Chapter 11
926 Words
Xavier’s Pov
I didn’t know why I was still here.
The forest was quiet except for the soft rustle of leaves and the occasional snap of a twig under Astrid’s careful movements. She was on her knees in the grass, long brown hair spilling over her shoulders like silk as she searched for the plants she needed. Her small hands moved with surprising precision, plucking leaves and roots with the kind of care that spoke of years of practice.
She should be dead.
That was the only logical truth. Vampire. The enemy we had exterminated. Yet here I was, standing in the shadows of the trees, watching her like some weak fool instead of ending her life with a single strike.
We are staring too much, Erevos rumbled in my mind, his voice deep and mocking. It is unlike you to leave prey alive this long.
I clenched my jaw. “Mind your f*****g business.”
“You know I am in your head, right? I know exactly what you are thinking.” My wolf sounded far too amused. “We are one, Xavier. There is no hiding from me.”
A low growl built in my chest. “I need a run.”
“Are you saying you are going to leave her?”
“And if I do?”
Erevos didn’t reply, but I felt his satisfaction. The bastard never minded his own business.
I turned away from the clearing and let the shift take me. Bones cracked, muscles tore and reformed, and within seconds I was no longer a man. The massive black wolf surged forward, powerful and free. I ran hard, tearing through the forest in a blur of speed and raw strength. The wind whipped past my fur, the ground flew beneath my paws, and for a few precious moments the constant pull toward the little vampire faded.
But it never truly left.
When I finally circled back, I stayed at a distance, watching. Astrid had finished gathering her plants. She stood in the clearing, looking around with wide honey eyes, her small frame tense with worry.
“Alpha?” she called softly, voice trembling. “Alpha… where are you?”
She didn’t run.
She could have tried to escape. Any sane creature in her position would have. But instead she stayed, calling for me, looking lost and fragile. So small. So breakable. Her long brown hair caught the light, and those delicate features made her look almost unreal — like something that didn’t belong in my brutal world.
“Now we are staring too much again,” Erevos commented dryly.
I ignored him and stepped forward.
Astrid still hadn’t noticed me. Her survival instincts were pathetic. I moved closer, silent as death, until I was only a few paces away in my full wolf form — a towering beast of black fur and glowing eyes.
She finally turned.
A sharp gasp escaped her, and she stumbled backward, tripping over her own feet. She fell hard onto the ground, eyes wide with terror as she scrambled back.
“Please don’t kill me,” she begged, voice breaking. Tears spilled down her cheeks. “Please… I’m with the Alpha. I’m with Alpha Xavier. Please—”
The sight was almost funny. I rarely found anything amusing, but the way she sat there on the forest floor, clutching her bundle of plants like a shield while crying for the very monster she feared… it stirred something strange in me.
I shifted back.
The change was fast. Naked for a brief moment, I walked to the tree where spare clothes were always kept for my runs and pulled on the simple black tunic and pants. When I turned around, Astrid was still on the ground, shivering, eyes fixed on the dirt.
I walked toward her.
She kept her head down, refusing to look up even as my shadow fell over her.
“Get up,” I said, voice low and cold.
She rose quickly, brushing dirt from her dress with trembling hands. “I… I’m done, Alpha. Thank you. Thank you so much for bringing me here.”
She looked so f*****g cute when she was terrified and grateful at the same time.
I stepped closer. She instinctively moved back until her back hit a tree. Still, she wouldn’t meet my eyes.
A sudden mind-link cut through my thoughts.
Alpha, where are you? Aliyah’s voice was sweet and seductive. I’m waiting for you. You know what I have ready for you… just how you like it.
I didn’t bother replying.
Instead, I lifted my hand. Claws partially extended, I gently gripped Astrid’s chin and tilted her face up to mine. Her honey eyes were wide, glistening with unshed tears. She looked like a frightened little doll — fragile, innocent, and far too beautiful for someone like me.
“Don’t thank me too much,” I told her. “I am only keeping you alive for a purpose. When I am done with you, you will be as good as dead.”
Her lips parted slightly as she stared up at me. For a moment, the world narrowed to just her — this small vampire who had bitten me, saved me, and was now slowly ruining my control.
I released her chin and turned away, starting back toward the castle.
Behind me, I heard her hurried footsteps as she followed.
What exactly is stopping me from killing her? I wondered. She was trouble. She was dangerous. And yet…
For now, I would enjoy this moment.
- Writer
