41. Take my scent

Xios's POV.

“How'd it go?”

Xios came to a stop a couple of feet inside of their office on the main floor of the castle, snapped out of his thoughts by the uttered question. His gaze went to where his brother was sitting behind the desk going through papers, already fast at work dealing with the business side. “Huh? How did what go?”

Xavier sighed in exasperation. “You were supposed to go meet Samantha, to talk to her before Netayah came down for their shopping appointment. Please don't tell me you forgot.”

“I didn't forget,” he grumbled tersely, less than pleased that his brother thought him ignorant enough to forget something so important to them. He could never forget about Netayah.

“So?”

A smirk curved his lips. “Interesting, definitely.”

He arched a brow. “Meaning?”

Stopping before the mahogany cabinet in the corner of the room, he took the time to pour himself a glass of scotch to get through the day. Xios stopped as he remembered what had transpired in the main gallery moments ago, chuckling at recalling her reaction to the scene. “I can definitely say we are both having an effect on her.”

Xavier leaned forward in his seat as he heard the statement that his brother had made to him, a hopeful expression brightening up his face. “What do you mean? How do you know that? Did she say something?”

No, there was no need for her to say anything to him. All of it had been right there written all over her face as she had entered the room, seeing the woman that had been in his presence this morning. He shook his head. “No she didn't say anything exactly. I’d been downstairs in the gallery talking to Samantha about everything we’d discussed, when Netayah had walked into the room. If I didn't know any better I'd say she was jealous?”

“Jealous?”

He barked out laughter. “Yes, she was most definitely jealous. Samantha had put her hand on my arm, I was about to say something in response to it, when I heard this growl come from behind us. It was Netayah, so naturally I didn't stop Samantha to see what her reaction would be. It definitely wasn't pleasant.”

His curiosity piqued in the face of what his brother was telling him, Xavier climbed from his seat behind the desk and walked to the other side. Leaning up against the edge of the wood surface, arms crossed over his chest, he watched him curiously. “What did she do?”

Taking a sip of the amber liquid and leaning up against the wall, the smile widened across his face. “She had come to stand next to me as I'd motioned her, but I swear she got as close to me as possible. Then when I'd introduced her to Samantha she was a little rude, wouldn't even greet her until I advised her to play nice to the woman. Then right before she left she'd moved towards me gave me the biggest hug and burrowed her face to my chest, as if wanting to show Sam who he belonged to.”

He sniffed. “She marked you.”

“What?”

Xavier nodded vigorously. “Yeah, she wasn't hugging you, brother, she was marking you with her scent. If you weren't so focused on what had happened, you would've smelt it yourself. She was leaving just enough of her scent on you so it wouldn't be noticeable to other males, but any she-wolves would catch the scent of your mate. To know you were off limits.”

Xios grinned wickedly as he too came to the realization of what the girl had done, knowing how important it was for her to make the effort, She's already bonding, but just didn't know it. Xavier too grinned at the thought of what they had uncovered this meaning, giving him a better understanding of where the girl stood. “Oh yes, she most definitely is. She's already becoming dependent on our presence, our scent, now she's marking you with her own and I guarantee before the days out she'll do the same to me. The more we're around her, the more we forge that connection, she'll crave our presence and scent all the more, until it becomes an aching need she cannot deny.”

“Thank the goddess,” he grinned.

“Yes, definitely,” his brother added.

The two of them had been working for close to an hour, when Xavier became preoccupied with the Beta and he slipped out of the office unknown. Heading straight for the private elevator he allowed it to take him to the seventh floor, he entered the alpha suit and stalked up the staircase. Only it wasn't their rooms he headed towards.

Grinning at the reminder of what he intended on doing, he stalked up the spiral staircase and towards the far doorway he entered her bedroom. His scent, he thought. Xavier had told him that the stronger the forge of the bond between them became the more intense her need for their scent would become for her. Well, he'd make damn sure of that. Releasing the hold that he had on the aura locked deep inside of him, allowing his essence to flow out of him, pouring it out into the atmosphere.

Xios took his own sweet time walking all around her bedroom chambers, running his hands along every surface to be found there, brushing hands across the walls. He touched the dresser and vanity, ran his body along the walls, then slid around on the carpet that coated the floor, until he reached her bed. Showing no regard for what he was about to do Xios climbed up into her bed, spreading himself out along her blankets, until he pressed the pillows to him. All the while fully aware of what he was doing at the moment, as he purposely stamped his scent on every inch of her bedroom chambers.

Then showing no remorse for his actions he slithered up beneath the thicket of the quilts, laying there beneath them his scent seeped into the bed. Aware that when Netayah climbed into bed the next time she would be assailed by the scent of her mate, it would throw her into a frenzy she wouldn't be able to deny. The part of her that craved them would develop an aching need that couldn't be refuted, becoming desperate to be a part of him, to breathe it all in. And it would be even that much harder for her to stay away from him, the both of them, causing a mental struggle inside of her that would eventually break her resolve.

In no time at all, the more that she was enveloped by their scent or presence, she would cave to the wishes of the mate bond and give herself to them. “You're mine,” he growled.

Chaos chuckled. “I can't wait.”

Shedding the black cotton shirt that he'd put on this morning, leaving it on her bed for her to find later, having no doubt she'd end up wearing it. Xios was grinning broadly when he walked out of her bedroom, continuing to leave his scent everywhere he went, looking forward to what awaited them. Stepping off into his own bedroom he retrieved another shirt from the closet, then made his way downstairs, before his brother wondered about his absence. Though he failed to comment on it during his conversation with Beta Jackson, Xavier noticed the change of attire, wondering what the man could be up to. He shrugged, he'll see, he thought.