“Yes,” the girl whispered, speaking for the first time, her eyes taking in her own face. She locked eyes with Zephyr’s in the mirror, telling her so much more with one look than her words ever could have. Zephyr gave her shoulder a slight squeeze. “You look beautiful.”
The girl wiped a tear away and sat straighter. She gave Zen a nod, and they left.
As Zephyr cleaned up the station, she thought about the look in the young girl's eyes. That look was exactly the reason Zephyr spent hours on her weekends in this place, even though her fingers hurt in the end, even though she went home and cried afterward some days that hit hard. But every second of it was worth it.
“Mrs. Villanova.”
The feminine voice came from behind her. She turned around to see Jasmine, one of the girls she’d given a makeover a long time ago. She remembered her because of the brand she’d had on her face back then, a brand she’d covered with a floral tattoo, making the line of her jaw a work of art.
“Jasmine?”
The woman’s eyes widened. “You remember me?”
“Of course,” Zephyr smiled, checking out how different she looked compared to the last time she’d seen her. “You look good,” she complimented the other woman. “Wait, how did you know I’m Mrs. Villanova now?”
Jasmine plopped down in the vacant chair in front of her. “I’m one of Alpha’s sentinels. Victor told me you’d moved in. I thought it was time I introduced myself properly.”
Wait she was the same Jasmine he'd been talking about the other day? Small world.
The young woman eyed Zephyr. “Victor also told me you’d been left alone.”
Zephyr slumped. She hadn’t slept well in nights, she had a crick in her neck from sleeping on the couch, her period was about to come, and her emotional well-being was unwell. The last thing she wanted to do was talk about her husband because she was too tired to dredge up being pissed. She sifted her hands through Jasmine’s hair just for something to do.
“There was an incident last year,” Jasmine spoke quietly since there were others in the vicinity, watching her in the mirror. “He broke a girl’s hip by accident during… well while he was with her. He hadn’t been with anyone since.”
Zephyr paused, listening intently. He’d severely hurt a woman. That was why he never went full-throttle with her. He didn’t want to let the beast out again. God, his protective streak must have been driving him mad. It all made sense.
“Why are you telling me this?” Zephyr asked the other woman, curious.
“Because I owe you,” Jasmine stated, her eyes fierce. “I don’t know why you married him, but I felt like I should give you a heads-up. He's entered one of the big fight tournaments, and he's not done that in a few years. The fact that he's been in the arena for nights in a row instead of being home with you says something.”
“That he wants to avoid me?”
“Exactly. And Alpha Villanova is many things, but a coward isn’t one of them.”
Jasmine hopped down from the chair. “Just some food for thought.”
Zephyr looked down at the ring on her finger, at the ring he had brought her right before he’d withdrawn, and decided she needed to do the heavy legwork again. Just one last try.
Stupid heart.
She wrapped up her volunteering time at SLF, giving her sister a hug, and exited the building to find Victor on the phone, leaning against the car.
“Take me to him,” she demanded and the young man looked up at her in surprise.
“Eh,” he hesitated. “He’s at a fight tonight.”
“I know. Take me or I’ll go myself.” She glided into the SUV. Victor finished his call and got in the driver’s seat, pulling out of the parking lot and onto the busy street.
“Does he fight often?” she quizzed the one guy she’d made her friend on this side. Owing to the fact that she spent the most time with Victor being her security detail, it only seemed logical to her. Plus, she knew from previous experience that he was susceptible to her interrogations.
Victor smoothly swerved right towards the industrial area. “No. Usually, it’s only when he’s got some pent-up energy. He used to be on the streets fighting every night when we were younger, but he's not been in the big arena for a few years.”
“But he’s been fighting for the last week?” She wanted to confirm.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake stop calling me that.”