Chapter 15 - The Heat of the Alpha

Xavier’s POV



I stumbled out of the smoke-filled room and tried to regain my breath. I tore off the tie from around my collar and stuffed it in my pocket. The laughter and chatter from the banquet hall lured me like a fish to the bait.



Just as I approached the door to the banquet hall, I stopped. The mate bond allowed me to feel her presence inside. The heightened senses from being in heat allowed me to smell the vanilla-scented perfume she wore.



She’s there…



For a brief moment, I lost my sense of reason and rushed inside the banquet hall. Upon seeing Eloise again, my hand gripped the door's handle so tight my knuckles turned white.



No, you fool! You cannot get any closer to her! You will not ask her for help! I shoved the banquet hall door open and raced down the hallway back to my room.



Once I reached my sanctuary, I barked for the servant to fetch me as much ice as they could. For a moment, they hesitated with the command.



"My lord, the night is particularly chilly though... " The servants looked at me extremely confused.



"I'm not asking for your opinion. Now get me my damn ice! "



The servant quickly made their way to the kitchen and was able to return with a bucket's worth of ice. They went inside the bathroom to prepare an ice bath for me to sit in. Hopefully, it would be enough to calm my anger.



And lust…



After I shoved the servant out of the bathroom, I submerged myself in the tub. Its effects were already beginning to help make the heat a little bit more bearable but it wasn't enough. I was also still very angry.



Curse Vick and that wench of a daughter!



When the title of Alpha of the Leonards was up for grabs, Vick was my main competitor. He wanted to rule over some of the most powerful werewolves across the Lowell continent.



He also didn't want to be ruled by me.



However, I outmatched Vick in wit and strength. I became the one to take the title as Alpha. Still, Vick wanted to split the power. It seemed that he would do anything to make that happen—including trying to put his own daughter in my bed.



"It looks like the Presbyterian church is in need of a fresh slate."



I continued to fidget in the tub as I felt the ice melt quickly around me.



Lyon howled and barked, and begged me to go find Eloise. "Please let me be with my mate!" Lyon begged in my mind.



He craved his–well, our–mate while in heat. And he needed to be released.



Unfortunately for him, I knew how to control myself.



So I continued to sit in the tub as I gripped the sides of it tightly. I didn't want an excuse to bow down to Eloise and to give in to temptations.



————



Eloise’s POV



The party ended on a successful note. At least to me. It was odd that Xavier never came back but I thought whatever he was dealing with had to have been important.



After a long night of partying, I knew it was time to rest up for the night. As I stepped into the bedroom, a strange cold air began to wrap around me. A shiver traveled down my spine when I heard an odd noise come from the bathroom.



When I got closer and was about to open the door, I heard the hoarse voice of someone from within.



"Leave. Now," he commanded.



"Lord Xavier? What happened? You sound awful."



There was no response.



Worried about his well-being, I barged into the bathroom to see Xavier submerged from the neck down in a tub full of ice. His face was completely flushed red and his body was stiff.



He appeared to be in so much pain and I thought that he needed to go see a medic. I rushed to the bathtub and attempted to pull him out. If he's sick, he needs medicine and quick!



Or, what if I just leave him to die here? No. No. I couldn't. There wouldn’t be that many suspects if he were to die in the bedroom that was prepared for just me and him.



Suddenly, Xavier stood up and grabbed me by my waist. He pulled me up to him effortlessly and began to kiss me deeply.



However, this kiss wasn't tender. This kiss was possessive. Erotic. It was months of pent-up frustration and lust that he seemed to have repressed for so long.



One of his hands went up to grab a handful of my soft hair. He pulled my head down to expose my neck so he could lick at it. He let out a growl as he smelled my skin.



His other free hand rubbed down the curve of my back. He then grabbed my ass before he leaned down to rub at my thighs. It was like he couldn’t get enough of my body.



Then he focused his attention on my lips once more. He pried them open with his tongue with an urge to taste me.



What’s happening? Why is he acting like this? Why is he acting like this?



"You brought this upon yourself." Xavier slung my petite frame over his broad shoulders as he took me out into the bedroom.



Before I could process what was happening, I was thrown onto the bed. I couldn't even catch my breath when Xavier grabbed my wrists to pin me down.



"You're mine tonight," he growled in my ear.



In one swift motion, Xavier ripped apart the golden dress that I wore. He grabbed my waist with his strong hands as he pulled my body against him. Pressing his face into the crane of my neck, he began licking up and down my neck and my collarbone.



Soon, he was roughly kissing and sucking at my delicate skin, leaving marks of his lust all over my chest. He rubbed his hands along the curves of my waist before roughly cupping my breast.



Oh my god, what is he doing?! I tried to push him away but he was far too heavy and strong for my attempts to have mattered. Little did I know that my resistance only fueled his lust.



Soon I could feel the length of his teeth against my skin grow longer. With each passing second, I thought his teeth would puncture my fragile skin. Black wolf ears also began to grow from his head.



He was beginning to shift into a beast. If I don’t do something about this, he’s going to turn into his wolf form! There’s no way I’d be able to take his enormous body on then…



Xavier straddled me and kept my arms pinned down on the bed. Unable to move and not knowing what else I could do, I bit down on the transforming wolf ear that waved in my face.



"Xavier! Don't do this! Wake up!"



Upon hearing the urgency in my voice, Xavier finally came to his senses. He looked down at me and released his grip. Shock plastered on his face.



I saw this as an opportunity and immediately jumped out of bed. I grabbed the bathrobe that hung on the wall and ran for the door. My heart wouldn't stop beating wildly against my chest.



Is he out of his damn mind?!



Suddenly, I felt a strong grip on my arm. Once I stopped, I felt his touch move from my arm to my hand. His fingers intertwined with mine for the first time.



It seemed like Xavier regained some of his senses as he struggled to calm his breathing. The wolf-shifting stopped and now he was human again but his body was still boiling hot. "Do not leave me… please."



Xavier pushed his forehead against my back and settled between my shoulder blades. "I need you."