Chapter 19 : Xavier's Intriguing Offer 1

Karenina

Her eyes looked back into his, which might have been his intention, she realized. The seconds passed with a heavier feeling.

"Yes, Xavier?" she spoke softly, trying to break the growing silence.

He stared at her for another second or two before continuing. She couldn't interpret his look. He looked as if he was lost in deep thought.

"We have a lot to talk about," he finally said, his voice sounding deep and full of hesitation.

Karen was tempted to roll her eyes at his obvious statement, but refrained because she was sure he would take offense and do something she didn't like. She was sure that silence was the better part of valor in this case. But then her eyes widened as Xavier came toward her, his silken white clothes flowing around him, his silver-black hair shimmering. Her mouth seemed dry. Had she upset him with her silence?

He stopped on the left side of her bed, where he was closest to the edge, and looked down at her from a height. Karen was sure her neck would hurt if she was forced to stare at him from that close for any length of time.

Xavier remained silent, allowing their silence to continue, and she felt her confusion deepen. She could feel the tremors of uncertainty surrounding her.

He looked at the girl and was at a loss as to how to conduct this meeting. He knew that he should not force the girl to be his mate, but convince her to accept him on her own. He knew that if he didn't, he would fail. Unfortunately, she was not a pure she-wolf who did the same. But he knew that she would soon leave to go back to his little stepbrother, and that was unacceptable. He needed her to stay close to him if he wanted to earn her affection. Not that he could love her. It was a useless emotion. He was sure he would grow fond of her because of their bond, but nothing more. Only the weak let emotions cloud their judgment.

He was silent for so long that Karen decided to take the initiative and speak first.

"Um, Xavier? I have to get back to my friends, so if there's anything you want to talk about..." she stopped and looked at him expectantly.

Was she going to leave him already? She had just woken up and was hurt. Probably too hurt to travel much. An idea struck him.

"I am aware of your physical condition, Karenina, and I have an offer for you." He finally decided to open the door to their conversation.

She was curious. What did Rylan's brother want from her? She nodded her head for him to continue.

"Nathan is obviously up to something with his new allies. As you told me, that she-wolf, Maya, was given powers by him to help him get his revenge. She may be after you, Karenina. I want to offer my help."

She was stunned. Xavier offered to help her? But then, after thinking about his words again, she was a little confused about what he meant. Did he mean that he wanted to protect her? From whom, Maya or Nathan?

"What kind of help do you mean?" she asked, trying to understand what he meant.

"I, Alpha Xavier Westwood, offer you my protection," he said firmly.

Karen could only stare wide-eyed. Never before had she received such an offer. Yes, he had saved her a few times, but only because he was in the area. It wasn't as if she'd gone out of her way to find him and check on him.

She looked at him speculatively. If he wanted to live with her pack and help her defeat Nathan, she was sure that Rylan would resist vehemently. She was sure that if she sided with him, Rylan would fight with her until she ended it by hitting him over the head until he grunted. He would probably try to fight Xavier with his powers as well. She had a dilemma within herself, confused by the situation. On the one hand, it would be an advantage to have the help of the strongest and notoriously cold-blooded Alpha like him, but on the other hand, Rylan was already unbearable.

Interrupting her moment of deep thought, Xavier said, "Our combined strength will be an asset, Karenina. Don't refuse my offer because of my useless stepbrother."

Of course, he knew why she hesitated. Karen knew he was right.

"Then I accept your protection, Alpha Xavier Westwood. Thank you." She said the words sincerely, then added, putting a hand to the back of her neck, "Um, Xavier? I think my neck is creaking from you being so close."

He felt elated that she had finally accepted his place in her pack. One more step closer to his goal. Maybe it was time to go further. With smooth movements, he sat down gracefully on the bed facing her. He saw how his sudden movement startled her, but she tried not to let her nervousness get the best of her.

"You are injured. You must stay here until you are healed. Traveling will be very difficult," he said firmly.

"But I have to get back to Rylan and my friends," she said anxiously, her emotions filling her chest.

"I will tell him to come here. You need to recover before Nathan attacks again."

She was surprised again. Xavier was willing to let Rylan come to his place? She was sure her best friend had never set foot in his father's house, which now belonged to his older stepbrother.

Karenina's mind returned to the situation at hand as he moved again. His body leaned toward her, causing her to instinctively step back and rest her head on the back of the bed. Their bodies only inches apart, his face so close to hers. Too close. A flush spread across Karenina's cheeks. When he spoke, she felt his warm breath against her temples.

"You are in pain, Karenina," he said almost in a whisper. "Let me help you heal."

She felt confused. What did he mean? Did he have some kind of painkiller? But her thoughts soon returned to her need to stitch up a wound that would probably be dangerous due to the black witch's poison.

"I... if you can take me back to the Moonlit Grove Pack, I can get the treatment I need," Karenina tried not to stammer out of nervousness.

"You can get treatment here," he said in a soft voice that caused a strange sensation in Karenina, who tried to ignore it.

"Um, well, I need something you can't give me," she tried to explain, without revealing her background and identity. She felt it would seem crazy for her, who was just an ordinary hybrid, to say that she could open a dimensional portal to the future and get the treatment she needed. But then he surprised her again.

"I know about your origins and your powers, as well as the dimensional portal that opened in Silverthorn Forest. You don't have to go there." He would prefer if she did not go to a place he could hardly follow because she was his Luna and he was afraid of losing his mate.

"Why do you say that?" she asked, trying to ignore the fact that he was probably going to offer a healer to roughly stitch up her wounds. She tried not to think about the pain that would result. She would have to refuse, she decided.