The Alpha's Omega Mate-Chapter 181: My Sweet Zarek.

~Dahlia’s POV~

"Dahlia?" A stunned voice called out to me as my eyes slowly darted between Lady Jennifer and Alpha Zarek who was surprisingly smiling so wide, he almost looked like a fool.

I wanted to smile back at him. To hug him... hell, my entire body felt drawn to him like metals to a magnet; But I forced myself to remain in place.

I formed myself to stare straight at Jennifer who looked like she was about to combust. I drawled; "Who said I only care about myself?"

"Jennifer did, but ignore her. She doesn’t know a thing about you like I do." Alpha Zarek responded quickly, earning himself a shocked gasp from Jennifer who screeched;

"Zarek?!"

"I thought you said you wanted to leave?" He asked suddenly, turning to glare at her impatiently, and when Jennifer would not respond, he shrugged; "Well you can leave now."

And goodness, I almost laughed at that. A chuckle slipped past my lips before I could help myself, forcing me to clamp my hands over my mouth.

Alpha Zarek turned at the sound to flash me a wolffish grin, instinctively coming to stand beside me as he turned back to Jennifer. "Please leave." He drawled, his voice cold. Devoid of every emotion possible.

A chill ran down my spine at the sound but I shrugged it off, deciding to pin Jennifer with just the same intensity of malice as she did to me.

She scoffed. "So you’re just going to take her side? Just like that, after she left for weeks?! Won’t you even punish her trying to flee? She’s your slave, remember?"

"I only remember elevating her status months ago before she left. So she left not as a slave but a free person."

I froze.

Is this Zarek? Or did something happen to him in my absence?

That response probably didn’t sit right with Jennifer because then she rolled her eyes, throwing her hands up in the air as she growled; "A slave is a slave, Zarek, whether you try to buy her some dignity or not."

"ENOUGH!"

"Zarek, please... listen to me—"

"I don’t want to listen to whatever you have to say right now Jennifer. If anything, I’ve been listening to you for the past couple of minutes... you can go now."

"I’ll not allow you to keep disrespecting me like this Zarek, this girl is a slave. I am a noble born, and I don’t care if you’ve elevated her status or not, it doesn’t change the fact that I am better, and I have the right to tell her off when I—"

"Funny how she hasn’t said a word to you, yet you’ve been foaming at the mouth ever since she walked in." He snapped, interrupting her, causing both of Jennifer and I to gasp in shock.

Gosh, I badly wanted to hug him right now!

Jennifer stumbled back as if struck them with a cry of anguish, she picked up her purse and stormed out, cursing under her breath as she shoved past me out of the room.

Some minutes after she left, an uncomfortable silence descended between Alpha Zarek and I, andI could only watch him quietly as he regarded me with an intensity strong enough to make my knees buckle.

I was awestruck by him all over again. Stunned by the magnificence with which he easily possessed.

His deep green eyes raked my body slowly, so slowly that one would think I was a vision he didn’t want to miss.

And oh his lips, those plump pink lips drew me in so much I wanted to plant mine against them.

His eyes followed my every movement, his stance mirroring mine as he watched me closely. But he didn’t try to touch me— he seemed afraid that that would make me turn away.

—and then he smiled.

"I missed you so much, Dahlia."

My throat suddenly felt clogged. I couldn’t speak. Could t move. By the gods, I couldn’t even tell him just how much I missed him too. Tears burned at the corners of my eyes as I gazed into his familiar green orbs, and without a thought... without hesitation, I threw myself into his arms.

At first, he stiffened, as if shocked that I would initiate contact, but after the first five seconds into the hug, he let out a deep exhale, stuffed his face inyo my hair and hugged me so tightly I feared he would crush me.

"Oh, my dear... dear Dahlia!" He moaned dreamily, pressing a thousand and one kisses into my hair, and peppering them on my face and lips.

"Tell me this isn’t a dream, tell me you’re here."

I leaned away from him to pinch his cheek hard, and when his closed eyes flew open, latching onto mine, I smiled. "It’s not a dream."

And then he slammed his warm lips against mine, devouring my mouth like it was his last supper, drinking me in like I was an exquisite wine.

His hands slipped into my blouse as he pulled me impossibly closer to his body, until the warmth from his feverish skin burned through the sheer material of my cloth and until it felt as though all barrier between us had finally been lifted.

I moaned into his mouth and taking the opportunity, he slipped his warm tongue into my mouth, forcing our tongues into a duel.

A few minutes passed... and then more... and by the time he finally stopped kissing me to gasp for air, my lips were swollen and bruised. My face was flushed, and his eyes... they looked so wild I gasped in surprise.

"Your eyes..." I muttered, bringing my hands up to his face.

Alpha Zarek didn’t flinch at all. If anything, he leaned into my touch, closing his eyes as he pressed his face into my hands.

"Ignore them..." he drawled gently, "they’ve been acting up recently."

He’s going feral.

He’s been acting strangely.

Beta Orion’s words echoed in my mind as I looked up at his strangely peaceful face, and weirdly, an emotion coiled tight deep in my guts.

Maybe it was joy.

Maybe it was heartache.

But I knew I was insanely happy to see him... and I knew I almost pitied him.

However, what worried me was the fact that he didn’t seem mad at all that I had left. Instead, he felt grateful that I had returned. His lips brushed my face, then his tongue darted out to lick at something under my eye.

My eyes widened in shock as they fluttered open. I gasped; "What was that?"

"You were crying," he drawled, "why are you crying?"

Hell, I hadn’t even noticed that I was. I wiped my face with the back of my hand and beamed a smile at him. "See, I feel better now."

"But why were you crying?"

"Because I missed you." Maybe that was a lie— but it wasn’t entirely wrong. I did miss him. Terribly. Insanely. And seing him like this... seeing him so broken, so lost... it stirred something deep within my chest.

He further pressed himself closer to nuzzle his face between my neck, and as soon as he did that, I froze, my body went stiff as millions of sparks ran down my body, turning my knees into jello, and sending a jolting sensation straight to my core.

Embarrassed, I shimmied out of his hold and took a step back whilst counting one to ten in my head in a bid to calm my raging heartbeat.

"Dahlia. What’s wrong?"

"Don’t come any closer!" I snapped, my voice coming out as a high pitched shriek instead. "Don’t!"

"Why?" Now, Zarek looked hurt. His brows furrowed together as he glared intensely at me, his lips pulled down into a frown that had me feeling guilty all at once. "Do you hate me touching you?"

No, no no no!" I rushed out, holding my hands out. "I just feel..."

"Uncomfortable?"

"Wanton... too wanton. I need to catch my breath."

The words left my lips before I could stop them, and as soon as they did, an embarrassed blush crept up my face— one that increased in intensity when I noticed him smiling at me whilst wiggling his stupid brows at me.

"I didn’t know I had that kind of effect on you..."

"Shut up!" I snapped, then realizing my mistake, I quickly added; "I mean... I’m sorry... I didn’t..."

"You can tell me to shut up whenever I go out of line, Dahlia." He drawled, brushing my hair out of my face as he came to stand before me— so close that my chest brushed against his toned abs. "Trust me, I won’t get mad."

Isn’t this Zarek? The egomaniac who no one could ever dream of offending or talking to however they liked?

How is this right? Is he now mad?

His lips brushed against my forehead, jolting me back to the present and I looked up at him, stunned by the emotions swirling around his eyes that almost had me toppling to the floor.

I opened my mouth to speak but before I could, he planted his index finger over my lips and muttered; "Shhh."

"But Alpha—"

"Don’t apologize for leaving, love. I now finally understand why you did that... And I won’t lie when I say I was mad at first too when you left, but I now understand. I sincerely do."

"Wai—"

"You did it to protect yourself and your daughter. You did it because you were scared you’ll get hurt here."

Oh Zarek, why are you suddenly so sweet?

"Just promise me you’ll never leave me again. Promise me you’ll remain with me until the end of time. Promise me you’ll stay."

As the words tumbled out of his mouth, I couldn’t help but cry... but then came the guilt.

Because I would leave again, in 24 hours.