Ana POVI looped an arm around Xavier’s waist to help hold him up. His large frame dwarfed my already small stature. A figure in the shadows took out the enemy, right before we became a wolf’s dinner. They removed their hood. A stunning tawny-skinned woman with black tight curls stood before us. Her gold eyes took my breath away. “Seline?” Xavier coughed out. I knitted my brows together while I looked at him and the bronze beauty. Seline took several deep breaths as she tried to catch her breath while putting her hands on her knees. “Shit, Xave, I haven’t done that in forever.” She placed her hands on her hips and gave us a bright smile. “Felt so damn good!” Xavier chuckled before a coughing fit started. Seline’s brows furrowed. “What’s wrong with him?” She rushed towards us and wrapped his arm around her shoulders while her arm wrapped around the other side of his waist. “I don’t…. I don’t know. He mentioned something about his drink tasting weird.” Seline cursed under her breat

Xavier POV I followed the guards into the casino. Walking into the rotted casino building, I was greeted with the smell of stale beer, smoke, and body odor. Men’s laughter could be heard down the hallway to the main room. Five men sat around a poker table. Cigars rested on ash trays as the ember end continued to smolder. The laughter seized as soon as I pressed out my aura, except no one moved. Glowing red eyes that belonged to Alpha Sam, met mine as I approached. Sam let out a growl in annoyance before looking at one of his guards. “I thought I told you idiots not to let anyone in.” I gritted my teeth and crossed my arms over my chest. Footsteps lightly padded behind me. I knew by their scents it was Sarah and Ana. Sam tensed when he noticed the pair walk in. “And who the fuck are they?!” He bellowed. Oh, Hell fucking no, he would not talk to my mate like that. Without second thought I moved at the speed of light. Before Alpha Sam could react, I had my hand gripped tightly around

Ana POV I don’t know when the palace had begun to feel like home. But I knew just as much as I knew I needed air to breathe, that when we pulled down the driveway, I was home. The cobblestone of the roundabout in front of the entryway rumbled under the tires. Xavier had remained quiet on the way home.Geegee headed to her quarters, muttering to herself about needing to get some chores done. I didn’t pay attention to hear her clearly as my eyes tracked Xavier’s every movement. Staff flooded him with questions after he entered the door. Instead of showing any annoyance, he answered every question and concern about our early return. Butterflies felt like they were fluttering in my stomach. Another piece of my heart was falling for this man. He gave me a wink as he headed to meet with Ethan. I felt a sense of nostalgia walking into my room. So much had changed on our short trip away from the palace. Not only had my relationship with Xavier grown but also my perception of myself. Two k

Ana POV After a long rest I woke up feeling more like myself. I woke up to Xavier sitting on the bed next to me with a laptop resting on his lap. Black framed glasses rested on his nose, making his half naked body even sexier. Next to him was the infamous wedding binder that Elizabeth had given me. Sensing that I was waking up, Xavier looked over at me with a small smile. He closed the laptop and placed it on his nightstand. It was at that moment I realized I was not in my chambers. I was in Xavier’s room. His bed felt like I was laying on a cloud. I rolled over and winced at how stiff my body was. I didn’t think I had moved a muscle after the amount of antihistamine that was prescribed to me. Xavier moved the binder out of the way and moved so quickly that I didn’t have any time to react. Before I knew it I was laying on top of him with his arms wrapped around my waist. Xavier nestled his face into the crook of my neck and took several deep breaths. I took a moment to do the same

ANA POV When I walked out of the bathroom, candles and tea lights were lit all over the open living space and led up to the loft. Soft music played through speakers on either side of the fireplace. I furrowed my brows as I looked for Xavier. He walked down the stairs in nothing but dark gray sweatpants. His eyes darkened with desire as he looked me up and down. Only a towel wrapped around my body to skew his view. He crooked a finger to me as he placed the lighter down on the kitchen table. Before I could take a few steps, he was in front of me. He eagerly pressed his lips to mine. I greedily kissed him back. Need coiled within my stomach. I tangled my tongue with his as we fought for dominance. Xavier nipped at my lower lip and down my jaw to where his mark would lie. A shiver went down my spine as he licked and sucked at the spot on me my neck. “Xavier,” I said breathlessly. “I need…” he cut me off by capturing my lips once more. “I know Princess. I am going to take care of you