His Broken Mate

Chapter 23

Elaina's POV

I wake up slowly and reluctantly. My heavy eyelids peel open and gentle light hits me. I let out a little grumble; I hate waking up. Not just because I'm still tired, life is just a generally shitty experience for me, so why would I enjoy getting shoved into it every morning? I gingerly swing my legs over the side of the bed and stand up, stretching and yawning. Surprisingly, Xavier is still asleep so I use my precious alone time to take a shower and listen to music.

I massage soap into my skin while swinging my hips to the beat of a song. I wash my hair and rinse, enjoying the warm water. I focus on the sound of the water and my breathing. Showers are a luxury I didn't often get at my old pack and the water is really soothing on my sore body. I eventually snap myself out of my little meditation moment and leave the steamy bathroom to get dressed.

Since my belongings were organized by Xavier, I don't know exactly where to find my clothes. I fruitlessly rummage through the dresser before stepping into the closet. Lo and behold, my clothes are hanging on the rack. I still need underwear and bottoms... I check in a small secondary dresser underneath my tops and find what I need. I slip on a sports bra, soft black shorts, and finally give up Xavier's comfy green shirt for a black tank top with a big Nirvana sweatshirt. I dump the wet towel and dirty clothes into the hamper before just sitting on the floor of the closet. The carpet is soft under the palms of my hands and I try to focus on my breathing as I try preparing myself for the day.

Yes, I'm grateful that Xavier hasn't hurt me yet but that doesn't mean I've been enjoying my stay at his pack house. I've been terrified every second I'm with him or just in this house, and I haven't even seen Cat or Kaeden yet. Not once have I caught a glimpse of them in the halls or talked to them since leaving their old pack. I've actually been freaking myself out with thoughts of them being hurt or held in a dungeon somewhere, or dead. I continue taking deep breaths, just trying to calm my racing heart before it leads to a full on panic attack.

I stand up, attempt to compose myself, and swing open the door to lock eyes with my wide-awake mate, sitting up in bed. "Uh, hi," I say nervously. "Could I see Cat and Kaeden?" I ask carefully. His eyes still darken a bit when I say his name and look at my exposed legs.

"Fine, if you change into leggings or something. Those are too revealing." I sigh, nearly rolling my eyes before nodding in agreement. I'm still not crazy about his "rules" but I suppose I can deal with them for now but honestly it scares me how controlling he's been.

"Thanks." I go back to the dresser and pull out a pair of leggings, changing into them as Xavier showers. I pick up my phone and text them both in our group chat, setting up a room to meet in, and what time. We decide to meet in the kitchen at eight for breakfast, then spend the day with each other, exploring the pack grounds, watching movies, and a few other Xavier-friendly activities.

As it turns out, going about your day with friends is pretty difficult when your obsessively protective mate is constantly holding you and growling at your guy friend.  When we were finally reunited, I couldn't hug Kaeden and I couldn't hug Cat for more than a few seconds. Xavier seemed to get the angrier the longer he wasn't crushing me to his chest. All the activities we suggested were shot down because they involved me going out in public, and apparently he doesn't want guys to look at me. They wouldn't anyway, especially in a dark theater or crowded mall, but all arguments were silenced by a growl or him saying I'm his, etc. I just keep apologizing to Cat and Kaeden who say it's fine, but admittedly look uncomfortable with Xavier's tense presence.

"Calm him down," I hear Cat's voice in my head, almost making me jump. Right, mind linking. I forgot we're all connected by the pack bond now. I look at her kinda hesitantly. All four of us are just sitting in the living room, trying to decide what to do with our free time, but Xavier barely even wants me to spend time with someone other than him.