Alpha Xander's Undoing Chasing my Unknown Mate Back novel Chapter 22

‘Xander‘

ས ཊཱི 39%*

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Aurora Steele will be the death of me.

I could still taste her, feel her, and it was driving me insane.

My body was still thrumming with heat, my mind stuck in that damn bathroom, where she had grabbed my shirt and kissed me like she needed me to

breathe. Like she was mine.

Except she wasn’t.

I barely slept.

I paced the floor of my bedroom all night, trying to shake off the phantom feel of Aurora’s hands on me, her lips pressed against mine, the way she had fucking melted against me on that damn bathroom sink. It had taken every ounce of control I had not to take her right there.

I tried to rationalize it and convince myself it was just because she was sexy as hell. I’d known that since our damn wedding day–when she walked down

the aisle in that thin, silk dress, looking like temptation itself.

But this wasn’t just about that.

And I hated that I knew it.

My wolf, Azrien, was restless, agitated, possessive, clawing at me to go back to her, mark her, claim her.

And I had no fucking clue why.

There were things she didn’t know–thing she wouldn’t want to know. And though I had no idea what to think about Eden anymore, I couldn’t let Rory

closer. Not yet.

It had been a bitch of a realization when I noticed I loved Eden, but not in the way that mattered. She had been my best friend for years, yes. She was my girlfriend, yes. But Azrien has never approved, and I convinced myself that I was in love with her.

I wasn’t.

The guilt wasn’t easy. She was dead, for crying out loud, and I was already falling out of love–if I was even in love. I still mourned her, of course, but the guilt–the feeling like I was betraying her, made me push Aurora away.

Because she’s who I wanted. She’s who I wanted from the fucking first day I saw her,

She had stumbled into Eden’s room three years ago, looking for something. At that time, me and Eden weren’t together yet. Eden, Lillith and I were studying for the stupid entrance exam test for the academy, and Aurora almost made me fail. I told myself it was wrong. She was only fifteen, and I was almost eighteen,

Eden had flung a vase at her head, and she scurried away, but that first image of her never left my mind.

Her hair had been shorter then, but still in those wild, loose curls. Those doe–eyes were even more innocent, and her lips…

“Fuck,” I hissed under my breath. I needed to get a hold of myself

Even if I yielded and took advantage of my right as her husband, there were things that she could never know about me, and I needed it to stay that way.

Letting her in was dangerous. Letting her in was a mistake.

I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair as I made my way downstairs to the kitchen, desperate for coffee, something–anything–to clear my head. But when I stepped into the room, my entire body locked up.

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Chapter 22

Rory was already there.

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She sat at the counter, hands wrapped around a steaming mug, her hair slightly disheveled, her skin still flushed. She looked just as wrecked as I felt.

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For a second, she didn’t notice me, her gaze distant, lost in whatever thoughts were running through that pretty little head of hers. But then she looked up, her lips parting slightly in surprise before she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

“Morning,” I said, my voice lower than I intended.

She swallowed, blinking up at me, then nodded. “Morning.”

The silence stretched too long.

I moved to the coffee maker, pouring myself a cup, aware of the heavy tension in the air. I could feel her watching me, just like I was watching her.

Everything from last night still hung thick between us. The way she had moaned into my mouth, the way her fingers had clutched onto my shirt, the way she had trembled under my touch.

I gritted my teeth, taking a slow sip of my coffee, willing the images to burn the hell out of my mind.

“Hey, beautiful,” a voice said, filling the silence.

I turned sharply just in time to see Matt walk into the kitchen, his hand landing on Rory’s shoulder like he belonged there.

Something in my chest twisted, sharp and ugly.

Rory perked up immediately, smiling as she turned to look at him.

“Hey. Matt.”

My fingers tightened around my mug.

Matt said something else–something I didn’t bother registering–because I was too focused on the way her eyes brightened, the way she leaned into him

without realizing it.

Azrien bristled, pacing inside me.

‘I will kill your Beta,’ he warned with a growl that I had to suppress so it didn’t rumble from

my

chest.

Easy boy, I half–teased.

1 am not a dog‘ he shot back.

Sure,

“Want to finally explain why you want her so much?‘ I asked.

Silence, then, I do not know‘

Thought so.

I cleared my throat. “What are you doing here, Mgt?”

Matt glanced at me over Rory’s head, lifting a brow

“Bringing Rory her medicine,” he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He nodded toward the smoothie in his other hand. “She texted me last night and told me where she’d be.”

I gritted my teeth, my gaze flicking to the drink. It wasn’t just a smoothie. It was poison, wolfsbane, a fucking dose of something that should have been

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11:12 Sun, 31 Aug

Chapter 22

killing her. Yet, I couldn’t stop her from taking it, or she’d die. The irony of it all.

Matt smirked slightly. “Plus, I didn’t know I needed an invitation to come to my best friend’s house.”

I said nothing.

Because the only thing1 could focus on was his fucking hand, still resting on her shoulder.

“Do you have to be touching her?” The words left my mouth before I could stop them, my voice low, sharp, territorial.

Matt’s hand dropped immediately, and Rory burned pink.

I was pissed at myself for even letting it slip.

So, without another word, I grabbed my coffee and walked out.

My front door opened as soon as I turned the corner that led to the staircase, and I raised an eyebrow as I scented who it was.

“Is this a fucking house party?”

The words left me in a growl as I caught sight of Lilith as she came into view.

She grinned, eyes glinting with amusement and something else. “I was wondering when you’d notice me.”

I avoided her, thinking she was probably here to fight with Matt about something, as they always were, but instead she followed me to my office.

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My brows puckered at the plant that had been dead for months in the hallway, that was now very much alive, as I brushed past Lillith toward my office

door.

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“What do you want, Lilith? Do you people have nothing better to do with your Sundays?”

She followed me inside, closing the door behind her.

“You look stressed, Xander.” She sighed, her voice too smooth, too calculated.

I didn’t respond, dropping into my

chair as I ran a hand over my face.

“Maybe I can help with that?”

I felt her before I saw her. The way she moved closer, her fingertips trailing along my shoulder.

I stood up abruptly, stepping away from her touch. I wasn’t in the mood for this.

“I’m fine.” My voice was clipped.

Lilith taked, tilting her head like she was studying me.

“I came to warn you about Rory. I saw her sneaking out of the academy last night and

“She’s here,” I interrupted. “You don’t need to warn me about my wife.”

She flinched at the word, as if I’d slapped her.

“Besides, I thought you liked Rory. Why are you going out of your way to warn me about her now?”

“She’s here?” she asked as if that’s all she heard. She then shook her head as if it didn’t matter. “I do like her,” she blatantly lied. “She was like my little sister when Eden was alive. I’ve just… thought maybe we underestimated her. You know all the rumors about her killing Eden.”

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