KarenAhead of her, he led her through the winding corridors while she followed silently. She was nervous about their abrupt leaving, not knowing what he was thinking. Was he upset because she had been rude to his guest? That she had spoken out of turn? She was sorry if she had unintentionally embarrassed him in front of Chase, but she refused to feel guilty for standing up for him and for his late father's memory. The Alpha of the Bloodmoon Pack had no right to sit there, in Xavier's own home, and criticize him. And yet...She stared at his back and noticed the way his beautiful grayish-black hair moved in a fluid way in time with the short, quiet paces he took. She knew he had adjusted his pace so she wouldn't have to struggle to keep up or worry about tripping over the pleated hem of her long dress. She thanked him for his understanding, but the silence between them added to her uneasiness.After all, she had no idea where Xavier was taking her, and it was just the two of them, sin
XavierHe heard her take a deep breath as if she had been badly hurt. Tears immediately welled up in her eyes as she looked up at him, looking hurt. Wanting to correct his mistake, Xavier raised his hand to stroke her hair, but she flinched and rejected his touch. Then he clenched his hand into a fist before placing it on his thigh.The sound of her voice was hoarse as she said, "I didn't mean to mislead you, to give you false hope. I would hate myself if I did something so cruel." Even though her tears were about to fall, she did not turn her face away from him.Just as she had been instructed to do. They both heard her unspoken words, but made no comment."Stop worrying, Karenina. I will hold you to your word," he said, and when she opened her mouth to protest, Xavier spoke to her. "Still, you will not be touched by me unless you want my touch. Nor will I force you to be taught the ways of a true lady, but remember this, until the day comes when I know for certain that you will neve
Karen He helped her to her feet and pulled her away from the window. Wordlessly, she reached behind her and fumbled with the ends of her sash and ribbon. Seeing her struggle, he pulled her to his chest and wrapped his arms around her. Xavier leaned over her so she could see his hands as he untied her sash and ribbon, then took a step back and removed them from her waist. She stood passively as Xavier helped her undress, sliding her beautiful gown off her shoulders before discarding the layers underneath. They fell to the floor, not caring if the fabric was crumpled and damaged. What had taken hours took only minutes as he found all the ties that held her clothes in place and stripped her of the various layers of clothing until she was standing in just her white chemise. Now she hesitated, a great sense of shame overtaking her. Recognizing her reluctance, he lifted her from the sea of layers into his strong arms. With long strides he carried her to his bed and laid her on her back b
Karen She opened her eyes groggily. At first she had no idea where she was. The room she was in was not the one she had been in the last few nights. She tensed, confused. Then she felt it. A heavy arm wrapped around her waist, a muscular chest inhaling and exhaling deep, slow breaths against her back, and a muscular thigh pressing against her thigh. She was not alone in the strange bed and unfamiliar room. Suddenly her memories flooded back. The dinner last night. The confrontation with Xavier. The mysterious mark at her side. She was frightened, in need of comfort, and Xavier gave it to her without protest, without demanding further intimacy. Turning to her side as gently and slowly as she could, trying not to wake him, she faced him, only to realize that he was already awake when his golden eyes met hers. Karen felt at peace here, nestled against his strong chest, knowing that as long as she was near him, nothing would happen to her. It felt so good to wake up with Xavier, t
HelgaShe showered alone, but let Helga help her put on the new clothes, a white spaghetti strap dress with a sky-blue top over it, and a beautiful teal jacket as an outer layer, with images of white flowers flying across the fabric."You look beautiful as always, Luna Karenina."She gave Helga a small smile after the compliment. At first Karen felt uncomfortable around her friend, embarrassed even, because there was no way that Helga didn't know that she had spent the night with Xavier. She didn't even want to guess what was going through her friend's mind.But she was quickly reassured by Helga's cheerful demeanor. There was no censoring look or tension in her voice as she spoke to her, so she relaxed.However, Helga's true thoughts went far beyond what she thought. In fact, Helga was very happy that Luna was finally sleeping with her Alpha, believing that the scent of betrothal was finally wafting over her.In contrast, she was confused when Karen returned, because although she cou
Karen"So that's Alpha Chase's daughter, Elena Goldstein?" She asked Xavier as she rested her head on his shoulder, looking up to see his face.Holding her tightly in his arms, he ran quickly through the forest, away from the packhouse. He took her to Benjamin, hoping to get answers from the wise old wolf about the mystery of the grayish mark on her left side where the sacred moonstone resided. They both have the same thoughts about the mark, namely that it means the wolf aura living within her is growing. However, while she was afraid of the implications of the mark and her growing animal aura, he happily accepted its appearance and was not at all bothered by its presence.Of course, he could not tell her that, knowing that she would not accept his view and would only push him further away. That was something he could not allow. He was already feeling shaky about her situation.He answered her question, "Yes, that's her. Why are you talking to her, Karenina?"She replied with a shrug
Karen She looked ahead and realized they were approaching a large old wooden house. Although it looked like any other house, she could feel the charismatic presence of the wolf. But it didn't feel scary at all. When they stopped a few meters from the house, Karen blinked in surprise at the sight of a man with white hair but a youthful look on his face. As he gently sat her down beside him, the old man said, "Xavier. It's good to see you again, and sooner than I expected." He turned his eyes to Karen and smiled kindly at her. "And who is this lovely lady?" "Benjamin, this is Karenina Mason, guardian of the Sacred Moonstone," Xavier replied. He was about to introduce her as his betrothed mate, but quickly decided against it. He did not want to be seen fighting with his mate in public. If she felt the need, she could argue with him in private, but he didn't want to see a public display of discord. He doubted he could handle it. "Yes, I sense an ominous presence around you, little gir
KarenShe tried not to fidget when Benjamin looked at her, trying not to show her nervousness. She wanted to know what the strange mark on her side meant, but she was also afraid to find out. Whatever it showed, she doubted it was a good one."A mark, you say?" he asked.She nodded and whispered, "Yes.""I want to see the mark. If I may, little girl?"She could not help it. She blushed with embarrassment. "Uh... well, it's on my left..."Had she been wearing her school uniform or her casual clothes, she would have easily lifted her shirt to reveal the gray mark. But she was not wearing them. No, she was wearing an expensive silk dress, one of the many she had previously been told belonged to her - not that she intended to keep it. It was too fancy and she didn't need it in the outer areas of Xavier's house. Besides, it didn't seem appropriate to receive such an expensive gift from the Alpha Lord. After she left, although the thought of leaving him upset her, she would not take the ite