Chapter 40

Xander

It wasn’t hard to realize my dear brother was a filthy liar. He spread word that his mutt of a mate had been killed, and I almost felt jealous over the fact that someone else beat me to it, but I soon figured out just how false that claim was.

I’ve come to grow a following out here in the wilderness. Rogues look to me for assistance, and in return I gain them as my personal errand runners. That’s how I came to find out that a little royal mate was found somewhere in the middle of the woods, alone most of the time, and baring a striking resemblance to the mutt fated to Jaxson Knight.

I had to see for myself. She has certainly caused more trouble out here than I could imagine. I even saw her playing around with some commoner, letting him feel her up in the kitchen, and then watched him leave her alone and vulnerable for the rest of the night.

I could have taken her right then, but I didn’t have the resources I do now.

It’s been a few days since she and that commoner had their moment in the kitchen. I could take him down easily. I just need to get close enough to grab her and bring her back to my new headquarters, a spot I have been working on for a while now.

It’s secluded in the mountainside, transformed a valley overlooking a lake, also working as my new hub for rogues to come and stay. I’ve granted myself as Alpha, some of them pledging to me and leaving their knave lives behind to serve a royal. I have the numbers I need to take my father down. With her, I’ll get Jaxson out of the way, and I’ll have what is owed to me.

She paces the living room, her steps weary. She has lost wight, not like she had enough to lose anyways, and there’s something so dull about her appearance now. I can’t pinpoint why but the mark on her neck from my brother has started to fade out. I doubt she would have rejected him, but she will be of use to me either way.

A few of my warriors stalk up behind me, back under the cover of the midnight sky and slim moon. It still fills me with power, my breathing steady as I watch her sink down onto the couch and let her heavy eyelids flicker shut. She is close to being knocked out, which will be the moment we strike.

Her head falls back, limp with unconsciousness, and I signal my men forward.

They charge toward the house, climbing the porch, stopping only to turn and see a familiar wolf stalking around the corner, surprised at the group trying to break into the house. I’d know that scrawny commoner anywhere; I can smell him, dammit.

He shifts, his auburn wolf pouncing on my men but he is soon outnumbered. I wave for them to keep him pinned, frustrated that I have to do this myself, as always.

I kick the door down and watch her jump awake, shocked and confused. She aims to stand but I grab for her arm first, spinning her around to face me while I hold my hand to grip her jaw. I make her look up, away, giving me access to see her throat and the mark that fades there.

A laugh escapes me. “You didn’t actually reject him, did you?”

It makes my job so much easier without her having a mind link to that half-breed prince.

She struggles in my grip, clawing at my arms, and it arouses me to see her fight me again. I can’t pinpoint why, but the power I feel when she tries to toil out of my grasp is far too amusing and extremely seductive to me.

I can’t help but be enticed as I watch her squirm more.

“I’ve missed you,” I mumble, seeing her fight me with no success.

I look outside, making her face follow my line of sight, seeing her friend giving a good scrap against my new warriors. She hisses a noise in pain, in fear, and I keep my hand clawed into her jaw that way she is forced to watch as he finally gives up, laid out and bloody. It reminds me of the night I clawed into her back, and he thought he was strong enough to take on the royal warriors then; he has no chance in hell against ex-rogues.

“Luke,” she groans, tearful at the sight of my men circling him.

I have half a mind to let them kill the mutt, but something about her struggling makes the decision easier. She is lethargic and weak, not nearly as lively as before, and I realize soon that maybe she has no fight left in her. If she rejected Jaxson, which I have the grand inclination that she has, I’ll need leverage over her to keep her in line while she’s in my packhouse.

“Grab him,” I bark through the door to my guys. He lays lazily unconscious in the grass. “He comes with us.”

She struggles in my grasp. I know I’ve made the right choice now.

“Let him go,” she grumbles, trying to back out of my hand on the top of her neck. “He has nothing to do with this, Xander.”

I have half a mind to correct her, but I don’t feel like fighting her just yet.

“He comes with,” I say, snarling against her cheek. Her scent has been tainted by my brother for so long that when I smell her now, free of his pungent odor, I actually feel my wolf buzzing with excitement.

I lean against her side, watching her eyes grow in horror as she can feel my excitement now. She quivers in my hands, the feeling so pleasing that I have to keep from drooling over the many salacious thoughts that come pouring in my mind.

I threatened her with the idea before, but without my brother being able to get in her head again now that she’s rejected him, I know now I can do what I want without setting him off into a worse fit of rage.

“I’m going to keep you this time,” I say, my mind made up before I have time to consider my words. “I’ll kill Jaxson, take my father’s throne, and we both know every good king needs a slutty consort.”

She jabs her elbow into my side, just quick enough to surprise me, but I laugh at the idea of her getting away. I’m too enthralled with this now, letting my grip drop off her neck just so I can chase her outside, watching her collapse over her friend laid out on the ground, his breathes shallow and ragged.

“Luke,” she begs, shaking his shoulders back and forth.

I cross my arms to my chest, everyone watching her pathetic attempt to protect herself. I release a laugh, and everyone follows my lead, rolling in waves of humor as she cries and begs for her little common friend to wake up and save her.

Always needs saving. Not even her mate can save her now, knowing she rejected to one wolf strong enough to fight me and possibly win. She’s got no one now. I’ll make sure it stays that way, too.

“You’re an asshole!” she howls, screaming at me.

I raise a brow, surprised she is this ballsy.

At once she shudders, my wolf tingly at the sight of seeing her shift, a little white wolf ripping out of her petite frame. I can admit I’ve never seen a wolf of her color, her eyes a bright purple color, faming hot as they shoot over in my direction. I weigh my options, knowing this ordeal would end sooner if I let my new warriors handle her, but I don’t let them attack.

She’s my companion now, so I will be responsible for subduing her.

I shift, her eyes wide at my size, every part of my wolf hungry at the sight of her palpable fear.