Hunted

Chapter Nine

Xander

"Go back you coward. We have to mark her." Xerxes screamed in my head as I rushed out of the house putting as much distance between me and Mel as possible.

I was fighting for control with my wolf and he was winning. If he won he was going to mark her. I wanted him to but I knew I couldn't. Not yet. She was my mate. Mine. She had called me Xee. She probably did it subconsciously. Didn't realise what she was doing. She had named Xerxes. Said that way she could keep calling me Xee because it applied to both of us.

That had been years ago. Before I had first shifted and met the asshole. Before she forgot about me. It was when everything felt right. When she used to follow me around and force me to have tea parties with her. When she lived here. Then she said I wasn't hers and Xerxes snapped.

I wasn't mad at him for kissing her. I've wanted to since I came back and saw her alone in the woods. I've wanted to every night she's slept in my bed. Wanted to pull her closer and fall asleep with her in my arms.

"She wants to leave us." Xerxes huffed pacing in my head.

"She's not leaving us she just wants to go back to her room." I sighed.

"We need to keep her close to us. We need to tell her she's our mate. She was made for us. She wants us you heard her. Saw how she reacted."

I groaned remembering how she had pulled me closer. Remembering the feel of her soft skin and her scent wrapping itself around me. How she unconsciously tilted her head to the side giving me room to mark her. The anticipation and frustration she was feeling hitting me like a truck. It was only when I had felt my canines growing that I pulled away from her. I had to ignore the hurt and get out of there before I lost control and marked and mated her.

I felt my phone ringing in my hand and sighed when I saw who was calling. I needed to answer it but I wasn't in the mood for a lecture.

"Lucian." I sighed.

"What did you do?" He asked.

"What do you mean what did I do?"

"You used my full name Al." He chuckled.

"Oh right. I almost marked Mel." I whispered looking down.

"I'm confused. You're saying that like it's a bad thing. She's your mate aren't you supposed to mark her?"

"She still doesn't know."

"You're a real glutton for punishment aren't you? Ken told me she sleeps in your room." I could imagine him rolling his eyes.

"She does but I've been trying to keep things platonic and then tonight I had her in my arms beneath me and..."

"Please don't finish that sentence I don't want to think about you and Mel together." He said making me laugh.

"I don't think I can keep this up."

"Of course you can't. The girl you were destined to spend forever with is right in front of you and you think you can keep a platonic friendship. I get it she has a lot going on but you telling her you're mates won't add on to that. She's your other half. It's either you tell her or Xerxes will take matters into his own hands. Something tells me he was partially behind what happened today."

"Yeah he was." I sighed. "I'll tell her tomorrow."

"How is she?" He asked quietly.

"She's holding herself back. Ken and I are trying to make her comfortable. But they've put it in her head that she might bring about the end of the world or whatever. It would be easier if you were here." I told him already knowing his response.