Xavier was strong—he had so much to live for. Even if the whip had been laced with wolfsbane, he was going to make it.I nodded to myself. “He’s going to live.”I walked over to Raven and gently took Rosalina from her arms.“I couldn’t watch… I just couldn’t,” Raven said, her voice tight with emotion.I looked at her face and noticed the wolf scars were beginning to fade.“How are your injuries?” I asked softly.She shrugged. “They’re getting better.”Almost an hour passed, and no one had come out of the room. We all sat there—waiting anxiously, hoping for good news.Finally, the doctor and several nurses emerged and turned to us.“The Alpha is requesting to see his mate… and his Luna,” the doctor said.Stacy immediately stood up, shooting me a glare.As we both entered the room, I noticed the blood had been cleaned. Xavier was lying on his stomach, his torso heavily bandaged.“Oh baby!” Stacy cried dramatically. “The moment I heard what happened, I rushed down here! I was so scared.
Xavier cried out in pain as two pack members lifted him and carried him toward the pack hospital. Blood and sweat dripped onto the floor from the wounds on his back as we made our way through the corridors.A nurse rushed to meet us, directing us to a room.“Place the Alpha on his stomach—this room,” she instructed quickly.The warriors carefully laid Xavier down on the bed. He grunted in pain, tears sliding down his cheeks. I bent over and gently kissed his tears away. His muscles relaxed slightly beneath my touch, but his body remained tense from the agony radiating through him.“I’m sorry, but everyone must leave the room while we treat him,” the nurse announced as she began ushering everyone out.“Wait—wait! She has to stay. She’s his mate,” Chris argued, stepping forward.The nurse paused, then nodded and guided me back inside before closing the door on the others.I sat in a chair opposite Xavier, trying to calm my racing thoughts—but I couldn’t. My heart thundered in my chest.
“The closer you are, and the longer you stay, the more our connection grows. Until I mate with you and mark you… then we’ll be complete,” he said softly.“But what about you? You don’t deserve the lashes either,” I pointed out.He shrugged. “Just consider it payback—for all the emotional abuse I put you through, and the consequences of my rejection.”I shook my head and opened my mouth to argue, but Xavier silenced me with a kiss—gentle, brief, but filled with emotion. When he pulled away, his eyes searched mine with quiet intensity.“What’s done is done, Anais. We can’t change that,” he whispered.“Xavier… you don’t have to do this to prove your love. I already believe you,” I said, blinking back tears. I refused to let them fall. I’d cried enough.He sighed deeply. “Don’t think of me as your mate right now. Think of me as a man who claims to love you—but who’s hurt you before. I keep saying I love you, that I care about you, but words... they’re just that. Words.”His voice dropped.
"Woah... 50 lashes for something you didn’t even do?" Raven said quietly.Yesterday, after Xavier and I returned to the pack, he immediately disappeared into the forest while I locked Rosalina and myself in my room. I wanted to cry so badly, but the tears just wouldn't come.This morning, Raven came by to check on me and ask how the pre-trial went."They said the information didn’t add up. There were no rogue reports, I was unharmed, and just a few days before, I found out Daniel cheated," I explained.“Well, shit. Sometimes the facts don’t make sense, so you’ve gotta look at the bigger picture. Felicity, just know that Xavier and I will always be here to help you through the pain,” she said, giving me a sad smile.That’s when the dam finally broke. My tears streamed down my face like a flood, and Raven pulled me into her arms."Felicity, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" she asked gently."I’m not the one getting the lashes," I choked out. "Xavier lied for me—and now he’s the one be
“Reports state that Daniel’s body was mainly covered in gashes and stab wounds, although no weapon was discovered at the scene,” Council Member Blaze read aloud. “But there are still several inconsistencies in Miss Blackwood’s story. Her account does not align with the documents and facts, so—”“I loved Daniel with all my heart! I would never lay a finger on him, even if he did cheat on me!” I shouted, cutting him off.I immediately covered my mouth with my hand. I had never admitted that out loud—not to anyone. I had tried to bury that memory deep, telling myself it was a mistake, a misunderstanding. I had convinced myself that all boys made poor choices sometimes. I guess I was wrong.The council members exchanged glances, then looked down at Alpha Roman and Xavier.“Did either of you know about this?” Council Member Blaze asked.Both Alphas shook their heads. I noticed Xavier begin to shake beside me—his rage rising. I knew he was fighting the urge to lose control.“Well, this cert
“You know, most she-wolves would be extremely happy and grateful for a virgin mate,” Xavier growled.I giggled and gently pulled his hands away from his face.“I am grateful—but it’s still fun to mess with you,” I said with a teasing smile.“It’s all fun and games until your mate sticks his dick in someone else.”“Ugh, stop with the language!”“Would you prefer I said penis?” he smirked.“Oh my gosh, Xavier! This is uncomfortable. You shouldn’t have said that at all.”We sounded like an old married couple bickering over the weirdest things. And somehow... I found it adorable.There was a knock on the sliding glass partition. Xavier slid it open and was met by the driver.“Alpha, we’ve arrived at the location,” the driver announced.Xavier nodded and slid the glass shut again.The nerves that had briefly faded started to return. Xavier must have noticed because he took my hand and kissed my forehead softly.We stepped out of the car and were met by a towering, castle-like building. I n