His Dark Obsession (Moonlight Muse)

ZEDKIEL.

“Tonight, alright, let’s meet at the princes’ lounge.

I’ll make sure there is plenty of food and drinks.”

Chasyn says, casting one last glance at Isa, giving her a curt nod, and patting my arm before he turns and walks away.

I frown as I swiftly stride to the door to my quarters, unlock it and step inside. Isa follows and I glance at the table and sofa, remembering what happened here last night, and not wanting to ruin those memories, I lead the way to my office.

Isa shuts the door and follows me. I open the office door and, heading to my desk, I take a seat behind it.

Isa walks in and stands behind the seat opposite me. She’s frowning as she watches me seriously.

“Why did you call for me?” She asks, clearly disturbed.

“I want you to keep an eye on Cole, and make sure no one spots you. I have allowed his release, but I don’t trust him. I think he’s under a spell… and if he is, he won’t have any recollection of what he’s doing and even an alpha’s command won’t be able to fix that. Follow him discreetly and if anyone questions you, play dumb. No one is to know that I have asked this of you. I don’t want anyone to be alerted.” My command is clear, stressing on the importance of the task.

She nods, frowning slightly, “Is there anything specific you need me to observe? Aside from where he goes, am I to listen in on his conversations?” She asks quietly. She’s uneasy and clearly disturbed.

“If you can do so without being caught, otherwise don’t risk it. Just keep tabs on whoever has any contact with him. And why are you so stressed out?”I ask sharply, her behaviour grinding on my nerves.

“You should know why.” She replies as if she’s shocked I even asked her.

Women are so annoying. Why the hell are they so damn cryptic?

“If I knew, I wouldn’t ask. Now spit it out.” I growl.

She looks towards the door that she left slightly ajar, “What Prince Chasyn said, I don’t want Evangeline getting the wrong idea.”

Why would Evangeline get the wrong idea? I already told her she’s the only one that meant anything to me in that way.

I sit back and look at her.

“She won’t,”I reply confidently.

“You’re smart, Zed, but you’re also really dense when it comes to women. I feel as if she knows, from the way she’s wary of me..” She has the audacity to say, crossing her arms.

My eyes flash as I frown. “No, I’m not dense, besides there’s never been anything of importance between us”

“Does she know what happened, though?” She asks quietly.

Our eyes meet and I know she means what went down between us on her eighteenth birthday, nearly two years ago…

She had drunk a lot and so had I, but it wasn’t enough of an excuse… we had made out, to the point it almost went further, but I had backed out, knowing what may happen to her…

There were women I really didn’t care for, but I couldn’t risk her life, she was Kash’s sister and that had made me stop and leave. Although she had tried to persuade me to stay, I had refused..

That was a long time ago and there really was nothing between us. Not anymore.

“I know, but stilI. I feel like she knows there’s something, and then what Prince Chasyn said..”

I c**k a brow, and she shakes her head.

“Meaning?” I ask sharply.

“About the heir, when he thinks Azariah..” She whispers, trailing off. The fear in her eyes is something you don’t see often, and her heart thuds violently.

F**k.

I was so consumed by everything else Chasyn had said that I didn’t even consider what he was implying.

Azariah… the child that Isa currently keeps hidden and one that even Kash doesn’t know of. He had been away on a mission when Isa, who had been on a trip, had returned with a newborn pup. She had been terrified and, without Kash around; she had turned to me for help.

“I didn’t even realise that’s what Chasyn was hinting at.” I sigh, running a hand down my face.

When Isa had returned, she had been forced to come to me since Kash wasn’t here. She begged me to hide her baby away saying that no one must learn its truth. When I asked who his father was, she hadn’t been able to tell me.

It was then Chasyn stumbled upon us and spotted the newborn pup, which was obviously fathered by a powerful alpha, something that was clear from his aura.

I had seen the terror in her eyes at someone finding out the truth that she was adamantly keeping hidden, and that’s when I had stated that he was mine without thinking. Telling Chasyn no one was to know about him, but I never even. considered it coming to light or that I’d ever find someone who I would feel needed to know the truth.

“You need to tell Evangeline.” She says quietly.

She’s right, I don’t want her finding out from anyone else. Since I have rarely even seen the child, it had totally slipped my mind with everything going on. I have only seen him twice, once when she had initially told me about him and once when I had helped her move the child to a property far away from most of the pack in the deepest corner of the southern forest. “And I think it’s high time you tell Kash… he needs to know the truth about his nephew.” I remind her, something I’ve told her before.

The boy is barely a few months old and currently lives with an elderly omega woman who works for Isa. Both she and Kash had no involvement with their father and his family, and because of that, no one had even realised she had a child. She has been able to keep him a secret – for now, but Kash needs to know.

“He will want to know who the father is..” Isa says quietly, running her fingers through her hair.

Yeah, neither of us could tell Kash he was mine.

He’d never forgive me. That was a rule that was unspoken. Isa should have been off-limits, and I had messed up once.

I sit back, “Then, tell us the identity of his father.

What are you so scared of?” This is something she refuses to share.

Her face pales, and she shakes her head. “I can’t and I won’t.”

“Then what about the child? What are you going to tell Kash? I can’t tell him he’s mine. He’ll never forgive me.”

“I know and I don’t know. I will keep him a secret.

Will Prince Chasyn tell anyone? If you can make sure he doesn’t…” She drops into the seat, placing her head in her hands foI a moment before sighing.

“I don’t know, he shouldn’t do… but there is a chance he’s told his mate-“

“No! No.. not her, he can’t tell anyone! It can’t get out. If that’s the problem, then I’ll take him and leave. I have to leave,” she says, her voice shrill, her heart pounding violently.

Why did that trigger her? This isn’t like her.

“If you’re not going to share the truth and the reason you’re hiding him, Isabella, then nothing is going to get sorted.” I growl, standing up.

She’s a strong woman and seeing her so scared for some damn reason is irritating the hell out of me.

“I can’t.” She says, almost begging. “I can’t. please stop asking me.”

Doesn’t she trust me?

Our eyes meet and I frown. “Then I’ll mention this to Kash myself. Maybe he’ll be able to think of a solution.” I snarl. She stands up, her heart thundering as she blocks my path.

“No. You can’t tell him.” She whispers.

I know I probably won’t, but I need to force her to answer.

“Then I want a name.” I push coldly.

“No.”

I clench my jaw, my eyes blazing as I advance on her. “Name Isabella, I’m not f*****g playing.”

Her heart’s thudding and she’s struggling. She looks.. just the way she did when she returned.

Terrified and anxious.

“Were you raped?” I ask quietly, it’s a question I had already asked her, and she had said no… but I need to know.

She hesitates, but shakes her head. “No… I wasn’t, I … he… he was my mate.” She says, making me freeze.

Mate.

Was.

“Then why are you hiding?” I ask quietly.

“Because I’m better off alone or dead than with a monster like him.” She whispers. I frown, watching her walls break away, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, something that you’d never see in Isa’s eyes.

“Tell me who he is.”I threaten dangerously.

Which Alpha can it be? Because it was definitely an Alpha.

She had gone away when she had fallen pregnant, meaning it wasn’t one of the allied packs.. unless she got pregnant before she had left..

“Tell me, Isabella!” I snarl, grabbing hold of her arm.

“Godric Astorath!” She screams.

I freeze, staring at her.

Godric Astorath..

Her eyes pool with tears and the only sound in the room is the thudding of our hearts and her shaky breathing. Now I know why she didn’t want anyone to know.., especially Maryka..

Astorath and Maryka were from the same pack, although Maryka’s family had been on the run after being exiled by the previous Alpha. the story behind what happened was never revealed and Maryka said she didn’t know- or pretended she didn’t.

When Astorath took over as Alpha he captured her family and they are now said to be imprisoned somewhere, no matter what Chasyn tried or Dad they refused to come to any agreement and I can see her ratting Azariah out to Astorath in return for the freedom of her family.

This is worse than I could have ever imagined..

I let go of her and she’s about to collapse to her knees when I catch her, pulling her into my arms.

F**k.

She’s mated to a monster… one far worse than me..

The Alpha of the Night Shade Pack himself.. A man who is said to have killed his own father for the title.. rumours have it, he isn’t even human…

If he knew about Azariah…

I knew at that moment what I needed to do, I don’t care if it fvcked things up between Kash and I.. no one is to know the truth about Azariah’s heritage.

“I won’t mention it to anyone… as far as anyone needs to know Azariah is my son.”

No one needs to know, save-

“Am I interrupting?”

We both turn sharply towards the door and Isabella pushes away from me, her heart thundering as we both spot Evangeline standing there.

I hadn’t even sensed her… Her eyes are blazing a brilliant blue, her breasts heaving as she stares at us with hurt and anger.

“Evangeline.” I say, trying to make sense of everything going on, but all that vanishes when I see the pain in her eyes as she looks between us.

“Excuse me” She says, turning away.

“No Evangeline, it’s not what you’re thinking!”

Isabella says, hurrying after her. “Sh!t!”

I finally snap out of my shock and break into a run, brushing past Isabella. Evangeline has misunderstood, and I need to fix this as soon as possible.

‘Evangeline!’ I call through the link, but I’m met with a block.

F**k, she’s shut me out.