The Set Up

Chapter Fourteen

Scarlett's POV

I'd come to realize that I really didn't like it when people surprised me. Well, what I truly mean is that I didn't like it when people didn't live up to the preconceived expectations I had made up in my mind about them.

I had been living with Xander for three days now. Living was a very loose term. Despite my intense fear of sharing a bed with him from the get-go, he had insisted on sleeping in the guest bedroom. The conversation started with me awkwardly hovering by the bed after I'd changed into my pajamas - which consisted of a long-sleeve shirt and pajama pants with my hair hanging down my back, freshly brushed. He emerged from the closet in nothing but a pair of boxers. He smirked after catching me ogling his body plain as day before I realized I wasn't even trying to be discreet about it.

The man obviously trained rigorously, that much was clear to see. My eyes didn't miss the multiple large scars slashed across his chest and arms, something I wanted to ask about but refrained from doing. I turned my gaze to my feet and shifted my weight from foot to foot as I tried to quell the heat in my burning cheeks. It was then that I realized my wolf had released just the tiniest scent of desire from my body. Cue mortification in three, two, one.

I knew Xander had smelled it. His eyes briefly shifted before he gave his head a firm shake and grabbed a pillow. The one I hadn't been sleeping on the past few nights. He tucked it under his arm as I gave him a questioning look due to the gesture.

"You can sleep in here to get more comfortable with your surroundings, but I don't think it's wise for us to sleep in the same bed right away. There's no need to overwhelm you on night one. I'll be in the guest room just down the hall if you need me for any reason," he told me before walking out. I never thought I'd get my jaw back into place after that conversation. Ever.

I expected him to kick me out of his bed. Tell me to get lost and sleep in the guest bedroom. I mean, this was his bed. He was a large - scratch that, huge - man. This bed looked custom-made. There was no way he would fully fit on the bed in the guest bedroom comfortably. But, despite all that, the guest bedroom was where he'd resided every night since he'd arrived back. I felt awful considering all I did in his massive, comfortable bed was toss and turn until the sun came up and I finally surrendered to the fact I wasn't getting any sleep again.

Despite the fact my Luna duties were being put off until after our mating, Xander still spent the majority of his days tending to his Alpha duties. Except for the day they had originally returned. I didn't mind, though. I was still incredibly torn on where the heck my brain, body, and wolf stood where he was concerned. One minute I was open to the idea of mating with him, and the next I was on the verge of having a panic attack.

I was thankful to at least have the company of my four guards that I trusted when Jackie was off screwing Justin's brains out. I couldn't blame her. Their bond was still new. Or so I figured was the case. What did I know? I'd never had that kind of connection with anyone, so I had nothing to compare it to besides stories people told me about their experiences.

With it being day three without any sleep, I didn't foresee myself being able to spend the entire day training with my guards like I had the previous two. I wouldn't be able to sustain myself much longer if my days kept on like this. Throwing the covers back with a grunt, I pulled myself out of bed and proceeded to shower and brush my teeth. I slipped into one of the few outfits I had before making my way down to the kitchen. With how tired my body was starting to become, my stomach wasn't feeling particularly hungry. That meant breakfast was out of the question. I plopped down onto the sofa, rubbing my hands down my face to wipe away the remnant sleepiness before I was left with a feeling of what now?