Chapter Four

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Holding my wolf at bay seems next to impossible at the moment. Every inch of my body is fuming. I stomp my way over to the pack house, flinging the door open. People look my way and I give them a forced smile. I walk down a hallway, following his scent. I see Johnson and growl, "where the hell is he?"

He points to the door to his right, a look of amusement on his face. "You better wipe that smile off your face and continue your walk down the hallway," I snap at him. He gulps and walks away quickly.

I open the door that Johnson pointed to. It must be his bedroom. His scent is extremely strong in here. His bed is empty and so is the rest of the room. I groan and turn to walk back out when the bathroom door opens. Xander walks out in a pair of joggers, hanging dangerously low on his hips. His hair is wet and a few water droplets fall off and hit his chest. I shake myself from staring and remember why I'm here.

"You," I fume, "you put me on lockdown! Who the hell do you think you are! I told you it's best for me to leave and you decide to make it to where I can't!" I'm screaming now.

"You're mine Annie, I'm not just letting you go," he responds in a duh tone.

"So instead you're just going to hold me hostage?" I ask in disbelief.

"If that's what it takes," he responds, folding his muscular arms across his broad chest. "Also, while you're already pissed with me, you're stuff is being moved into my house. You're my mate and I want you with me. Your room will be right across the hall from mine."

My blood boils with each word. First, he forces me to stay here, when everyone is in danger. Now he's making me move into his home with him.

"Fine. I won't fight you in moving in here. But I will not make it easy for you to live with me," I warn him. With that, I turn on my heel and stalk out of the room. I'm fuming and my wolf keeps putting dirty images in my mind of what Xander looks like without the sweatpants on.

I walk back to the Meadow twins' home, passing someone carrying my bag over to the pack house. I glare at the boy and he gives me a shy smile. I take a deep breath and return the smile. He's just following orders given by his alpha.

Kenzie sits on the porch and when she spots me, stands and meets me in the front yard. "What are you going to do?" she worries.

"Not here," I refer to standing in the open. I take her hand and pull her into her house. She shuts the door and I let out a loud groan.

"I have to escape. My heat will come in three weeks and I won't be able to hide who I really am then," I say more to myself than to her.

"It won't matter if you're here or a million miles away, he'll be able to sense when you're in heat and he'll find you," she says, placing her hands on her hips.

"Heat only lasts for 24 hours. As long as I'm far enough away, he won't be able to find me," I explain.

"Would you really be able to do that to him? Leave him without explanation? Let him find out what you are through the bond?" She throws the questions at me, knowing the answers.

I look down at my feet and sigh, "it's not if I'll be able to, it's that I have to."

"No, you don't! Annie please, give him a chance. He's trying to keep you here. Even though he believes you're a human, he still wants you. One of the most powerful beings is willing to love you when he believes you're weak. He can protect you, we all can," a few tears fall down her cheeks and I pull her in for a hug.

"I'm sorry Kenz, I've put you in a position I never meant to. This is what happens when I let people get close to me. They get hurt," I sympathize.

She pushes me away slightly, "no. You do not get to do that. Annie, you saved my life. Even if you never took me and Mason in, I would still idolize you. The white wolf who slayed five rogues without the blink of an eye. I'm privileged to know you like I do. I wish you would let others do the same. Especially Xander. He's going to find out."

I think about what she says. I want to let people close but I find it extremely hard, afraid they'll get hurt. I kiss her cheek and say, "I should probably go. It's getting late and I don't want him to come looking for me."

She nods and I walk out of the house. The sun has set and it's dark out. The moon is crescent tonight and the stars shine brightly.

I quickly walk to the room I was previously told was mine. Xander's door opens as mine closes. I lock the door as someone knocks on it.

"Annie, we need to talk," Xander's voice says from the other side of the wooden door.

"There's nothing to talk about," I sigh and walk to the door, placing my forehead on it. This is as close to touching him I'll allow myself.

He groans and then sighs. "Listen, I'm sorry that I'm doing this against your wishes but I'm not doing it to hurt you or make you angry. Annie, I'm thousands of years old and I've been looking for my mate since I was eighteen. Now you're here and you want to leave. I can't let you leave me without fighting for you," his voice cracks near the end and it takes everything in me not to open the door and hold him.

"Good night, Annie," he sighs and I hear his door shut.

I lift my head up and run my hands over my face. Why does the mate bond do this? Make you want to protect your mate, love them, be with them for eternity. At least why give me a mate? I'm a ticking time bomb. When I finally explode, everyone I love will get hurt.

I shake the thoughts and look around the room. It's simple but beautiful. There are white, lace drapes over the two large windows across from me. Between the windows is a pine dresser with little nik-naks on top of it. Beside the left window is a bathroom and beside the right is a closet. To my right is a queen size bed, with a white comforter and matching decorative pillows. My bag sits on top of a chest at the end of the bed. I walk over to my bag and find something to sleep in. I open my bag to see only one outfit in it.

"Crap," I groan, remembering my clothes are in Kenzie's dryer. I walk over to Xander's door and knock on it.

He opens the door and leans against the frame. He studies me, unsure of why I'm outside his door.

"My clothes are at McKenzie and Mason's house," I mumble, "I need something to sleep in."

He walks away, leaving the door open. I watch him walk to his dresser. I take notice of how the muscles in his back flex when he moves his arms and how nice his butt looks in his sweatpants. He turns around with some clothes in his hand and I continue to stare at him, unashamed. He has no shirt on, so I can see how defined his chest is. Hep has prominent collarbones and a very defined six pack, which leads into a v-line, which leads to somewhere my imagination runs wild.

When he gets close enough to me to hand me the clothes, I look up into his eyes. He has a cocky smirk plastered on his face, obviously knowing I was checking him out. He doesn't say anything though, probably afraid I'd run off. He hands me a T-shirt and a pair of gym shorts.

"Anything else I can help you with, princess?" He asks, his voice slightly groggy like he just woke up.

"Did I wake you up?" I ask, feeling bad.

He shrugs his shoulders, "I'd have to be asleep for you to wake me up."

I nod my head and turn back towards my room. When I get to my doorway, I turn back to him. He's still watching me. "Thank you," I say genuinely.

He nods his head with a small smile and I shut my door. I strip out of my clothes and pull his shirt over my head. It smells like him and I can't help but to pull the collar up to my nose and inhale his scent.

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