Chapter Six

Xeros Romanov

Sitting by Cassie's door, I felt trapped like an animal in a cage. The wolf inside me was uneasy, moving back and forth, its claws scratching at the interior of my head. Though she was right behind the door, it seemed like there was a vast space separating us, one that I couldn't navigate without causing harm. All my instincts were telling me to approach her, to embrace her, to shield her, but I was unable to. I would not. When she gazed at me with those eyes filled with fear, it was not the right time. This was not how it was meant to be.

When I first discovered she was my mate, the connection clicked into place so strongly that I was almost brought to my knees. The desire to stay by her side, to claim her as my own, to shield her from all dangers and threats was overwhelming. However, I was surprised by the fear in her eyes when she recognized me. More than just a partner, but a leader of the pack. And not any Alpha, but 'the' Alpha King himself. His partner. She appeared to be repulsed by the mere idea of me. I could tell by the way she tensed up, the way her breathing hitched, and how she pulled back as if my touch was something scary.

I attempted to distance myself, to provide her with room, but the connection wouldn't permit it. I had to stay close to her, to ensure her safety. Nevertheless, whenever I approached her, I sensed her fear spreading through our connection like a toxin, penetrating my very being, leaving me feeling powerless. It was an unfamiliar feeling that I detested. Therefore, I chose to remain outside of her door. Only a single day. Just one day. That was all I needed. One day to try to suppress the overwhelming need to go to her, to hold her. I could endure that, couldn’t I?

But the seconds stretched into what seemed like hours. A shifting of the floorboards here, a gust of wind outside there, these were all these evoked memories of her: close enough to comfort but too far to be reached. I really wanted to take the knob and twist it, I wanted to push the door open and satisfy my need to look at her. To calm her down because I would not let anyone touch her again. But I couldn’t do it.

Even more painful was the awareness that she was frightened of me, of all people, her mate. This hurt me in ways that I had never felt before. How could we ever remedy this when I couldn’t even tell how deep the cut was in the first place?

Eventually, I continued to hear the sound of footsteps getting closer. Martha, I could smell her even before she knocked. As my parents are dead, she is the one who brought me up and was like a parent to me.

She tapped lightly before she entered the space beyond the door on which I were using my back as a prop while seated. I looked at her, and for the first time, the expression on her face conveyed everything I had to understand. This was no social call.

“Xeros”, is all she murmurs, taking a seat next to me. She meant to be soothing, but I winced at her tone which had a calm built in sadness. “Xeros, you need to know what she has been through.”

It does not take long before I tense: now, I was breathing through my nose, ready to rush to the bedchamber door and tear it down. ”Tell me"

Martha sighed, her eyes filled with a sorrow I rarely saw. “She’s been tortured, Xeros. For years. The scars on her body…they’re not just physical. She’s been through hell and back. And it’s left its mark on her.”

I swallowed, trying to keep my voice steady. “What kind of scars?”

She hesitated, as if choosing her words carefully. “There are marks on her body that will never heal. Scars from beatings, from whips, from… other forms of torture. She’s been through so much pain that her wolf… it’s dormant, Xeros. It’s like it’s given up. It’s been so traumatized that it can’t even come forward to protect her anymore.”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. A dormant wolf? That was unheard of. A wolf was a part of a shifter’s very soul. For it to retreat like that… it meant the pain must have been unbearable. My breath caught in my throat, and I had to close my eyes to keep the anger from spilling over.

“Traces of liquid silver were found in her bloodstream,” Martha continued, her voice shaking slightly. “Not enough to kill her, but enough to weaken her. They were slowly poisoning her, Xeros. It’s a miracle she survived.”

I didn’t trust myself to speak. My vision was red, my wolf howling in fury inside me. The Nightwolf pack. Those bastards. They did this to her. My mate. My queen. And I had been powerless to stop it. The urge to go back there, to tear apart everyone who had laid a hand on her, was overwhelming. But I couldn’t. Not yet. Not while she was still so vulnerable.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Martha said, her voice cutting through my thoughts. “But you can’t leave her, Xeros. She needs you. More than ever. And as much as you want to exact revenge, it can wait. She’s your priority now.”

I nodded, but it felt hollow. Every fiber of my being was screaming at me to go back to the Nightwolf pack and tear them to pieces. To make them pay for what they had done to her. But I couldn’t. Not yet.

Instead, I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. “When she’s better,” I said, my voice low and dangerous, “they’ll pay for what they did.”

Martha placed a hand on my shoulder, squeezing gently. “I know they will, Xeros. But right now, you need to focus on her. She’s been through more than any one person should ever have to endure. And she’s still here. She’s still fighting. But she needs you to be strong for her.”

I nodded again, the anger still simmering beneath the surface, but tempered by the knowledge that she was right. Cassie was my priority. And I would stay by her side, no matter what. The Nightwolf pack would have their day, but it wasn’t today.

I stood up, my resolve strengthening. I wouldn’t let them win. I wouldn’t let them take her away from me, not now, not ever. And when the time came, I would make sure they suffered for every scar, every wound, every ounce of pain they had inflicted on my mate.

But for now, I would wait. I would be here, just outside her door, until she was ready to face the world again.