Page 27 of Claws and Controllers

As Zy rejoined his family, Azure clapped him on the shoulder, a knowing grin on his face. “So, big brother, when do we get to meet her properly?”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Az. There’s still a lot to figure out.”

Azure chuckled, shaking his head. “Sure, sure. Just remember, when you do finally bring her around, I get dibs on telling all the embarrassing childhood stories.”

Zy rolled his eyes, but there was no real annoyance behind it. As they made their way out of the restaurant, he found his thoughts drifting once again to Ellie. The way her eyes had lit up when she smiled at him, the warmth in her voice when she said good-bye...

“Zyan?” his mother’s voice cut through his reverie. Mara Ashford stood before him, one elegant eyebrow raised in amusement. “You’ve been distracted all evening, darling. Is everything all right at work?”

Zy blinked, realizing they’d reached the valet stand. “Everything’s fine, Mom. Just... a lot on my mind.”

Mara’s keen eyes studied him for a moment, and Zy had the distinct impression she could see right through him. After several centuries of life, very little got past Mara Ashford.

“I see,” she hummed, a knowing smile playing on her lips. “And would this ‘a lot’ happen to have long red hair and be sitting at table twelve?”

Zy felt a warmth creep up his neck. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he muttered, suddenly very interested in his shoes.

His mother laughed softly, reaching up to pat his cheek affectionately. “Oh, my darling boy. You forget, I’ve known you for a hundred years. I know that look in your eyes.”

Before Zy could formulate a response, his father joined them, car keys in hand. “Ready to go, dear?” Tarian asked, his deep voice rumbling with warmth.

Mara nodded, but not before giving Zy one last meaningful look. “We’ll talk more about this later, sweetheart. Don’t think you’re off the hook.”

As his parents’ car pulled away, Zy let out a long breath. He loved his family dearly, but sometimes their perceptiveness was exhausting. Especially when he himself wasn’t sure what was going on with Ellie.

The drive back to his penthouse was a blur, his mind racing with thoughts of code theft, family expectations, and warm brown eyes that seemed to see right through him. By the time he stepped into his luxurious living room, Zy felt mentally and emotionally drained.

He loosened his tie, padding over to the floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a breathtaking view of Central Park. The city sprawled out before him, a glittering tapestry of lights against the night sky. Usually, this view never failed to center him, to remind him of all he’d accomplished.

Tonight, however, it just made him feel... lonely.

With a sigh, Zy turned away from the window, his gaze falling on the state-of-the-art gaming setup in the corner of the room. Without really thinking about it, he found himself booting up Infinite Odyssey.

As the familiar opening sequence played, Zy couldn’t help but smile. Even now, knowing the potential complications surrounding the game’s code, he had to admire the artistry and innovation Ellie had poured into every aspect of the design.

He navigated to the character creation screen, his fingers moving almost of their own accord as he crafted a tiger shifter avatar. The level of detail was astounding - he could practicallysee his own golden-flecked eyes staring back at him from the screen.

For the next hour, Zy lost himself in the game, exploring the rich, immersive world Ellie had created. With each new discovery, each cleverly designed quest, he found himself more and more in awe of her talent.

It wasn’t until his phone buzzed with a text from Adonis that reality came crashing back in.

“Preliminary report on Vince’s activities. You’re going to want to see this. First thing tomorrow.”

Zy stared at the message, a knot forming in his stomach. Whatever Adonis had found, he had a feeling it was going to complicate things even further.

With a heavy sigh, he typed out a quick affirmative response before shutting down the game. As Ellie’s beautifully designed world faded from the screen, Zy couldn’t shake the feeling he was at a crossroads.

On one side lay his duty to his company, his family legacy, and the shifter community he was sworn to protect. On the other... Ellie. With her brilliant mind, her infectious laugh, and the way she made him feel more alive than he had in decades.

As he got ready for bed, Zy’s tiger paced restlessly in the back of his mind. For once, man and beast were in complete agreement: whatever happened next, Ellie had become far too important to let go.

ELEVEN

Zy leaned back in his leather chair, his golden-flecked eyes fixed on Vince’s increasingly concerned expression. The younger man’s frustration was palpable, a sharp contrast to the sleek, modern office surrounding them.

“I don’t understand,” Vince said, his impeccably tailored suit as crisp as ever despite the long day. “We had a clear timeline for the new project. The team has been working overtime to meet our milestones. Why the sudden delay?”

Zy exchanged a quick glance with Adonis, who stood silently by the door, before responding. “We’re reassessing all our project timelines, Vince. It’s nothing personal, just a necessary step to ensure we’re allocating resources efficiently.”

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