Claimed By My Mate's Brother

Episode Five:A Dangerous Game

Nyx’s POV:

The morning sun streamed through the pack house windows, but it did nothing to warm the chill that had settled in my bones. Three weeks of walking on eggshells, of avoiding heated gazes across rooms, of pretending I didn't feel like I was being torn in two every time I caught his scent.

*He's close,* Eva whispered, as if I couldn't feel Xander's presence like a physical touch. He sat two seats away during the pack meeting, radiating tension while Camilla draped herself across his arm like a possessive vine.

"The Northern Pack has already announced their Luna's pregnancy," Eleanor was saying, her perfectly manicured nails tapping against the mahogany table. Her eyes fixed on me with laser precision. "It's been weeks since the wedding. Surely you two have started working toward an heir?"

The question hung in the air like poison gas. I kept my face carefully blank, though my hands trembled beneath the table.

Theo lounged in his chair, tie loosened, looking bored with the entire proceedings. "We have plenty of time, Mother. No need to rush these things."

"Rush?" Eleanor's voice could have frozen hell itself. "The pack expects—"

"The pack can wait," Theo cut in, his casual tone belied by the warning in his eyes.

I felt Xander shift in his seat, the movement drawing my gaze like a magnet. Our eyes met for a fraction of a second, but it was enough to send electricity racing down my spine. His jaw clenched, and I knew he was thinking the same thing I was – how much longer could we maintain this charade?

The rest of the meeting passed in a blur of territory reports and budget discussions. I escaped as soon as I could, retreating to my room – my sanctuary and my prison all at once.

Night fell too quickly, bringing with it the sound of stumbling footsteps I'd grown to dread. Theo burst through the door, reeking of whiskey and aggression.

"You're awfully quiet these days," he slurred, leaning against the wall as he studied me through narrowed eyes. "Not causing trouble, are you?"

My heart hammered against my ribs. "I don't know what you mean."

He pushed off the wall, moving toward me with predatory focus. "No? Because Mother's been asking questions. Wondering why her precious daughter-in-law seems so... distant." His laugh was ugly. "You're lucky, you know that? If she wasn't so desperate for a grandchild, I wouldn't bother keeping you around at all."

Bile rose in my throat as I gripped the edge of my vanity. Eva snarled, clawing at my insides, demanding we fight back. And if I allowed her to take over at this point, she would probably tear him into pieces and then rush to Xander— she would ensure he marks me and we mate.

She’s frustrated to that point. She wants our bond to seal as it should be.

Theo’s low sound of footsteps snapped my mind back to the quiet danger before me. My mind began to raise more than it was already.

He stepped closer, alcohol making his movements sloppy but no less threatening. "But don't get any ideas, sweetheart. You're mine. And if I find out you're sneaking around—"

A sharp knock cut through the tension like a knife.

Theo growled, yanking the door open with more force than necessary. Then he went still.

The scent hit me before I saw him – pine and smoke and everything I'd been trying to resist. Xander filled the doorway, his expression carved from stone, but I could feel the rage rolling off him in waves.

"What do you want?" Theo's voice dripped with barely contained hostility.

Xander's eyes found mine for the briefest moment, and my heart stopped. Then started again, racing double-time.

"There's an issue at the border," he said, his voice deceptively calm. "Father needs you."

Theo cursed, pressing his fingers to his temples. "Perfect. Just what I need." He turned back to me, and something dark flickered in his eyes. "We'll finish this later."

The threat in those words made my blood run cold.

I waited until Theo's footsteps faded before letting out a shaky breath. But before I could collect myself, another sound made me freeze – the soft click of the door closing.

Xander hadn't left.

"Nyx." My name on his lips was both prayer and curse.

I looked up, and the restraint I'd seen in his face all these weeks finally cracked. The raw emotion there stole my breath.

"We can't keep doing this," he said, his voice rough with suppressed feeling. "But I can't stay away from you."

My heart thundered in my chest as he crossed the room in three long strides. His warmth enveloped me, and then his hand was cupping my face, his thumb brushing against my cheek with impossible tenderness.

"I'm going to find a way to get you out of here."

The words hung between us, dangerous and beautiful and impossible. I couldn't breathe, couldn't think past the feeling of his skin against mine, couldn't—

The door crashed open.

Camilla stood in the doorway, her face twisted with a fury that made my blood freeze. But it wasn't her expression that terrified me most.

It was the phone in her hand, screen glowing with what could only be evidence of our forbidden moment.

And the smile that spread across her face promised nothing but destruction.