Chapter 807 – Hidden Desires of the Werewolf King Novel

Filed To Story: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel

Zina laughed nervously. “How can I be unhappy about you? I don’t know you.”

Owen pushed himself into a seated position and he cleared his throat before saying to Zina, “I am Owen of the Red Moon pack. I am a Lieutenant and… I guess that’s it.”

Zina cocked an eyebrow at him. “That’s not much to go with.” There must be more. What was he hiding?

“I am an orphan. I don’t remember if I ever had a family. Most of my time is spent on the training grounds, so… there isn’t much to say about me.”

“Oh…” Zina was not sure how to respond to that.

Zina thought of sharing something about herself. “I am Zina of the Shadow Fang pack. I am an Omega who works in the packhouse, and I came here to visit my friend.” Zina realized that her status might be a problem. “Do you dislike that I’m an Omega? Will you reject me for it? Or…”

“No, no,” Owen was quick to say. “I have nothing against Omegas. I would be one if I didn’t become a warrior.”

“That is true for any warrior, yet it doesn’t stop them from bullying Omegas,” Zina said. Even Omegas are bullying Omegas in this pack.

“I won’t mistreat you because of your status, Zina of the Shadow Fang pack.”

Zina was not sure if she should believe him. She heard a lot of scary stories about members of the Red Moon pack. “You won’t?”

Owen shook his head, and asked, “Will you look down on me because I have no background?”

Somehow, his question dispelled Zina’s worries. Mostly because she could feel his insecurities. He really wanted her to accept him.

“You are not a nobody. You are Lieutenant Owen. My mate.”

Owen’s face lit up and his eyes moved to Zina’s lips. He really wanted to kiss her.

Dawn entered the room to see that Owen and Zina were staring at each other and inching closer.

“Am I interrupting something?”

Zina rolled her eyes. Well, that broke the lovey-dovey bubble.

She waved at Dawn to come with the bowl of water she brought in.

“Give me that. I want to wash away the blood from Owen’s face, so I can see him properly.”

Dawn clicked her tongue. “He is your mate. He might have a body covered in scales, yet you will still think that he is the sexiest man alive.”

Zina wiggled her eyebrows at Dawn. “Well, I can’t help it if my mate is sexy.”

Dawn made a face. “Pleeeease, spare me before I gag.”

“I was listening to your stories about George, Mr. Perfect. Now it’s my turn to fill your ears with stories of my mate…”

Owen listened to the spiky exchange between Zina and Dawn, and he liked that Zina was standing up for him.

Zina turned to Owen while holding a damp cloth and he got worried. What if she doesn’t like how he looks? What will she think after she finds out who he is? He was a Lieutenant, and other than that, he didn’t have much to offer to his mate.

Zina pushed Owen to lay on the bed.

“Let me know if it hurts,” she said, and then she started cleaning up the dried blood from his cheeks.

Owen closed his eyes, and he enjoyed the treatment. He didn’t want to say how he had much worse injuries than a broken nose, and he mostly tended to his own wounds. This was different. It was the first time for a female to handle him with such care. And this was not just any female, this was his mate, an alluring Goddess with fiery red hair.

Owen was dazed by the occasional sparks that stirred whenever her skin touched his.

Zina was super-gentle, and she grimaced while pressing a damp cloth on his face.

“So much blood…” Zina said with her brows coming together in concern.

Owen’s mood dropped when he realized how he got hurt.

“Are you the reason why George is skipping work?” Owen asked Dawn grumpily.

“OWW!” He exclaimed when Zina pressed the cloth close to his nose.

“Dawn is my best friend,” Zina said with a warning in her voice. “Mate or not, no one gets to talk to Dawn like that.”

Dawn was glad to see that Zina stood up for her, but at the same time, Dawn didn’t envy Zina’s situation. Owen was a big variable, and he already knew too much. What if Owen works against George? Will Zina and Dawn need to pick between their friendship and their mates?

Dawn was anxious and she decided to probe the situation.

She exposed the left side of her neck, where George’s mark was.

“I am George’s fated mate.”

Owen’s eyebrows shot up. He suspected that George had a woman, but a fated mate? “Why is he hiding you?”

“I’m sure you know that with George’s status, people would try to use me against him.”

Owen knew that, but… “Do you plan to hide forever?”

Dawn was not sure how to respond to this. Telling Zina that this was temporary was one thing, but she didn’t trust Owen. What if he spreads it around and it reaches Alpha Edward? Commander George leaving the pack would be a big deal. Huge!

“Instead of meddling in other people’s relationships, why don’t you worry about ours?” Zina asked, getting Owen’s attention. “What are we going to do? You said that you won’t reject the bond, and I won’t do it either as long as you show an intention to treat me well. So, what’s next? Are you planning for us to stay in the Red Moon pack? As a Lieutenant, you don’t have a private residence. Are you expecting me to go into barracks where you are sharing living areas with others? How many roommates do you have?”

Zina didn’t know about the Lieutenant’s living conditions, but she knew that only Generals and Commanders get private residences.

Owen needed a moment to process this. “As a mated couple, we will get a bedroom.” Most of the mated warriors with a rank got apartments, but that was based on availability, and he didn’t dare to promise her an apartment and then not deliver on it.

Zina cocked an eyebrow. “A bedroom? What about the kitchen? Living area? I heard that newcomers here are treated horribly. Are you expecting me to stay locked up in our bedroom while you are working, or should I go out so Omegas like Ana can take a swipe at me?”

Owen’s mind was spinning. They just met, and she was asking about living conditions. Of course, none of those would matter if he was a General and if he had his own home. Damn it!

But then… even if he had his own home, incidents like the one with Ana would happen when she was not with him.

“Do you have a suggestion?” Owen asked.

“Yes!” Zina exclaimed. “Come with me to the Shadow Fang pack.”

Owen froze. “What?”

“At least, consider it. OK? Me leaving my pack to be with you shouldn’t be easier than you leaving your pack. I have an apartment and a steady job. Alpha Dayson will give you a chance to prove yourself and he won’t thwart your progress just because you are a newcomer.”

Owen licked his lips. “Angel, listen. I’m not a man who can live off a woman.”

It was sexist, but Zina found something good in his answer. He didn’t dismiss the Shadow Fang pack.

“If you come to the Shadow Fang pack, you won’t live off me. You will live WITH me,” Zina said to Owen. “I have a job and you will get one also. I can’t promise you will keep your status as a Lieutenant, but Alpha Dayson accepts newcomers as warriors. The Shadow Fang pack accommodates people from other packs, and no one will bully you.”

Dawn nodded in agreement. “Actually, people in our pack welcome newcomers. We see that as proof that our pack is better and that’s why outsiders choose to join.”

Owen didn’t miss that Dawn spoke about the Shadow Fang pack like it’s hers, but he didn’t want to probe into it. He had more important things to figure out.

He never considered leaving the Red Moon pack. Yes, things were not ideal, but he was just one step away from being a General, and that would be a big jump in his status.

No one told him that this was George’s villa, but Owen figured it out right away. Just this room was so much better than his current accommodations or anything he saw before, other than the packhouse, of course. Wasn’t something like this only one promotion away? How long will it take? A year? Five? Will Zina wait so long for him?

Zina could feel that Owen was considering his options but was not convinced, so she decided to try a different approach. “Don’t think too much about it now.”

Owen was confused. “I thought you want me to think about joining the Shadow Fang pack.”

Zina didn’t want him to think about it. She wanted him to do it!

“It is a big decision, and it shouldn’t be done on the spot. For now, I want two things from you. First, I want you to keep an open mind. Second, I want you to talk to my Alpha. Alpha Dayson will be here with his Luna tomorrow.” Zina turned to Dawn. “We can invite Talia and Dayson here, right?”

Dawn confirmed. “I can make it happen under one condition.”

“Which one?” Zina and Owen asked in unison.

“Until you figure out where and how you will live, don’t let him mark you.”

Zina reached for the left side of her neck. That was the place where Owen’s mark should come. Her eyes moved to meet Owen’s and she swallowed hard. Will he sink his fangs in there to release his venom and mark her? Will that happen during steamy sex? Will she see stars in broad daylight while he rams himself inside her?

Zina pressed her legs together and she could feel her wolf urging her to pounce on a honey-scented man in front of her. Did he taste as good as he smelled? There was only one way to find out, but Dawn was watching.

However, Dawn’s request was reasonable. Hold off with marking until they figure out the important stuff. One day, at most. How hard can that be?

Zina often imagined what her mate will look like and now that she found him, Zina was happy and nervous and she regretted that she couldn’t just jump into it without care, but Dawn was right. They shouldn’t rush this.

Zina didn’t want to seal the mate bond that was getting stronger by the second, and end up miserable just because he was handsome, and he smelled edible, and she was horny.

Normally, fated mates would do anything to make each other happy, but there were exceptions. Sometimes, people would go with their beliefs and habits, and neglect the pull. Zina didn’t want to risk it. She already had a wonderful life and many friends. Leaving that behind for a man who won’t treat her well was not worth it.

“I think that’s fine,” Zina said to Dawn and turned to Owen. “What do you think?”

“I agree to hold off with marking.” He wouldn’t mark Zina against her will anyway. It would seal the bond, but it wouldn’t turn her stupid. Marking was once in a lifetime and it should be wonderful, for both of them.

Owen’s wolf was howling in his head to claim the female that belonged to them, but he also wanted to make her happy.

“Also, I will talk to your Alpha if he wants to talk to me,” Owen said. “I hope you will guide me through this. I don’t want to risk offending him.” Alpha Edward was unapproachable to anyone below the rank of a General, and Owen didn’t know what to expect of Dayson whose reputation was vicious. Dayson was the most powerful Alpha and that wouldn’t be the case if he was easygoing.

Zina smiled at Owen. “Thank you.”

Sensing that Dawn relaxed, Zina focused on cleaning Owen’s face.

Little by little, Owen’s features were revealed. Light brown hair in a military-style buzz cut, thick and unruly eyebrows, a few days old stubble… she frowned at the sight of purple lines and swelling on his nose, but he assured her that it will heal completely in a few days.

Owen was handsome, but not fierce like warriors. Every curve of his face was pleasing to the eyes and inviting, and Zina wondered if that was how she saw him because he was her mate.

Zina had difficulty looking away from his light gray eyes that stirred with endless desire. She really wanted to kiss him and much more, but Dawn was watching them. Can she ask Dawn to leave without being too obvious about it?

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