Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Daisy

How would we even reach him?” I ask while making a right turn to park the car by the side of the road.

Returning to the hotel without a plan seems st u p i d.

I don’t know.. social media? Sera suggests.

I give a dry laugh. “Sure, I will just shoot him a friend request. Maybe tag him in an Insta post.”

Sera doesn’t reply, and I feel a flicker of annoyance at her silence. After all, she was the one who

suggested I start fighting back. I grab my phone and flip through the few contacts I have. The list is

short; my family has made sure of that since they didn’t allow me to make friends.

Do we know anyone who could get us in touch with Yato?” Sera finally asks.

I shake my head, knowing she can see my actions from inside my mind. ‘No. He might be Alpha

Xavier’s brother, but he is seen as the enemy

Then we should just write to him.”

“Okay. Let’s say we do contact him, I start, piecing together the beginnings of what could either be a

genius idea or a catastrophic disaster. What then?’

There’s silence on Sera’s end before she finally replies. ‘We tell him the truth, she says simply.

The truth. I echo, tasting the word on my tongue. ‘Do you think he would even care?”

Tthink Yato does whatever he can to p i s s off his brother, and that means helping you. But since we

can’t reach him, maybe you should just take a chance and tell Alpha Xavier what happened?”

My stomach churns at that. In the past, whenever Isabella and I fought, she always managed to spin

her web of lies so effectively that everyone took her side. And I would be left to lick my wounds in the

shadows, nursing my pride.

“You want me to go there alone and confess? You think he’ll listen?’ I ask Sera incredulously.

She hesitates. “We don’t know until we try

I sigh but start driving towards the hotel. My heart throbs as I near it, and I’m close to passing out when

I see Alpha Xavier waiting for me in the parking lot.

He approaches me when I jump out of the car. “Where is Isabella?”

Of course, he asks about his future Luna first. My blood turns hot in my veins, but 1 swallow hard,

pushing down my

resentment.

“She’s at the boutique,” I answer, trying to keep my voice steady.

His gaze narrows. “And why did you leave her there?” he demands, crossing his arms across his

imposing chest.

I gulp. He isn’t shirtless like he was this morning when he ate me out on his desk. My gaze flicks up to

his stern and impatient face.

“L…” I start but falter under the weight of his stare.

“Yes?” he drawls.

1/4

Chapter 16

“We…we had a disagreement,” I manage to say, drawing up all my courage. “She said something,

and.. we had a fight.”

“A fight?” His eyebrows shoot up in surprise before turning into a scowl. “What kind of fight, Daisy?”

Before I can answer, a dark, sleek car pulls up, and my heart drops to my stomach. Isabella steps out,

her clothes red from the wine and her face the picture of anger.

“You!” She points a trembling finger at me, her face flushing an angry red to match her stained dress.

“You have some nerve showing up here after what you did!”

Alpha Xavier raises his hand. “Hold on. Isabella,” he says in an attempt to calm her down.

“No!” She explodes, flinging her hands in the air. “You weren’t there! You didn’t see how she humiliated

me!”

lu the back of my mind, Sera pipes up, ‘Here she goes again.”

“Daisy,” Alpha Xavier fixes his stern gaze on me again, “explain.”

My heart feels like it’s trying to beat its way out of my chest. With one last glance at Isabella, who is

now shooting daggers at me with her eyes, I take a shaky breath.

But no words come out.

I stand there like a fool, unable to speak, while Alpha Xavier clenches his jaw. There is silent anger in

his eyes, and that’s when I put two and two together.

Alpha Xavier knows what I did-that’s how Isabella and the others got back to the hotel. Isabella must

have gotten in touch. with him and had him pay for the ride.

“I’m so angry that I could kill her!” Isabella growls, but Alpha Xavier lifts his hand to stop her.

“You won’t,” he says without taking his intense eyes off of me. I shiver. Alpha Xavier is as imposing as

they come, and he isn’t done with me yet. “Did it ever occur to you that I would be the one to pay for

the dress you ruined?”

I swallow again, feeling the dry scratch at the back of my throat. Why didn’t I think that far?

“No,” I confess honestly, “it didn’t.”

Alpha Xavier’s expression hardens, but he doesn’t immediately speak. He glances from me to Isabella

and back again,

“Isabella,” he says finally, his tone measured and cool. “Leave us.”

“But-

“I said leave,” he repeats, a thread of authority woven into his voice that has her clamping her lips shut

and retreating little more than a huff. As she storms off towards the hotel, I imagine I can still feel the

heat of her anger wrapped around me like a cloak.

Now alone, Alpha Xavier turns back to me. He runs a hand through his dark hair, tugging slightly at the

roots as if exasperated.

“Do you even understand the gravity of your actions, Daisy?” he asks, his voice surprisingly calm for

someone who is clearly infuriated.

“No,” I mutter, unable to meet his gaze. “I guess I don’t.”

He’s quiet for a long moment, gaze heavy on top of my head, “Do you not realize how dangerous your

actions were?”

“Dangerous?” I repeat, frowning and finally meeting his gaze again. “How was it dangerous?”

His eyes darken at my question. “You put yourself at risk,” he says sternly. “You openly defied and

embarrassed your future Luna in public. That’s a challenge.

My heart thuds in my chest as the gravity of what he’s saying sinks in. “I didn’t mean-

“It doesn’t matter what you meant to do. His voice is hard, silencing me instantly. “Your actions have

consequences, Daisy.

A cold dread washes over me then. “What is the consequence?” I ask in a whisper, bracing myself for

his answer.

“Challenging the Luna would lead to a death sentence or a duel-one you wouldn’t win.”

“But-

He holds up his hand to silence me. “But Isabella isn’t my Luna yet. We aren’t married, so you will get

away. This time. Just don’t do anything like this again.”

His words cut deep, and I raise my head. “Do you really intend to marry her even though she isn’t your

fated mate?”

“Yes.

I stare at him for a long moment before clenching my fists and storming towards the hotel. “I’ve heard

enough!”

Alpha Xavier snorts behind me. “Why do you act so surprised? You knew this would be the outcome.”

“That’s the problem,” I retort without turning around. “I always know the outcome, yet here I am, trying

to change things.”

“You’re a fool if you think you can,” his voice is cold and aloof. I feel his gaze on my back searing

through me, but I continue walking, biting my lower lip to prevent any more words from coming out.

With a storm raging in my heart, I enter the hotel lobby, ignoring the curious glances of the guests and

the staff who recognize me.

But Alpha Xavier doesn’t leave me alone. I feel him grabbing my hand and pulling me into a secluded

corner, his grip firm but not painful.

“Let me go!” 1 hiss, attempting to wrench my hand free, but his grip only tightens. His eyes are dark,

almost black, with a storm of emotions-anger, frustration-and something else I can’t quite identify.

“Not until you understand,” he growls, his deep voice echoing in the confined space. “Your ignorance

could get you

“Why do you care?!” I snap back at him, causing him to punch the wall above my head in pure

frustration.

He is glaring down at me now, towering over me yet it’s not fear that I feel.

It’s arousal.

“What happened to being a good girl?”

I glare right back at him. “I never promised I would be good.”

killed.”

Alpha Xavier growls, and his fingers wind up in my hair as his face inches closer to mine. I can feel his

breath on my skin and see the desire in his eyes, yet he doesn’t act upon it.

He just stands there, and I snort. “Coward.”

“Coward?” he repeats in a cruel vojce, and I hold my breath when he runs his rough thumb across my

lower lip.

D a m n him for making me hot and bothered by just a simple touch. My panties are dampening, and

somewhere in those depths of his, I can see his willpower crumbling.

He wants this.

He wants me

My lips part, and I take the tip of his finger inside of my mouth, shamelessly sucking on it while keeping

my eyes on his emerald ones. Alpha Xavier lets out another growl, but right when I think something

more will happen, he pulls away his finger like my mouth is poison.

“Next time you pull off will be sorry.” Alpha Xavier’s voice is low and angry as he steps away from

my breathless for something like this, you

“Is that a promise?” I dare to tease.

But Alpha Xavier doesn’t laugh; I knew he wouldn’t. The man doesn’t possess even one fun bone in his

body.

“I will think of a suitable punishment for humiliating my future Luna in public”

Without another word, Alpha Xavier turns and takes off. I stand in my place and feel anger bubble up

inside of me. Why is he fighting the pull? Even without a functioning mate bond, we are like magnets-

how long will it take for him to realize that he belongs with me?