Zane (Keepers Of The Lake Book 6)

by Emilia Hartley

  She snatched the box from his hand and slid away from his aura of masculinity. She’d been watching too many late-night romance movies lately. They were addling her brain and making her want things that weren’t real. At least, not for her.

  Zara found love. She and Asher were very obviously happy with their lives, proving that love was real and could be found. Chelsea tried that once. The sting of betrayal was just too much. She wasn’t sure she could ever give in to her heart again. Not if that’s what would happen.

  Yet, when she spared a glance at Zane, she pondered what kind of guy he was. Could he be loyal? Or was he simply a patient predator, lying in wait to claim his prey? If she gave in to him, would he leave in the morning? Most likely. She knew nothing about him. To think that he would stick around was wishful thinking.

  Not instinct. Not fate. It was just an old longing she had yet to banish.

  “Your tea smells like grass,” he said, creeping up behind her again.

  “Do you sleep at all? Or am I going to wake in a few hours to find you watching me from the doorway?” She cradled the hot cup and let the gentle fragrance fill her senses.

  “You aren’t sleeping, either,” he countered.

  He was right, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Maybe she was on alert because she knew there was a stranger in her house, but she didn’t think that was it. Just standing before Zane put her at ease.

  “Why were you at the lake earlier?” She couldn’t help but wonder, the question rolling over her mind the whole night.

  “I told you the truth. Finding my mate freed me from a witch’s curse. I was there because you were there.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Alright. Don’t tell me the truth. Keep feeding me bullshit.”

  Spinning on her heel, she marched right back to her bedroom. Zane was trying to spin a tale that couldn’t possibly exist. There was no such thing as witches or shifters or curses. Just when she thought she could start trusting him, he pulled this again. It was just further proof that she would never put her faith in a man again.

  Ever.

  Just as she was about to put the cup of tea down on her nightstand, it was plucked from her hands. Zane was a flash as he put it down and spun her around to face him. His eyes blazed with an unearthly light as he looked down at her. With her body pressed against his chest, she felt she could believe in anything.

  Something about this man wasn’t entirely human. He was otherworldly, shrouded in mystery and magic. It pulled her in and reminded her how badly she needed to be touched by him.

  Slowly, she shook herself. “I didn’t even hear you come up behind me. How did you catch up so quickly?”

  He only gave her a sly grin, hiding his secrets from her. She wanted to push past the wall between them and find out what was on the other side. He could be a criminal on the run, trying to hide behind lies of sorcery. Maybe he was a spy, sent here to watch over the other nigh inhuman men that Zara surrounded herself with these days.

  “What makes you think I’m not telling the truth?” His voice was sublime. It slithered over her skin like a loving caress.

  She moaned and leaned into him. Her arms snaked around his neck and held him close. Slowly, his head descended so she could feel his breath over her shoulder. A shudder rippled up her spine. She arched into him and heard him growl in response.

  “You and I were meant to be. I came alive the day you fell into the lake. And when you returned for me, I was released.”

  No, this wasn’t right. This was a lie. Things like that didn’t happen. But folded in his arms and pressed against his chest, she could feel the honesty within him. She could believe in anything, really. He was hot to the touch and awakening things inside her that she thought sated.

  But touching him was unlike anything she’d ever felt. It was better than her wedding night. It was better than any of the lovers she followed home. Zane touched her like he’d been made for her, like he already knew all the sensitive places.

  Like they were fated.

  Chelsea couldn’t get enough of him. Skin on skin. Lips on lips. She threaded her fingers into his hair and brought his mouth down to hers. He was ready, ravenous when they met. She leaned her head back and gave herself over to him. The way his fingers pressed into her flesh anchored her to the moment.

  To him.

  His fingers found the waistband of her shorts. Her breath hitched. She made a quick decision, more than ready to give in to this man. The soft sigh of his breath as her shorts fell down her legs made her heart flutter in her chest. It wouldn’t stop dancing around. She thought it might burst unless he gave her what she needed.

  Zane parted her folds. Her knees trembled. She had to grip his shoulders to keep from collapsing as her heart beat frantically. Zane growled possessively when he found her sensitive spot and coaxed a shiver from her.

  More. She needed more. This wasn’t enough. Nothing would be enough until she had him inside her.

  Yet, she pulled back and looked Zane in the eyes. They were alight with unnatural color, like she was looking into the eyes of someone else. Something else. He paused, patient with her while she found her voice.

  “This doesn’t mean,” she said before swallowing. Her head spun. “This doesn’t mean I agree with your stupid story. There’s no such thing as forever. This is just right here and now. Nothing more.”

  His brow flattened. He tucked his head against her shoulder. When his breath whispered over her skin, she thought he would tell her he couldn’t move forward like that. Then, he bit her neck. She cried out. Pain bled into pleasure and she groaned.

  Sensation rippled from her neck to her core and out again, an explosion unlike any other she’d ever known. It finally swept her feet out from under her. Zane held her against his body, careful to keep her from falling while the orgasm shook her.

  “Whatever makes you happy,” he growled.

  Chelsea knew what would make her happy. It involved his cock inside her and his fist in her hair. She wanted to feel that razor sharp edge between pain and pleasure again, wanted to be dragged along it by Zane. He was so careful with her. He wouldn’t push her too far into pain. She knew this like she knew her own soul.

  Zane spun her around. His hand was hot against her back as he bent her over the edge of the bed. It stayed there, warm and reassuring while he used the other to enter her. She cried out when his fingers found her core. She was already wet and wanting, ready for him.

  The growl that left Zane, the way his fingers curled against her back, almost brought her again. She didn’t know what it was about this man that made her feel so strongly, but he stirred sensations no man had ever been able to conjure before.

  She thought he would bring his cock to her opening next, but Zane took his time. He gently stretched her, preparing her for what was to come while bringing her closer to climax once more. She recalled the size of his manhood when she saw him naked at the beach. Now, with it pressed against her leg, she thought it’d gotten bigger.

  Bigger? Was that even possible? There was no way she could take it all. Chelsea knew her limitations. Zane slid another finger inside her and made her cry out. The sensation was almost too much. He carefully stroked, only making her hungrier for the real thing. Her mouth went dry just thinking about it.

  Then, just when she thought she couldn’t wait any longer, she felt the press of the tip at her opening. She buried her face in the sheets and let out an excited cry. She wanted it all at once, slammed home inside her where he belonged.

  She tucked that last thought away. Zane didn’t belong to her any more than she belonged to him. No couple was ever meant to be. Fate and true love were lies. She needed to remind herself in times like these, when she was tempted to give everything to a man just for a good dick.

  The train of thought was blasted when he pushed inside her. It was just the first inch, just a tease. She groaned as her body settled around him. How could a man be so wide and so long? All other men must look at him with e
nvy. Surely, no one else could compare to Zane.

  Deeper and deeper he went, both hands on her hips to steady himself. Chelsea arched her back. Zane seemed to read her so easily because his hand found her hair. He held her tight while he began to thrust. At first, he was easy on her. He gripped her loosely and thrust slowly. It built the sweetest sensation in her core.

  Little by little, Zane pushed harder. His grip on her tightened. Her scalp prickled. She grinned and nearly laughed, too giddy with pleasure. She didn’t have to worry about the climax. A small implant in her arm took care of that, and she silently thanked Zara for the idea. And, if Zane was telling the truth that he’d been imprisoned in an enchanted sleep, then he was probably clean down there.

  Chelsea gave herself over to the pleasure, the sensation of Zane so deep inside her that he reached places she never knew existed. She thought she knew her limitations, but he shattered them and remade her anew. She couldn’t believe how much of him she could take, how much she wanted.

  Zane grunted, deep and rumbling. She could feel him stiffening behind her. The molten feeling pooling in her core responded to his incoming climax. When he came and spilled inside her, the sensation split into fireworks that rocketed through her whole body. She collapsed against the bed and let it muffle her screams.

  When Zane slipped out of her, it sent another ripple crashing into the others. She whimpered, the aftershocks coursing through her. Her fingers and toes curled. She let out a small sigh and wondered if she could ever replicate that again.

  No man would ever hold a candle to this. She almost regretted declaring this a one-time thing. Chelsea wanted this every night from now on, but there was no way of keeping Zane. He might have promises for her now, but nothing was ever concrete. She couldn’t captivate him forever.

  Zane returned with a warm towel and cleaned the mess he left behind. Chelsea let out an embarrassed laugh, took the towel from him, and ducked her head as she ran for the bathroom. While she sat on the toilet, she wondered what was wrong with her.

  This guy was a total stranger, yet she let him fuck her like they were two horny beasts in heat. The worst part was that she didn’t feel as bad as she should have. In fact, she wanted to crawl into bed and curl around his body for the rest of the night. Every night.

  While she could probably convince him to sleep in her bed, she doubted she would be able to recover from the illusion of happiness. Chelsea worried it would stick with her, that she would become enthralled by something that didn’t actually exist. So long as Zane stuck around, she would find herself stuck deeper and deeper in this mess.

  He was already in her bed when she came out of the bathroom. Her heart seized at the sight of him, her sheets half thrown over his hip. She said nothing, just crawled up behind him and wrapped her arms around him. He sighed softly. It stole her heart, that sound of contentedness.

  Chelsea said nothing. She couldn’t bring herself to ruin the moment and remind him they would never be a couple. He might think they were fated to be together, but she knew that wouldn’t work. Nothing ever worked. Not long-term.

  4

  Zane watched Chelsea steal away, thinking she’d gone unnoticed. She acted like she was sneaking out of another man’s house. He realized she was not convinced. He’d shown her everything they could be together, and Chelsea still didn’t believe they were fated.

  To her, everything was without strings. He suspected she was waiting for the end to come, like she’d given up on her life. What happened in her past to make her this way? To find out, he would have to dig into her past, but that was her own story. He had no right to it. All he could do was hope.

  Hope that he could give her a reason to live.

  Not just get by day to day, but embrace life in a way she clearly couldn’t. He’d managed the night before. Chelsea had felt so fully and deeply. He saw it in every spasm that shook her body and heard it in every soft moan that slipped from her lips.

  He wished he could lay her down again and see which new sensations he could show her, but she was already gone, perhaps hoping that he would vanish by the time she returned. He had his own mission, in the meantime.

  Zane slipped out with every intention of returning later. He wouldn’t leave Chelsea alone anymore. They had each other. He just needed to visit his old clan first. Zane had no plans of making contact with them yet. They were most likely beyond a civil conversation. Evil had corrupted them again.

  Anger filled him, but it bore none of the searing heat that it used to. Instead, this was ice. It chilled his veins and slowed his heart until it seemed the entire world had stopped moving. Only he crept forward.

  An hour later, at the lake’s edge, he pulled his shirt over his head and folded it neatly. The jeans joined them before he summoned his beast. This was his first shift since he’d been freed. Ten years and the stray magic of a curse had changed him. Now was time to find out just how changed his form was.

  The beast slithered forward, a rush of rage and vindication. Zane felt it fill his mouth with a howl, one that he had to swallow to keep from being found too early. The beast that came forth was a myriad of blue and green, the scales changing color in the light. Webs filled the space between his claws.

  He worried, for a moment, that his wings had vanished. Then, stretching his shoulders, he found them again. They were made of the same thin material as the webs between his claws. Would they carry him in flight? He wouldn’t know until he tried. Today was not about flight, though. It was about stealth.

  The water greeted him like an old friend. As he entered, the magic left there aligned with him. He felt it connect like a jolt. Suddenly, the lake was an extension of his being. He was beast and man and water. He could feel the plant life dancing at the lakebed and the small fish darting between them. Opening his wings, he propelled himself toward the cabins at the far side of the shore.

  As long as he remained beneath the water, he could watch and listen. The sound would be distorted, but he was confident that he could decipher their words. These were his old friends. They were his enemies. Zane would never be able to forget them, the way they walked and talked.

  It was the new ones he didn’t know if he would be able to read. The women that had mated the old clan members. The one that confused him the most was Cole’s mate. Her scales were dark, like Cole’s, but beneath that darkness was a glimmer of gold. Dragons like her were powerful. They were good.

  Could he find an ally in her? Would she help him pull his clan away from Alistair again? He feared the worst. There was no help for the clan because they had betrayed him. He wanted to think that they were good people, but there was no ignoring how they captured him in the witch’s curse.

  Why wait ten years, though? The clan could have attacked years ago. Zane was locked away, unable to stop them. What were they waiting for?

  He swam close to the shore and waited under the floating dock. No one was on the shore, like he’d hoped. For a moment, Zane feared that he was too late. They were off, wreaking havoc and causing destruction. No smoke trails filled the sky in the direction of the town, though. From where he was, Zane couldn’t see even a dragon in the sky.

  Ahead, Asher’s old cabin was a mess of ill-fitted plywood sheets. It was like someone had crashed through it over and over. Zane cocked his head, a memory trying to push toward the front of his mind. Nothing came, and he shook himself. It seemed they had never stopped being a rowdy mess, even with mates in tow.

  Zane turned to leave when someone appeared. He heard the footsteps on the dock first. Then he heard the voice. Charlotte. His surprise nearly drew him out of the water. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and lift her off her feet. After all these years, she came back.

  Yet, she came back to the traitorous clan. Did she know what they were up to? Was she a part of it?

  “The clan says they think you’ve escaped your curse,” she began. There was a soft sigh of relief after. “You might not hear this, but if you’re still stuck down there,
I promise we’re working on it. You won’t be trapped forever.”

  There was a long moment of silence. Zane wasn’t sure what to believe. What could this clan do to break the spell? It wasn’t like any of them could be his mate. His true mate had found him and freed him.

  He growled, annoyed with his old clan. They were liars. It was because of them that he’d been stuck in the curse. They were the ones who failed him. Who trapped him. Because of them, he would never be the man he could have been. He was a monster now, a part of this lake that had come to life.

  He was one step away from being a swamp monster from an old movie. He even grabbed the first woman he saw. And she ran away from him.

  Zane wanted to howl with his loneliness. It tore him up, revealing the hollow ache that filled him. He would never be whole again. The family he once had were monsters, bowing to a horrible king. They would strike him down again for being the one good soul among them.

  There had been a time when he was young and full of hope. He and Alec and Charlie used to run around town. They were the kings and queen of the waterfall, terrors of the town. They had been his best friends until Alec changed Charlie and her parents whisked her away. She got to escape all that later happened here.

  She wasn’t around for Alistair’s betrayal.

  Zane swam out from under the dock. He thought he would shift and climb onto the dock, but another form joined her. The person was tall and broad shouldered. Zane swam closer to the surface. If either of them happened to look in his direction, they might catch a glimpse of him, but it was worth the risk because of what he saw.

  Alistair.

  Time hadn’t touched the shifter. It was like he’d been living on the years Zane had lost. Zane couldn’t hear what Alistair said to Charlie, but she gave a tight smile in response. Zane should have leapt from the water right then and there. He should have dragged Alistair under where he couldn’t breathe. Where he would drown, and the world would be safe.