Page 32 of Twisted Mates

“For goddess’ sake, Xander. You could have warned me you were going to be standing out here with a gun.”

He guides me into the house and grips my shoulders, turning me to face him. His gaze zigzags over my body, taking in every inch of me. “I didn’t want to add more stress to a situation that had you panicking.”

I nod. “I get that. I—” My breath catches as I remember seeing the shadow of the gun through the window as I passed it on the side street.

“What?” he asks, brushing a strand of hair out of my eyes. “What is it, baby?”

The term of endearment shouldn’t send a shiver of glee down my spine at a time like this, shouldn’t distract me from the issue at hand, but that’s one of the things I do best—get distracted. But I close my eyes and refocus, bringing myself back to the moment.

“It’s just that... he had a gun too,” I say, not taking my eyes off his.

He takes my head between his hands and massages my scalp. When my eyes flutter shut, he leans in and kisses my forehead. “It’s going to be all right. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

I linger in his touch for a moment before taking a deep breath and stepping back. I lift my chin and say, “It was most likely just some freak thing. I’m sure I have nothing to worry about.”

“You’re probably right, but we aren’t taking that risk. I’ll stay with you tonight. You can work the sleeping arrangements however you want, but I’m not leaving you alone.”

My fool heart skips a beat. As if I’d want to sleep anywhere else besides right next to him. But can I really tell him that? I’m honestly at the point that I don’t care anymore. I’m just going to say it. I could’ve died today.

That sounds dramatic. Maybe it is. But I want Xander to know how I feel.

“I want to be in your bed,” I swallow and lick my lips before finishing, “with you.”

TEN

Xander

I’m still a little bit in shock as we walk up the stairs to my room. I didn’t expect her to say that. I really thought that after today, she would’ve said she wanted to put the pillow between us again, or for me to sleep on some sort of pallet on the floor for tonight. But tolick her lipsand tell me she wants to be in my bed—withme? No. I did not think she would cross that line.

When I close the door behind us, I turn to her and say, “Are you sure about this? I don’t want to take advantage of your state of mind, Alexia. You’ve been through a lot the past couple days. I can just as easily make sure you’re safe from the?—”

She reaches out and grabs my hands, stepping into my space. “I’m sure. You’re not taking advantage of me. I know what I want. Where I want to be. And it’s right here with you.”

Fuck. She makes it so difficult to keep my hands to myself. I don’t just want to hold her and comfort her with careful words. Deep inside me, the animal stirs. It wants to draw her to me, sink my teeth in, and growl every filthy thought I have about her. And I would if she wasn’t so scared and hurt right now. Notonly that, but the judgment she could face if we were to overstep. Kai could go as far as ordering her exiled from the pack. Shit, he could demand her death if he wanted to live with the pain of their permanent separation for the rest of his life. It would be his right as the one she was unfaithful to. Until he has officially rejected her, the pack leaders still look at her as being mated to my brother.

And my punishment for physically claiming another’s mate... death.

I grip the hair at the back of her head and bring her so close our brows touch. “Give me a moment to take care of my gun.”

“Okay,” she softly responds.

Stepping away from her, I take the Glock from the waistband at my back. I open my dresser drawer, remove the magazine, and store both inside the case.

She was horrified when she confronted me after hearing the gun go off. The last thing I wanted was to be another reason she was scared, but I refused to just let the asshole get away. Too bad he peeled out of range, throwing my aim off from his back tire. I wanted nothing more than to stop him, rip him out of that Jeep, and pound my fists into his face.

And I don’t even know who he is or what his purpose was. At the time, I didn’t even know he had a gun. It doesn’t matter. I wanted to beat the shit out of him because he scared Alexia. Because he made her feel threatened when she deserves to be able to go anywhere and do anything she wishes without some asshole following her around.

The fact that I want to pummel a stranger for no other reason than he freaked her out should alarm me. It doesn’t. It feels natural.

And I don’t know what to do with that right now. So instead of trying to figure it out, I turn back to her and smile. Her fingerstap the screen of her phone, her eyes darting back and forth over the reply she’s getting.

She finally looks up at me and sets her phone on the bed. “I had to tell Sam there was a change of plans. He was expecting to meet me at our parents’ house.”

“Did you tell him what happened?”

“No. This is all so much, and I know he will tell my parents, and they will worry. I can’t handle them and this all at once.”

“I get it. Do you want to borrow something of mine to change into? I know it’s not quite bedtime, but I thought maybe we could just climb in bed and ta?—”

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