Chapter 13 Out of control
Chapter Twelve
Out of Control
XAVIER'S POV
“She’s coming down. Try not to look like a starving wolf, Xavier.”
The memory of Kaiden’s parting quip from earlier that morning echoed in my mind, mocking me. I had sent the man away on a dozen errands just so I wouldn't have to endure his knowing smirks, but even in his absence, I could feel his ghost laughing at me.
I stood at the threshold of the dining room, my hands shoved deep into my pockets, my fingers curling into tight fists. I was the Alpha of the North. I had stared down rebel uprisings and handled blood-soaked negotiations without so much as a tremor in my pulse.
Yet, as the soft, rhythmic sound of footsteps began to descend the grand staircase, my heart hammered against my ribs with a violence that felt almost lethal.
I adjusted the cuff of my shirt, my eyes fixed on the base of the stairs.
Then, she appeared.
The air seemed to leave the room in a sudden, sharp vacuum. Avrielle rounded the landing, her hand resting lightly on the banister. She had chosen the forest green velvet—the dress I had picked out because it reminded me of the deep, hidden parts of the woods where the world is quiet and sacred.
It clung to her curves with a devastating grace, the rich fabric shimmering like moss under moonlight. Her hair was pinned back, exposing the elegant line of her throat, and her skin… God, her skin looked like cream against that dark green.
I felt Thorne, my wolf, pace restlessly behind my ribs, letting out a low, possessive rumble that I had to fight to keep from surfacing as a physical sound.
Ours, he whispered, his hunger mirroring my own. Look at her. She is finally under our roof.
She was walking in flats—sensible, quiet—and I found myself admiring the practical choice even as my mind reeled from her beauty. As she neared the bottom, she looked up, her eyes meeting mine.
I didn't turn away. I couldn't.
I stood there, rooted to the spot, accessing every inch of her. I wanted to see if the sadness was still there, if the shadows of yesterday’s tears had finally faded.
She blushed.
A deep, delicious rose color crept up her neck and stained her cheeks, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe. She looked so young, so untouched by the wreckage I knew was piled up inside her.
“Good morning, Alpha,” she muttered, her voice soft but possessing a new, steady edge.
“You're so damn beautiful,” the words ripped out of my throat before I could intercept them.
My voice sounded like gravel and smoke, thick with a longing I had spent five years burying under piles of paperwork and pack laws. The moment the words left my lips, I wanted to reach out and pull them back.
I saw her freeze, her hand tightening on the silk of her skirt, her eyes widening in shock.
“Pardon me?” she whispered, her voice a breathy exhale that made the hair on my arms stand up.
I snapped my jaw shut, the cold mask of the Alpha sliding back into place with a jarring thud. I cleared my throat, the sound harsh in the quiet room.
“I said good morning,” I muttered, my tone clipped as I forced myself to turn toward the table. I couldn't look at her for another second without reaching for her. “Take your seat. We have a lot of ground to cover before the sun reaches its peak.”
I sat at the head of the table, my movements stiff. I picked up my coffee, the porcelain cup looking ridiculously small in my hand.
I felt like a coiled spring, my senses dialed up to an unbearable frequency. I could hear the rustle of her dress as she sat, the soft hitch in her breath, the scent of jasmine and sandalwood that now seemed to define my very oxygen.
“We’re on a tight schedule,” I began, my voice returning to the professional drone I used for board meetings. I didn't look at her; I looked at the steam rising from my cup. “I have to travel to the Silver Moon pack in a bit. There’s an Alpha mating ceremony tomorrow. As the regional head, my absence would be seen as a slight, and I have no desire for a diplomatic incident this week.”
I finally dared a glance at her. She was watching me, her expression a mix of curiosity and wariness.
“You’ll be coming with me as my assistant,” I added.
“Me? To a mating ceremony?” She sounded skeptical, her brow furrowing in a way that made me want to smooth the lines with my thumb.
“Kaiden is staying behind to manage the manor and the pack,” I explained, my heart thumping a bit faster. The truth was, I could have taken any of a dozen sub-betas or scribes.
But the thought of leaving her here, even with Kaiden, made my skin crawl with an irrational possessiveness. I wanted her in my sight. I wanted her in my car. I wanted her in a different pack, standing by my side so every other Alpha could see who she belonged to, even if she didn't know it yet.
“As my assistant, your place is with me. You’ll handle the records and the formal greetings.”
She nodded, seemingly accepting the logic. She was so different today—lighter, somehow. There was a quiet strength in the way she held her shoulders.
“Before we depart,” I continued, pushing through the thick tension in the air, “I have three stops to make. I need to check the training grounds; the new recruits are getting sloppy, and I want them to know I’m watching. Then, the school development in the East Wing—the contractors are lagging, and I intend to find out if it's laziness or incompetence. Finally, a quick stop at the bursar's office to sign off on yesterday’s trade logs. It’s a light day. We’ll be back in time for a quick change before we hit the road.”
I tried to focus on the breakfast in front of me, but it was impossible.
My gaze kept drifting.
I’d take a sip of coffee and find myself staring at the way the morning light caught the gold in her hair. I’d pick up a piece of toast and find myself watching the delicate movement of her throat as she swallowed.
Every time I caught myself, I’d jerk my gaze away, staring at the wall or my watch as if my life depended on it.
I was acting like a terrified teenager, a far cry from the ruthless Alpha who had executed three traitors without blinking just last month.
Then, I heard it.
A small, melodic sound.
A giggle.
I looked up, startled. Avrielle was looking at me, her lips quirked into a genuine, beautiful smile, and she was giggling.
She had caught me. She knew I was staring. She knew the “Devil” was struggling to keep his eyes off her.
The sound was the most beautiful thing I had heard in years. It was a victory. If I had to endure the embarrassment of being caught staring just to hear her laugh like that, I would do it every single day.
“Is something funny, Avrielle?” I asked. I tried to sound stern, but I knew I failed. My voice was too soft, and the corners of my own mouth were betrayed by a warmth I couldn't suppress.
“No, Alpha,” she said, her eyes dancing with a light that made my chest ache.
She stood up, smoothing the forest green velvet over her hips—a movement that nearly sent me over the edge. “I’m just ready to work.”
I stood as well, my chair scraping against the floor. I felt the weight of the day ahead, the weight of the secret I was carrying, and the weight of the woman standing before me.
I wasn't just taking an assistant to a ceremony. I was taking my mate into the world, and for the first time in my life, I felt like the most powerful man alive—not because of my pack, but because she was finally walking beside me.
“Then let's go,” I said, my voice low and steady. “We have a world to run.”