Xavier followed the two of them from the shadows as he did not want Sam to alarm Stella that he was nearby. But when Sebastian's sister told her about their legend of how Paphos came to be what it was, he could not help but growl at Sam.
In their mind link, of course. It would be dreadful if Stella can hear him.
'What the fuck do you think you're doing? Explaining all about our ancestry to a foreigner?' Xavier said as Sam just went away from Stella, leaving her alone in the town square. He will be going back to her as soon as he dealt with this insufferable woman first.
'It just seems right at the moment. And do not give me that crap either. I don't think you want to protect the legend from her just because you valued our secrecy. No, you're afraid that she would not like who—or what—you are,' Sam hit the right nerve before Xavier growled at her again.
'Don't use that tone with me. I am your Beta,' he said before Sam was rolling her eyes. He can feel it.
'And I am your Ultima. I mean, who is the superior one here? Let's not forget that I am the last of two Ultimas in the pack. I think you should not use that tone with me if I am doing it correctly,' Sam said before Xavier huffed at her. Sam smirked in the mind link.
He knew who the winner between them was.
'Anyway, it was not your place to tell my mate who we are. I am the one that should break the news to her, not you as her friend,' Xavier said before Sam was smirking even more.
'I see,' she said before he frowned.
'What do you see?' he asked before she just shrugged in their mind link.
'Well, I think I am off now. I don't think I should keep you waiting from comforting your future mate then, Beta,' Sam said sarcastically before Xavier was cutting the mind link as he was moving toward the woman that was walking down the dark alley in the evening. The sun has set and Xavier knew not to leave her alone when everyone was not around.
It was always dangerous in Paphos for tourists, even for locals.
The Shadow Pack has a treaty with the humans to not let them roam around at night in the streets or they would be getting some serious problems. But not Stella. She did not know the ways of life here.
She was a tourist after all.
Xavier was wiping his mouth with his hand as he was following her at a close distance but he kept to the shadows. Stella looked in his direction once in a while for she knew she was not alone in the dark. Xavier has to smile at that notion.
Clever girl.
Stella hurried away to get to her hotel before the night was getting darker and darker. She knew the danger of a woman walking alone in the night would invite something—or someone—to do some serious damage to her. Xavier growled at the thought.
Not if they want to live for another day.
Over my dead body, he mused before his wolf was pacing back and forth inside him, burning his skin as it wanted to get closer to Stella and perhaps make her his forever.
'Mine,' it whispered before Xavier was reigning it down, not wanting to scare his mate away. Stella came to the front door of her hotel before she turned one last time in his direction which was covered by shadows before she disappeared into the hotel. Xavier straightened up when she was safe and sound now before he took off, running on all four paws to go home as well.
*****
This is life, Stella thought as she was submerging herself in the hot bath that she prepared after she got home. She sighed contently before she was washing her body of today's sweat as well as her hair. She can still feel the goosebumps from the conversation she heard with Sam about Paphos and she did not know what to say about it.
It was a myth really, or perhaps it could be true.
She tucked that thought away as she was shaking her head before being submerged under the water. She sank for a minute before she was gasping for air. She turned to look outside the window of her room as was looking at the spooky, murky forest beside it.
I wonder what was inside there, she thought before she was playing with the water, trying to get the heat as much as she can on her skin for her eyes were languishing now. She was tired and she cannot deny that the bed was enticing her right now.
Standing up, Stella rinsed herself clean before taking the bathrobe and pulling it on her body. She drained the water and went out of the bathtub before she was looking at her reflection in the mirror.
She was a bloody mess.
It has only been 3 days since her travel to Cyprus but everything was happening so fast. A date with Xavier. Befriending Sam and Diana, who was Xavier's lover. Her heart gave a pang before she sighed.
She took the toothbrush and brushed her teeth before she was washing her face as well. Once done, she went out of the room and went to the balcony that was located on the other side of the room.
Stella opened the door and walked into the small balcony as she was looking at the night sky. She smiled before she was arching her head toward the sky. The cold breeze was hitting her heated skin and she was sighing with contentment.
If only I can ask Xavier to come to the festival with me, she said before she was leaning over the balcony. Even if she was not a history nerd, she knew about the festival. It was said that the couple who went there together was like declaring their status to the world.
They were known to be lovers or married after the festival. Stella smiled, hoping that Xavier will be hers the next time around.
But of course, that was just a stupid dream.
Xavier did not want her. He already has a girlfriend. The lean one, with stunning grey orbs and brunette hair. She sighed as Stella knew she would lose to that woman with her blonde hair and blue eyes.
She was not attractive to Xavier.
Shaking her head at the thought of Xavier and the upcoming Festival, Stella went inside the room again before she was closing the door. She took off her bathrobe and slid under the coverlet. She slept naked, it was much more comfortable for her.
She turned off the light on the night table as she settled in. In a second after she put her head on the pillow, she was out cold.
*****
Stella was smiling at something as she was looking at two children that were playing at the beach shore. She was laughing at them before she felt a warm hand across her belly. She turned to look at the man who was sitting behind her.
He kissed her hair before Stella was holding his hand. It was warm and she loved the feel of the wedding band on his hand. She inhaled his scent.
Musk pine and evergreen.
It was nice to know that someone found her attractive that she was married and the two children were theirs. But as soon as she turned to look at the man, his image was blurry. The only thing that she saw was his grey, stormy orbs that were ready to consume her alive.
*****
Xavier grunted when he was looking through her mind. Stella was smiling as she was sleeping on the bed, naked, which made his cock, ever the opportunist, rise and jolt toward her. He cursed under his breath.
"Shit," Xavier said as he was trying to get away from the alluring female that was sweaty and smelled very good right now with her naked skin being caressed by the moonlight. Xavier did not go home before he was sneaking into her room. It was easy to pick up the locks of her balcony.
It was rusty anyway and nothing will stand between him and his mate.
Xavier went down to the side of the bed as he was looking at Stella. She was breathing normally before he was about to reach out again for her fast. But he controlled himself before he stood up and backed away from her.
Later, you can have her, he said before he went to the balcony and stepped outside, jumping off from the balcony onto the ground before running into the woods again as he shifted to get home.
And get away from taking his mate while she was sleeping.
Then, he felt a brush against his mind link before Xavier opened it up.
'What?' he asked before Caleb was clearing his throat. The Alpha will never contact him unless there was an emergency. Xavier stopped before he panted as he licked his snout before he sniffed the air.
Danger, his wolf stated before Caleb started to talk to him.
'It's Diana,' Caleb said before Xavier was looking around for a threat. There was none around him currently.
'What is it? What happened? Where is she?' he asked him with questions before Caleb sighed.
'She's okay but her condition... it was rather something that you should see for yourself,' he said before Xavier was cutting off the link and ran as fast as he can on his four paws toward his mother's house.