Chapter 277: Episode 275: Possessive Zarek

Roxy sat entirely enveloped in Zarek’s massive arms, anchored securely to his lap on the only armchair that had survived the afternoon.

She had just taken a long, blisteringly hot shower to scrub the freezing saltwater and the suffocating tension of the Deep Spires from her skin.

She was wearing a pair of soft, clean sleep shorts and one of Zarek’s oversized black silk shirts she liked on him.

But a shower wasn’t enough for the Dragon Alpha.

Zarek was currently worshipping her, his face buried deep in the crook of her neck. He inhaled sharply, dragging his nose along her collarbone, aggressively trying to rub the lingering, phantom scent of the sea, out of her pores.

His thick arms were locked around her waist like iron bands, holding her so tightly she could barely breathe, but Roxy didn’t push him away.

After understanding the sheer trauma he had endured while she was trapped under the ocean, his heavy, suffocating possessiveness felt like what she needed right now.

However, the warm, intimate moment was violently contrasted by the absolute disaster area surrounding them.

Heavy wooden tables were overturned. The expensive rugs were bunched up and covered in what looked suspiciously like claw marks and scorched fabric. Several cushions had been ripped completely open, blanketing the floorboards in a thick layer of white goose feathers.

Standing in a perfectly straight line amidst the feathers were Torian, Ren, and Kaelen. The three formidable Kings stood shoulder-to-shoulder, their hands clasped behind their backs, looking exactly like three massive, incredibly guilty pups who had just been caught tearing up the trash.

To their left, Syris had completely ignored the tension. The Snake Beastman had slithered right into the living room, assessed the mess, decided it was not his problem, and immediately coiled up on the floor in the only clean corner of the room.

Tanith, still in her emerald snake form, had slid off Roxy’s neck and slithered directly into her father’s coils. The two of them were completely synced, deeply asleep, and entirely oblivious to the chaos and the shouting.

Roxy stared at the three standing Alphas, her green eyes flashing with sheer, exhausted disbelief.

“I was only gone for half a day,” Roxy started, her voice dangerously calm, “and you guys couldn’t even keep this place sane.”

The three men flinched.

Kaelen was the first to break ranks. The Wolf Alpha cleared his throat, running a hand nervously through his silver hair, his blue eyes darting around the ruined room.

“In my defense,” Kaelen started, holding his hands up in a gesture of surrender. “Tanith threw a massive tantrum when you were not around. Her fever broke, but she was incredibly cranky. And maybe it’s because she was in her snake form, but it was much harder to contain her. She slithered under the floorboards, wrapped herself around the ceiling beams, and kept dropping on Ren’s head. We had to tear the furniture apart just to catch her.”

Ren crossed his arms, his red ears pinned back. “She bit my tail. Twice. I have marks.”

The little one had never bit him before.

Torian was quick to defend his own actions, his thick tiger tail swishing aggressively behind him. “And the boys were playing around. You told them to do their drills, Roxy. Axel and Onyx decided the living room was a battlefield. They ambushed Drax. Drax tripped over the rug and knocked the bookshelf into the fireplace. It was an accident.”

The White Tiger shot a sudden, glaring look directly at the armchair where Roxy sat.

“Furthermore,” Torian added, his deep voice carrying a heavy note of accusation. “Zarek didn’t put an effort to help out. He just stood by the window brooding for six hours straight, staring at the tree line. We had wanted to fix everything after the dust settled, but you came back before we could clean it up.”

Roxy turned her head, leveling a flat, deeply unimpressed glare at Zarek holding her.

Her look said.

You are the only mature one here, why couldn’t you stop them?

Zarek didn’t look guilty in the slightest. He didn’t even acknowledge the accusation. Instead, he simply tilted his head and dragged his hot, rough tongue directly up the sensitive column of Roxy’s neck.

Roxy gasped, a violent shiver ripping down her spine as the wet heat sent a jolt of pure electricity straight to her core.

Roxy slapped his thick, muscular thigh with her bare hand. “Stop that! You’re supposed to be paying attention. You let the kids tear the house apart.”

Zarek chuckled, a low, vibrating rumble that shook her chest. He bit her collarbone gently, entirely unapologetic.

Roxy sighed, pushing his heavy head back just enough so she could address the room properly. She looked at Torian, Ren, and Kaelen.

The exhaustion from the abyssal dive was catching up to her, and the brewing of the Wither-Rot cure would require intense focus tomorrow. She needed rest, and she needed order.

“Listen to me,” Roxy commanded, her tone brooking absolutely no argument. “If you want to have a peaceful night together, if you want me to even think about letting any of you into a bed tonight, you will have to clean and fix all this mess. Right now. I want the feathers gone, the tables righted, and the rugs fixed.”

The threat of being denied her bed worked faster than anything.

The three males snapped to attention.

“On it,” Ren declared, instantly dropping to his knees and using his rapid fox reflexes to start gathering armfuls of feathers.

“I will fetch the broom and the tools,” Kaelen agreed rapidly, turning on his heel and marching toward the supply closet with military precision.

Torian simply grunted, grabbing the heavy oak table with one hand and hauling it completely upright in a single, terrifying display of raw feline strength.

With the three Alphas frantically working to restore the living room, Roxy let out a tired sigh and completely relaxed her posture. She nuzzled backward, melting entirely into her big dragon. Zarek’s chest was a solid wall of heat, and the steady, powerful thumping of his heart grounded her completely.

Zarek took total advantage of her softened state.

He leaned down, his hand coming up to cup her jaw, tilting her head back. He captured her lips in a deep, breathless, devouring kiss.

A desperate need to taste her and reassure himself that she was actually here, warm and breathing, and not trapped in the freezing dark. Roxy parted her lips, letting him deepen the kiss, her hands tangling in his dark, messy hair.

“Ahem.”

The heavy, irritated sound broke the silence.

Zarek pulled back slowly, his golden eyes flashing with intense annoyance as he glared over Roxy’s shoulder.

Torian had stopped fixing the rugs. The White Tiger came to stand directly before them, a massive bundle of torn cushions in his arms. He looked at the way Zarek had Roxy securely pinned to his lap, his dark eyes burning with open, unapologetic jealousy.

“I don’t like this,” Torian stated flatly, his jaw tight. “She just got back. You are monopolizing her.”

Zarek tightened his grip on Roxy’s waist, letting out a dark, arrogant scoff. He looked the Tiger up and down with sheer disdain.

“Wait till your turn, smelly tiger,” Zarek mocked, his deep voice dripping with Alpha superiority. “Go sweep the floors.”

Torian’s eyes instantly went pitch black. A terrifying, guttural roar started building deep in his chest. He dropped the cushions, his hands curling into massive fists, completely ready to tear the Dragon out of the chair and take Roxy for himself.

“Hey! Stop!” Roxy quickly intervened, placing her hands flat against Zarek’s chest to push him back before turning a warm, reassuring look on the furious Tiger.

She knew exactly what Torian needed. She had promised him on the cliffside.

“Don’t worry, Rian,” Roxy said softly, letting her voice drop to a sultry, promising whisper that completely bypassed Zarek’s ego and hit Torian right in the chest. “You can have all of me tonight.”

Torian completely froze.

The murderous anger instantly evaporated from his dark eyes. His pupils blew wide. The thick, scarred tail behind him gave a sudden, hard wag that loudly smacked against the side of a wooden chair.

“All of you?” Torian echoed, his voice suddenly thick and incredibly raspy.

“All of me,” Roxy confirmed with a small, devious smile. “Now go finish the living room.”

Torian didn’t need to be told twice. The White Tiger spun around, a massive, arrogant grin breaking out across his face. He attacked the remaining mess with a sudden, terrifying enthusiasm, moving twice as fast as Kaelen and Ren combined.

Once Torian was out of earshot, Roxy leaned back against Zarek’s chest. She turned her head and hissed sharply at him.

“You are being too much,” Roxy scolded him in a harsh whisper. “You know how insecure he gets. You don’t have to antagonize him when he’s cleaning up the mess you let happen.”

Zarek didn’t look sorry. He wrapped his arms around her again, burying his face in her hair. He let out a low, incredibly satisfied chuckle that vibrated right through her spine.

“You don’t complain, do you?” Zarek murmured against her ear, his hot breath sending another shiver down her neck. “You like it when I keep you close.”

Roxy opened her mouth to argue, to tell him that she was a fierce, independent Queen who didn’t need to be glued to his lap. But the lie died on her tongue.

After the cold, terrifying isolation of the ocean and the crushing betrayal of the Merman King, Zarek’s heavy, overbearing protectiveness was exactly what she craved.

She shook her head, a soft, incredibly genuine smile touching her lips.

Roxy turned in his arms. She reached up, framing his face with both hands, and pressed a tender, lingering kiss directly to the tip of his nose.

“That’s because you are my mate,” Roxy whispered, her green eyes locking onto his crimson ones with absolute, unshakable devotion. “Why would I complain?”

Zarek went perfectly still.

A furious, dark flush of red crept up his neck, coloring his cheeks. He swallowed hard, his hands trembling slightly where they held her waist.

Zarek was filled with joy.

My mate still wants me.

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