I hate you

Raina suddenly slumped to the ground, trembling and breaking the heavy silence in the air.

Her chest heaved with panicked breaths, and the iron chains clinked against the stone floor as her thin arms wrapped protectively around herself.

Xavier’s body trembled lightly, and he hurried towards her. Gripping her chains in his claws, he tore them apart as if they were ordinary ropes, then draped his coat over her body again.

He swept Raina up in one arm and slung her over his shoulder as though she weighed nothing. Raina let out a startled cry, but he didn’t stop.

Everyone stared in silence, stunned. None of them had ever seen their king spare a glance at any female in the Pack, let alone carry one in his arms.

Even Clara hadn’t been given that privilege.

Xavier ignored all their exaggerated stares and walked back to the main house. He didn’t stop even after stepping inside, but made his way up to his private room.

Clara followed hastily once she came back to her senses, while Stephen stayed behind to deal with the two guards, ordering their execution instantly.

“Xavier…” Clara called desperately as she mounted the stairs, trying to stop him, but when she watched him turn towards his room, her shoulders dropped.

“He’s taking her to his room?” Clara muttered, greatly perplexed and disturbed.

In the more than twenty years she had known Xavier, she had never seen him behave like this. He never let anyone near his room or his personal belongings.

It was as if he had suddenly lost his mind.

She still followed after him, hoping to call him back to his senses, but Xavier had already stepped into his room and closed the door, shutting her out. 

Clara stared at the closed door in horror and clenched her fists.

Xavier’s wolf raged beneath the surface, unwilling to let Raina out of its sight, and Xavier had no choice but to let her use his bed. He set her down gently onto the massive mattress.

Raina scrambled back instantly, clutching his coat tighter around herself. Her wide eyes watched him like a cornered doe, trembling at the thought of what had almost happened to her.

She was grateful that someone had saved her from those two earlier, but his words had sent chills through her body.

No one is to touch her.

It was as if he was claiming her for himself, and she loathed that.

Xavier sat down below and exhaled, annoyed, but continued to stare at her, causing her to cower. His eyes drifted to the bruise on her arms, and he couldn’t help but notice how pale her skin was.

She looked like she could drop dead at any moment, which made Xavier more curious about how she was able to call out to him and affect him so strongly.

The two events tonight made him realize it was completely impossible to ignore her, even if he wanted to.

“What do you want to do?” Raina asked, breaking into Xavier’s thoughts. Her eyes were filled with fear and contempt.

Unable to figure out exactly what had caused his loss of control, other than the fact that she was his mate, Xavier stood up. 

But a gentle tug in his heart made him glance at her again. Her pitiful appearance strangely made him want to comfort her.

He struggled with the twisting pull in his chest, turning away instead, and walked back to the door, finding Clara still standing there.

“Xavier…”

He didn’t let her finish before ordering her to get someone to bring food for Raina, then closed the door in her face.

Forcing a lump down her throat, Clara went to the kitchen to inform the housekeeper of his instructions, then returned to wait for Xavier again.

When Xavier came back to the room, Raina’s body tensed again. She knelt on the bed, staying alert in case he tried to touch her.

The two of them remained in silence until Raina suddenly heard her wolf whisper weakly,

“Raina... we have found our mate.”

She frowned, thinking she had heard wrong, and checked again.

“He is our mate,” Eve said, almost excited. Raina’s face turned sour.

She turned to question Xavier, but a knock on the door interrupted. A servant brought in some chicken soup on a tray and handed it to Xavier.

He carried it in, placed the tray on the small table beside the bed, and tapped it gently.

“Eat,” he ordered.

Raina stared at the plate, then at him. Her knees relaxed slightly on the bed, and slowly, she shook her head, unable to believe he was actually serving her food.

“Does he know anything about the mate bond too?” she wondered before refusing to eat.

Xavier’s eyes narrowed, furious that she was rejecting the food she had been crying for all night.

“I said eat,” he repeated sternly, wanting to scare her into obeying, but she still refused.

“I’m not hungry,” Raina muttered.

Xavier’s hand clamped around her throat, forcing her chin up.

“Do not push me, girl. I can end you before you draw your next breath,” he growled, his eyes flashing red.

Raina clawed at his wrist, her vision blurring. 

"Then do it. Kill me.” Her voice trembled, but her defiance burned through every word.

For a split second, Xavier almost did. His grip tightened, rage surging, but then...

A single tear slid down her cheek, landing warm against his skin and his breath faltered. 

That same helpless look, the one she had worn when the guards touched her, was now aimed at him. He was no different from them.

His wolf snarled inside him. 

Stop. Protect her.

Xavier’s hold loosened, but her scent slammed into him before he pulled away. Wild, intoxicating, maddening. 

His chest heaved as his lips hovered just above hers.

“I hate you,” he muttered under his breath, though he didn’t pull away.

“I hate you even more," Raina whispered, her voice breaking.

His lips grazed hers, just the barest brush, hot and forbidden. 

Raina’s breath hitched when she felt the soft brush of his lips instead of pain.

The bond cracked like lightning, jolting through them both.

Raina gasped, her body betraying her with a shiver. Xavier’s own pulse roared in his ears, the taste of her breath igniting a hunger he swore he had buried long ago.

Then, with a snarl, he tore himself back. He released her, shoving down the need, clawing at his chest.

“Clean yourself up. You reek of blood,” he bit out coldly, before storming out and slamming the door behind him.

Stephen had already joined Clara in the hall by the time he came out, and they both turned to him anxiously.

“Xavier, what is she?” Clara asked, her face restless, unable to believe her eyes that Xavier would tender to another firl.

Stephen stood quietly behind her.

“She is no one,” Xavier told her, and instructed Stephen to prepare a room.

“Pick this one,” he said, pointing to the one next to his. Stephen nodded carefully.

Clara lowered her head, realizing that Xavier wasn’t going to explain anything else about this new girl, and forced a smile.

“Since she’s someone important to you, why don’t you let me take care of her?” she offered, hoping for his consent, but Xavier dismissed her suggestion.

“You are not well enough to take care of others. Return to your room and remember to take your pills,” he told her. Clara nodded obediently and went to her own room.

“About the room, how do you want it arranged?” Stephen asked, seeking clear instructions, and watched Xavier slowly rub his temple.

“Make it pretty,” he told him.

Stephen’s jaw dropped, hearing the word 'pretty' from Xavier’s lips. He stared at him suspiciously.

“Xavier,” he said in a friendly tone, speaking as a friend rather than as a subordinate.

“What?” he snapped.

“That girl... she is your mate, isn’t she?”