Chapter 9

Zayde's Point of View "Wow..." Scott, who came with us, mumbles as we step into the house the party is being held at. "Where the hell is Sky?" Jason says next to me, his gaze darting around the writhing bodies. The music is pounding, the lights flashing over sweaty, laughing pack members. My eyes scan the area as well, looking for them. I don't see Chloe, but I spot Sky and Maya, across the room in a carefree giggling pile of limbs on a couch, clearly drunk. "There." I nod my head in their direction. "Oh my god, you have got to be kidding me." Jason stalks off to where Sky is sitting on the couch, with Maya draped over her. Scott and I quickly follow him. "Skylar. Up. Now." Jason hisses, grabbing his sister's arm. "Jason? What are you doing here? You look mad." She slurs and hiccups before she starts to giggle again. Before he can answer, Maya throws herself at him, and he catches her as she wraps her legs and arms around him. "Jasy-poo! I missed you!" She says before grabbing him and kissing him full on the mouth, shocking all four of us. As soon as she kissed him, she pulls away, leaning her head on his chest. "Take me home..." I hear her say, and he looks at me questioningly. "Zayde?" He asks and only then does my sister realize I'm there as well. She lifts her head slightly, her eyes wide. "Zayde... Don't tell dad." She says and I arch my brow. "We'll talk about tomorrow." I say to her, but before I can continue, Jack appears next to me. "I can't find Chloe, do any of you see her?" We all look at the girls who are both just staring at us with wide eyes. I sigh and shake my head before turning to Jack. "Can you take her and Sky home in your truck? I'll help Jack find Chloe. Take Maya to my floor. I'll let my parents know she is spending the night at the pack house.' I say, and he nods before looking back down at his sister. "Can you walk?" She nods her head vigorously and stands. "Of course." But her legs wobble with the first step she takes and she loses her balance. Scott is quick to grab her, stopping her fall before he picks her up bridal style. "I got her. Let's go." He says to Jason and I look away, knowing they'll get Maya and Sky back home and to bed safely. My eyes continue to scan the crowd, trying to find Chloe. "I still don't see her, do you?" Jack asks, and I'm about to shake my head when a familiar head of strawberry blonde curls captures my attention. My jaw clenches as my narrowed eyes focus on her. Chloe is dancing very closely with a random guy, someone I don't recognize, her hair wild, clearly tipsy, absolutely beautiful and having fun, with someone that is not me. She puts her hands on his chest, and throws her head back, laughing. I see the guy oggling her breasts and I feel my eyes flash in jealousy as a growl slips out of my throat. The realization sets in that if I kept pushing her away she would end up in someone else's arms and I can't let that happen. Jack's eyes follow the direction of my gaze and he swears. "Chloe, I swear to..." He begins as he heads in her direction, but he doesn't get far before I grab his arm, stopping him. He turns to me with a frown. "I've got her." I say my voice firm, and he hesitates, looking between me and his sister. "Zayde..." He says, uncertainty lacing his voice. I focus my gaze on him. "It's okay, Jack. I promise. I'll handle this. Just go wait for us at the truck." He stares at me for a minute before he slowly nods his head and steps back. I quickly make my way over to where Chloe and the guy are dancing, my gaze burning into her. Chloe sees me coming, and she hesitates, her eyes going round as she stares at me. "Zayde..." She says softly, but I don't pay her any attention, instead I turn to look at the guy who still had his hands wrapped around her waist. "You’ve had your fun. Now get lost." The guy, clearing drunk, stares at me challengingly. "And who the hell are you?" I don't answer him, I just stare at him, rolling my Alpha aura right at him, smirking when he flinches, tilting his head to the side before quickly backing away. I turn back to look at Chloe, who is glaring at me with her arms folded over her chest, looking flushed and annoyed. "What the hell was that Zayde?" "We're leaving now." I say, grabbing her arm, but she rips it out of my hold. "No. I was having fun with a cute guy, one that wants me." "Yeah, I saw the way he was oggling what doesn't belong to him." She shakes her head and pokes me in the chest. "No. No, you don't get to come here and act all jealous. You can't control me or tell me what to do. You don't want me remember? You made that very clear." "That doesn't mean I'm okay with watching somebody else touch you. I'm not just going to stand here and watch you grind against some idiot." "Then maybe you should have thought about that before you kept pushing me away every damn time I got close to you! You don't get to just show up here and pretend that you care when it suits you." She yells, stepping up to me and pushing against my chest. I step even closer, grabbing her hand. "Don’t you get it Chloe? That’s the whole problem. I do want you. I do care. I've always cared, but I'm not talking to you about it here. You are causing a scene, and you are making people look at us. Let's go. Now." I hiss, and she glares up at me, shaking her head. My resolve snaps and I make a snap decision. I wrap my hands around her waist, lifting her up and hauling her over my shoulders. I hear people cheering around us, but I don't pay attention to them as I march out of the house, with a yelling and kicking Chloe bouncing on my shoulder. "Zayde! What the hell do you think you are doing? Put me down!" She slams her fists into my back. I ignore her struggles, making my way towards the pack house. "No. I'm getting you out of here before I lose my mind and do something I might regret." "Put me down, you caveman! You can't just grab me and drag me away!" She yells as she continues to hit my back. "Zayde, I swear to the Moon Goddess, if you don't put me down I will bite you." "Try that, and I'll tie you to a tree until you calm down." "Don't you dare." She hisses before I feel her teeth sinking into my back. "What the f**k Chlo?" I hiss at the same time as my hand connects with her ass, spanking her. She gasps, shocked. "Did you just spank me?" She hisses, trying to look at me, but I just shrug. "You bit me." I state matter of factly. "Put me down. Now." She hisses and I comply, pulling her from my shoulder and placing her back on her feet. She brushes her hair from her face, glaring at me. She steps closer, about to poke my chest, but I arch a brow at her. "Behave, or you'll be getting another spanking." She narrows her eyes at me but stays put, folding her arms over her chest. "You can't touch me like that unless you’re ready to deal with the consequences." She hisses again, and I chuckle, stepping closer, backing her into a tree. I lean my arm on the trunk right above her head and I see her swallow nervously at our closeness. "Oh, sweetheart... I have been dealing with the consequences since the day you were born and brought chaos into my life." She pushes against my chest, trying to create some distance between us as she shakes her head. "You don’t get to act like this, Zayde. Not after all the times that you have looked at me like I meant nothing to you." I grab a strand of her hair, twirling it between my fingers. "I looked at you like that because if I let myself feel what I really feel for you... If I let myself have you, Chloe, I don’t think I’ll ever let you go. I won't be able to stop." Her breath hitches and we just stare at each other for a few seconds. "You are a coward, Zayde." She says, quietly, her voice filled with venom. I nod my head slowly. "I know... I was... But not anymore." "What does that mean?" She asks hesitantly and I cup her cheek. "It means I don't want to push you away anymore." She stares at me, her eyes searching my face for something. "You hurt me." "I know..." "I'm not letting you hurt me again. You're not going to just storm in, act like you care, and then walk away again." I nod my head again. "I know, and I won't. I'm not walking away this time. And I'm not letting you go. You drive me crazy, Chloe. You make me forget how to breathe. And every time I push you away, it damn near kills me." "Then why did you?" "Because I am scared of losing you. I thought it would be easier if I never had you. Loving you scares me, but the thought of losing you... That terrifies me. I don't want to lose you to someone else." "Then prove it. But if you ever push me away again or treat me like a secret, I'm done." "I won't, I swear." Chloe fists my chest, and pulls me into a hot, passionate kiss. One filled with everything she has been holding back. I don't hesitate, I wrap my arms around her, pulling her close and kissing her like I have dreamed of doing so many times. Our first kiss isn't gentle. It's urgent. Messy... Real. We finally pull back, needing air and I lean my forehead against hers, both of our breaths racing. "What happens now?" Chloe asks soflty. I smile down at her, brushing some of her hair away from her face. "Well, now, you go home. Sleep it off. We’ll talk in the morning, when your head is clear, and I can tell you everything that I have been holding back.” She nods her head slowly, and we make our way back to the truck where Jack is waiting for us, his arms crossed over his chest, a warning glare locked on me. I don't react to his glare, I just walk past him and open the door for Chloe. "Zayde." He calls out to me just as I close the door. I sigh and turn to look at him. "I know Jack. You don't have to say it." He stares at me for a second before he slowly nods his head at me. Without saying anything else, he turns and gets into the truck. I run my hand through my hair, making my way around to my side of the truck. I start it and pull out. I glance at Chloe in the rear view mirror, to see her already passed out in the backseat. A small smile tugs at the corner of my mouth as I stare at her, but it slowly slips off my face when I realize that I have just opened the can of worms I have been trying to keep closed... It's out there now, and I can't take it back... I guess we'll see how tomorrow goes...