Enzo kept looking at me while I did nothing but sit there and stare back at him.
The wildness of his hair, the indiscreet glow his eyes fell into. All of them had an effect on me until he sat back and took some visible distance away from the piano. He didn't answer my question and for some reason, I just couldn't bring myself to ask again. A part of me wanted to run away from him, from myself. I wasn't so sure.
"I didn't know that you played so well," was what I said instead as I reached up to rub the side of my arm. The glow in Enzo's gaze died down and he ran his hands through his hair and pushed it back, exhaling in the process. "You're really good,"
Enzo nodded when he clasped his hands into each other. I stared at him awkwardly, not knowing what else to do with myself.
"How did you find my private library?" Enzo asked suddenly as he stood up, straightening out his clothes.
"I was exploring the house and this was a part that I had never been to before then I heard the music and was drawn in. I'm sorry, I didn't know that I wasn't supposed to be in here,"
Enzo's gaze softened. "It's fine. I just don't like people in the room whenever I play,"
I walked towards him. "Why? You're pretty good,"
Enzo didn't respond. Instead, he only smiled and tried to calm down his wild hair. I found myself staring at the grand piano. It was gorgeous. The polished black shone despite the dimness of the room. I wanted to touch it, to play and maybe try to re-create the same masterpiece that Enzo had honoured me with just minutes before. A masterpiece that brought somewhat suppressed memories rushing back to my mind.
I shuddered and clenched my fist.
Leave it in the past, Raven.
"I think that I should leave now," I told him and he came towards me.
"You don't have to go," his voice stops me and I look back at him as he strides towards me elegantly, his hands tucked securely in his pocket. "How are you?"
I look from him to the piano and then back to him not knowing how to answer that. I was fine, in truth until I heard his piece and now I feel defiled all over again. Neil was not a memory I liked to remember. Neil was something that I wanted nothing more than to condemn to the deepest parts of hell for all the shit he put me through. For the way he ruined me. For the way that even after nine years, every part of my skin still crawled when I remembered waking up in that room and realised what had happened to me. What was done to me. How he took advantage of me.
Neil was the reason why sex for the rest of my life after him was ruined for me because in every lover I took to my bed for work or pleasure, I searched for an escape I simply never found. I searched for a touch that won't ignite my trauma against me. I tried so very hard but other than two people, one of them being Mak, I never felt any true release from anyone else in my bed. I hated that.
So no Enzo, I am not fine. And I haven't been fine in years, either. No, let me rephrase. The last time I was fine, I hadn't been born into this world yet. My fate was cursed and even the fact that I have to be here today in front of you with the intention of seducing you was a part of that very unfortunate fate.
"Aoife," Enzo calls out to me, a hand brushing my shoulder as concern clustered around his forehead. He brought me out of my dreadful thoughts of that evil asshole. "Are you okay?"
My gaze met his concerned one. "I'd like to ask you the same, Alpha. Are you okay? Your piece seemed pretty powerful and in all honesty, all that emotion had to have come from somewhere,"
There was something that flickered in Enzo's eyes instantly as he withdrew his hand from my shoulder. He quickly smiled to conceal what we both knew that I had no doubt seen in his eyes.
"I'm an Alpha and sometimes the job gets tasking. When I play, I let everything out. It's more therapeutic than shifting,"
I couldn't tell if he was lying or not but I understood without a doubt that whatever I had witnessed just moments before, Enzo didn't want to acknowledge nor talk about it. I wondered why. My curiosity was set ablaze but I decided that it was best to not prod. He avoided my questions for a reason.
"Don't stress yourself out too much trying to be everyone's hero," is all I say. I looked around, the room seeming to get a bit brighter as I stared up at the bookshelves. I wanted to reach up and grab one but restrained myself. "Also, I wanted to ask you if you found out anything about me? Like who I am or where I came from because I refuse to believe that I just dropped from the sky one day,"
Enzo considered me for a long minute as his lips tucked into each other. I decided to ask him this to keep up the facade because, to be honest, it wouldn't look too good if I never seemed to show any interest in who I possibly might be even though the last thing I needed was for Enzo to go poking his nose in my business. Well, it was a risk I was willing to take for the sake of keeping up this ruse.
Enzo's response to my question was to peer deeply into my eyes. Once again, the weight of his gaze travelled down my spine, curled around it like a snake and then finally settled on my lower back. It was heavy and daunting and my eyes drifted away from his, unable to handle the heaviness, unable to handle the way I suddenly wanted to fall to my feet.
"I didn't find anything yet, Aoife but be honest with me. There is something you're not telling me. I don't only see it in your eyes that you're hiding something but I also feel that way too,"
I had to stop myself from inhaling a sharp breath. I didn't know what to say. I had no clue about how to counter what he just said. For some reason, my mind just wasn't working properly. Was Enzo starting to suspect me? This literally came out of nowhere. I forced myself to remain calm as my mind went loose to find a solution. Before I could think of anything, Enzo took my face in his hands and pulled my gaze back towards his, invading my space as his soft touch enticed me. He was so close to me as his eyes trampled against the franticness of mine. His gaze refused to unhand mine, seizing it as its captive as the heaviness once again settled at the base of my spine, even heftier now. Much more forceful. It was an unending dull pain that I couldn't decide whether or not I was imagining as those dark eyes took me prisoner.
"Tell me, Aoife. What is it that you're not telling me?"
That's when I understood what Enzo was doing. He was an Alpha. A suspicious Alpha who wanted answers so he was using his wolf's dominance to intimidate me into being honest. His eyes had trapped me so he would catch even a hint of a lie.
So I decided not to lie.
"You're right, Alpha. I haven't been completely honest," I start, my voice hitched and barely above a whisper. If Enzo couldn't hear me then he made no show of it. He only looked on with more intent, his gaze deepening and that pain against my spine was so crushing that my features almost scrunched together in agony.
Through a hushed whisper, I said - "my parents passed away,"
Instantly, the weight on my lumbar region disappeared into thin air despite Enzo's gaze deepening tenfolds. His eyes held questions. Questions that I decided to answer before he asked them.
"I-I have been getting some flashbacks recently. Nothing too clear," my voice continues in a shaky direction. "And a few days ago I remembered my parents. I don't exactly remember much like their names or death or anything but I do remember crying over their deaths and feeling an overwhelming amount of grief because I lost them. So I have been worried about the memory and contemplating whether or not I should tell you because I was so unsure,"
"Why didn't you tell me the moment you 'remembered' this?" He asked sharply, still holding onto my cheeks with all the gentleness in the world.
"Because you're not exactly a ray of sunshine, now are you, Alpha?" I muttered lowly, causing his eyes to narrow at me. "What I mean is that you're a very busy man,"
"We both know that I'm can never be too busy for you, Aoife,"
The way he said that had my heart jumping in my chest. This was the one day that I didn't have the emotional energy to seduce this man and yet, he made me feel like the tables were turning. Who was really being seduced right now? because I just couldn't wrap my mind around his proximity or sweet words. I should think of something to counter, to flirt back but my brain just wasn't working.
Raven!
"You're an Alpha," I finally responded.
"And you're my responsibility," Enzo finally stepped away from me and I hated it, only realising that my heart rate had quickened when he held me. Raven, snap the fuck out of it. Get a hold of your emotions. Forget Neil and do your fucking job. Stop failing. "I don't care how busy I may seem but I'll never be too busy for you. It's not something you don't know so don't act naive with me now,"
"I-I just didn't know how to say it," I looked away, shutting my eyes for a moment. "The memory saddens me but yet, I wish for it to be nothing more than a mere figment of my imagination,"
Enzo reached for my hand and squeezed it. It was comforting? I looked up at him.
"Regardless, I'm sorry. Don't think about it much because I understand this kind of grief. It would only make you sad and I don't want you to be sad," my eyes zoned in on his messy ringlets, the way they balanced the softness of his dark eyes. I smiled slightly without warning and returned the squeeze of his hand.
"But why do you care, Enzo?" I asked, surprising even myself as I didn't know where it came from. We were talking about two very distinct things. The memories of Neil had my emotions handicapped but yet he thought that my distress was due to my parents. It was better that way especially as I remembered then and there that Enzo, like me, was also an orphan.
Enzo opened his mouth to speak but didn't. I watched his voice get lost in his throat so instead, he held on to my hand harder and pulled me towards the door.
"Come with me," he instructed as he led me out of the room and through the halls. I walked with him, wondering if the fact that he held my hand for everyone to see was appropriate in his pack. Unfortunately, he took a different route than the usual one so no one saw us, hence I could not test whether or not the reactions of everyone would have been hysterical and questioning. When we reached his office, he again asked me if he could shut the door behind us. Enzo always did this. He never closed the door when we were alone without asking for my permission. On a day like today, I appreciated that about him more than I usually would have.
He let go of my hand while I stood there, telling myself to snap out of it. If the Assassins' could see me now, they would have had my head. It was a rule in seduction 101 - put your fucking emotions aside. When you are with the target, only two things matter: the target and your goal. Everything else is an unnecessary distraction and must be set aside. Our emotions can never provide any good outcomes. I had mastered this so what the heck was happening with me now?
Enzo scavaged through his desk drawer and when he came back before me, there was a box in his hands. I had seen it before but was so caught up in my thoughts that I couldn't recall where.
"Erica had given this to you on the day of the feast of the full moon," Enzo reminded me and I remembered. I was so angry with him that I had forgotten to take it with me when I stormed out. Now it was in Enzo's hands, presented right in front of me. "You are obviously very upset and I know females tend to like gifts, especially jewellery so I thought that Erica's gift might make you feel better even just a bit,"
I let out a small laugh before I could stop myself, unable to understand why. Enzo smiled too and then he opened the box.
It was gorgeous. It was a beautiful set. The set contained a pair of beautiful gold necklace and earrings. Both had the crescent symbol on them. The earrings were dropping ones with a medium-sized gold crescent at the bottom and the necklace also had a crescent. It was simple but absolutely elegant.
It took my breath away.
"Try it on," Enzo urged and I reached for the earrings. Since I came here a month back, I hadn't worn any earrings. I did miss them, honestly. "This was our mother's. Erica seems to think that you remind her a lot of our mother so she wanted you to have this,"
When I pinned the second earring, I looked up at him, wondering how I reminded Erica of their mother until I remembered my conversation with her. She said that it was the way my skin glowed and how pretty my features were. Regardless, I felt glad that she gifted me this. It was gorgeous. Their mother had exceptional taste.
I stared down at the necklace, running my fingers over it. Suddenly, Enzo indicated with his fingers for me to turn. I did, anticipation welling in my throat. Enzo's fingers ran across the back of my neck as he pushed my short hair to the side and I felt every second of it as my heartbeat raced in my chest. When the cold metal hit the skin of my neck, I nearly flinched. Enzo's breath was against my ear.
"This is also a poor attempt at an apology but I want to apologise for using my Alpha position to my advantage to get information out of you. I should have waited until you were ready. Instead, I was led by my doubt and emotions and coaxed you with my abilities. Now, you're in this state and I'm very sorry,"
He hooked the jewellery behind and I fingered the crescent on my neck, understanding what he meant. The heaviness on my spine. Enzo did that on purpose. I initially thought that it was something he couldn't control but now, I realise that he's mastered the act of calling upon his wolf and Alpha abilities at will. Everything about Enzo always seems so thought out, so filled with thought out intent. So if that's the case then why is he so close to me right now? Why is his breath so intimately against my ear on the one day I'm not making any move to do anything?
He moved away before I could consider any more thoughts and then turned. He smiled when he looked at me in my bedazzled state. I smiled back, feeling fabulous once more. I'm so superficial it hurts, sometimes. This would be the third time that Enzo gave me something. Although technically this is Erica's gift but still.
His head juts to the side for a quick second. "Erica is right. Why didn't I see it before? There's something about you that's reminiscent of my mother. Something about you that's exactly like her but I just can't place what exactly it is,"
His eyes scanned me, his gaze heavy once again as it roamed over my face to my neck but seemed to stop at my hair for a long time then he shook his head, seeming to push his thoughts away.
This sucks! How the heck am I supposed to seduce you if you think I'm like your mom?! That's just not sexy! Ugh! If I saw any features of my dad reflected in you then I would run far, far away, job or not!
Enzo stood up straighter suddenly as the air shifted suddenly.
"What is it?" I questioned, not liking the way my senses poked at me.
"We have to go. There's an Alpha here to see me."
~🖤~🖤~🖤~🖤~🖤~🖤~🖤~🖤~🖤~
Who do you think that Alpha might be?
What did you think of this chapter?
Sorry I hadn't updated in 3 weeks! I was caught up in exams but I'm back now☺️☺️☺️. Hope none of you guys forgot anything!
~Эмма💕✌🏻