Chapter 3

A prickling sense of unease permeated the room as Natasha crossed over to me. Without a word, she reached out and unclasped the pendant from around my throat, letting it drop into her open palm.

I frowned, instantly feeling exposed. "Wasn't that supposed to keep me hidden or something?"

"It makes you noticeable now," she muttered. "This close to the moonset, we cannot risk any uniquely discernible scents or markers drawing unwanted attention."

I wet my dry lips anxiously as Natasha slipped the necklace into a hidden pocket within the folds of her dress. Even Xavier's steady presence couldn't entirely quell the quiet panic rising inside me. Who knew what threats still lurked beyond this suite tonight?

As if reading my thoughts, Xavier rose smoothly from the leather couch where he'd been observing us. He moved to a glass decanter containing amber liquid.

"Drink?" he offered mildly, pouring himself two fingers.

I shook my head, worried alcohol might unravel what little composure I still clung to. Xavier's mouth lifted slightly as he downed the contents himself in one smooth motion.

Before anything more could be said, an urgent knock interrupted the tense scene. Xavier crossed over and opened the door to reveal the handsome man that let me in the manor. His sharp features were lined with strain.

“Marcus,” Xavier said, a smile appeared on his handsome face, “My friend, I am glad you came even though you…”

"We have a problem," Marcus announced without preamble. His usual easygoing charm had vanished, tension visibly lining his sharp features.

Xavier crossed his arms, glancing briefly between Marcus and me with a flicker of unease in his stormy eyes.

"Celeste Martelli has arrived unexpectedly. She's demanding to see you." Marcus dragged a hand roughly through his ink-black hair. "We both know what a nightmare that woman can be when she feels slighted."

Natasha swore vividly, her crimson curls flying wildly as she began to furiously pace. Xavier however, had gone still, his powerful body coiled like a wolf preparing to battle a vicious rival.

I hesitated before daring to ask, “So who exactly is this woman Celeste?”

Marcus turned to me, his well-formed mouth thinning grimly, then looked at Xavier who nodded. "Celeste comes from an influential and purebred wolf bloodline down south. Her pack is rather ruthless about guarding our kind's secrets."

"Which means if she gets one whiff of human scent up here, she'll investigate swiftly and violently," Natasha added darkly, emerald eyes flashing.

I shuddered, one hand drifting self-consciously to smooth back a loose strand of my long auburn hair. So this mysterious Celeste posed a real threat then, the kind of monster that stalked prey in the dead of the night.

Xavier’s stormy gray gaze found mine across the room. “You shouldn’t have had to learn the most vicious parts of our world like this,” he rumbled quietly.

Remorse flooded me under the weight of his sympathy. “I regret coming here now, too,” I admitted, voice small. “Not because you are all werewolves, but because my presence endangers everyone.”

To my surprise, Natasha’s expression softened subtly at my confession. "Your intentions were good at least, misguided as they were. Why did you come then?"

I flushed, suddenly unable to meet her piercing green eyes. “I saw some strange marks on Ashley’s back recently. When she disappeared tonight, I just assumed that she had a boyfriend that beat her up. I even bought pepper spray just in case I had to confront him tonight...” I trailed off helplessly.

“You assumed she was in trouble, Ashley is lucky to have you as a friend. Don’t be too harsh towards yourself” Natasha finished, a tinge of unexpected warmth entering her tone. “Ashley always talks about you, you know.”

Before I could respond, Marcus cleared his throat sharply. “While I appreciate the explanation, we still have an immediate crisis.” He turned to Xavier, frustration etched across his brow. “Celeste explicitly told me she has no plans to leave until she finds...companionship with a powerful werewolf, which means you, Xavier.”

Icy jealousy trickled down my spine at the unspoken meaning. So Celeste had come to seduce Xavier then. I had no claim over him, and yet the thought of another woman expecting to share his bed tonight sent an unexpected swell of heat through my core. What the hell was happening to me? Why did I care about the sex life of a man I met an hour ago?

The door burst open violently again before I could examine my reactions. Ashley practically fell inside, emerald eyes enormous with panic. "Celeste knows!” she cried. “She caught traces of Serena on me!”

Marcus dragged a hand roughly through his ink-black hair, frustration rolling off him in waves. “I should never have waved Serena inside, even if she did seem oddly familiar. I just didn’t think...”

Xavier speared him with an icy look. “Why did you allow a human into a restricted supernatural gathering in the first place?”

Marcus held up his palms defensively. “Honestly, she appeared on the grounds as if she belonged. I caught a scent that reminded me of something from long ago.” He shook his head. “I can’t fully explain it yet. But I swear I mean Serena here no harm.”

Xavier studied him a long moment before glancing my way. “Have you any wolf blood in your lineage that you’re aware of?”

I shook my head helplessly. “None that I know of. This is all frighteningly new.”

Marcus made a thoughtful noise. “Well, mark my words, there’s more to your presence here tonight than meets the eye. I intend to get answers soon.”

“What are we going to do?” Ashley asked.

Xavier was at her side instantly. “Slow down. Tell me exactly what transpired.”

“She embraced me without warning in the hall, insisting we catch up. But she kept sniffing strangely. Then she demanded to know why I smelled like a human.” Ashley covered her face miserably.“She refused to let it go so I panicked and told her...Serena was your girlfriend, Xavier.”

“You did what?!” Natasha exclaimed furiously.

Ashley flinched away from her fiery glare. Xavier exhaled slowly, exchanging an uneasy look with Marcus. The air hung heavy with trembling uncertainty over what Celeste's reaction would be now...

“We cannot delay any longer,” Marcus bit out. “Celeste will be suspicious when I return without you, Xavier.”

A muscle feathered along Xavier’s tensed jaw. His eyes locked with mine across the room, rage and resignation warring in their stormy depths. But his voice remained lethally calm.

“Marcus, tell Celeste I will be down momentarily.”

As Marcus departed swiftly, Ashley covered her face with both hands, shoulders shaking with barely suppressed sobs.

Xavier turned to her, gently prying her hands away. "You did well," he soothed. "Celeste forced your hand unexpectedly. We will handle this."

After comforting Ashley briefly, Xavier strode over to where I stood numbly watching the entire exchange. His stormy eyes swirled darkly as he looked down at me. Slowly he reached out and took my hands in his much larger ones. His skin felt impossibly warm, as though an inferno raged just under the surface.

"Serena, you placed your trust in me tonight and I fully intend to honor that vow of protection." Xavier's voice dropped lower, etched with regret. "But Celeste is the most volatile and ruthless enemy imaginable. She kills humans for sport and delights in subjugating anyone she considers beneath her."

Xavier's fingers traced distracting patterns over my hands as he held them.

"Celeste is so vicious, she might still try to kill you even if it means all-out fighting between packs." His other hand touched my cheek gently. "She thinks power over others is everything."

His stormy eyes were intense, full of brewing anger. "I promise, she'll regret threatening someone under my care."

I shivered, both thrilled and unsettled by the lethal edge in his voice. This woman sounded like a true monster.

"Sounds like she lives to terrorize," I replied. "We've made her more suspicious by pretending I'm your girlfriend."

Xavier's gaze softened for just a moment. "Celeste usually respects ancient werewolf rules, even with her cruelty." His thumb brushed my lip slowly. "The code says to never touch another's mate."

My heart raced as understanding dawned. Celeste might have backed off if she thought Xavier and I were true partners.

The hunger in Xavier's eyes said he was ready to convince her of exactly that, by any means necessary...

Natasha stepped forward, crimson curls bouncing sharply. "You'd go that far to protect this human, Xavier? Pretend an intimate mating bond?"

Disbelief colored her words even as Ashley made a soft despairing sound behind her.

Xavier met Natasha’s gaze unflinchingly. "Celeste is too cunning. She won't accept a fake relationship without proof." His eyes flashed. "She'll demand to scent the evidence of a true physical bond between us."

Understanding crashed over me. My cheeks flamed crimson but I remained mute, praying I had misinterpreted.

"Are you implying you mean to fuck this poor girl in truth? Just to keep up a ruse?" Natasha's voice climbed in stunned outrage.

Xavier refused to even glance my way. "I told you, I will safeguard my guest by any means necessary tonight." His head lifted proudly. "Even if that requires making her my mate in Celeste's eyes. I protect those under my care. I will not let Celeste draw blood in my house."

I swayed dangerously, blindsided by the blunt conversation taking place over my head.

Ashley made a wounded sound of disbelief but didn't dare interject. In the fraught silence, Xavier finally met my wide-eyed stare. Unspoken regret and resolve warred across his stern features.

"The choice falls to you alone, Serena,” he intoned gravely. “Either we proceed with this ploy, or you risk facing Celeste's lethal displeasure at dawn but whatever you decide, I will protect you."

His ruthless words dropped like stones in my gut. Submit myself fully to Xavier in truth, or gamble my fragile human life on the whims of a ruthless monster...neither path offered any real salvation tonight.

A heavy silence fell, broken only by Ashley's muffled sobs. Xavier kept his burning gaze locked with mine, his jaw set. There was no escape from this harsh reality he spelled out plainly between us—submit fully to his intimate claim in order to survive, or gamble my fragile human existence against a lethal monster's whims come dawn.

Cold panic warred wildly with something far warmer and confusing inside me as we stared at one another, frozen on the cusp of irrevocable choice.

Finally, Xavier broke the terrible stalemate, crossing me in two long strides. He captured my chilled hands inside his blazing hot ones, the evidence of his inner inferno raging just under tanned skin and beaten leather.

"You have my most solemn vow, you will come to no harm tonight." Xavier's resonant voice wrapped around the ragged edges of my composure. He squeezed gently when I flinched. "Nor will there be any loss of dignity or freewill should we follow this ruse through to the end."

I searched his beloved face desperately now, reading the sincerity etched deeply across his rugged features.

"If you truly cannot abide this, simply say it and we will find another way to evade Celeste, even if by force alone." Tempered steel laced his words now. "But this path offers the swiftest resolution with the least violence because I have a responsibility towards my pack, too."

My roiling thoughts must have shown. Xavier exhaled, raking back his dark hair with one large hand. "There are means for us to carry the necessary scent without actual completion," he admitted quietly.

I glanced up, hesitant relief trickling through me even as angry confusion stained Natasha's icy features at the admission.

Xavier noted her reaction but remained focused only on me now. "The intimate link would linger for some hours, long enough to fool Celeste." Sincerity etched itself across his brow.

Temptation, relief and reluctance dueled sharply. "Let me consider carefully," I managed finally, my pulse racing at his overwhelming nearness. There were still so many uncertainties about what came next. But the kindness in Xavier's storm-colored eyes steadied me despite everything.

Silence reigned for several taut heartbeats. At last, throat tight with emotion, I turned my gaze to Ashley trembling silently nearby. Her tear-streaked face reflected the same churning dismay threatening to drown us all.

"Take Natasha and go," I entreated raggedly. Every protective instinct flared to life, refusing to subject them to further distress on my behalf. "I don't wish either of you to be caught in any crossfire between Xavier and Celeste. Not for me."

Ashley searched my face, fresh tears welling up in her eyes. But she could see I had made my decision.

"Serena..." she started, her voice breaking.

I grasped her hand tightly. "I'll manage this somehow. Keep yourself safe downstairs."

She held my gaze for a long moment before turning and letting Natasha guide her silently out, arm wrapped firmly around her shoulders. Ashley kept her eyes locked with mine until the last second before she closed the door behind herself.

The latch clicked loudly in place. Xavier and I were left alone, the silence suddenly deafening. I could hear my frantic pulse throbbing as I forced myself to face him again.

"What is happening now?" I asked unsteadily.

Xavier watched me from across the room, eyes glinting like mercury. "Whatever is necessary for you to make it through this night unharmed." He pulled a ring out of the drawer and put it in his middle finger, “The ring makes me more human during full moon. Don’t worry, everything will be fine, Serena.”

I shivered at the unspoken promise underlying his words. We stared at one another over the heavy silence now enveloping us like a shroud. Whatever happens here would irreversibly alter things between us after tonight.

Xavier paced nearer, movements fluid and predatory. "You've trusted me this far to shield you, Serena. Will you keep trusting me to do what must be done?"

His smoldering gaze was hypnotic. I swayed on my feet. Keeping myself alive until dawn now depended on just how much power I let this formidable creature wield over me without remorse. And that realization terrified me down to my very core.

“Yes,” I said finally.