Page 22 of Wanted By the Cartel

I sighed softly, melting into his touch despite the lingering fear. His fingers danced across my birthmark, the crescent moon glowing faintly in the dim light. I had always been protective of this mark, hiding it away like a shameful secret, but now Zoren's gentle exploration made me feel cherished rather than exposed.

I wasn't feeling that way for the first time, but this time, it felt different. He was reaffirming his love for me and how much it meant to him.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered, his breath warm against my collarbone as he trailed kisses down to my chest. "Every day, when I wake up, I immediately begin to think about you."

As if in response to his words, heat began to pool between my legs—a desire that had nothing to do with fear or vulnerability. I arched into Zoren's cocooning warmth, craving more of him despite the risks we both knew lurked just beyond our door.

Zoren pulled back just a little, meeting my gaze with eyes full of lust and tenderness. "Can I make love to you? Here, in this safe space?"

He didn't have to ask. Everything in my body was screaming for the answer he was looking for.

I nodded without saying anything, too overwhelmed by emotions and arousal to find words. His hands slid down to the waistband of my pants, pausing for a moment as if seeking further permission.

For a cartel boss, he was surprisingly well-educated.

As he slowly unbuttoned them, something shifted within me—not just desire, but an unfamiliar sensation deep inside that felt almost...wrong. It wasn't pain or discomfort exactly, but rather an inexplicable wrongness that I couldn't quite place.

As Zoren's hands explored my body, a strange sensation began to build inside me—an unfamiliar tightness in my core that I couldn't quite identify. What was it?

It wasn't painful or uncomfortable exactly, but it felt out of place amidst the heat and desire coursing through my veins.

"Zoren," I breathed his name as his fingers traced patterns on my skin, leaving trails of goosebumps in their wake. "There's something... I need to tell you. It's important."

I didn't want to stop what was happening, but didn't have another choice.

My mate paused, lifting his head to meet my gaze with concern etched across his features. He was always attentive like that, even when we were completely immersed in our sex.

"What is it?" Zoren asked gently, though there was a hint of wariness beneath his tone. His hands stilled on my skin, waiting for me to continue as I gathered my thoughts.

I bit my lip, unsure how he would react to this particular revelation about myself. It wasn't something I had ever shared with anyone before—not even Mae. "It's...part of why we've always been able to hide so easily from the Harvesters," I began.

My voice echoed my hesitation, but there wasn't anything I could do about it.

Zoren raised an eyebrow in question as his gaze locked onto mine, signaling me to continue explaining whatever this secret was that seemed to be troubling my mind right then.

Whatever it was, he wanted it dealt with as soon as possible so we could resume what we were doing.

His expression remained calm and collected despite the obvious curiosity burning behind those eyes.

"There's something different about you right now," Zoren murmured against my skin as he trailed kisses down my neck. "You don't react to alpha pheromones in the same way. The way you react to mine is something I've never seen before."

His words sent a chill of fear down my spine, but I tried to shake it off with a deep breath. It was true—I had always been more resistant to the effects of pheromones compared to others like me.

All of a sudden, Zoren paused his movements and sat up on the bed beside me as he stared at me wide-eyed in shock.

"There's more... something else that might be connected."

Zoren cocked an eyebrow upward as if he was challenging me to continue explaining what the hell was going on right then. And I was going to. I made an oath not to lie to him again and intended to keep my word.

I took another deep breath, preparing myself for the revelation ahead of me. It was going to be difficult, but something in me was telling me that it was going to be worth it.

"You already know I'm not just your average omega, but it's more than that," I confessed with a slight tremor in my voice. "My birthmark is more than a symbol that lights up to warn me about danger; it's an active part of who I am."

Zoren arched an eyebrow at that statement but remained silent, waiting to hear out what I had to say next about this revelation regarding my origins.

"I inherited powers from my grandmother," I continued as Zoren listened without as much as blinking. "She was the last of our coven before she died protecting me years ago. The Lunar Harvesters didn't expect her power because they believed moon-blessed omegas couldn't breed anymore. But that was a lie perpetrated by my grandmother. She used it to keep us safe."

A pause followed where Zoren seemed to absorb all that information in silence until he spoke up once again, breaking through my trail of thought.

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