I let Lita and Rita actually assist me in getting dressed this time. My body is still too drained of energy. They pull out a one-shoulder orange top for me, and tuck it into a pair of white, floor length pants. They put my hair up into a fancy updo and put dangling earrings into my ears. Just as they're finishing up touches on my makeup, Zyon walks in. I figure he's only going to let me use this room, when I want to get dressed. He holds out his hand, expecting me to take it, and I do. I don't want to be assaulted again with my draining energy.

We walk down the stairs, hands interlaced, into a dining room full of his high-ranking warriors, beta and gamma once again. My eyes are immediately scouring the room for Zarah. When they finally land on her, we both let out a sigh of relief. I move to take a step towards her, but Zyon's hand tightens on mine, and I'm yanked back into his side.

Voices course around the room.

Zyon takes a seat at the end of the table and makes me sit next to him. The food is yet to arrive on the table. He removes his hand from mine, and places it on my thigh instead. I push it off, but he just places it back there with a firmer grip. The warmth from his hand is seeping onto my leg and leaves me unable to think about anything, apart from his hand.

I resist those thoughts and keep my eyes trained on Zarah, until they land on the Beta, who is here without Violet. I can't help but wonder where she is. Zarah seems happy with her mate. They're still getting to know each other, that much is clear.

The voices around the table are pretty hushed, whilst everyone eats. I think everyone is tired from being led on a chase for me or feeling awkward because their Luna ran away from them, twice. No one addresses me directly and I just want dinner to be over so I can go talk to Zarah and figure out my next step. Clearly, running isn't going to get me anywhere. I need to convince Zyon to take another. That's my only way out of this. Goddess, even thinking it, sends a wave of nausea to my stomach. I still can't process the idea of him taking another, even though I should have by now. He wanted to take Aly as his mate. The thought of that, causes me to try to push off his hand again, but it stays glued onto my leg. His grip just painfully increases. I'm sure he's going to leave his handprint on my thigh. It's like he's leaving marks of himself all over me. My neck is covered in hickeys that I have graciously covered with my hair and now my thigh is going to have a mark of his.

Soon enough dinner is over, and everyone is leaving to retire to their respective wings or rooms.

He says.

He replies back with a smirk.

He turns my head and pecks me on the lips. My face floods with embarrassment. All the heads at the table turn to us with adoring warm smiles, except for Zarah, who just has a cheeky grin on her face. I know she's thinking about all the times I would talk about wanting to kiss him when we were younger and I know she's amused by how hard I'm blushing. I've never been a shy person but with Zyon, I get all nervous.

I send Zarah a stone-cold glare, but her grin only gets wider. She knows I'm projecting my embarrassment, to anger onto her. Soon enough, Zyon finishes his food. He pulls me up from the table and tells everyone we're retiring for the evening. I'm getting tired of him yanking me everywhere. Nevertheless, he yanks me out of the dining room, through the hallways, up the stairs and into his wing. When he yanks me towards his room, is when I put up a fight. I dig my heels into the ground and pull away from him, but he isn't having it. My strength is nothing compared to his, so he ends up pulling me into his room and before I know it, I've been pushed onto the bed. He pulls out a key from his pocket. The same key he used earlier and I know what's coming. But he just throws a smile my way and grabs a wrist, and then I'm cuffed.

I lunge at him, but I'm pulled back with as much force as I get up with and go tumbling back onto the bed. I can hear him just chuckling at me.

I know that it's a petty response, and I hate myself the minute I say it.

He sends a wink my way, and then goes into the bathroom.

I can't help the butterflies that pop up in my stomach when he winks at me and the minute he can't see me, my lips curve up into a smile. How is he able to make me this giddy? I have no self-control. I have to consciously remind myself. This is the man who was going to make Aly his mate. She was his priority, until she left him. Suddenly, the butterflies disappear, and I'm just scowling at a wall, waiting for him to get out of his shower.

When he finally returns, it's in a pair of pajamas. Does he always roam around his private wing without a shirt on? Why can't he put on a shirt? I refuse to look at him, but he forces his way into my line of sight. He has a t-shirt of his in my hand. I'm uncuffed and he hands me the t-shirt.

He says.

I just scowl at him and go into the bathroom to get ready for bed. As I put on the shirt, I'm glad to see it's long enough and comes right above my knee. I would have freaked if it was too short. When I come out, Zyon's sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for me. He runs his eyes up the length of my legs, but I just roll my eyes and get into bed. A minute later, I feel him grab my arm.

"

He gets into bed soon after, puts an arm around my waist and pulls me closer. I don't resist it. I close my eyes, letting myself enjoy the feel of him.

He whispers into my ear.

My eyes fly back open.