Forsaken (Book 3 of the Zara's Wolf Trilogy) BWWM - ON HOLD

20. Questioning

Zara's POV

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I can't stop touching him. My hands glide gently over his face, his head, his shoulders, his chest, his arms—his own hands doing the same to me—relishing in the moment of knowing that he's here and alive when I thought he was dead.

In the next few minutes, as my hands continue their caresses, I blurt out everything that has happened since I was kidnapped. How Kairo is my father and the alpha of the Shadow Rogues and that he had taken me and Emily away "where it was safe," but I had no idea if we would ever see our pack again or not. How Ryan used us as added bait at the meeting even though Kairo didn't want to hand us over to him. How quick Kairo was to "claim" me and Emily in some kind of twisted way to protect us.

"All of his kids—my brothers and sister—they're all off-limits to the other rogues. They're not allowed to touch us. Aside from Jade—Keith's mate—I get the feeling that he thinks of us as his pack and everyone else is just extras he picks up," I tell him. "I'm not entirely sure who is in charge of what, but I think Kairo is helping Ryan to reclaim his territory and position as alpha. I think he intended to take Emily and I away with him after this war ended—and he was certain that Ryan would win."

"We have allies from other packs helping us," Evan says, cupping my cheeks with his palms. "We can win this. Whatever happens, I'm not letting them take you away from me again."

I smile at him before our lips meet for the first time in days.

Just in time for Derrick to return.

He clears his throat in the doorway and we pull apart, pink flushing Evan's cheeks. I stand in front of him to conceal his nakedness.

He hands Evan a cold compress and some clothes before we sit down on the floor and he begins to clean my injured wrists.

"What's going on upstairs?" I can't help but ask Derrick.

Those hazel eyes are trained on the task of treating my wounds. He doesn't once raise them to mine or Evan's.

He looks maybe thirty and bears the same scars across his chest like the other rogues.

"An Inquisition."

Not the talkative type, it seems.

"Did Ryan get away?"

"No. Alpha is extracting information from him right now. When he's done, he'll hear your side. I'd be careful if I were you. He's very protective of his claims. No one has ever gone against him the way Ryan has."

Yeah, Kairo didn't seem like the kind of guy you'd want to cross, never mind kidnap and kill his kid.

I didn't say that though.

"What happens now?" I ask.

"Don't know. That's not my decision to make."

So helpful.

He finishes wrapping my wrists and gets up. "Stay here. He will send for you when he's ready."

Leaving, he closes the door but I don't hear him lock it.

We could technically escape—if we felt up to it.

Looking down at my hands, I try shifting, but still can't.

Heaving a sigh, I snuggle up with Evan on the floor instead. It has been so long since I felt his touch, heard his voice, saw those golden eyes, and smelled his signature scent. We couldn't make a run for it even if we tried, so I held him to me and for the first time in ages, I felt like everything was going to be okay.