Beneath a Flaming Sky - Book Three (Moon Child Series)

Chapter Eleven

Xander POV

I stood amongst the wolves as they stretched for their training and couldn’t help but search for my mate amongst them. I hadn’t seen her since last night when I’d watched her from afar as she ate with her family. And then I had watched as she had lovingly stared down at the precious baby in her arms, making me and Draco yearn for the family that we could have with her. But we couldn’t, my father wouldn’t allow it. So I’d turned from the sight and flew off to cool myself down. She did things to me with just the sight of her and I’ve never had such lack of control over myself before.

I wanted nothing more than to pin her against the wall and make her mine in every way possible, but I couldn’t. With me around she was in danger and I’d rather suffer an eternity of agony at knowing she was there but I couldn’t have her, than have to suffer through her being murdered by my father, like he had done to Nimue’s. She did not know that our father was the cause of his death, she believes that he was killed in a rogue attack, and I’d been forced to take a dragons oath by my father to never tell her how he really died. It hurt me that I had to keep such a thing from her, but a dragon oath is an unbreakable one.  

When her familiar scent had hit me Draco almost managed to gain control, but I shoved him back and continued to lean against the equipment shed with a bored expression. I watched as she walked towards a young man and felt desire shoot through me at what she was wearing and then possessiveness as the man she approached hugged her tightly, his hands touching the skin of her back. When they pulled back from the hug, they pressed their foreheads together and I nearly saw red. She was my mate. I would fry him to charcoal.

I watched as they conversed some more before she started stretching, and dear Gods was it hard not to throw her over my shoulder, drag her to my bedroom and never let her leave the bed. As she leant forwards to touch her toes her breasts nearly had me dying from lust. My sister must have finally noticed Mia’s arrival as she called for her attention and I followed her to stand before Mia. Gods she was beautiful, her physique amazing even after being trapped in a bed for four years.

Claim our mate! She wants us as much as we want her. Please! I shook my head internally at Draco’s words as I tried to keep my gaze from drifting to her plump breasts, with little success. I felt Nimue’s elbow connect with my ribs and glared at her, not knowing why she was doing such a thing. Next thing I know we’re running. After a few workouts afterwards we’re paired for sparring and dear Gods there is nothing hotter than a woman that can handle themselves. She got in quite a few good hits, but the winning blow was to the family jewels and damn did that bloody hurt. I had watched from my kneeling position as she walked away and in my moment of weakness, anger and lust took over me as I watched her hips sway away from me, her shorts hugging her delicious curves. I took off after her, ignoring my sister as I stormed to the pack house, hot on Mia’s trail and I slammed the door behind us. It probably wasn’t a smart idea to be alone with her in a room but something in me just needed this moment with her. It was getting harder and harder to not be around her.

I put on a facade of rage and wiped my face with the towel she’d thrown at me as if she knew I’d be following her.

“Low blow, mate.” I hissed as I wiped my nose of blood. Her gaze met mine with a smirk through the mirror and I felt my pants tighten slightly as my c**k hardened with desire. This woman was going to be the death of me, I couldn’t even control my body around her. 

“All’s fair in love and war.” She said, all cool and casual as she reached for her toothbrush in the mirror cabinet. Using that opportunity i stepped forward until I was behind her, almost touching our bodies together. Her eyes widened as she closed the cabinet and saw my proximity to her.

“Why are you here Xander? Go away and lick your wounds.” I felt my jaw tighten at her words; I could tell she was trying to cover the hurt she was feeling but it broke through slightly as she spoke. I felt my eyes begin to glow with anger at the whole situation and at my father and my skin prickled around my eyes letting me know my scales were showing. I had to stop myself from claiming her right there and then and with a soft huff of smoke and a growl I left. I needed to clear my head, calm down from all this anger. It wasn’t anger towards her; it was towards the situation. I took off into the air, allowing the crisp air to focus me.

It was my fathers fault I couldn’t be with her. After mothers death, to which he blamed me for, his hatred for wolves had begun. He claimed that they were the ones to kill my mother and any wolf that crossed his path, peaceful or otherwise met his wrath. This is what had happened with Nimue’s mate. She had gone off on one of her many scientific expeditions and had met a young man who was studying to become a marine biologist. Dominic was his name. He had been a great guy and had made my sister very happy. I’d warned Nimue not to tell our father, that he wouldn’t understand, but she did not listen. She brought him home to meet father. I’d been shocked when he was amicable and nice to Dominic, but it had been a ruse. Father did not wish to sour my sisters favour with him, so after they left to go see Dominic’s family at his pack, he began to make his plan.

He hired rogues to attack Dominic’s pack and bring him to our castle. When I returned from a business meeting, I could hear the most agonising screams and when I followed them, I reached them in time to witness my fathers last killing blow. I’d almost vomited as I took the sight of him in. My father had somehow managed to skin Dominic from the neck down and hung his skin beside him before deciding to perform the Viking Blood Eagle, the gruesome display of his ribs splayed open his lungs hanging on his back like wings. I’d felt a new disgust for my father in that moment and I’d pinned him to the wall ready to kill him for what he did to my sister, but he’d tricked me into a dragons oath instead and now I lived with the knowledge that my sister thought that rogues had killed her mate, but in fact it was her father. This is why I had to act the way I did towards Mia. The more she hated me, the safer she would be. The only way Mia would be safe was if I were not around. I could not live with myself If she received the same fate as Dominic. So as I flew in the clouds, my heart aching at the thought I’d never be with her, I had to constantly remind myself what would befall her if she were with me and knew that I would have to live with the sorrow of knowing love but never being able to have it.