7: Unhealthy Obsession

XAVIER

MINE. CLAIM HER. NOW.

Kane’s voice hadn’t quieted once since last night. It prowled through my skull like a trapped animal, raking at every bit of control I had left.

I didn’t get even a second of sleep. Every time I shut my eyes, I saw that SUV door opening, heard the sound of Mia’s breath hitching, replaying how that man had grabbed her arm, seconds away from dragging her into that van.

The need to protect her had hit me with a fierce surge, an undeniable instinct I’d never experienced before towards anyone.

I blame it on why I'm currently standing in the library, pretending to browse books while watching her below.

Mia sat at one of the tables with her laptop open. Her hair was styled in a different way today, falling over one shoulder. Concentration written on every line of her face and her pursued lips. She was deep in thought. And she looked effortlessly beautiful.

A strange current rippled through me whenever I looked at her, it grew stronger by the hour and it was taking everything in me to not march down over there and let Kane have his way and mark her, so everyone knew she was ours.

‘Go to her,’ Kane urged. ‘She needs us. She’s alone.’

“She’s safe,” I muttered. “It’s midday. She’s fine.”

‘Just like last night?’

My jaw clenched, not wanting to think of that anymore.

Mia stretched her arms above her head and a sliver of skin peeked from beneath her shirt.

My tongue ran a slow line over my lips, the thought of tasting her skin left me salivating.

I forced myself to look away and grabbed a random book and opened to the middle page. My phone buzzed. I blinked and looked up, giving the room a quick look when I saw Falcon’s message.

Falcon: Library, seriously?

I didn’t dignify it with a response.

Falcon: X, this isn’t sustainable. Wolves are talking. Your father is asking questions.

I shoved the phone back into my pocket, everything Falcon said shoved to the back of my mind because Mia was packing her things.

I waited for thirty seconds after she left before I followed her out. Making sure to keep a bit of distance between us. The last thing I wanted was for her to think I'm some kind of creep that was stalking her.

She walked across the quad, her fingers moving furiously across her phone screen, unaware of the world. This is why she needed my protection. She wasn't taking good care of herself.

Kane bristled in my head, agreeing with me.

‘She’s too exposed.’ He added.

“She’s just walking,” I whispered.

‘She doesn’t sense danger. She’s human.’

The words scraped something raw inside me. The reminder of why I could never have her the way I wanted.

She disappeared into the student center. I was about to follow when my phone rang.

“What?” My tone was cold.

“Where are you?” Falcon demanded. She knew exactly where I was so I told her the truth.

“Student center.”

“You need to get back to campus housing.”

My spine prickled. “Why?”

“Professor Choi called.” her voice lowered which told me she might be around humans. “He said you growled at him in his office during Mia’s appointment.”

I closed my eyes and cursed the old man for tattling like a little bitch. “He was too close.”

“To a student who is NOT yours,” Falcon shot back. “You’re acting like you’ve already claimed her.”

A pulse of heat shot through me, frustration and denial. I hated that I couldn't do that and why did everyone suddenly want to remind me of it? First, Kane, and now, Falcon?

“I’m fine.”

“You nearly shifted during practice when that freshman brushed her arm. You think no one noticed?”

“I said I’m—” the half assed answer I was giving her trailed off, my attention caught on the window of the student center.

Ryan Martinez, some preppy and hippy human, was sitting beside Mia, his chair was too close to hers. Like that wasn't enough, he leaned further, showing her something on his phone.

She threw her head back and laughed.

Heat rushed through my body and my nails tingled, slightly elongating into claws. My breath shortened as I gritted my teeth.

I turned away sharply before I did something unforgivable, like storm in there and physically tear him apart from her. The more I stood there, the less like a bad idea it seemed.

“I’ll call you back,” I snapped.

“Xavier—don’t—”

I hung up before she finished saying whatever was on her mind.

I made it to my car with barely controlled steps and sat inside. I gripped the steering wheel so tight, my knuckles turned white. I tried to breathe around the pressure clawing at me, the need to shift was almost unbearable.

There was too much energy in my body that I needed to burn before I tore through a building.

I drove away from the campus fast, heading toward the forest at pack territory.

By the time I reached the training grounds, my skin felt too tight, every nerve ending was on fire.

Falcon saw me first and she swallowed hard, then gestured to the woods without waiting a moment. “Go.”

I didn’t need telling twice.

I was barely hidden behind the trees before my wolf tore through my body, ripping the clothes I'd been wearing shreds as my bones snapped and reshaped, fur rushing over muscle.

I landed on four paws as a loud howl tore through my chest, then I ran.

Leaves blurred beneath me. The forest swallowed me whole. The feel of wind through my fur did very little to calm me down so I kept going, pushing until exhaustion finally cut through the chaos and Kane calmed down.

I shifted back at the tree line and took a moment to breathe as the world became smaller again. My senses dulled to an almost human level.

I found a change of clothes in the treeline I'd first shifted and mentally thanked Falcon before I went straight to the training grounds and continued to torture my body in a different way.

“Again,” I told Derek.

He stared at the bruises already forming on my ribs hesitantly. “You’ll collapse.”

“Again.” I repeated.

He obliged and started the movement again. Fists, elbows, sweat, blood. Movement and pain. It barely grounded me.

We stayed there until the sun settled and the sky turned dark. Derek was exhausted so I let him leave while I shifted again and ran the perimeter. Instead of circling pack territory, my body veered toward campus on its own.

I didn’t question it.

Her scent reached me before I even saw the dorm building, my body calmed down instantly. Something hours of rigorous training and running hadn't been able to achieve.

The confirmation that she was safe instantly eased whatever worry remained in my mind.

‘Go to her.’ Kane urged. ‘She’s close.’

As much as I wanted to do that, it wasn’t possible. All I could do was stay hidden in the shadows and listen to her. Watching through glowing windows.

Then a light flicked on in the third-floor corner room and Mia stepped into view. Disappointment and pride warred inside me as she pulled her curtains closed.

I stayed watching the slight movement from behind the curtains. A constant awareness of her presence that had only grown stronger since the night we met.

I exhaled slowly, trying to release the relentless pressure building under my skin when i got a text from Falcon.

Falcon: How bad is it?

I knew she spoke to Derek about training–if you could even call it that.

Me: Bad.

Falcon: You can’t keep doing this. You’ll break. Or someone will notice.

Falcon: You either tell her or stay away.

I put the phone down and sighed, raking a hand through my hair in frustration. Neither option was possible.

I couldn’t tell Mia what I was. I couldn’t drag her into this world. And I sure as hell couldn’t stay away.

I stayed there long after her light went out. That pull between us only deepened and settled more, anchoring itself under my skin. It had been waiting for her all my life and now that she is here, it couldn’t wait to fully claim her so we would become complete.

Was it unhealthy? Probably.

And dangerous? Absolutely.

None of it mattered, because she was mine and I knew with a terrifying, exhilarating certainty that I would destroy anything that tried to take her away.

No matter who or what that was, including fate.