Page 10

NINE

Alexia

All afternoon, I’ve lain next to Xander, looking out the window mindlessly as the sun moves across his window. Usually I can’t just be still and quiet for so long, but today, I have. Even when he drifted into a nap beside me. My head has been a hazy mess since learning Kai left. I keep picturing my parents finding out before I can talk to them. The thought of them getting a secondhand story has my stomach in knots.

I finally build up the courage to ease my hand into my pocket and pull out my phone. I’m careful not to move abruptly and disturb Xander. I like the sound of his deep breaths; it calms me as the phone screen lights up. A part of me wishes that I had missed a message from Kai while lying here zoned out. The other side of me knows it isn’t going to happen. He has made his choice, and I don’t think he’s going to change his mind.

I pull up the text thread I have with Sam.

Has anyone heard what’s going on?

My brother practically lives with his phone in his hand and quickly responds.

Sam

We know. You’re gonna rule over all our asses. No need to rub it in. Lol

Funny. I mean have you heard about what’s going on over here?

Sam

No. What are you talking about?

I can almost hear the worry in his voice as I read the text.

Don’t worry. I’m fine. I’m going to stop by Mom and Dad’s, and I’ll explain everything.

Sam

Do I need to have my can of big-brother-whoop-ass ready?

That won’t be necessary.

I don’t bother to tell him that the person who would be on the other end of said whoop ass is gone.

I slip my phone back into my pocket and Xander’s inked arm slips around my waist. This is so wrong. The trouble we would be in if someone barged into his room right now. They would jump to conclusions, assume we’re being sexually intimate. They would take it to the shifter assembly and?—

Stop, Alexia! We aren’t being sexual. He’s being a friend. Comforting me.

Except the hard-on that’s pressing against the small of my back right now feels anything but friendly. And I like it way too much to ignore. This is dangerous, and I should put a stop to it right now before it goes too far.

I shift, preparing to slide out of his embrace and get out of bed, but he tightens his arm around me and pulls me in closer. I melt into the mattress as he lets out the most adorable little sigh. It doesn’t even seem like a man his size should be able to make that sound. But there’s no way I can move now.

“Talk to me about how you’re feeling before you head out there and face everyone,” he says in a groggy voice before burying his face in my messy hair.

“Do you want me to narrow it down to one feeling because I don’t think I can do that. At the moment, I’m content but anger is brewing below the surface. I’m pissed that Kai put me in this situation. We could have talked all this through, dealt with it together. Now, I’ve got to face my family and tell them what’s going on before they get word from someone else.”

He squeezes me a little tighter. “All of that is valid. Would you like me to come with you to see your parents?”

I wiggle my way out of his hold and sit up. I appreciate him offering but nothing would look worse than showing up with my mate’s brother. “No. I think it’s best if I handle this alone. Thank you though.”

“Of course,” he murmurs, and I feel his hand glide up and down my spine. Oh, this is so bad.

“But will you be here when I get back?” I ask, closing my eyes in embarrassment because I probably sound desperate as hell. But I can’t help it. The thought of coming back here to a house without him makes me feel sick.

Which is—well, it’s something I don’t have time to unpack right now.

“Yes,” he says, placing his hand on my shoulder and nudging me to lie down beside him again. I do and he brushes my wild mane of tangles and waves out of my face. “I’m not leaving until you tell me you’re okay.”

My heart squeezes. “Really? You’d do that? Even with how much you hate Clayton?”

“It’s partly because I hate him that I refuse to go.”

“And the other part?”

He pinches my chin and tilts my head so I’m looking at him. “I think you know the other reason, but I don’t know if either of us is ready to say it out loud, little wolf.”

The turmoil that is consuming me is doing the same to him. He feels whatever this attraction is between us. It’s impossible to deny despite what could happen if we act on it.

But fuck, I really want to tread into the forbidden with him.

“You can take my truck if you want to. I have my bike here if I need to go anywhere,” he says.

I laugh and tuck my lips between my teeth. “Umm, you have good insurance, right?”

His eyes widen. “I do, but maybe I’m rescinding my offer. You planning on stealing it or something?”

“Not theft insurance. Curbs tend to jump out at me quite a bit. It’s a problem. You should see the undercarriage on my dad’s Corvette,” I joke.

“You didn’t,” he gasps.

“Kidding. He’d never let me drive his Corvette.”

“Maybe you should call an Uber,” he deadpans.

“Uh-uh, you already offered,” I say, jumping up.

“What are you doing?” he asks, watching me turn in circles.

“Looking for your keys, of course,” I answer as I snatch his jeans from where he slung them over the back of the desk chair last night.

“Oh no, no, no, curb stomper,” he says, hopping out of bed and reaching me in one stride.

I jerk out of his reach and continue checking the pockets. “Surely they’re in here,” I’m grumbling when he grabs me from behind, wrapping his arms around my waist and taking me back onto the bed. I yelp and giggle as we hit the mattress.

“That truck was one of the first big purchases I made when I left my mom’s house.”

I force my eyes to go wide. “I understand your concern. A truck that old has to be an antique.”

He whips me around until I’m under him and pins my hands above my head. Pressing his face against me, the soft hairs of his beard tickle my neck as he whispers, “I think you might not be ready to play with big boy toys, little girl.”

Well, that took a turn. A sexy as hell turn.

He’s wrong, though. I am ready.

I don’t try to free my wrists from his grasp but instead lift my pelvis until I feel his erection digging into me. I smirk up at him. “Oh, I think I’m plenty ready for big boy toys,” I say, locking my gaze on his. “But like you said earlier... you may not be ready for me .”

He slowly studies my face—eyes, cheeks, and mouth. I swear I feel his gaze as if it were his fingers gliding over my skin. He licks his lips and his hips shift over mine. In a low voice that makes me ache, he says, “I can handle you, little wolf.”

We hold each other’s stares for a second longer and then something clicks in his head. Gone is the lust that radiated off him and he rolls away from me, getting to his feet. I don’t miss how his hand mindlessly drifts to his crotch as he adjusts himself.

“I can look into getting you the keys to Kai’s Rover; he didn’t take it when he left,” he says.

I blink and draw in a sharp breath, trying to bring my focus back to the actual conversation we’d been having before... whatever that was. “Um, I—I have a car. I just have to get it from my parents’ house.” My voice is serious now. “I won’t hit the curb if I take your truck. I promise.” The idea of getting into Kai’s car again kind of makes my stomach turn. If I could smell him on his pillow, what would it be like in his vehicle?

“If that’s what you want to do, that’s fine by me.”

He grabs a set of keys from the top of his dresser and tosses them at me. I catch them mid-air. The hint of a smile tells me he thinks it was a cool move, but I don’t drop my poker face. There is this need inside of me to prove to him that I can match his tough guy energy.

“Thanks, Xander,” I say, sitting up and sliding off the bed, clearing my throat. “I’ll just go talk to them, grab a few things, and set up a time for my parents or one of my brothers to bring my car over. I won’t be gone long.”

“That’s fine,” he says, handing me a business card. “If you have any troubles with the truck, give me a call.”

“Okay. See you later then.”

“Be safe, Alexia.”

It takes everything in me not to shoot him a longing glance on my way out the door. Because as fast as his lust seemed to disappear, mine has not. I don’t know how I’m supposed to just ignore how attractive that man is and live in the same house with him.

After cleaning up and changing clothes, I’m feeling a little better. I wouldn’t say more hopeful, since I’m still certain Kai is gone for good. But I’m not feeling like such a failure. Kai is the one who left. He gave up. Not me. I was willing to try. Even though I wasn’t sure about everything either.

Jogging downstairs, I walk into the kitchen to see Clayton standing at the counter. My heart skips in my chest and my slight lift in mood plummets to the ground. He looks up and his eyes narrow on me.

“Alexia. You look awfully chipper for someone whose mate has up and disappeared.”

Chipper? Why, because I’m not sobbing? “I’m not chipper, Clayton,” I say, unable to hold my tongue. “I’m simply choosing to not wallow in misery because Kai decided to leave without telling anyone where he was going. There’s nothing I can do about it, so why sit here and cry? I did that earlier, and now I need to see what my next steps should be.”

He stirs the silver spoon in his coffee mug, staring into it as if whatever is inside is more interesting than me. “Your next step should be to help find your mate and future king. That should be your only c oncern.”

“As nice as that sounds, it’s just not the case for me. I’ve been uprooted from my home and the one person I should be depending on is MIA. I have no clue where Kai is and he isn’t answering his phone. I’m at a loss on that front. The only thing I can control is myself, so that will be my focus for right now.”

I can see it in the way his eyes narrow and the tick in his jaw; Clayton isn’t one who is used to having those around him speak their mind and go against his commands. But this isn’t a ruling matter, this is a family matter, and his ruling status has no place in this conversation. Shifters are respectful to our rulers. We recognize that they were chosen by the goddess, but this isn’t pack business. Not to mention, Clayton wasn’t chosen by the goddess. I don’t have to drop to my knees and hold my tongue.

Clayton looks at the keys in my hand. “Where are you going?”

“To talk to my parents face to face. They need to hear what’s going on from me.”

He grunts his acknowledgment and flicks his hand in the air, waving me off like I’m a pesky fly.

Rolling my eyes, I mutter, “Bye to you too.” I grab my purse off the couch and exit the house, heading straight for Xander’s black Silverado z71.

My eyes widen when I realize just how big this thing is. Maybe I should have let him get me the keys to Kai’s car. Because I might need a ladder to get up in this cab. I click the key fob to unlock it and reach up to open the door. Thankful for the step bar, I grab onto the edge of the doorframe and climb in. When I’m safely inside, I start it up, startled by how loud and rumbly it is. It must be a V8, probably after-market modified like my brothers’ trucks. And it’s spotless inside. This is a lot of pressure. I hope I don’t make a mess somehow.

Or actually hit a curb.

Before I can overthink it, I back up and head down the driveway, being as careful as I have ever been in a motor vehicle. Thankfully, the snow has melted off the roads, but it is raining. I flip the headlights on before I get on my way and turn on the radio to drown out my wandering thoughts.

My parents live about twenty minutes from the Braxtons, in the valley. To get there, I’ll need to go through town, and even though Mount Selene is by no means large, there is a shortcut to get there through the backroads. But since I’ve never driven Xander’s truck, I think I’ll stick to the main road. Fewer curves, fewer opportunities for accidents.

When I turn onto Vargan Valley Lane, the road that leads to my parents’ house, I notice something odd. The car that pulled out behind me at the top of the mountain is still there. Through all the stoplights and traffic in town. The only reason I even noticed is because when they pulled out behind me, they didn’t have their headlights on. They still don’t, even though the rain has picked up. And they’re following closely behind me. Maybe I have watched one too many true crime shows, but something is up.

My skin feels prickly and there’s no real reason anyone should be following me, but something about this is weird. At the last second, I decide to test it. Without using my turn signal, I take a left onto a side road that ends in a cul-de-sac. There’s no reason this person should come down this street after me. It would be one hell of a coincidence if this was their destination.

I drive a little way down the road, and the car—it’s actually a Jeep—doesn’t appear. I let out a sigh of relief. Okay, I guess I’m just para?—

But there it is, cresting the hill behind me. “What the hell?” I whisper.

I glance through the rearview mirror and see the driver lean toward his passenger seat. They are nothing but a shadow behind the dark tint that covers all their windows, but the object in their hand sends terror ripping through me. I swear they have a gun.

My survival instincts kick in and all I want to do is flee. The gas pedal presses to the floor as I speed back toward the main road. All right, that’s it. This is definitely not okay.

Using voice command, I call Xander, and he answers on the second ring.

“Hit a curb already?” His voice is teasing, and if I weren’t so scared, I’d be laughing.

“No, I—someone is following me,” I say, glancing back in the rearview.

I hear a door open and quick steps on the other line. “Do you know who it is?”

“No. Their windows are tinted. What do I do?”

“Where are you?”

“I just left my parents’ neighborhood and headed back toward town. I figured the more traffic the better.”

“Good girl. Just stay on the main roads as much as you can and come back here. Can you do that for me?”

I grip the steering wheel tighter, hoping to stop my hands from shaking. “Yes.”

My mind is a muddled mess, but I somehow keep it together. Every chance I have, I change lanes and stop right on the ass of the car in front of me. If something goes down, I want someone else to see what happened.

“Alexia, keep talking to me. I need to know you’re all right,” Xander says, breaking through my rampant thoughts.

“Yeah, I’m here. I’m all right,” I say, my voice low and a little shaky.

“How far are you from home?” he asks, and I can hear the rain hitting the tin roof of the front porch. He must be waiting for me outside. Despite everything, that makes me feel warm all over.

“I’m about to start up the mountain,” I say. I look back in the mirror and my heart thumps harder when I see the Jeep gaining ground on me. “Damnit, Xander, he’s catching up.”

“Keep your eyes on the road and don’t worry about him. You get to me as fast and safely as possible. Do you hear me?”

“Yes.”

“Good. I’ll have the front gates open, so you pull right into the driveway. Stay in the truck until I get you out.”

This entire situation is getting out of hand. It doesn’t make any sense for someone to want to harm me. I’ve lived a simple life—weekend brunches and shopping with Carrington, researching plants and endangered animals at my job, and spending time with family. Not to mention that my interactions with people have been nonexistent for the past three months. This has to be some random weirdo following me.

I turn onto the street that leads to the house and say, “I’m almost there.”

“Just do what I told you and everything will be fine.”

“Okay,” I whisper, my fear kicking up a notch.

The Jeep doesn’t let up as we race past the acres of property that each house sits on, closing in on my bumper as we approach the driveway. I barely tap the brakes to turn in and catch a glimpse of Xander standing at the juncture of the driveway and the road. He lifts his hands in front of him and black metal flashes through the drizzle.

A gun.

“Oh, oh, fuck,” I chant, determined to listen to Xander’s instructions no matter how bad I just want to jump out of this big ass truck and run straight inside, hide under the covers, and never come out.

I don’t actually see what happens next because I pass Xander just before the loud bang hits my ears. But it’s clear enough that I slam the truck into Park and duck down in the cab of the truck, holding my breath. The squeal of tires joins the pounding of my heart, and I’m paralyzed.

“Come on. Out,” Xander orders, yanking off my seatbelt and pulling me out of the truck. His body shields mine as he rushes me toward the front door.

“Did you—did you kill him?” I ask, my words drowning on a sob.

“No. He swerved, and I blew out his rear light.”

“For goddess’ sake, Xander. You could have warned me you were going to be standing out here with a gun.”

He guides me into the house and grips my shoulders, turning me to face him. His gaze zigzags over my body, taking in every inch of me. “I didn’t want to add more stress to a situation that had you panicking.”

I nod. “I get that. I—” My breath catches as I remember seeing the shadow of the gun through the window as I passed it on the side street.

“What?” he asks, brushing a strand of hair out of my eyes. “What is it, baby?”

The term of endearment shouldn’t send a shiver of glee down my spine at a time like this, shouldn’t distract me from the issue at hand, but that’s one of the things I do best—get distracted. But I close my eyes and refocus, bringing myself back to the moment.

“It’s just that... he had a gun too,” I say, not taking my eyes off his.

He takes my head between his hands and massages my scalp. When my eyes flutter shut, he leans in and kisses my forehead. “It’s going to be all right. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

I linger in his touch for a moment before taking a deep breath and stepping back. I lift my chin and say, “It was most likely just some freak thing. I’m sure I have nothing to worry about.”

“You’re probably right, but we aren’t taking that risk. I’ll stay with you tonight. You can work the sleeping arrangements however you want, but I’m not leaving you alone.”

My fool heart skips a beat. As if I’d want to sleep anywhere else besides right next to him. But can I really tell him that? I’m honestly at the point that I don’t care anymore. I’m just going to say it. I could’ve died today.

That sounds dramatic. Maybe it is. But I want Xander to know how I feel.

“I want to be in your bed,” I swallow and lick my lips before finishing, “with you.”