Zane - Confessions of a lycan

Chapter 12

Lily

I immediately tensed up, looking at Zane for an answer. He turned toward the door, but his body still hovered above me.

"It's okay, Lily. It's just Lucien. Come and we'll get dressed and go downstairs."Zane said as he looked back at me again and started to get off the bed. "Your friend seems upset." Judging by the way he slammed the door anyway.

Zane had regained his serious expression and just nodded stoically in response.

He gave me a navy-blue t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants to put on, which I had to tie at the waist but they still wanted to fall down.

I even had to fold the legs up several times. Maybe I was small, but I wasn't a damn kitten!

Dressed in nothing but sweatpants, Zane looked like a sinful temptation.

When he turned around, I saw that his back was completely covered in a large tattoo. A huge roaring tiger, with a skull in its mouth, and what I thought were native American symbols or Aztec perhaps, with feathers and totems.

Zane looked over his shoulder and gave me one of his devastating smiles. "See anything you like, Wildflower?"

I couldn't seem to stop the blush that covered my face at the slightest opportunity.

Which made Zane smile even bigger, which in turn caused my temper to flare. I wasn´t up for being his entertainment.

He smiled his devastating smile and held out his hand for me to take. "Come, my adorable little hissy kitten."

I took his hand but gave him an annihilating look. He just chuckled at me. "Teasing you is really irresistible, Wildflower".

He said as he grabbed my jaw with his free hand and gave me a kiss. I just shook my head at his antics.

He led me back down the stairs and into the living room. Exhaustion and nausea hit me like a tidal wave but I tried to fight it because I wanted to know what was going on, rest will have to wait. Over in the corner, a tall man was standing with his back towards us.

His black hair reached down to his shoulders and he wore a black suit that looked like it was cut just for him.

When he turned around, the scent hit me,Vampire. I immediately tensed up.

The little I had had to do with them was enough to keep me on my guard.

I instinctively took a step behind Zane. He looked back at me, a question mark on his face.

He stroked my hand with his thumb, but that wasn´t enough to make me trust this man in front of us.

I cautiously peeked around Zane's arm. The vampire tilted his head slightly and looked straight at me.

He was extremely handsome. With masculine facial features and a straight nose. His red eyes glowed in the dark as he looked at me. I immediately hid behind Zane again.

"She's gorgeous, Zane. Let me be the first to congratulate you on finding your mate."

"Thank you, old friend. But what happened after we left? You look like sh*t”

I cautiously peeked forward again to look closer. True, he looked terrible. His white shirt was tattered with blood stains.

The suit was missing buttons and the inner fabric seemed to be hanging loose.

Nevertheless, if Zane trusted this man enough to call him a friend, maybe I should too?

"Don't be shy, Wildflower. Lucien would defend you with his life."

"I'm s-s-orry, I have a hard time trusting strangers. I hope you don't take it personally." I said in a meek, careful voice to the handsome vampire. He cautiously smiled at me. "Non taken. I´m Lucien Kieran. Nice to make you acquaintance." He said with a smooth, British accent. "Zane, as much as I would have liked to leave you two to get to know each other, we need to talk about what happened tonight and what happened after you two left Nolan's club."

When Lucien said his name, I immediately started shaking. I had completely let go of all thoughts of that man, how he treated me. How I was forced to sit in a cage with lots of other starving she-wolves.

"Sweetheart, are you okay?" Zane turned and cupped my cheeks between his hands, looking me deep in the eyes.

I could feel a treacherous tear trickle over the edge but I still nodded that I was okay.

"Lily, what the hell did they do to you in that place?" Lucien came forward and stood next to Zane.

He looked at me with genuine concern. "I'm fine, I promise. What will happen to the other she-wolves?" I asked as I wiped the tear from my cheek. Zane and Lucien gave each other a look I couldn't decipher.

"Can't you please just say it like it is?"

"Lily, you're still weak after what you've been through. Maybe you should go to bed, and we'll talk about this tomorrow."

"Don't treat me like a disobedient child, Zane! Be honest or I'm going home!" I pulled away from his hands and gave him a look that said it all. I refused to be kept in the dark. Just because I was small didn't mean I wasn´t mentally strong enough to cope.

Zane looked shocked, but Lucien smiled and tried to hide his laughter behind a cough.

"Finally, someone who won't put up with your bullsh*t, Z. I'm impressed." I was surprised if I didn´t have smoke coming out of my ears at that point as I set my sights on the smug vampire. Lucien raised his hands in a disarming gesture. "I'll be quiet, I promise". But despite his words, the smile didn't disappear from his lips. Insufferable vampire.

"Baby, I'm not trying to keep you in the dark. I'm just trying to take care of you."

"I've been taking care of myself since I was seven, Zane. I don't need a babysitter. What I need is someone who's honest"

Okay, maybe that was a little harsh, but I refuse to just let go of Rose and the others who were locked up and just continue my life as if nothing happened. I still didn't know why Zane was even there. Honestly, that question made me more nervous than anything else. I would never be able to sleep until I knew the truth. Zane looked like I slapped him. s**t, now I felt guilty.

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound ungrateful. However, I was the one sitting in a cage so small I could barely turn around for what felt like an eternity. I was the one who had to starve and live in my own filth, waiting to be sold as a s*x slave. I deserve to know the truth, Zane.”

"They kept you in what!?" Zane looked pissed at my confession.

"Z, you need to calm down. She's right, she deserves to know, and we need to hear her story. She knows things we don't. If we're going to get anywhere with this, her story could be crucial." Lucien added.

"She's my mate! All I care about is that she gets to heal and forget the crap she's been through. Then you want to force her to relive it all by telling us?!" Zane roared so loudly that Lucien tooke a step back.

I put my hand on his arm before he did something he would regret. "He's right, Zane. I don't know why you were at that club, but I have a feeling it wasn't for the same reason that all the other men were there. If you want to help those who have been victimized, then I have to tell you my story."

Zane turned to look at me. His eyes conveyed that he was deeply hurt by what I said. Goddess, that was never my intention.

I could hear a wimper far in the back of my mind. Was that my wolf? It disappeared as quickly as it came.

"Did you think I was there because I was as disgusting as all the other vile men?" Zane asked with a hurt voice.

"Can we please stop all the assumptions for a while? I didn't know what to think when you picked me up in that room. Can you really blame me for that? But I realized pretty quickly that you were different, special. Without you having explained anything to me yet. But that doesn't mean I don't want to know the truth." I placed my hand against his cheek, trying to convey with my gaze that I would never think anything bad about him, not anymore. I had to trust my instincts when it came to this. And my instincts told me that this was a man who had also been through his fair share of pain but was still an amazing being.

He lifted my hand and kisses my palm. The simple gesture almost brought tears to my eyes again. He was like a big teddy bear deep down inside and he was all mine.

"Okay, if you're sure, Wildflower. But if it gets too hard, that's okay, you don't have to continue." I gave him a smile and stepped into his arms. He put his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. "I know."

He picked me up and carried me through the modern kitchen which had a kitchen island where bar stools were in a neat row.

Around the corner was a corridor where he carried me into a room on the left.

It was a sparingly furnished modern office. With just a sofa, whiteboard and a desk in the middle of the room.

He went to sit down on the couch with me still in his arms. He took the blanket hanging on the edge and gently put it over my shoulders. When I tried to move, he held me down, so my legs were still draped over his thighs. I couldn't hold back a smile.

He seemed to be most content when he got to touch some part of me at all times.

Lucien stepped in behind us, and looked at us with joy in his eyes, but I could also see something else. Could it be longing? Maybe he hadn't found his soulmate yet? I didn't know how old he was, but I had read that some have to wait centuries before they meet their destined ones. He settled into the desk chair and started the laptop. Zane took my hand in his, interlacing our hands. "Wildflower, the reason Lucien and I came to Nolan's club tonight is because we have been trying to infiltrate a criminal network for months. It hasn't been easy and I'm afraid we've both gained a reputation to match the criminals involved in this. But I promise and swear, baby, that what's being said about us, what we've claimed we've done for the past few months, none of it is true. Nothing I promise. Please tell me you believe me?" My poor teddy bear looked terrified at what my answer would be.

"Of course, I believe you, Zane." The relief reflected in his eyes was immense. Did he seriously believe that I would reject him based on rumors? I had a feeling there was more to that story. But now was not the time to dig into it.

"The minister of security in the Lycan council contacted us some time ago that several she-wolves have been reported missing. Our job was to find out who was behind it and why and where they went. When we searched, we found hidden offshore accounts and very large amounts of money moved back and forth. However, they all lead to different shell companies that we cannot link to any specific person. But the complexity of the execution of these kidnappings, the number of men it takes to carry them out and the money amounting to large sums being moved around tells us that it is most likely someone very high up in the hierarchy is behind this.” This news surprised me. I understood that it was about organized crime, but that it was high ranking officials appointed to protect our society that was behind it? How could they do something like that?

"How do you know the minister of security? Do you work for the council?” The questions were piling up in my head, thinking hard to get all the threads sewn together. "Well, hmm… baby, there is something I haven't told you yet." Zane looked uncomfortable with my question and squirmed slightly under me. I looked over at Lucien to get an answer to my question but he just smirked at me. “This is Lucien Kieran, the duke of the eastern woodlands and a member of the Council.”

Holy Goddess! Should I stand up and bow or something?

“And I, my wildflower, am Zane Wulfric. Duke of the Northern Woodlands and third in line to the throne.”

Holy Jesus, Mary, Joseph and all his little carpenter friends!!

“Are you serious!? You can´t be serious!?” This mess just got even more complicated, and left a bad taste in my mouth…