a familiar voice. It was Emerald. She was out in the hallway. I knew I shouldn’t have listened in but did anyway.

“Yeah I heard Zander’s parents were killed on purpose.”

I went back to my room and dropped off my luggage. No way could I leave at that moment. Zander needed to know this information. I’d feel guilty if I hadn’t told him what I found out.

I’d have to just leave at a later point, but I still wanted to go. I had to go see Ash again. It wouldn’t hurt to stall on leaving for a little while longer.

If only I had Zander’s number. I wasn’t sure where he was. I decided to search for him at the room he was staying in first.

I knocked on the closed door and opened it to find a shirtless guy with a girl clinging to him. She was only half dressed. I tried to look at the guy’s eyes and avoid the girl’s glare.

“Um…I was wondering is Zander in there by chance?”

“No. He went to the kitchen to get lunch a little bit ago.” The guy looked at his company and back at me. “Is that all you need? I’m kind of busy.”

“Yeah that’s it. Thanks.”

He closed the door, and I heard loud kissing as I walked off. I hoped an elder wouldn’t catch them with what they were doing. I shook my head at their behavior and kept moving towards the kitchen.

Zander was making a sandwich and stacking many pieces of salami and cheese on it. He was shirtless for some reason, so I’d have to avoid looking at his gorgeous body. Why was he so sexy?

I shook my head and stopped thinking about him that way. He looked at me as I got closer and smiled at me.

“You hungry too after our sparring? It sure made me hungry.”

I briefly glanced at his abs and then looked back to his eyes. “No. But we need to talk.”

He finished making his sandwich and took a bite. After practically inhaling that first bite, he spoke again “What do you want to talk about?”

Zander took two more bites of sandwich while I thought how to word it. I needed to be sensitive but needed to tell him what I found out. It took a few seconds to come up with a good way to put it.

I didn’t want to make him feel horrible. This news could really affect him. I wasn’t sure if telling him the news would make him angry or sad. It was clear I didn’t know him well enough to judge how he’d take it. I wished I knew how to give him this news without hurting him.

“I heard Emerald talking about your parents.”

Zander set his sandwich down and looked at me intensely. “What exactly did you hear? Tell me everything Cleo.”

I took a deep breath and said, “She was talking about how your parents got killed on purpose.”

Hi face fell and he said, “Shit. I knew the Alpha of my old pack was hiding things from me.” He added, “Thanks for telling me this."

I was happy I had told him. But I wondered what else Emerald knew. I should’ve stayed longer to hear more. What if I actually missed something else important? I wanted to smack myself in the forehead for that mistake.

Next thing I knew, he pulled me close to me and held me tightly. Once again, that safe and warm feeling swept over me. It almost took over my rational side.

I wondered what he’d do with the new information I told him. A shudder went through me as I thought if I had done the right thing.