Dilemma

Alexandra POV

“Just come home, Alex, please. He’s tearing up the place looking for you. I’ve been worried sick, too.”

“I’m coming home.”

I hung up and tucked the phone in my bag.

“I have to go,” I whispered, avoiding his eyes.

He stepped in front of me and stopped me from going any further.

“Xavier? The jack ass who made you cry?” He demanded.

“It doesn’t matter. He wasn’t always a jack ass to me.”

Enzo ran a hand down his face. “What are you talking about?”

“I was fated to him, alright. We broke up, though. I don’t know what he wants from me.”

“You’ve been fated before?” He raised his brows.

“Yes,” I replied, recalling the pain of that rejection.

“And you broke up? You mean he rejected you. That little prick,” he spat.

“Look, it doesn’t matter. I have to go. I can’t stay here.”

“So you’re going to run back into his arms? Fated mates are a big deal, Alex. Xavier never announced to the other packs that he’d found his fated mate and intended Luna.”

“People knew about us, though. I’d never been to his house, but—”

“Because it wasn’t known about the mate bond. He wouldn’t have been able to destroy your bond so easily if he had made it known to his pack and the others.”

He was always ashamed of me.

I clutched my bag to my chest. “It’s just another wolf who’s rejected me. I should be used to it by now.”

“Alexandra, wait—”

I didn’t, though.

***

Emmie told me she’d be waiting at my studio. I feared another high-tension chase and practically ran through town to get to my studio. I didn’t stop for a second to allow the wolves to catch the scent of my heat.

When I got to my apartment building, it wasn’t Emmie I found; it was Xavier pacing back and forth on the street.

“There you are,” he breathed out.

He pulled me to his chest and locked me in an embrace.

I wiggled out of his hold and looked around the street. A few individuals had stopped to stare at us.

“That isn’t a good idea,” I mumbled.

“What are you worried about? I don’t care what anyone thinks.”

If that were true, maybe he would have told his family about me.

“What do you want, Xavier? Did you threaten my best friend?”

“I didn’t threaten anyone. I just needed to know where you were. I heard you went into heat. That’s a good thing, mate.”

He cupped my cheeks and dragged me closer to him.

“Do you feel any different?”

I groaned. “I’m exhausted. I can’t have this conversation right now.”

His face twisted with rage. “Where the hell were you? Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you? I even went to your crazy godmother’s house!”

“I didn’t ask you to do that!”

He raised his hand, and I flinched. He grabbed my cheeks firmly.

“Fuck that, Alexandra. You’re my woman whether you like it or not. We had a little spat, and that’s all. You caught me at a bad time, and you pissed me off. I can’t stand the fucking idea of other males chasing you around the shifter region, trying to fuck you!”

More people crowded around us.

“I’m not yours. I never was.”

He shook his head. “The moon goddess didn’t think so. Now, where the hell were you? Did you run off with one of the males who chased you? Did he fuck your pretty cunt?”

“Stop!” I shoved him back to the steps.

He stared at me, bewildered.

Someone gasped. Heat rushed to my cheeks.

“Alexandra,” Xavier growled.

I rounded him and darted through the front door. I bolted for the elevator, but a rough hand tugged on my shoulder and derailed me.

Xavier backed me into the steel elevator doors, and before I could blink, his mouth was on mine. Ugh, he’s such a brute! I couldn’t believe he gave me butterflies. Those stupid insects were all dead now.

“I don’t care who you fucked. I’m your man!” He growled between forcing his mouth on me. “Your body will only submit to me. The mate bond will remain under your skin until I say so!” He bit down on my bottom lip.

“Ouch!” I cried out.

I stomped on his foot.

“Alex!” He roared.

I panted heavily and pounded on the elevator buttons. He needed to make up his mind about wanting me or not! One minute, he wants me out of the shifter region, and the next, he wants to be in my pants again? There’s something wrong with him.

 Did he think my wolf would awaken soon, and he regretted rejecting me?

It gave me hope of shifting. Maybe my wolf would show up after all. I already started showing wolf qualities.

“Go back to Faye! I’m not interested. I have someone else!!” I yelled.

The elevator door opened. I popped inside and realised I lied in his face.

Why would I tell him I have someone else? Xavier’s a jealous mess right now.

He won’t stop until he finds out who it is.

What if he finds out in some wicked twist of fate that I spent the night in the Supreme Alpha’s bed?

I hauled my ass to my apartment and locked the door behind me. I remained pinned against the door just listening to make sure Xavier didn’t follow me. After a few minutes of normal sounds, I felt safe enough to move. I aggravated the wound on my foot that I picked up at Enzo’s cabin.

Just my luck, my foot hurts, and my lip’s throbbing. My heart was another issue. I stripped out of my clothes and slipped into a robe. I poured myself a tall glass of my special bottle of wine.

It only came out when I really needed it. Tonight counted as a wine emergency.

The red wine filled the round, curvy glass. I turned on some music to fill the silence and distract my mind from thinking.

I just wanted to lock myself in my apartment and forget the outside world existed.

Pounding on the door disrupted the growing mellow mood.

I jumped. Emmie didn’t knock that way.

The hammering continued. I jumped off the couch and landed on my wounded foot.

“Ouch!” I hissed.

“Open the door, Alexandra.”