Ashes and Scales: Remember Us, Mate

Chapter 13: Forbidden

ZORAYA

The scent of lavender and eucalyptus hit me as I entered my favorite spa, instantly making me feel more relaxed, even though my mind was far from calm. Gigi had even allowed me to choose which spa I preferred. I spotted her right away with a big smile as she stood and waved me over. We hugged, and it felt genuine, which only added to my confusion.

"Thank you for coming at such short notice," she said warmly and I returned her smile.

"No, thank you for the invitation. I needed this,” I replied, and Gigi smiled, inviting me to sit with her. But I could not help wondering what the real reason for this unexpected invitation was. I had been on numerous spa dates with Cian's older sister when she visited, but Gigi and I had never done anything together, not even a simple lunch.

So why now? Especially after the attitude she gave me over the phone, which was not the first time. Had Cian mentioned something to her? He knew how she acted on the phone. I told him what happened, how annoyed she sounded, and how it made me feel, despite his assurances. However, as much as I wanted him to do something about it, I did not expect him to—he had not the first time I brought it up.

We settled into the lounge area, and just then, a server arrived with champagne and began discussing our treatments. As she spoke, my mind wandered back to this morning—how I’d left Cian’s place more frustrated than when I arrived.

I couldn’t sleep the entire night; I’d been burning with need and started undressing him the moment we entered his place, but for the millionth time, he turned me down. This time, the rejection hurt more than ever, and I cried for the first time when he turned me down. I did not want to appear desperate, but I just could not take it anymore. He finally admitted what I had suspected all along: he did not want to take the next step in our relationship because of my parents.

I had told him a hundred times that I did not care about my parents, that they had no control over me or my decisions, and that I was not a child. I’d also made it clear to him countless times that waiting for them was like waiting for a ship at an airport. But Cian, with his infuriating determination, insisted on “winning them over” and getting my father’s blessing.

I just couldn’t go through that conversation with him again. We had already talked about it after dinner before I went home, and I was tired of sounding like a broken record. So I broke down, feeling completely defeated.

I told him I wanted to run away, that I was done with all of this, but he wouldn’t even entertain the thought. His refusal to consider it made me feel suffocated and trapped in this never-ending cycle of being unheard.

Gigi's voice brought me back to the present moment as she handed me my glass, and I pushed all thoughts of Cian and our forbidden relationship to the back of my mind and returned my focus to his cousin.

“You okay?” she asked, concern flickering in her eyes and I smiled faintly. “Yeah, just a lot on my mind,” I said before asking the question that had been burning inside me since I left my house. I was not one to mince words, so I asked her directly, "Why the sudden invitation?" My voice came out sharper than I intended, but I didn’t care. I needed answers. “We’ve never done anything like this before. You’ve always seemed to dislike me. So why now?

I could see the surprise flash across her face like she hadn’t expected me to come right out with it. But that’s the thing about me—I always said what needed to be said. I folded my arms, waiting for her to explain herself. I didn’t eat with my enemies, so I needed to know if she was one. She blinked a few times, then sighed softly.

“Zoraya, I never disliked you. I’m sorry if I ever made you feel that way,” she said, but it was hard for me to believe, and I let her know it.

“Really? Because it’s felt like you’ve been giving me attitude since day one. You barely speak to me unless it’s necessary, and let’s not even get started on the way I always catch you looking at me, rudely.”

Her expression softened, and she bit her lip. “I didn’t realize you felt like that until Cian spoke to me this morning. He told me you thought there was a problem between us.”

My heart skipped a beat hearing that Cian had confronted her about me and I reached for my champagne and took a long sip while Gigi continued, my gaze never leaving her.

“There was never any bad blood, Zoraya. I honestly didn’t know I was coming across that way. If I made you uncomfortable, I’m sorry.”

She met my eyes, her tone genuine, but I remained skeptical. How could she have not noticed? Was she truly that oblivious, or was she simply apologizing because Cian was making her do it?

“Well, it sure didn’t feel like that from where I’m standing. It’s been awkward as hell every time we’re around each other, and honestly, I’ve been wondering what your deal was.” I continued and Gigi shook her head, looking genuinely regretful.

“I get that, and I’m sorry. It wasn’t intentional. Maybe I was a little distant, but I never had anything against you, I swear.”

“Fine,” I muttered, leaning back in my chair. I did not enjoy unnecessary conflict anyway, so if we could get past this, that would be great. Plus, she was Cian's cousin, after all. We raised our glasses and toasted to a new beginning. Gigi then explained the spa treatment she had chosen for us, which I was fine with, but I could not help but wonder if something was wrong when I noticed her staring at the necklace her aunt had bought for me.

I asked if there was something wrong and she shook her head. “No, nothing’s wrong. It’s just beautiful. I was admiring it.” I agreed—it really was beautiful.

"So, I saw you come back last night," she said with a knowing smile, taking me by surprise. How could she have seen me when Cian and I went directly to his house?

“I don’t understand. How did you see me?” I asked, curious and she laughed.

“Okay, fine, I didn’t actually see you. Cian told me he went to get you,” she said and a blush crept up my cheeks for some reason before I responded. “Yeah, I did come back,” I admitted, but I frowned when she asked what Cian and I did.

“What do you mean, ‘what did we do’?” My eyes narrowed at her weird question and her eyes widened as she quickly backtracked. “Oh, no! Not like that. Ew! I just meant, did you guys go to the club or something? Cian mentioned that he was thinking about going after dinner.

She explained and I relaxed a little, shaking my head. “No, we didn’t go. He never said anything about wanting to hit the club to me.” But as I continued, I noticed how her face had suddenly become flushed before she threw back her glass of champagne.

“Are you okay?” I asked, watching her closely and she sighed, her expression growing more serious. “My boyfriend... he won’t have s*x with me. He keeps making excuses, and I am starting to think he does not love me. Every time he says no, I feel so rejected," she said and my eyes widened at her confession. Her boyfriend wouldn’t claim her? I couldn’t believe she was going through the same thing I was with Cian.

“What?” I blurted. “What reason did he give you?”

She sighed again, frustration lacing her words. “He said it’s because our families are in conflict over business. He wants my father’s blessing before taking the next step in our relationship.”

My eyes widened even more. What were the chances? She was going through the exact same thing I was. “Seriously?” I asked, still trying to process it. “That’s what Cian keeps saying too.”

Gigi’s eyes lit up. “Really?” There was excitement in her voice, and I instantly regretted sharing, confused by her weird reaction. I stopped talking, the words catching in my throat, and she must have noticed because she quickly backpedaled.

“Oh, no! I didn’t mean it like that. I’m not happy about your situation, Zoraya. I just... I just feel relieved that I’m not the only one going through this. It’s been driving me crazy, making me doubt everything, and now... I don’t know. It’s a little reassuring to know it’s not just me. Especially because I know Cian loves you.”

I studied her face, seeing genuine relief and vulnerability, and realized it was true: she was not celebrating my misery. She was just glad she was not alone.

I nodded slowly, feeling a strange bond between us, even though the whole situation was still infuriating. “Yeah, I get it,” I murmured, squeezing her hand a little tighter. “I guess we’re both in the same boat.”

I finished my glass, and we stood up to begin our treatment. As we moved along, I noticed Gigi's gaze return to my necklace. She must have really liked it. I thought maybe I should buy her something similar. I’d hit the jeweler’s on my way back.

•••

MAIA

Stepping out of the Busco estate, my eyes immediately landed on Keir, leaning casually against his car, waiting for me. The moment I saw him, a bright smile spread across my face, lighting up my whole day. He mirrored my smile as he pushed off the car with that easy confidence of his, walked over, and opened the door for me.

“Hey, you,” I greeted him, and we shared a quick hug.

"Hey," he replied in that soft, familiar tone that always put me at ease. I slid into the passenger seat and settled in as he moved around to the driver's side. Once he was seated, he turned to me with a grin.

“So, how was your day?”

I let out a small laugh, thinking of everything that happened. “It was... okay, I guess.”

His knowing smile widened. “You guess?” He raised an eyebrow. “Was your boss acting up again?”

I couldn’t help but laugh at how he put it, confirming that she was indeed acting up. “It was a new level of unhinged today. Like, even for her.”

Keir chuckled, and soon we were both laughing. He was well-versed in Zoraya's theatrics, thanks to the stories I told him. She truly was in a league of her own.

Once the laughter subsided, I turned to him, concern flashing across my face as I asked how his wound had treated him today. He glanced at me, smiling softly before saying it hadn’t given him any problems. Keir’s wound had healed, which wasn’t surprising since we now knew about his wolf side. But he didn’t exactly have a wolf; his wolf side wasn't even strong enough to give him a noticeable scent, so I still worried he might feel pain around the area. But he said he wasn’t in pain.

“Not a twinge. Thanks for worrying about me, though.” He gave me a playful grin, and I smiled back before looking out the window and noticing that instead of returning home, he was driving back into town.

“Wait, where are we going?” I asked, turning back to him and his smile widened.

“You’ll see,” he replied, keeping his eyes on the road, but with that mischievous glint that made me both curious and excited. I playfully narrowed my eyes at him, but I could not stop a smile from spreading across my face. “You know I hate surprises.”

Keir just laughed. “Yeah, but you’ll like this one. Trust me.”

We drove deeper into the city, and I could not stop staring out the window, amazed at how beautiful everything looked in the afternoon sun. The towering buildings gleamed in the light, and the streets were bustling with activity. I’d never been this far into the city before, and it felt like a whole new world was opening up in front of me.

We finally arrived at our destination, and when I saw where we were, my eyes widened in disbelief. It was a game bar—' the' game bar. The one I’d seen on TV ads and dreamed about visiting.

“Oh, Goddess!” I turned to Keir, practically bouncing in my seat. “I’ve always wanted to come here! It looks amazing!”

He grinned, clearly enjoying my excitement, and without thinking, I threw my arms around him in a tight hug, my heart soaring. “Thank you! You seriously just made my whole day!”

He chuckled, hugging me back before leading me inside. The place was even more incredible than I’d imagined. There were flashing lights, sounds of laughter, and people competing at every type of game you could think of.

“Is it okay for us to be here?” I asked, excitement making me blabber. Of course, Keir knew his way around the city and wouldn’t expose himself. Plus, he’d told me he had visited the place countless times.

“I promise,” he said, taking my hand and asking if I wanted a tour of the place.

He showed me the different sections, and I could barely contain my excitement. I wanted to try everything, but before I could even pick where to start, Keir tugged me toward the dining side of the establishment.

“Let’s eat first,” he said, his grin teasing, and I pouted even though I wanted to eat too. “Fine, but you better let me beat you at some games after!”

We settled into a cozy booth, and a waitress came over to take our order. We both went for our favorite—pizza, of course. My excitement hadn’t dimmed a bit as I glanced around the place, my eyes darting over every neon light and every group of friends having fun. But then my attention returned to Keir, who had taken my hands in his.

The moment I looked at him, something in his eyes made my heart skip a beat—there was something more, something intense, like a spark flickering to life between us that wasn't there a second ago. My pulse quickened, and suddenly I knew that this wasn’t just a fun afternoon out. This was the moment I would finally have the answers I had been dying for.

“I, uh... I have a confession to make,” he said, his voice lower and more serious than I’d ever heard it and my own voice came out in a whisper. “Go ahead.”

He took a breath, his eyes not leaving mine for even a second. “I’ve been thinking about what you said... about being in love with me. Did you mean it?”

The vulnerability in his voice made my heart swell. “Of course, I meant it.”

His lips quivered into a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Good, because... I’m in love with you, too. I always have been.”

The emotions that surged through me at that moment were indescribable. I had waited so long to hear those words, to know that Keir felt the same way, and tears welled up in my eyes—tears of pure happiness.

He reached out, his hand gently cupping my cheek, his thumb brushing away a tear that had escaped. “But I need to know if you’re sure about this,” he said softly, his voice full of tenderness. “Are you sure you don’t want to wait for your mate? Because once you’re mine, I don’t ever plan on letting you go,” he continued, and another tear fell as I told him I had never been sure of anything in my life.

“I love you, Keir. It’s you... it’s just you. It has always been just you. I’ve already chosen my mate.”

Emotion flashed in his eyes at my words, and before either of us could say another word, we leaned in. Our lips met in a kiss that was everything I’d ever dreamed of—intense, passionate, sweet, and filled with the depths of our feelings that we had been holding back for so long.

Keir’s hand stayed on my cheek, his touch warm and reassuring, and my hand found its way to the back of his neck, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss as we poured every ounce of emotion into it.

When we finally pulled away, breathless, our foreheads rested against each other’s and I opened my eyes, meeting his to see nothing but love—pure, undeniable love.

"I have waited so long for this," I whispered, and he responded, his voice thick with emotion, "So have I, and now that I have you, I am never letting go."