Oh, by the way, did I mention that this book only has 24 chapters and an epilogue? So, yeah, two more chapters to go.

Wiping away my tears I turned to leave and walked out of the front door only to be stopped by those two nuisance again and I gave them a challenging look that if they don't leave me, they are in for a fight but one look over my shoulder to most probably dad and they stepped away letting me leave finally.

There was only one destination on my mind and that was Zale's house. I don't care what dad says about him, I trust that man and he loves me and I love him too. That's enough.

I felt relieved when his house came into view, I really hope he is at home.

I parked my car and getting out of it, went to the front door and rang the bell and started fix my hair, hoping I looked okay.

The door was pulled opened ten seconds later by Zale who looked surprised to see me and I wasted no time in stepping inside and wrapping my hands around his waist and burying my face in his chest.

He closed the door and hugged me back, cradling my head. "Hey, what's wrong?"

I hugged me even more tightly and glanced up at him. "Let's run away, Zale. Let's get married."

I don't know why he found that amusing. "What?"

"Please." Tears welled up in my eyes. "Dad hates you and he is never going to approve of us."

"You told him?" Now he was serious.

I nodded. "I did. He didn't look happy."

He bent down and picked me up in his arm, wrapping my legs around his waist and carried me over to the couch and sat down with me straddling his lap. "And what exactly did you tell him?"

"That I..." I lowered my gaze and started to fiddle with the collar button of his shirt. "I love you." I have never said that to anyone romantically and now I feel nervous, what if he had already changed his mind about me?

I slowly glanced up to see him smiling softly with a slight tint of pink on his cheeks. "How much do you hate me, princess?"

"I love you." I repeated again, more firmly this time and I captured his lips for a kiss.

He grabbed the back of my neck and parted my lips with his and slid his tongue inside immediately. The kiss was soft and and slow as we took our time to savour this moment, being in each other's embrace.

"I love you." He whispered in between the kiss making me press myself closer to him, my fingers tugging at his hair.

I pulled back a few seconds later and started to press kisses all over his jaw and down his neck. "Will you marry me?"

His chest vibrated with laughter and he threw his head back, laughing. "That's one way of proposing. First, seduce me and then ask me to marry you."

I stopped kissing his neck and placed my head on his shoulder. "I am serious."

"I know." He started to stroke my hair. "I would love to marry you, don't doubt that but not like this. I want to take your father's permission for that first."

I scoffed. "Like he would agree."

"If he really loves you, he will. Don't worry."

"I hope so..." Then I said after a pause, "Let's say he agrees to our relationship then will you marry me immediately?"

"You want me to marry you as soon as possible?"

"Yes...if that's what you also want..."

"Okay. We will get married soon. Don't worry."

I lifted my head to look at him, grinning. "Pinky promise?"

He chuckled and pecked my lips. "Pinky promise."

And my grin widened and I kissed his forehead. "I love you!"

"I love you too, princess."

It was then I realised. "Where's Alaric?"

"He is sleeping upstairs."

And I quickly got off his lap and ran upstairs to see him. My baby. There he was sleeping peacefully and my heart warmed on his sight.

I picked him up in my arms and started to press kisses all over his face and he frowned while sleeping making me chuckle.

Zale stood leaning against the door, watching me with a smile playing on his lips.

"Okay, now you sleep. I won't disturb you." I kissed his forehead and placed him inside his crib once again, letting him sleep and I walked over to Zale.

"I was wondering..." I said as he wrapped his hand around my shoulder and pulled me closer, leading me to his room. "You and Maverick doesn't look like brothers...I mean your faces...they don't match..."

"I sometimes thought that he was adopted or something." I joked and he halted in the middle of his room and looked down at me in all seriousness.

"I'm the adopted one, Jezebel."

"What?" I frowned. "How? I mean...why...aargh! I mean can you elaborate?"

He chuckled softly at my reaction and nodded. He sat down on the edge of his bed and pulled me over his lap once again, making me straddle him.

"I...um..." He looked a little uncomfortable to say it so I cupped his face. "It's okay, Zale. If you don't want to tell me, it's okay. I am not going to force you." And I kissed the tip of his nose.

"It's okay...I can tell you... it's nothing big."

I waited patiently for him to start as he looked here and there, his arm around my shoulder rubbing circles there.

Finally he sighed and gazed at me. "My biological parents, they abandoned me when I was hardly a day old. They didn't want me, I was unwanted in there world, Jezebel."

I bit back a gasp. How can someone do that to their own child?

"Maverick's parents, they found me on the side of the road and they...took me in. They provided me with shelter and love and care and raised me as their own son. When I was four, they had Maverick and I was scared that now they have their own kid they will start to neglect me, I will once again become unwanted in their world..."

He exhaled shakily and I kissed his eyes where tears had formed, urging him to continue. "But they didn't. They still treated me with the same love and care, they never differentiated between us. They were my real parents and I love them."

I rested my forehead against his. "I am so sorry...I am so sorry that my dad killed them. I am so sorry, Zale."

He gently squeezed my shoulders. "Hey. It's not your fault, okay? What has happened has happened; you can't change it."

"Promise me you won't feel guilty about it again. Promise me, princess."

"Okay." I whispered, bringing my trembling lips to his. "You also promise me that you will never make yourself feel unwanted."

"I promise. Besides I have you now, don't I?"

"Yes, you do." And I hugged him tightly, resting my head on his shoulder.

He slowly leaned back and laid on the bed with me on top of him and kissed the top of my head.

"Is that why you didn't want to leave Alaric? I actually...heard your conversation with Maverick that day..."

"Yes..." He stroked my hair. "That's why. I didn't want him to grow up feeling unwanted by his father."

"You did the right thing, Zale."

He flipped us over making me lay underneath him and he slammed his lips to mine. "Enough talking now."

.
.
.

My head lay on his bare chest, his hand stroking my hair, my hand around his body. This was perfect.

He was staring at the ceiling. "Did you love him?"

"Love who?"

"Nikolas. Your fiance."

"I liked him. A lot. But I didn't love him. He did confess his love to me, hours before he died and I regretted not loving him back."

"Good."

"What? Him dying or me not loving him?"

"Both."

I slapped his chest. "Don't say that. He was really sweet. He really cared for me and I did like him."

He scoffed. "All the more reason for him to die. It's a good thing you never married him."

"You are cruel."

"But you still love me."

"Yeah..." I rolled my eyes. "Unfortunately. What did you expect from me when you were being so caring towards me?"

I glanced up to see him smiling as I traced circles on his chest.

"Let's go out for dinner tonight." He spoke a minute later.

"A date?" I asked excitedly.

"Yes. A date."

I got up excitedly. "Yes! Are we going right now? Where will we be going? What should I wear? Oh shit! I don't have any clothes here and I will have to go back and what if dad forbids me from leaving again--"

Zale pressed his lips on mine cutting me off. "You have some clothes here. You didn't take away any."

My mouth formed an 'O' and I nodded in understanding and jumped off the bed and ran into the bathroom to take a shower as Zale chuckled behind me.

And it wasn't long before he joined me inside. Just to shower.

Chapter completion on: 22/6/22
Published on: 28/6/22

That sudden urge: