I awoke hours—and I meant hours—later. The room was dark, which indicated that the sun had gone down. In that case, it meant I slept through the day.I was energized and on edge now as I didn't know what came next. I had only spoken to Xander a few times before and was rude to him all those times. I wouldn't go as far as saying that he killed his uncle because of me but I benefited from that immensely, and now that it was all over and I was safe, I was thinking about what he had said to me last night in the dark. He was being sincere when he said he'd help me. I felt ashamed, naturally. I doubted him and he ended up being my salvation. How weird was that? I was being hunted by them and ended up being saved by one of them. There was still the issue with me being his 'mate'. I didn't know what that meant exactly as I only had a loose idea but it made me anxious. I sat on the bed in the dark, unsure of what to do. I was devastatingly hungry and thirsty, but my anxiety was wild enough

The next morning, I woke up with the sun on my face. It took me a second to get used to it. I’d been under the sun before but this felt more significant somehow. It made me realize that it had been too long since I felt this, and that I was slowly transforming into a creature of the night when I was with Felix. This felt a lot more natural and normal. My mood was elevated and when I sat up and stretched my arms over my head, I felt well. Physically and mentally. My source of anxiety was the werewolves attacking me, but now that I was amongst them, and knew I was safe, it didn’t bother me anymore. Presently, I had no worries. That didn’t mean I was completely relaxed. I knew that I had to find a way to get out of here and start my life from scratch. I couldn’t depend on the kindness of strangers forever. I had to figure my own things out. Xander had been more than nice for letting me stay, and I would return the favor by getting out of his hair as quickly as possible. I took ano

As agreed, Thelma came for me early in the morning. I was already up by then. I had showered and cleaned up as best as I could. I wanted to look presentable. She surprised me by having clothes ready for me, though. It was a dark blue pencil skirt and a ruffled blouse that reminded me of librarians, which was ironic considering the job I’d soon be undertaking. “Dress up,” she told me. “Xander really wants you to attend his coronation. He has front seats for us.”Thelma and I hadn’t t really spoken much, but I felt the need to confide in someone, and so I said, “I’m scared. The last time I was amongst at the rest of the pack, things weren’t all that great.”“Think of it this way,” she began, “you’re with the Alpha, so there’s nothing they can do to you. And if they happen to have a bad thought about you, you won’t be able to hear it either. I suggest you stop worrying about them all, or you’ll make yourself sick.”I smiled at her words of encouragement, but didn’t feel significantly b

Xander got everything ready for our dinner at the restaurant. The vast space was completely empty; we were the only people present. All the tables had been pushed to the sides of the restaurants and there was a single round table covered in a delicate white table cloth right at the center of the room. There was a vase with orchids in the middle of it, and the dishes were all where they were supposed to be. I didn’t see the chef, Greg, anywhere, but I knew he had to be somewhere in the back because the place smelled fantastic. “After you,” Xander said politely, gesturing for me to walk further into the restaurant. The butterflies in my stomach hadn’t been given a rest since this afternoon. Things were starting to get crazy between us and all I could do was enjoy the ride. What I didn’t want, was to miss out. I buried my fears and the cautious voice in my head. Nothing was guaranteed, so for now, I would simply live in the moment. He pulled the chair out for me and I sat down. He

I was still in the closet when I woke up in the morning, but I was alone because Xander wasn't there with me. If I had to be honest, I would have said that I preferred it that way. The kiss we shared last night was burning brightly in my memory, but with that came a lot of complications. We weren't supposed to be kissing. Last night should never have happened. I'd blame my vulnerability for it. I was terrified after the incident with Felix's brother, and was in need of company and some assurance that things would be okay. He'd given me all that and a little more, and now I wasn't sure how I'd face him after this. I groaned and rubbed my face. The closet door was closed, so I wasn't sure if I'd see him in the bedroom. I had to make sure first. I pressed my ear to the door, careful to not make a sound, and waited. I didn't hear a thing. When I was sure that it was silent out there, I opened the door. It didn't break. The bedroom was indeed empty, and the bed was made. I sighed i