Chapter 5 On Your Knees

ZAY’s POV

To use my Alpha voice on her twice would raise suspicion, and the first rule of living amongst humans was to not do that. So I had let her defy me, I had let her think she had the upper hand when it came to us.

Because if Taylor Foster wanted to play with fire, I would teach her how to burn.

“Zay, uh, can I have a word?” Blaze clasped my shoulder, cutting through the tension between Taylor and I, as neat as a knife on tender steak. 

I walked away from the scene without saying a word, adjusting the cufflink on my left hand, but more guests had already noticed the chaos shaping. Eyes followed me as the party on the deck stood still. 

I would much rather be staring at a blank wall right now, but the truth was that I was supposed to actively participate in having fun until the end of this trip. 

Below deck, I ripped off the top buttons of my shirt. 

“Zay!” Blaze called after me.

I kept storming down the cramped hallway to get to my suite. 

“Romolo wouldn’t like what just happened out there—“ 

“Despite the fact that she’s still breathing?” I whirled around, arms spread out as I walked backward. “I don’t know, Blaze, I do think I behaved.” 

He frowned. “What’s gotten into you? Yes, it’s a staff-themed party, but did you have to cause a scene?” He met me with that fury, standing an inch shorter and still trying to look intimidating. “You know Saint arranged this entire cruise for your sake, yet you’re about to ruin everything.”

I remembered the idiot’s hand possessively holding Taylor’s waist like she was a doll. His doll. 

A chord in my chest snapped, and I punched the wall on my side. The yacht trembled. 

“Don’t fucking mention him to me!”

“Zay, you need to calm down,” he warned quickly behind me.

My breaths came in gasps. I lowered my head while holding onto the wall with both hands. Calm down? 

Kehlani was dead. Ben Foster’s daughter got to do as she liked. I would never share another meal with my sister, or hear her laugh again. It took everything in me to not take Taylor up on her offer before everyone on that deck. 

I sucked in a deep breath. “I’m going to kill her. I must.”

“Wait, what? Kill who? We don’t hurt innocent humans—“ He rushed to stop me from entering my suite, throwing his arm out in front of me. “Zay!—Look, I don’t know what terrible thing she’s done, but if anything happens to that journalist, her death will be pinned on us because it’s our event—“

I looked up and his jaw slacked a bit.

“Your eyes,” he mumbled out of shock. 

“Bring her to me.” The Alpha command in my voice was ruthlessly loud.

Blaze bowed. 

I entered my suite and waited in the lounge, contemplating whether I should murder her with my hands right here or take her captive. She deserved to suffer first. But could I stand looking at her face any longer than I already have? Also, Blaze was right. If she died here, Pinnacle Motors and my career would be caught in the mix.

My throat suddenly felt tight, and I wasn’t even wearing a tie. Maybe I had to get rid of this fucking shirt. 

A knock sounded on my door. I turned.

That was fast. 

“Come in,” I said, and settled in one of the armchairs, back to my human self now.

Taylor walked in. 

Sweet heavens…

I clenched my teeth so I wouldn’t gape like a fool. She was a goddess. 

Since I saw her at that bar, I knew there was something different about her. But it must have been my subconscious will for revenge finally drawing me to the target. I mistook that hunger for passion. And it would never happen again.

“I only came because we have unfinished business.” She stopped just a few feet before me and the slit of her red dress exposed smooth, fair skin. “You owe me an apology.” 

I fisted the arm rest, resisting the urge to wrap my fingers around her bare thigh and pull her to stand between my legs. She had Foster blood running through her veins, that alone should fill me with reproach whenever I looked at her, but instead, my wolf howled with interest.

Maybe it was because she’s a beautiful woman, who knew how to kiss. Or maybe I was thinking with my dick. 

“I owe you nothing,” I told her, staring intensely at the broken talisman on her neck and reminding myself that she was my enemy. 

“Okay, scratch that. Why do you hate me?” She put her hands on her waist, pouting.

My grip on the chair tightened, and I had to laugh. “Hate? Well, yeah, I plan to sue you for obstruction and trespassing, so...”

Taylor paled. “You—you can’t be serious!”

Gone was the confident, no-holds barred woman from the deck. I tilted my head, studying her. She seemed like the kind of person who hid behind acts just to get by. 

I got up. “Let’s say you got that invite through credible means.” I walked behind her and leaned over her shoulder. “I didn’t approve of your hire. You’re not an employee yet, nor do you have any ongoing business with the company. In short, I can ruin you, Taylor.”

She turned abruptly, lining her face with mine, her stunned eyes fell to my lips. 

I grabbed her chin between two fingers, swallowing. 

“Please don’t. Ava will fire me and make sure that I never work again if she learns that I’ve caused trouble.”

“It’s too late,” I whispered without moving an inch, even when she started to shake her head. 

“Zay, please.” Her eyes watered, and it felt like a jack hammer lived in my throat. 

“I asked you nicely to get off my yacht but you refused.”

A crease formed between her brows. “This… It’s yours?”

“Do you now understand the gravity of your situation?” I smirked lazily, noting that I barely needed to move half an inch just to graze my lips against hers. “I will ruin you.”

Taylor pushed back and her knees gave out. I slipped my hands in my pockets to stop myself from reaching for her. She began sobbing and the sound weirdly wasn’t offensive to me. 

I looked down. Her head was just beside my fly, and the image stirring up in my mind was so sinful my dick twitched. 

She had good lips, slightly puckered and full.

“Taylor,” I rasped. “Look at me.”

She did. “Give me one chance to prove to you that I’m suitable for this job, at least before Romolo reports back to Phoenix TV about the change that you want.” 

She clasped her hands imploringly. 

I really wanted her to suck me. 

“Fuck,” I muttered, turning to the room to hide the growing bulge in my pants.

Was I about to ruin her or had that kiss at that bar ruined me already?