ZARAMANNI (BOOK ONE)
PART TWO: CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

As she slowly turned to face King Darren who had jumped out of his seat, shock visible on his face, Zaramanni realized that there were bigger problems at hand.

Her feet that crashed the table she landed on could cause a bigger disaster for all she cared.

At that moment, it was clear that she needed an escape plan.

But how would she escape?

She had been pulled from her room into a huge space and from there, she was dragged into the gathering of men that could become wolves.

And, all of that happened thanks to something that was greatly unknown to her.

“Who are you?” Sham’s demand snapped Zara out of her thoughts. The closeness of his voice made her grit her teeth.

After cupping her hands to form a canopy that hid her face, Zara attempted to leave that unlikable situation.

Her feet started to crush the wooden ruins, she tried to remove herself from the middle of the mess. And, slight distress came upon her face when she glimpsed at King Darren’s perplexed state.

She did not intend to meet him again in such unusual circumstances.

Zaramanni had already imagined the moment they would meet again.

She would make sure a smirk is planted on her face, her shoulders would carry the weight of feeling superior, the look in her eyes would taunt him and the words that fall out of her mouth would strongly embarrass him.

Then, she would make her request to leave Zenrada for good.

But it would be difficult for any of that to happen.

Her desire to confront the Alpha King had been reduced to an unexpected occurrence where she crashed what seemed to be a meeting.

The chaos in the room increased and the men began to demand to know who she was and what she was doing there. One person was already making speculations about who she could be and he was close to solving the mystery.

Zaramanni recognized Sham’s and Zoey’s voices amid the disaster and she had more reason to hide or run away.

But, her right leg was caught in an obstacle, and her attempt to run away started to look ridiculous.

Zaramanni continued to make sure her face was hidden despite knowing that her hair colour would eventually give her identity away.

“Oh my!” Lord Elias quickly stepped in, a forced chuckle escaping his lips while he dragged his feet toward Zara.

A comical grin rested on his jovial face and his eyes occasionally stole glances at the men who were about to call guards. “How did you get here?” His question was directed at Zara.

With a pout on her lips and a plea in her eyes, Zara begged Lord Elias to do something. She was still silently begging the he-wolf when a strong hand wrapped itself around her left leg.

Startled, Zaramanni looked down, and lo, King Darren was lifting her trapped leg out of the ruins.

“Zaramanni?” Zara heard Zoey ask in his deep and calm voice and her heart instantly began to pound. She didn’t even get the chance to fully process what King Darren had just done.

“Wh-what?” Lord Elias laughed. “What would she be doing here?” He covered the girl’s face with his cloak. “You must be imagining things Beta Zoey, she can’t be here.”

”It…”

The force that zapped her in and out of places came again and a frightful Zara found herself in her room again.

Relief washed over her when she saw the familiar and likable sight of her bed. Her eyes landed on Clarissa who was still sleeping soundly and her relaxed state fully settled.

Then, Zaramanni’s knees hit the ground. Sighing deeply, she stared past the windows on her right and wondered if her attempt to hide her half-fairy status was indeed ruined.

Beta Zoey looked like a smart man, of course, he would know she was the one. Then Sham would know as well and they would both replace out that she was not purely human.

“It is over, Zara. It is all over,” she said to herself, her whispering voice highly dramatic.

When Zara attempted to place her hands over her mouth to further mourn the loss of her secret, she noticed black stains on her right hand.

And, she was reminded of the assassin she killed.

Staring at the disgusting dark lines, Zaramanni decided to have a bath first.

After, she can go back to being stressed about the bizarre thing she had just faced.

Carefully, she dumped her nightgown in the waste container and walked into the bathroom.

After minutes of washing her hands thoroughly by the sink that was adjacent to the unusually coated water closet, she ran a bath and soon immersed her body into that pool of soapy water.

Sitting still, Zaramanni lifted her hands and stared at them as though the black dried blood was visible.

Then, her mind traveled to the moment she killed that creature.

She recalled how his veins popped out as she squeezed the life out of the creature.

Without thinking about it, Zara wore a small smile on her lips.

As Zaramanni recalled the look of horror and appeal on the face that took Gavin’s appearance, she felt content within her and her lips tugged even more.

Zara could still remember how easily his skin tore and a satisfied look settled on her face.

She was happy about what happened in the strange enclosed space.

She felt good about killing that creature. Watching his lifeless body deflate gave her joy and she felt that emotion more as she stared at the very hand that took the creature’s life.

Zaramanni then looked toward the window.

She could still see the sky which was looking less gloomy and as her sight fell on the moon which was also gradually getting its colour back, she shook off her excitement.

It was unlike her.

It was as though a person who enjoyed the thought of murder occupied her body for a while and decided to playback that gruesome moment.

But Zara was aware that was not the case.

Those happy thoughts… It was all her.

Zara sighed.

Being a half-fairy was starting to seem bothersome.

Within a night, so many things happened and it was very likely that the incidents would lead to something huge.

Zara just hoped it wouldn’t lead to overwhelming situations. Being in Zenrada was suffocating enough.

After completing her bath, Zaramanni stepped out of the bath.

Contrary to her initial plan, Zaramanni didn’t bother with stressing about what had happened in the meeting room. It was embarrassing enough to be aware of the fact that it was real.

So, after putting on comfortable nightwear, she jumped into bed and the thoughts of cutting her hair raided her mind again.

~

Stretching her legs in satisfaction, Zara released a loud yawn which was followed by the rapid fluttering of her eyelids. Her sleep was indeed a content one.

Her position had her facing Clarissa’s bed so when she opened her eyes, that was the first person she saw.

A gentle smile on her lips, Zaramanni waved in the woman’s direction. It gladdened her to see the she-wolf looking better.

“How did you sleep, Clarissa?”

Zara sounded surprisingly calm.

Before she opened her eyes, she recalled the things that happened the night before, and her mind had suffered some kind of turmoil.

Clarissa didn’t give a response.

And, Zara noticed that Clarissa was staring at something else.

“Clarissa?” Zara was worried. She sat up instantly. “Are you okay?”

She was about to move closer when the woman pointed behind Zaramanni. “What?” Zaramanni was feeling scared. Her eyes squinted as she sank her knees into the bed, and called again, “Clarissa?”

“B-beta Zoey.”

Zara felt her breath hitch. “Huh?” She wished she heard Clarissa wrong.

“Beta Zoey.” The woman was still pointing. “He has been standing there for a while.”

”W-wh-what?”

The Beta had to be there to confront her about the incident.

She knew that he would not keep quiet about it.

“He is behind me?” Zara asked Clarissa, caution in her voice as she wondered whether to turn or not.

“Yes.”

Her brows twitching, Zaramanni urged herself to stay calm and brace herself.

’Of course, I should face him,’ she implored herself as she turned. ’I can’t run away forever.’

“Zaramanni.” Beta Zoey’s voice was as stern as the look on his face.

Zara’s eyes could not stay locked with his, so her sight traveled somewhere else which happened to be his bare chest.

“Oh…” Without meaning to, Zaramanni found herself gasping when the naked chest in front of her flexed its beauty effortlessly. Firm, looking rock-hard, his well-formed abdomen danced as the man’s breathing thickened.

Even though Zara had seen him naked before, she was not as taken aback as she was at that moment.

As though she was looking at a plate of delicious food, Zara’s pupils dilated and her mouth felt dry, so she took a deep swallow to moisten it.

“Zaramanni,” Beta Zoey called again before Zara’s eyes could travel down his trousers to continue her eye excursion

“Huh?”

Zara had forgotten she needed to plot ways to defend herself once the man makes mention of the incident.

As he instantly lifted her off the bed and had her standing straight, fear befell her.

And it was not the usual kind. It was too much.

Zaramanni didn’t get the chance to deal with her fright when Zoey grabbed her hand and led her out of the room, his footsteps filled with intent.

Zara wanted to protest his actions but she couldn’t. Quietly, she followed him and his footsteps advanced towards a part of the manor she was yet to be familiar with.

When they got to a particular entrance, he stopped walking.

Zaramanni, with heavy breaths, watched as the Beta pushed the doors open.

Behind the doors was a bedroom and it had a peculiar feel to it.

Zaramanni could not replace the word to describe the room. She didn’t get the chance to either.

Beta Zoey gently pushed her back against the doors. With his soulless eyes, he pierced into her fearful and curious ones.

“Zaramanni…” he called and one of his hands pressed against the door. Zara swallowed hard because it looked like he was about to threaten her.

And, she tried hard not to gaze into his eyes.

“Forgive me,” he muttered.

Zaramanni could not voice her confusion when his masculine hand went around her waist. He pulled her slender body against his, the firmness of his bare chest teasing her greatly.

Zaramanni’s breath shuddered when his other hand gently clutched a mass of her hair.

Zoey made her look up at him and after that simple yet head-turning action, his lips fell on hers.

And, without mercy, he communicated his hunger for her.

The Beta captured her lips with tact.

And as his slow, demanding and provocative kisses filled the room with an air of sensuality, his hands urged her to respond accordingly.

Zara felt hot.

Something grew inside her. Something pushed her to wrap her hands around the man’s waist

She tipped her toes, gave in to the fiery kiss, and enjoyed the overwhelming bliss of that moment which didn’t go the way she expected.