I lay in Xander’s bed, basking in the pool of sun that shone directly over me.
The higher part of the windows contained stained glass, and as the sun streamed from the half-closed curtains, it cast a rainbow of colours on my skin.
It felt magical to see those dancing tints vanishing and reappearing from the movements of clouds in the sky.
Xander had left early, not wanting to wake me.
I groaned at the thought. I hoped that was the reason and not out of regret.
Faiths, I hoped it wasn’t out of regret….
I hid my warm, red face in the pillow beside me to stifle my groan of embarrassment.
I bit my bottom lip, thinking back to the steamy night I had shared with him and flushed a deeper crimson at the memories of his touch on my skin.
The bedroom door opened, and it startled me to see Xander walk in, his gaze finding me immediately.
I flashed him a stunned smile and bunched the covers to hide my nakedness.
He removed the vest of his black two-piece suit and sauntered to my side.
His hand slid up the length of my body and tossed aside my wavy hair that hid his mark. Xander kissed it, and it sent shivering ripples through my body.
Wow, this is new, I thought.
I had not thought to look at the mark yet. Turning my head slantwise, I noticed the two half-crescent moons of Xander’s bite sitting on my left shoulder. They almost linked to make a complete circle. When I ran my fingers across it, I was a little dumbfounded to feel it had already healed to a faded scar. Even the gashes on my arms had become pink.
I frowned, and Xander kissed my nose.
“Yeah, I forgot to mention that you’d inherit some of my abilities through the mark,” he said it like it was the most natural thing in the world. “It’s one thing that makes the mate bond special.”
“Oh?”
“You healed overnight because of my fast-healing ability.” He traced the outline of his mark with a light finger.
“Hmm, what else?” I asked while I did a long stretch over him. He had settled his back on the headboard and left one leg dangling to the side of the bed.
“You will feel some emotions through me, and I, you. The mate bond is a little mysterious.” Xander kissed the top of my head.
I would have to read up on it, then.
“What would you like to do today?” He raised a brow at me. “I could free up the rest of my day. We can do whatever you like.”
“How are you able to free yourself? I hardly ever saw you while cleaning your quarters. You were like a ghost. I had half a mind of thinking you were a workaholic,” I teased him, propping up my elbow on his lap.
Xander shifted a bit awkwardly on the bed and cleared his throat. “Well… I was sort of avoiding you,” he said sheepishly. “When Leo told me you had felt ill and refused to leave your room, I guessed it was because of me, so I tried to not be in the area too much—to make you more comfortable,” he sighed. “To be honest, it was very selfish of me to put you through all of this. You were all I ever thought about, and it drove me crazy that you were on the other side of that door, but I couldn’t be with you.”
I understood the feeling. I also felt the pull Xander had on me. The feeling lessened since he marked me, but the feeling was different now. The want and need for him still lingered, but now that there was a connection through his mark, it wasn’t as intense as before. It felt like I always had a hand on him, reassuring me he was there.
I lifted myself from the bed and moved closer to Xander, and pressed my lips to his softly before moving off and wrapping his bedsheets around my body.
“Is that a yes to spending the day with me?” Xander asked, placing both feet on the side of the bed and following me with his beautiful gray eyes.
I was surprised I didn’t see his Lycan surface yet.
“Sure,” I smiled at him. “But I’ll have to borrow some clothes.” I had moved toward his closet and dresser.
“Unless you want me to keep wearing the maid’s dress?” I frowned as I became a little confused. “Do I still need to work for you?”
He laughed wholeheartedly at the awkwardness I was exuding. Weirdly, a calming effect dissolved the panicking feeling creeping up inside my stomach, and I felt Xander’s mark tingle.
“I have some clothes you can wear that are too small for me, but I’ll order some dresses for you. And don’t worry, you no longer have to work for me. In fact, you’re fired,” Xander grinned and jumped off the bed.
He moved over to his dresser and looked through some clothes.
“I’m working on something so that we can be together officially in the eyes of society. We’ll need to sit down so you can give me all your personal information. I’ll need to make papers for you that say―”
I didn’t hear the end of his sentence. A buzzing noise rushed into my ears, blocking any sound. I shivered, and cold sweat appeared on my neck, making my hair stick to my nape and bare back.
I would have to give him my personal information, and he’d probably ask out of politeness to have information about my family—to know me better.
I wasn’t ready to do this. I thought I was, but I wasn’t prepared to reveal myself to Xander.
Tears burned in the back of my throat. I wasn’t ready to lose him just yet!
Strong arms wrapped around me, surrounding me warmly and protectingly.
“Whatever you’re thinking, stop it,” Xander pulled away some of my hair and trailed kisses from my shoulder to my jaw. “I know you’re feeling guilt and fear about something, and I want you to know that if you’re not ready to open up to me about certain things from your past, that’s completely fine. You can just give me whatever information you are comfortable sharing.”
I sensed another blast of calmness trickling through me from the mark, and I understood Xander was doing this. He was trying to calm me through our connection. And he knew every stupid feeling I had because he could sense them too.
Oh, how I hated that mate bond thing.
He let go of me, rummaged through his things, and returned with a black pair of pants and a soft green cotton shirt.
He pulled the shirt beside my face and nodded, “Yup, this will go very well with your red hair and hazel eyes.”
My heartbeat picked up at the mention of my hair. I reined in all the emotions that were about to surface. I didn’t want Xander to feel them.
I took the clothes from his hands and dropped the bedsheet to my feet. I could feel him ogling me while I walked over to the door leading to my room to get some undergarments. Maybe that would distract him from the marching drum playing in my chest.
Once I came back into his room, I dressed.
I rather liked Xander’s clothes on me. It reminded me of my lessons with Otis when I dressed in men’s clothes. I had to roll up the bottom cuffs of the pants and put a belt to secure everything in place, and the shirt was too big for me, but I didn’t mind. Xander was right; it did bring out my eyes and hair.
I turned on myself to show him, and he smiled lightly. However, his thoughts looked like they were somewhere else.
He came up behind me once more and circled his arms near my chest.
“Why did you colour your hair?” He cautiously asked, nuzzling his face in the crook of my neck.
So, he picked that up. Drat.
I groaned and placed my hands on his forearms affectionately. “Because my previous employers would hit me for having red hair. I hid it under anything that could conceal it entirely or coloured it to avoid getting punished again.”
I heard him growl, then his grip on me tightened, almost possessively. We stayed like this for a few minutes; after that, he let me go so I could finish getting ready.
I pulled my hair up in a knot and picked up the shawl I had brought over from my room to cover my shoulders.
I had concluded that since Xander was a Lycan, he was naturally warmer than humans. That explained why the fireplace in his chamber was immaculate, like it had never been used. He didn’t need fires to stay cozy during winter, but I did, so the shawl would have to do since it was nippy.
“Just so you know, Ida, brunettes are not my type.” Xander flashed me a quick smile and winked.
Well, that made me feel somewhat better.
I still didn’t know what we would do today. I was famished, which I thought was normal if I had been bedridden for two days.
We could have dinner together.
Although I got something delicious last night, watching Xander grab the vest of his two-piece and slip it on, hiding his muscular chest and arms, only made me want to remove every piece of clothing he was wearing and have a repeat of the night before.
I blushed, thinking how crazy it would be if he played hooky to stay in bed with me all day.
“If you keep thinking about dirty stuff, I can’t promise you I won't lock you up with me and have my ways with you all day long,” I heard Xander snicker on his way to the door.
I turned my head toward him, and I saw him wiggle his eyebrows. How did he even know?
As if to reply to my silent question, he simply tapped his finger on his shoulder to mirror where his mark was on my body, then flared his nose to show me he could smell it, and I reddened even more.
“I’m beginning to regret this bond thing,” I replied wryly.
“Hey,” Xander placed his big hand on his chest dramatically, as if my words had pierced him. He then recomposed himself and pressed a guiding hand on the small of my back. “It works both ways, love. You just need to pick it up.”
And with that, we were out of the room and discussed our plans for the rest of our day.
With Xander knowing I was a magic wielder, he had encouraged me to practice magic again. He assured me it would be safe in his quarters, and I believed him, but I was still wary of Leo. The boy had always known this world—this hatred against Unnaturals. I didn’t know what he would do if he saw me performing a spell. Still, I engagingly accepted Xander’s encouragement and trained regularly by doing spells. I always did so when I knew I was alone. I was a little rusty, so I asked Xander if he had any books on spells or casting techniques in the estate. He had looked everywhere after I made the request, but the answer to my question had been “no,” and I received an unfortunate look from Xander, who knew this was important to me. It didn’t surprise me that there weren’t any books on that subject anymore. After Osprey came to power, anything regarding magic was destroyed. Priceless knowledge simply vanished at the beginning of his reign. It broke my heart. I almost regretted my lazines
Xander POV I looked over the finances. I felt terrible leaving Ida alone in my wing while I tended to business my father had ordered. I longed to be back with her, and my Lycan was in one of his moods. I had a lot of difficulties keeping him in check ever since we had found our mate. For him, it was inconceivable that we parted from her. I kept reminding him of our duties, but he snarled at me. Besides, I was down to our last bit of business before I could call it a day and finally be able to see her. I had to get Ida’s papers from Mr. Crane, my notary. I had them drafted the morning after I had marked her, but I was missing some information before they could be signed and sealed. I had finally gotten word that they were ready. Ida had reluctantly provided some information about her family and past, simply saying that she didn’t have a last name since she was orphaned and lived most of her life as a slave in different houses. It made my job harder since I had nothing to go on. Not
Sitting in the main parlour, I looked over the papers Xander had drafted for my freedom. I traced the ink of my new name with my index finger. It was written in beautiful cursive lettering: Ida Raven. It felt bizarre to see it written on an official piece of paper. Papers that were supposed to prove my free citizenship in Airedah. I was no longer a slave to the new regime. Legally binding documents… that were a complete lie. I thought of my father and mother and silently asked what they would think of their daughter’s new identity. Would my choices to survive for the past decade disappoint them? I had buried the Cardinal name to ensure I did not perish alongside them—but would they approve? Wouldn’t the fact that I could live secretly ease their deception? The Cardinal line was not dead, not entirely—Princess Cressida still lived inside me. She wasn’t gone, simply hiding until it was safe to come out. But I feared that the new Cressida would never be a sliver of what she once was;
I had woken up early with Xander to go find Leo. Xander had given me a blanket and asked me to wait in the hallway before entering the room. Once he called me in, I lifted my hand with the oil lamp and entered the darkness. Through the flickering flame of the light, I noticed the small boy lying naked on the ground. I curiously looked around and noticed deep bloody scratches in the stone walls. There was a small table and a single chair. I guessed it was for Xander when he came over to stay with the boy through hard nights. Xander had explained that since wolves respected Alphas and he was naturally stronger than most shifters, Leo’s wolf never attacked him. He did have to restrain him with a shackle around the neck and one leg when Leo became a danger to himself, though. When I reached the boy, I placed the light on the ground and pulled the blanket over his tiny body. Xander slid a strong arm under him and lifted him. We brought Leo back to his room, where we cleaned and put him
Xander was walking fast through the familiar corridors. I understood he was taking me back to his floor. My breathing had increased as the pain in my hand became more and more intense. The adrenaline was most likely leaving my body, allowing entrance to the complete agony of my injury.I examined my bent fingers. They were disgusting to look at. Bile rose in my mouth, and I had to swallow it back down. I didn’t know how to fix this; however, I knew going to his room would not help. I needed this fixed now before the damage became irreparable.“Go to the kitchens. I know someone who fixes injured workers.”“The physician works in the kitchens?” Xander asked, surprised.“No, but the butcher does.” I retorted.He gritted his teeth at my answer, took a left to the stairs, and hurried into the kitchens.After dinner, most of the cooks left, and the kitchen maids cleaned and prepped the area for the following morning.I hoped Saul was still there. I knew he stayed a bit later most nights to
Xander POV I woke up early next to a shivering and sweating Ida. She was still sleeping, but the sheets around her were plastered to her wet skin. Ida smelled strange, so I gently touched her red cheeks. She was feverish. This was not good. My Lycan was howling inside. Saul, the butcher, had mentioned he’d send someone in the morning. I just hoped she’d get here in time before anything else happened. Ida’s bandaged hand was resting near the edge of the bed. Her three fingers stuck out, held by splinters and dressings. She’d have to keep it for at least three to four weeks, with regular bandage changes, until which time someone would re-examine and adapt the splint to how her healing was advancing. With last night’s events, I needed to get her out of here. I knew what my father was capable of, and I certainly knew the extent of what he was willing to do to get whatever information he could. He was loyal to a fault to King Osprey. He was one of the few nobles under him who had succ
The road to Xander’s country house was exhausting. He refused to stop during the nights and pressed the coachmen to change shifts so they each had time to sleep whenever they were not driving. There were two carriages, one for Xander, Leo and me and the other for the staff who accompanied us. Their carriage was bigger than ours to better accommodate comfort and the rotation between coachmen. We occasionally stopped for the head maid—Diana, to change my bandages and inspect my injured hand. It had surprised me to see her in Xander’s room tending to my wounds when I woke up the day after my fingers were broken. I didn’t think she particularly liked me when I was a maid. Diana always seemed distant, severe and meticulous with her work. She was probably stricter than the housekeeper—whom she reported. Lucia had also been by my side, reading a book beside the bed and taking turns with Diana to change the cold press they had placed on my head to lower the fever. She stayed with me until h
I was dreaming of a cardinal bird flying in the sky. Its plumage was a majestic red, and each feather gleamed in the sun. It had perched itself on top of an old tree and surveyed the forest below, almost as a protector. Lightning flashed in the atmosphere, and the old tree caught fire. The flames consumed it within seconds, burning the cardinal with it. However, the bird flapped its wings instead of falling to the ground. As the fire scorched its feathers, they grew back, more robust and brighter than before. Once the cardinal had finished its transformation, the fire disappeared almost as quickly as it started. The cardinal took to the sky, and a swarm of birds cawing and screeching blackened my vision.As I flinched in my dream, I also flinched in bed. I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling. I placed my hand over my chest to calm my fluttering heart. I had not been gifted with the “sight,” or at least Otis, my magic teacher, said so. The training he had made me do had been