ADRIANA’S POVMy whole body shuts down upon hearing those words. I would have fallen to the ground had it not been for Xander who is fast and quickly wrapped his arms around me.“Be careful,” the pain of what he said was worse than a physical blow. I’ve felt it now and I know how bad it can be, it is almost as bad as it is when you’re not prepared for it. I’ve also noted the difference between how it is coming from someone who has experience fighting physically and that of newbies. Like my brothers.If anything, being in Xander’s pack has shown me alpha Jameson and my brothers aren’t who I should have been scared of all along. There are real monsters in the world and they are so much worse than all three of them combined.“Adriana,” Xander’s voice that surprisingly sounds worried pulls me from my thoughts, plunging me back to reality I didn’t want to accept.All my dreams, dreams I haven’t even let myself acknowledge were destroyed with that single statement. Xander doesn’t realize it
ADRIANA’S POVXander returns moments later with a shirt in his hand that I didn’t even know existed in my closet, he brings it over to me. The concerned look still on his face, I couldn’t relate this man to the heartless one and it was giving me major imposter vibes. I didn’t know if it was him or me that was feeling like an imposter but one of us definitely was.Probably, I may have just found out more than half of my life was a lie.“Do you need help changing?” Xander asks after he drops the shirt on the bed, by the endless trail of the dress’s tail. I shake my head quickly, and a ghost of a smile appears on his lips. I didn’t want to notice. “I’ll wait for you to change then we can talk.” he walks out before I have the chance to reply.I got off the bed with much effort, I was very eager to get the dress off. Mostly because it was a sign for me, a sign that this might not happen. He looked too relaxed for someone whose wedding is supposed to happen in a few hours. I turned to look
ADRIANA’S POV“N-no, it’s…I….”I shut my mouth, not knowing what to say, that he won’t perceive it the wrong way. He doesn’t need to know I’m opposed to the idea of marrying him today, he is still under the guise of me doing everything he wants. Giving myself to him fully.“You don’t have to get so nervous, I know marriage is a big thing and you must be worried. But that is the least of our problems right now.” his back straightens and my stomach tightens in fear, this always happens when the old him comes back.I don’t like the side of him I just saw, he was a little bit like the person that chased me that night, his threats I’ve come to realize were playful. I’ve heard what he sounds like when he is actually threatening someone and it is not something I want to relive again. So yeah, his tone changing is bound to make me nervous.“You’ve never met your mother?” he asks, walking to the foot of the bed. I expect him to sit at the dresser at the very least or drag a chair but no, he sit
ADRIANA’S POVCarlson glowers at me with barely restrained rage in his eyes, I find that I’m not really scared of him. I’m not back at the pack where he could corner me and hurt me, here, anyone could walk in at the moment and if they see him try anything funny. Well, let’s just say Xander isn’t the most forgiving.I’ve come to realize that even if he doesn’t do things because he likes me, there is the alpha part of him, the one that lost control and almost killed Aiden the night he caught me with Aiden after I ran away. That protective side of him, with the possessiveness that alphas had. A kind of ‘she is mine and even if I treat her like shit, it is because she is mine. You have no right to do that’ thing.So yes, I do feel kind of safe in a place that I know more than half of people do not like me, at least it is better than my family. And that is a terrible thought, a very messed up thing to think about.“What do you think I’m doing here?” Carlson finally says, he was eyeing me u
ADRIANA’S POVCarlson snaps out of it before Daciana does and I hear him curse, he shifts back, out of reach from her, still cursing. His voice was rising in panic. I would have celebrated the way he sounded disgruntled but I couldn’t, not when Daciana is still watching him with hearts in her eyes.Oh no! That is all I can manage to think about, and I ask myself if this day can get any worse. I wonder if the thing Candace said about bad luck is true and if it is, does that apply to just me or the people around me too? This seems a hell lot like something bad luck would do.“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”“Who are you?”They both speak at the same time. Daciana finally regains control and she watches my brother, with scrutiny and curiosity. Carlson doesn’t bother to hide the fact that he isn’t happy about this. Her reaction is hidden to me since she has her back to me, but I’m guessing it isn’t mirroring my brothers.“Erm, Daciana, this is Carlson, my brother.” I say the last wo
ALPHA XANDER’S POVAdriana’s shitty father is waiting for me when I get to my home office. I don’t know who the hell let him in when I’m not there but the person would pay for it. Just when I enter, I find Donovan nursing a cigarette, he flicks the burning end of it the moment I enter. I glare at him before turning to the man that looked a lot better than he did last week. Though his features still show his age.Being a werewolf must honestly suck.“Ah, you finally accepted my invitation, father in law.” I say in a way of greeting, just because I know it will annoy him, and it did. I pat his shoulder as I walk past him just to set him off. He starts to growl but Donovan’s own growl cuts him off.Though the little fucker annoys the hell out of me, he is loyal when he feels like it and whatever he does, he doesn’t try any shit when we have guests over.“Where is my daughter?” I cock a brow after I settle into my chair. I thought of changing into something more formal before coming to se
ADRIANA’S POVI think I might have celebrated too early. The wedding is still not happening, which is a major plus but Carlson is still Daciana’s mate though neither of them have said anything and we all just kind of pretended none of it happened. We can’t pretend forever and someday, they will both have to accept that he is her mate and they’ll either reject or accept each other.I don’t know about her but he didn’t seem exactly pumped about the discovery. I don’t know if I should be happy or sad about it.Daciana is my friend and I want her to have the best and be happy, then there is Carlson who is quite honestly one of the worst people I’ve ever met. Meeting your mate is one of the best things ever, and I know she wants that but then, I think nothing is better than Carlson.“This day has been too much,” Daciana sighs, slumping into the chair she has more or less claimed as hers, with a drink in her hand. It doesn’t spill surprisingly. She has a great balance I’ve noticed. “I think
ADRIANA’S POV“What did you say?” I ask softly when I finally snap out of my initial shock, the words coming out hesitant.Daciana starts shaking her head but she stops, knowing I heard her perfectly fine and she can’t take it back. Not now, it’s already too late.“Is Xander…” I swallow thickly, unable to finish that sentence. I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to believe it!I’m not even supposed to have a mate, I don’t have a wolf yet. It cannot be Xander of all people. He is the worst person to have as a mate. Oh, the moon Goddess really is punishing me, what did I do to deserve this?“Adriana,” the broken whisper makes my heart shatter more and I feel bad. I feel terrible for putting her on the spot like this when she is going through so much, I can’t make sense of the thoughts running through my head. My heart is thudding loudly, unsteady as my mind works faster than ever trying to make sense of this. “I shouldn’t have said that.” she shook her head.“I’m glad you did,” I don’t
ALPHA XANDER’S POV “How do you know?” I’m not sure that is the right thing to ask but the question comes out either way. “I saw him,” he swallows. The tears fell this time, full of guilt. I know I’m a heartless monster but I still reach out and pat his shoulder in what I hope is a comforting touch. “I used to have trouble sleeping so I usually sneak into her room and sleep on her bed, she leaves the door open for me but he didn’t like that, he said I wasn’t man enough,” he frowns, his eyes hardening. He was just four, Jameson is a sick bastard and he deserves to die a slow and painful death. I vow to deliver that to him, in whatever hell he is hiding. “He had a pillow over her head and he didn’t stop until he was sure she was dead, I was too shocked to move. I ran to my room after, scared he would do the same to me and I never told anyone. I don’t know how he found out but he punished me and threatened to do the same to me if I said anything about it.” His throat bobs as he swallo
ALPHA XANDER’S POV“I know where he is,” Carlson says out of the blue. He has been quiet for about five minutes and I was reveling in it but that gives me a pause. I look up at him, his eyes are fixed on the ceiling like he is seeing a prophesy or some shit up there.“What?” I ask, because I can’t be sure what he said is right. If he knew where his father was all this while, why is he just telling me? I sit up and push the papers that are littered on my desk out of the way.“Jameson,
ALPHA XANDER’S POVDonovan suggested we cremate Adriana’s body, the look I gave him made him never mention that again.It has been three weeks, five days, three hours, twenty-one minutes and five seconds since I watched Dreaya slit her throat, and like I have been doing since it happened, I replayed every part of it. Every excruciating second of it. I try to analyze all that has happened, think of what I could have done to make the end happen differently. Burning Dreaya’s body was very easy but I made sure I left a mark.In whatever dumpster her ashes remain,
ALPHA XANDER’S POVMy entire world stops when she pushes the dagger deeper, a small raspy sound leaves my mate’s throat. That is the only thing I can hear is the drip of Adriana’s blood, I can hear every single gurgle from her throat.I try to force my legs to move but it feels like I’m rooted to the spot. No! This can’t fucking happen!Unlike the first time, I feel our connection sever. It is like my heart is being ripped from my chest, painfully slow, every vein being cut at an extremely slow pace. This seriously can’t be!“No.” I go to scream but it comes out in a small moan.Dreaya stands back and twirls the bloody dagger in her hand, she holds it to her face then brings it to her lips and juts her tongue out. I don’t feel disgust at her licking her daughter’s blood right off it. I’m in too much shock to do anything except stand there and watch all of this crazy shit. A part of me is praying this is just some type of messed up hallucination and I will snap out of it.I will give e
ADRIANA’S POVI’ve thought I felt what an out of body experience is before, but what I’m feeling now, I realize, is exactly what it means to have an out of body experience. I’m here, I hear things, I see things but I feel absent. In my body. I know this isn’t just my wolf taking control and pushing me back, it is more than just that.“What did you want to say again?” Xander asks, sounding bored.The woman—my mother—it feels weird calling her that because I didn’t feel any of the things I thought I would feel if I saw her. No joy, not even disappointment or anger. I just feel numb, and she could as well be anyone at this point. She hasn’t turned or spared me a glance since she came and that is probably adding to how I feel about her presence.I’d known it was her the moment I caught sight of the long blond almost whitish hair, so much like mine, and her eyes, I have a feeling they are the same color. Even our statures are quite similar. It is like I got all my genes from her and not Ja
ALPHA XANDER’S POVThe hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention, I don’t turn immediately. Letting the shock wear off my face first.My first instinct had been to get my mate out of there, then on second thought I didn’t move, knowing she was playing a game I have no idea how to. If she gets an inkling of my affections towards her daughter, this will just be a million times worse. I already have a lot to lose as it is. Any more and I would be left with nothing.“Hello Xander,” her slightly raspy voice says. This time I spin and face her, my eyes flicker to the bed, where Adriana is sitting still like a sculpture or something inanimate. I make sure the look is as brief as humanly possible, a blink is slower than that.Beside the bed, standing in her full glory is the woman I had hoped I wouldn’t have to face since the last time we tried to kill each other, a century ago.I feel the darkness that has been hibernating in me all these months, probably even years, the main reason wh
ALPHA XANDER’S POVThe most unlikely place for me to think is when I’m in between Adriana’s legs, or on the verge of cumming from how good she was riding me. If I wasn’t so sure about her being innocent, I would have been worried about how she knew how to do that.Wolves and lycans know the natural instinct of mating and since she is more wolf than human now, it makes sense that she would want to mate, completing the mate bond on another different level. If I was thinking straight, I would have stopped her knowing what would come after this. She would want to mark me and it won’t stop that way, her wolf, now linked to me and feeling my lycan aura would want to shift. That would be disastrous seeing the state the manor is in. The first shift is always horrendous.I’m lost in the sweet world of ecstasy that only involves my mate and me, and the pleasure and high we’re chasing.Everything goes well and I try to soothe her while she transitions into her true self and submit to her natural
ADRIANA’S POVI can admit one thing, I’d thought of taking control from Xander just to see how he would react, and because I was thinking with the throbbing between my thighs and not my brain.What I can’t agree with is what I did after, or what my body did. I’m feeling more confused than ever now.Xander’s eyes are widened into slits as he looks up from beneath me, the fire in his eyes makes my insides burn and they travel down my body and finally settle where I need him most. I’m sitting right above his crotch and I feel his excitement, it takes a lot of effort for me to not further move down and just end this torture.“Fuck,” He groans throwing his head back, he closes his eyes for the briefest of seconds. “You look beautiful on top baby, that is where you belong, above everyone else.” He says in a deep sexy drawl, I feel the need to clench my thighs but it is impossible because of the way i’m sitting. Xander places his hands behind his head, making his muscles flex and. He adjusts
ALPHA XANDER’S POVI almost decline his offer, then I stop when something comes to my mind.“You can help with something, but first, I need to make sure I can trust you.” Telling him is not the best thing, but it is not like it is something we don’t know. He knows I don’t trust him, not even a little bit, and the feeling is mutual. I’ve just grown a little liking toward him after interacting with him.“What do you want?” he looks a bit cautious asking that, as he should.“For you to answer a few questions for me too.” I haul his words back at him. The sides of his lips tip up in an almost smile.“Do I have to sit through a lie detector test?” he asks, it sounds like a joke but there is a hint of seriousness to it.“I have more effective ways of getting the truth out of people.” I smirk and point to the door. “Feel free to make yourself at home. Ring a maid or something if you need anything.” I’m going to see Adriana and hopefully try to work through her wolf issues with her.“Yeah sur