Chapter 101: Home Again

Chapter 101: Home Again Zane~ Fox’s smirk was the last thing I saw before his hand landed on my shoulder. And then there was darkness. A sensation of weightlessness, like the universe had been ripped away from under my feet. The sounds of the room, Sebastian’s presence, the lingering scent of blood and magic—all of it disappeared in an instant. By the time I regained my bearings, we were somewhere else. I staggered slightly, my instincts still fighting against the sudden shift, my chest rising and falling with sharp breaths. "Damn it, Fox!" I snapped, whirling on him. "I was still talking!" Fox chuckled, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Yeah, yeah, I noticed. But you talk too much, brother-in-law." I took a threatening step forward, my hands clenched into fists. "I don’t trust that woman, Fox. That Brielle woman—she could hurt Sebastian. And if anything happens to him—" My voice was like ice, laced with fury and desperation. "I will never forgive you." Fox sighed, running a hand through his fiery red hair. "Zane, stop worrying. Even if it doesn’t look like it, Tiger and I are watching over Sebastian. Nothing’s going to happen to him." I clenched my jaw, unwilling to be soothed. "Are you sure about that." Fox arched a brow. "Absolutely. Come on, Zane, you and I both know Sebastian is too damn powerful for a demon to take him down that easily. The demon would be the one running for the hills." He smirked. "And besides, thanks to Tiger and I, right now, Sebastian is probably the most protected vampire in the world." I narrowed my eyes, not entirely convinced. "Swear it." Fox let out a chuckle but raised a hand. "Fine. I swear it. Sebastian is safe." I exhaled, the tightness in my chest loosening—just a little. But before I could argue further, a scent hit me. A familiar, warm scent. Home. I spun around, my eyes widening as recognition settled in. Fox didn’t teleport me back to my house in Vereth, he teleported me back to my Paris home. Back to Alexander and Natalie. I turned back to Fox, excitement surging through me. "You—" My voice broke with a rare hint of emotion. "You brought me home." Fox smirked. "Missing home that much, are we?" I didn’t bother denying it. "Damn right I was." Fox shook his head. "Don’t exaggerate. You left two days ago." Two days? It had felt like a lifetime. The overwhelming need to see them—Alexander. Natalie. I had to see them. I turned, ready to bolt, but before I could take a step, Fox’s hand shot out, gripping my arm. "Slow down, lover boy," he drawled. "Remember this is temporary. You have to go back to Vereth soon for Sebastian’s sake." My heart sank. I stared at him, my excitement fading. "What do you mean? Didn’t you just say Sebastian is safe?" Fox nodded. "He is. But he’ll need your help later." Something twisted in my gut. "Fox." My voice was low, dangerous. "Stop dancing around whatever the hell you’re trying to say." Fox hesitated, then sighed. "Look, it’s not just Sebastian who’s going to need you. Someone else will, too. But I’ll let Natalie explain the rest." Before I could question him further, laughter echoed through the room. I turned just in time to see Alexander floating into the living room, giggling uncontrollably. Eagle stood behind him, his eyes glowing as he used his magic to keep my son hovering in the air. A slow, genuine smile spread across my face. "What the—?" Alex was laughing so hard, completely oblivious to everything else around him. But the moment he heard my laughter, he froze. He turned his head, his big brown eyes landing on me. "DADDY!!" Before I could react, he soared toward me, launching himself into my arms. I caught him easily, hugging him tight as his tiny arms wrapped around my neck. "I missed you so much!" he squealed, clinging to me. I closed my eyes for a second, inhaling his familiar scent. My son. My everything. "I missed you too, buddy," I murmured. Alex pulled back just slightly, looking at me with wide, serious eyes. "Daddy, I was really scared today." My stomach dropped. I tensed. "Scared? What happened?" Alex’s bottom lip wobbled. "Some men and a lady came to my school." His voice was small, hesitant. "They said you sent them to take me." Every muscle in my body locked. "They—what?" Alex nodded. "But I knew they were lying! So I ran and hid in the closet." His tiny hands clutched my shirt as he whispered, "I called for Mummy Natalie, and she came. She saved me." My heart sank. My son. My son had almost been taken. I could have lost him. Goddess, I could have lost by baby. The only reason he was safe—was Natalie. I swear I was going to find who ever they are and end them. I tightened my grip around him, burying my face in his hair. "Are you okay, buddy?" My voice was hoarse, raw. "Did they hurt you?" Alex shook his head. "I’m okay, Daddy. I promise." I exhaled, pressing a hard kiss to his forehead before turning sharply to Eagle. My voice came out like a command. "Where is Natalie? Is she okay?" Eagle gave me a calm, assessing look. "In her room." I wasted no time. I pressed a quick kiss to Alex’s cheek. "Daddy has to talk to Mummy, okay?" Alex nodded, letting go as Eagle took him. And then I practically ran to Natalie’s room. I didn’t knock. I didn’t think. I just stormed in— —and stopped dead in my tracks. Natalie stood near the bathroom doorway, her damp hair falling over her bare shoulders. A towel was wrapped around her body, clinging to her curves. Steam curled in the air around her, the scent of vanilla and wildflowers filling the room. My breath caught in my throat. For a moment, I forgot everything. The kidnapping attempt. My panic. My anger. Red growled his approval. "She’s so beautiful." Natalie blinked at me, stunned. Then a slow smirk curled her lips. "You’re back already." Her voice was teasing, flirtatious. "If I knew you missed me this much, I would have left the door open." That snapped me out of it. I crossed the room in three long strides, grabbing her and pulling her into my arms. Natalie gasped, momentarily caught off guard—but then she hugged me back just as fiercely. I buried my face in her hair, inhaling deeply, grounding myself in her presence. "You saved Alex." My voice was rough, unsteady. "Thank you, my love." She pulled back slightly, tilting her head up to look at me. Her blue eyes gleamed with love and warmth. "Of course, I did." I tightened my grip on her, unable to let go. "You and Alexander are my entire world, Natalie." My voice dropped to a whisper. "I can’t lose any of you. Are you ok? Did they hurt you?" Natalie cupped my cheek, her touch gentle but firm. "You won’t. And I’m perfectly fine. It takes more than a few rascals to kill a goddess." I swallowed hard, my emotions warring inside me and I hugged her tighter. Natalie finally pulled away from me, pressing her palm flat against my chest, her warmth lingering like an anchor against my frayed emotions. My arms ached to keep her close, to assure myself she was safe, but I forced myself to step back. She smirked, tilting her head playfully. "You gonna let me get dressed now, or should I just parade around in this towel all night?" I exhaled sharply, stepping back just enough to give her space, but my eyes refused to leave her. The damp towel clung to every curve, the soft glow of the floating lanterns in the room illuminated her bare skin. Red growled in my head, restless. "Ours. Every inch of her is ours." I clenched my fists. "Not now, Red." Natalie arched a brow at me knowingly, her gaze flicking down to my tensed hands before she turned away, deliberately slow, as if daring me to look away. I didn’t. She let the towel drop, her bare back and round ass teasing me for a moment before she reached for fresh clothes. My jaw tightened as I took in the smooth, perfect canvas of her skin, the soft, hypnotic curves. I could still feel the warmth of her body from when she was in my arms. She moved with an effortless confidence now, so different from the shy, broken girl she once was. She was breathtaking. Fierce. Mine. And I was completely, utterly ruined for her. I didn’t even realize I was holding my breath until she finally turned around, now dressed in a fitted black top and leggings that clung to her like a second skin. A playful smirk danced across her lips. "You done staring?" she teased, sauntering toward me. I caught her wrist, yanking her down onto the bed beside me. She let out a surprised laugh, but before she could say anything else, I pulled her onto my lap, her legs draping over mine. She gasped, her hands gripping my shoulders. "Zane!" I smirked. "What? You started it." She rolled her eyes, but there was no hiding the way her heartbeat quickened. She lifted a hand to trace her fingers down my jaw, her touch featherlight. "You’re so naughty." "And you love it." She leaned in closer, her breath fanning against my lips. "Maybe." I kissed her before she could say anything else, capturing that teasing smirk and replacing it with a needy moan. She melted into me instantly, her fingers tangling in my hair as my grip tightened around her waist. This—she—was my peace. My sanity. We kissed like we were both starving. It was exhilarating. When we finally pulled apart, her forehead rested against mine, our breaths mingling. We were still riding the high from our kiss but then her expression suddenly turned serious. I frowned. "What is it?" She bit her lip before sighing. "There’s a problem, Zane." My body stiffened immediately. "What kind of problem?" My voice was suddenly sharper but I didn’t care. After what happened today with Alex, I was on edge. Natalie pulled back slightly, her eyes darkening. "There’s someone else working in the shadows." I went completely still. "What are you talking about?" She exhaled, gripping my hand tightly. "Nora and Charlie—they’re not just working for your uncle alone. There’s someone else. A much bigger threat." My blood ran cold. She hesitated before finally saying the name. "Dexter." Who the hell was that? Anger with a mix of fear raised inside me like a storm. Red snarled violently. Natalie’s grip on my hand tightened, keeping me in place. "He’s an unknown face who sent people to kidnap Alex." Rage detonated in my chest like an explosion. I shot to my feet so fast that Natalie almost tumbled off my lap, but she caught herself, eyes widening as I started pacing. My mind whirled, my breaths coming out in sharp, controlled bursts. "They tried to take my son," I growled. "They tried to take my son." Natalie nodded solemnly. "I know." "I’m not waiting any longer." My voice was deadly calm, but my body trembled with restrained fury. "I’m going to kill them. Nora and Charlie. I’m killing them Now." I turned toward the door, my vision already blurring with the hunger for blood, but Natalie moved fast. She lunged in front of me, pressing both hands against my chest. "Zane. Stop." I bared my teeth. "Move, Natalie." "No." Her defiance only fueled the fire inside me. Red was clawing to the surface, demanding vengeance. But Natalie’s gaze didn’t waver. She lifted her chin. "We need them." I let out a bitter laugh. "For what? Target practice?" "To draw Dexter out," she said firmly. "Same with Nathan." I clenched my jaw, muscles twitching with the need to act, to rip someone apart for daring to threaten my family. Natalie softened, reaching up to touch my face. "We’ll make them suffer more than they are currently facing, Zane. But not yet." I exhaled sharply through my nose, staring into those fierce, determined eyes. Then I sighed. "Fine. What’s the plan?" She smirked. "First things first—we go home." That gave me pause. Home. To. Our country. To Vereth? I frowned. "Why?" Natalie’s expression darkened. "Because right now, your father’s life is in danger." My stomach twisted. "What?" "Dexter is planning a coup," she revealed grimly. "The king will be killed next week if we don’t stop it." Everything inside me froze. A coup. A direct attack against my father. Red let out a furious, guttural snarl. I barely heard Natalie continue. "We need to move fast. If we don’t, it’ll be too late." My hands curled into fists. "We leave at dawn." Natalie hesitated. My instincts screamed at me. Something was wrong. I narrowed my eyes. "What else?" She swallowed, suddenly looking uneasy. Then, finally, she met my gaze. "When we get there...I’m letting myself get captured by Darius’s men." The entire room went still. For a moment, I wasn’t sure I had heard her right. Then the words sank in. And I snapped. "Absolutely not." My voice was lethal, a low growl vibrating in my chest. "Are you out of your damn mind?" Natalie didn’t flinch. "Zane—" "No." I cut her off, stepping closer, towering over her. "You’re not doing this." She exhaled slowly. "I saw a vision, Zane. The coup is tied to Silverfang. And this is my chance to get revenge on Darius." My hands shook. "You’re going to get yourself killed," I bit out. She smirked. "I’m a goddess now, remember? It’s going to take more than Darius and a bunch of fools." I grabbed her by the shoulders, my voice shaking. "I can’t lose you." "You won’t." I didn’t believe her. No matter how much power she possessed, I just couldn’t. But as I looked into those determined blue eyes, I knew one thing. She wasn’t going to change her mind. She was going to do this—whether I liked it or not.