NADINE.
“Nadine!” Xander’s voice rang in the air before another one came.
“In my office, Beta,” Maddox ordered him.
“Give me ten minutes, Maddox,” Xander answered, and soon I heard footsteps following me. It still baffled me how easy it was for Xander to deflect words from Alpha Maddox, but I guess because they were brothers.
I hurried my steps, and the moment I reached the second floor, I ran to my room.
“Fuck!” I heard him mumble before he ran as well. I was able to reach my room, but it was locked, and I had no idea where the key was.
I was still holding my doorknob when I turned around, my eyes glaring at him as I spoke. “Don’t come near…”
He stopped right away and raised his hands. “I have the keys in my pocket.”
“Give it to me.”
With one hand still up, he reached for his pocket and pulled the key from it. I grabbed it from him and inserted it into the keyhole. With my body facing him, I pushed the door open. “Don’t you dare attempt to come inside my room, or I will scream.”
“I just want to talk.”
“You had your chance last night!” I snapped at him, my teeth gritting.
“Can I explain?”
“No.”
“You’re not safe here, Nadine.” He said it in a very low voice, and the moment he attempted to step closer, I slid inside the door and closed it, but he was fast. He slipped his arm inside, and it took too much effort on my end to press the door close. I didn’t care if I was hurting him.
“If I push a little more, I might hit you with the door. So please just let me…” He kept talking, and I knew he was right, so I had no choice but to bite his forearm.
“Aargh!” He grunted, but he was restraining himself from yelling.
Since I was biting too much, I forgot I was also holding the door. By the time I let go of his arm, there was already enough opening for him to slip in.
He closed the door and locked it.
“I’m tired, Xander. I want to rest.” I said in a soft voice as I stepped back. I knew screaming at him would only cause me to lose more energy.
“I’m sorry about last night, but if you let me explain…”
“Leave, please. I just want to go to sleep. If you’re going to throw me out, at least let me get a decent sleep so I have the energy to look for a new place.”
“I’m not going to throw you out. I put you in the bunker to keep you safe, even from me. Your tattoo, Nadine, it links you to Tristan…”
My mouth hung open as I listened to him.
“Do not let anyone see that until I can figure things out. Or just don’t make it visible at all.” He continued, and I kept quiet, wanting to know more, but our conversation was cut short when a knock came on the door.
“What do you need?” Xander asked, his voice sounding annoyed.
“I’m sorry, Xander. But the Alpha insists you meet him at his office.” Mindy’s voice came, and my hands automatically coiled into tight fists.
“He wants you there in three minutes. I’ll wait for you at his office.” She added, and I heard footsteps going away.
“Mother fucker!” Xander growled.
He then turned around, ready to leave, and I couldn’t keep my silence anymore. “So, that’s it. One word from her, and you’re leaving me after you insist we talk.”
“If I don’t go there in three minutes, he’s going to make a pass at Mindy. That’s why he wants her to wait for me at his office.” Xander said without breathing as he stared at me. He was the first one to drop his eyes and leave without saying anything.
The moment the door closed, my tears fell as I slowly lowered my body to the floor. I thought the pain from last night was already the worst and that whatever pain he gave me would no longer hurt me. But hearing Xander be possessive of her in a way that he could not for me was ripping my heart apart.
I cried for a while before I pushed my body up and forced myself to walk to the bathroom. I opened the shower and stood under it, letting the water stream down my body. I didn’t even bother to take off my clothes. I just stood there, staring at the tiled walls as I went through everything that happened in the last twenty-four hours.
I came here with a purpose. But every time I encountered Xander, I would lose my focus and let myself be vulnerable. I couldn’t let that continue.
I shoved my wolf, Star, at the back of my head because she was just making all of this more unbearable as she kept pining for Xander. I stripped my clothes off and washed my body, scrubbing my skin to remove my sweat and all the juices that had dried on my legs.
I had things to do, and I shouldn’t let Xander get in the way.
Maybe it would be better if we rejected each other. Maybe without the mate bond, I could no longer feel any pull toward him. Without the bond, I could focus on things I needed to do, and he could rot away with his chosen mate.
After taking a shower, I changed into new clothes. I initially wanted to put on a dress, but I remembered what he told me about Tristan. I had no idea whether I should trust him, but I guess it was only right to hide my tattoo, especially if it was the reason she found out I knew the old Beta.
I wondered if Tristan talked about me to anyone.
I contemplated whether I should pull my hair up in a tight ponytail like Mindy’s hair, but then I realized I had to stop caring about Xander and Mindy, so I just let my hair down and put on a faint lipstick.
I had no idea what time they ate breakfast, but I was hoping I could catch Alpha Maddox before he left for the day or got busy.
I grabbed the small ice pick I hid inside my luggage and slipped it into my back pocket before leaving my room and heading to his office. I was relieved that I didn’t bump into anyone on my way down.
I pacified my loud heartbeat as I stood outside the Alpha’s door. I couldn’t smell Xander, so I was sure he was not there anymore.
I was about to knock when I heard Maddox speak from the inside. “Come in.”
I slowly turned the knob and pushed the door open, flashing him a warm smile as I peered inside. “Good morning, Alpha. If you’re not busy, I was hoping to speak with you.”
“Come in,” he repeated as he eased back onto his chair and rested his elbow on his armrest before his fingers played with the pen in his hand. “What can I do for you?”
I stepped in and closed the door. I walked toward him but stopped a few feet away from his table. He wasn’t smiling. For a moment, I worried that Xander might have told him about my tattoo.
“Uhm…” I stuttered. I wasn’t acting. I almost forgot what I needed to say because of the nervousness I felt. “I was wondering if I could be inducted into your pack.”
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: I changed Nadine's wolf's name to STAR. And I will change Xander as well, so please disregard the wolves' names you read in the previous books for them. 💛
NADINE.“I was wondering if I could be inducted into your pack.” I asked, my eyes meeting Alpha Maddox’s gaze. His brows hiked up, and it felt like forever as I waited for his reply. I held my breath, but the moment a wicked smile tugged on his mouth, I felt I stood a chance that he would take me into his pack. “Does Xander know about this?”I shook my head. “I decided for myself, Alpha. I don’t think Xander will claim me anyway. But I have nowhere to go, and I don’t have money to look for a new place. But if you give me a room here, I can work in the packhouse or anywhere I might be needed.”“Sounds interesting. Maybe you can work for me, and I can keep you under my wing.” “For you? What work will that be?” I asked, my eyes rounding. Let the games begin. “Will it matter? I’m sure I can find a good place for you.” He leaned forward and rested his arms on the table. “How old are you?”“Twenty-one, Alpha.”“Interesting. You look younger.”I swallowed before I smiled at him. “Will you
XANDER.Before Nadine came to the territory, I had asked Maddox to give me a day or two off to find my mate. I told him I had no plans of claiming her — that I didn’t want her — but needed to find her for the rejection. That was a lie. I wanted Nadine. My whole being craved the female I smelled two weeks ago at the Claiming Ball, but I knew I had nothing to offer her, not with Maddox around. In the two months I was here, I had seen females that my brother fancied, and I was terrified his attention would fall on her. My mate’s beauty was exquisite. She might be innocent-looking, but there was a fire in her eyes — something that my brother would surely take notice of, and the last thing I wanted was for him to add her to his conquest.Some of Maddox’s conquests were willing females who would open their legs and let him have his way with them, but others were victims of his games. Mindy belonged to the latter. I had to let my brother think I liked Mindy so he would leave her alone. I
XANDER.After that, everything went into a blur. I tried to talk to her again, but Maddox came up with a plan to spoil my time with her. He used Mindy again, and it only added to Nadine’s anger toward me. If this was the game Maddox was playing to lure my mate away from me, I wouldn’t be backing down. I think my brother forgot that I was also a Trevino. Deception and lies also ran through my veins.I already hated his ways from the very beginning, but with the way he was acting toward Nadine, there was no stopping me from hating the man. If I just wanted to take him down before, I wanted to crush him now. And I wouldn’t stop until it happened. ‘Can you hear me?’ I asked Nadine after she sipped Maddox’s blood.‘Yes.’ She replied, but it didn’t slip my notice the animosity in her voice. “Alpha, we will go now.” My arm coiled around her waist as I pulled her closer to me after taking the glass from her hand. ‘Bow down in respect.’ I told her through our mindlink.I saw Maddox’s brows
NADINE.I got what I wanted. I was already a member of Maddox’s pack. The moment we stepped out of his office, and the door closed, I pushed Xander’s arm off me and walked away. But he was indeed fast.The next thing I knew, we were inside a room I had never been in, and I was pinned against the wall, his front pressing against mine. “Who are you, Nadine?”“I think it’s too late for us to get to know each other. Reject me, mate.” I said, my tone laced with angst, but my heart was breaking at my words. Deep inside, I wanted Xander. But he would only make me weak. I didn’t need him, especially when I saw the lust in Maddox’s eyes. That was my initial plan—to make Maddox desire me so I could be his downfall. And having Xander would only block the path I wanted to take. “Not a chance…” He grunted before his lips brushed against my cheek.The sparks between us and the tingles spreading between my thighs at the need in his voice were making it harder for me to think straight. “I will ne
XANDER.I had never had to explain my actions to anyone, and I was at a loss for every question Nadine would throw my way. I had no idea how to make her believe my intentions were real — that I wanted her and not anyone else.Seeing the desire in Maddox’s eyes for my mate woke up all my senses. I didn’t care anymore if Nadine was still in love with Tristan or if she was an accomplice to him. All I knew was that I wanted to protect her, and I wanted to claim her. But earning her trust was like shooting for the stars. I would always miss, and it seemed impossible to achieve. “What are we doing here?” She asked as we stopped in front of the door where SECURITY was written. I didn’t answer. Instead, I opened the door wide and let her in. There were four men inside, including Gamma Kenzo. “Good morning, Beta Xander.” The rest of the men greeted me, while Kenzo just nodded his head toward me. “Good morning. This is Nadine. My mate.” I stated in one breath, but I made sure my arm was arou
NADINE. I wasn’t sure if I should trust him about Mindy. If I just based it on how he looked at the moment, he appeared to be telling the truth. But trusting someone who belonged to the clan I hated the most was not easy, especially when lying was also the game I was playing. So, I guess I will still have to watch them and let time reveal everything. “Why are you here, Nadine? Maybe it’s time for you to tell me your story.” Xander spoke in a soft way, and with his hands on my skin, I was losing my defenses and my senses. I almost blurted out that I was here to take my pack back, but I was able to get hold of myself in time. Instead of telling him about how I wanted him, like I had practiced multiple times before coming here, I began telling him about Tristan. I had no idea why, but maybe, despite my deception, I wanted Tristan out of the way between us, like I wanted Mindy out of his life. I wanted him not to think Tristan was someone important to me. “I met Tristan three months
NADINE.“Are you okay?” Xander asked as he tucked strayed hair behind my ears.I nodded before I asked. “Who was it?”“Kenzo.” He replied before grabbing my hand and clasping it in his. Sparks ignited again, and I just let out a sigh. This was bad. Xander could really make me lose my concentration. He opened the door, and I was baffled that no one was there. We were already walking along the corridor when I asked him. “Where are they?”“I asked them to come back after three minutes.”“Thank Goddess, or it’ll be embarrassing to face them,” I mumbled softly, and he chuckled. But if I thought I was already able to get away from the embarrassment, I was wrong because we met Gamma Kenzo and his men in the middle of the stairs. They didn’t say anything, but Kenzo gave Xander a salute, and I could see the teasing in his eyes, which my mate ignored. He just nodded his head in response to the greetings of the others as we passed them. We then hurried down the stairs and out of the building.
NADINE.“Is that a cemetery?” I asked as my attention was drawn to the vast land surrounded by iron gates. In the middle of it stood an old, beautiful chapel with stained-glass windows casting rainbow hues on the ground. “Yes.”“Can we stop? Or are we even allowed to go inside?”“Yes, it’s a public cemetery? But why?” He asked, his forehead creasing. I gulped before I flashed him a smile. “I have a fascination with this kind of place. It’s eerie, but I don’t know. I’m sorry, I’m weird.”He chuckled as he maneuvered his car to a designated parking lot. “I like your weirdness. I’ll take that.”I smiled at him, silently hoping I could take him, too. Because, as much as I was trying to deny it, in just twenty-four hours, I think I was already falling for my mate. Xander helped me out of the car, and even though I was capable of doing it, I didn’t stop him. I liked that his attention was all on me. The green scenery and the smell of fresh and decayed flowers swirled around us while we w