Page 131 of Tainted Romance

The pack.

School.

All gone.

Then my thoughts turned to a subject that always upset me.

Dad.

How could he just leave me like that? How could he just leave his only daughter with a woman obsessed with the cult we lived in?

My bedroom felt smaller than usual. I had to get out of here. I needed air. Screw that, I needed a drink - something strong. I needed to escape.

My mind drifted back to Blake approaching me this morning about wanting to have sex just to get his frustration out about Ebony. Well, at least I knew why he wanted to have sex with me. He wanted revenge and he wanted to hurt Ebony so I talked him out of it.

I slipped on my high heels, changed from a t-shirt and shorts into a t-shirt dress, and grabbed my phone and purse.

Mom was asleep. It was after one in the morning on a Friday night, so really it was early Saturday morning. Pack meetings always go forever, and we only got back an hour ago.

I took the keys off the hook and headed outside. The night air was warm and welcoming on my skin. I could bathe in this.

I unlocked the car and started it up.

So, where to first, a club or a bar? Either way, I was going to forget about my troubles for one night. Just one night. I was going to let myself have fun or, at the very least, escape.

***

ZANE

What the hell was she doing?My fingers were pressed against my temple. The pain was killing me, but it was nothing compared to what my mind was doing. Running wild with what she was doing.

Her thoughts were jumbled. She wasn't making sense. All I knew was she was in pain, which brought me to this moment of time, me banging on dad's door.

"Son, what are you doing?" Dad was half asleep when he opened his bedroom door. "You woke your mother."

"It's Allie."

"What about her?"

"Something’s wrong and I can't…" Ok, I hadn't admitted to dad I had a connection with Allie.

"You can't what?"

I gritted my teeth. Do I admit it? Do I say it out loud? I had formed a connection with my mate which meant there was no turning back. Allie was going to be my partner, but that didn't mean I was ready to face it.

"I can't reach out to her," I finally said.

Dad's eyes widened. "Please tell me, son, you didn't do what I think you did…"

"Yes, we bonded."

"Christ sake, son! What were you thinking? We discussed this. Keep a distance from her. She can't lead beside you. The pack will NEVER look up to her, not with her history. We spoke about this, Zane. You were to keep your distance, not bond with the woman!"

I knew all of this. I knew more than anyone being with Allie was wrong. I knew she wasn't right to be a pack leader. I knew all this! Still, the only thought on my mind was Allie. What was wrong with her, and, more importantly, I needed to see she was ok.

My brain was saying one thing.

But my heart was pumping another.

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