My Favorite Beast

Xion (Dinner)

By the time we made it to the door, I was in a full-blown fight with Ty. He was determined to emerge and assert his dominance, disregarding any other considerations. Her scent was driving us crazy. It has taken everything in me to keep my control.

When I finally caught sight of her, my heart seemed to halt. She was standing there holding TJ and loving on him like he belongs to her.

“Make her put him down now!” Ty growled harshly in my head. I was overwhelmed by his possessiveness, and he was furious that she was not embracing us and gazing at us as if we were the most wonderful thing in her life.

“Chill the f**k out, Ty. That’s my damn baby brother you’re feeling jealous of,” I growled back.

When she finally felt our eyes on her, she looked up, and a look of pure shock came across her face. When our eyes finally met, my feelings for her were overwhelming. All I desired was for everyone to submit to her. I was her alpha, and she was now my queen, and I’d crush anyone who dared threaten that.

I had to shake myself out of my thoughts; they were getting dangerous, and with Ty pumping his feelings into me, I was going to explode. I'm confident that she wouldn't tolerate my possessiveness or control at this moment. She’s mine, so I have time to introduce her to her mate. With that thought in mind, I smirked at her once our eyes connected again.

“Bro, you’re in trouble. She doesn’t give the vibe that she’s going to put up with Nicole’s s**t,” Beans spoke to me through our mind link.

I chose not to address him right now and just took in her appearance as she did mine. I was unknowingly smuggling TJ more and breathed in his scent, which brought her out of whatever thoughts she was having about me. And of course this made Ty mad. I couldn’t stop the growl.

Grrrr

She looked around like she was expecting a dog to appear. Once she noticed that no one else acknowledged my slip, she calmed down. I wanted to take her into my arms and reassure her that she was safe.

“Let’s head in, dear. We can continue talking inside; I’m sure Stacey and Xi are ready to eat,” Mom stated while trying to lead everyone inside.

Beans and I stepped to the side so that we could secure the rear. When Xi walked in, she instantly stopped near me. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. I carefully moved closer to her. I know Dad said that she hadn’t shown any signs of being connected to her wolf side, but maybe being near me was awakening some of her senses.

When she let out her breath and opened her eyes, I didn’t move, trying to see how she would respond to my closeness. She stalled for a little bit, then she looked down and smiled at TJ. He seemed to comfort her. As her smile widened, a spark of something unspoken flickered between us, making my heart race. Although I could sense the strong bond between her and Tj, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to her than what was initially apparent.

“Maybe mate wants a pup?”

“If that’s what she wants, we’ll give it to her.”

“Mates, hungry, feed her,” he stated, hearing her stomach growl once she saw what we were having for dinner.

“It’s okay, beautiful; I’ll feed you.” I winked and smirked at her while taking the finger of her free hand and leading her to the dining table.

As soon as I made contact with her finger, I felt a jolt of electricity shoot up my arm and straight to my heart. She looked shocked but gave in quickly and followed me. I could tell I’d caught her by surprise with my forwardness. I had to touch her even if it was just her finger.

I had to keep the contact going, so I sat as close to her as I could. This allowed our legs to touch under the table. I could tell I was making her nervous, but not uncomfortable, which was a positive thing.

“That’s right, get comfortable with my touch, baby,” I thought to myself.

While dinner commenced, I just sat back and listened to her explain to my parents her dreams and ambitions. She talked with Cole and Karman about her passion and plans for after high school. I loved that she and my sister hit it off. That friendship could come in handy in the future.

“Xion, is everything okay? You’re not really talking, and that’s not like you at all,” Mom asked, looking between me and Xi with eyes that held so many questions.

“I’m fine, Mom, just enjoying the conversation. Tonight was about meeting the newest members of our town and making sure they have everything they need to be comfortable and want to stay here. I’m enjoying listening to Xi express herself. It’s going to come in handy when trying to get her assimilated into school and the community,” I say, trying not to give away that I’m sitting over here plotting how to claim Xi, like the creep I’m turning into.

Smiling, my future mother-in-law clapped her hands before saying, “Well, thank you, Xion, for thinking about my baby. I moved her here so suddenly, and it was quite unfair, but being here will help me give her a better life, and I just don’t want her to resent me later on for my decision.”

“I don’t and could never resent you, Mom,” Xi smiled at her mom. “A thanks to you, Xion, and you, Karman; without you two, I’ll probably become a loner, so I appreciate you guys giving up some of your time to help me find my place here.”

She smiled at me and Karman, and I am telling you it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. I made a promise to myself right then to keep the smile on her face. Even if it's the last thing I do, I will do it.

With that resolve, I felt a surge of determination coursing through me. I knew that no matter the challenges ahead, I would do everything in my power to ensure her happiness, for she had already changed my life in ways I could never have imagined.