53. Us Against The World

**MAEVE**

“So, she just took off like that?” Xander asked, mirroring the same incredulous tone that was ringing inside my head.
The moment he came into the room and found me lost in my thoughts, he wanted to know about. The side effect of being marked and mated to a shifter werewolf was that you can hardly lie and get away with it. Besides, Xander was the only one I could talk to about her.
The rest of the pack members had harbored a slight distaste for Sedona and mostly avoided her topic at all costs. It seemed like that woman had everything mysterious up her sleeves.
“Yeah,” I replied absently, chewing into my lower lip. “And she always speaks in a cryptic manner.” I have never met a more mysterious and abrupt person than Sedona in my life. But at the same time, I was greatly intrigued.
Stalking forward, Xander eased himself on the couch and relaxed. “Sedona has always been like that. She is an introvert and mostly keeps it to herself. I have been told that she prefers to keep a low profile about herself, which, I thought, was a little odd.” He shrugged. “Shifter wolves are mostly boisterous by nature. And given that she descends from an alpha, it is likely that she was supposed to be bold and upfront.”
“Descends from an alpha?” I echoed, unable to catch up with the chronology. “What does that mean?”
Xander nodded his head affirmatively. “Sedona’s father was the alpha of the pack until one day he suddenly decided to step back down. He gave up his title, responsibilities and everything and wandered off into the thick forests in their territory—he just completely disappeared. Nobody found him ever since.”
It took a slow moment to soak his words. “And nobody looked out for him?” I queried.
“The entire pack did, but they never found him. Or his body or scent,” he replied sadly. “It has been several years since then. Even Sedona’s mother, the ex-alpha’s mate, could not trace him down. The poor woman was heartbroken until the very end of her days.”
I could only imagine the depth of the sorrow and sadness she endured. Finding true love in a cruel world was one thing; losing them forever was an endless curse. “Tragic,” I mumbled.
“I know.”
In my mind, I kept wondering if Sedona displayed the very same traits as her father. Even though she had her own reasons, she, too, had abandoned her mate and ran off with the rogues.
“Don’t you worry, love,” Xander said, tugging my hand and pulling me out of my thoughts. “I will make sure this room is off-limits for anyone unless the person is invited in.”
I nodded with a small shake of my head, almost unmoved by the seal of our privacy. I had too many important things to worry about than the return of a rogue werewolf.
There was already an ancient witch, waiting to strike and an alpha wolf hell-bent on killing Xander. And if that was not enough for us, I did not know what to do with the magic in my blood or the severity of it in our lives.

***

Sleep did not come to me that night. I tossed and turned carefully and finally settled on my side to stare blankly at the open window where the moonlight was streaming generously. There was a colossal upheaval in my mind regarding the recent and most dreadful vision I had encountered, followed by Sedona’s suspicious presence.
Magic came to me as decided by my destiny, but it came with a price. With power, magic, and spell, there would be an enormous exposure to my life, and to the ones I held dear.
“I know you are awake, Maeve.” The voice rose from my side as I jerked to the side. When I gave him a questioning look, Xander smiled. “My wolf can smell your fear. Please, talk to me.”
Sighing, I turned to face him fully. “I don’t know what I am feeling right now,” I said truthfully. “I am happy and content as I have never been before, but at the same time, I am torn.”
Xander soothed a palm over my shoulder. “I know what’s plaguing your mind…”
“No, no, it’s not that,” I hushed him gently. Apparently, my sixth senses were too accurate around my mate. “I am not afraid to revive my magic. I am afraid it’s going to cost others.”
Xander propped on his elbow and placed a hand under his head. “I don’t understand…”
“Xander, I have never had a home before. Sure, I have lived in the most luxurious places, earned enough money to support myself but those places were mere bricks and concrete. Home is where the heart is.” I pressed a palm over his bare chest. “My home is here, with you and among your pack.”
“And yours too,” he corrected.
“And mine.” I nodded. “I have friends, family and a lover to call my own. And I don’t know if I am willing to risk all of them for my destined doom. The vision is the worst nightmare I ever lived,” I concerned.
“Maeve, listen to me and listen to my voice,” he said with a heavy edge urge in his tone. “It is not your fault. We got into this thing together and that’s what we will do. A wolf is nothing without his pack.”
The merit of his words settled into my mind, but I was still tangled. Nevertheless, I sighed. “I understand.”
Xander shook his head lightly and clasped my head in his hands, imprisoning my gaze. “Who am I, Maeve? Who am I to you?”
I could gauge what he was trying to convey. But my pain was not his burden to lift. “You are my mate. My destiny.”
“Good, you should never depart with this thought,” he warned heavily. “And by the time the sun appears up on the horizon, your body and soul will echo every one of these words you just told me. I am your mate. Your destiny.”
He only gave me a fraction of a second to register the words. One of his hands snaked around my waist and scooped up my body off the bed to have me straddle his hips.
Leaning forward, I ran my hands over his chest and caressed the soft hairs. I did not need permission to touch this gorgeous man, and neither did he bother to stop me. I explored the roughness of his skin, the corded strength of his muscles, and the distended veins under his skin. Leaning further, I let the soft strands of my loose hair trial over his skin as my tongue found his neck. Xander emitted a low growl and then moaned in subtle pleasure with his eyes closed.
Being with Xander taught me one fundamental rule in bed: wolves always wanted to be on top. But I knew that I have earned my place on top of him. In one exasperated jerk, I slid back and pushed down his boxers. Surprisingly, he let me undress him and take the lead.
God, he was already, achingly and painfully, hard.
It was only when he was completely nude that his lips slammed into mine, and suddenly, every memory of every happiness we lived together burned fresh in our minds. I knew he did not wish to rush me, but the kiss…it spoke of the same passion he felt, the same longing he had since the first day his wolf laid the eyes on me.
“Xander…”
“Shh. I will try and be gentle, my love,” he whispered into the dead of the night as his lips trailed along my collarbone.
I shook my head, disagreeing with every one of his words. “I don’t need you to be gentle tonight. Give me all that you can. Take me. Fuck me.”
“I don’t want to lose control when I should not have been taking you,” he almost growled in regret, his voice thick and husky with lust.
I took his stubbled jaw in my hands and stared into his eyes, glowing silver with frightening intensity. But Lord, help me, I could not tear away my eyes.
Instead of glancing away, I pulled the nightgown off my body, baring my skin for the alpha.
Xander looked at me and then at my breasts. The wolf in him was rising hard and fast. And just like, in one fluid motion, he exchanged our positions and positioned himself over my body.
The sight of us was both exciting and scandalous.
I struggled to prop up my balance on the elbows, my legs draped over his shoulders, and uneasily looked into his eyes. Clearly, he wanted to do more than sex tonight. So much more.
Xander slipped a finger into my wet channel and straight up went for the spot that he knew would make me writhe and moan in equal pleasure. A full grin of approval beamed from his face as he brought up the arousal. The blatant evidence reveals through him.
I arched my hips higher, needing…craving more of his touch as he drove into my pussy once again. This time, three fingers took the breath out of me.
“Ah!” I shrieked in forced pleasure as he teased and taunted to his heart’s content. And right before I could climb over the edge, I retrieved his hand.
“No way, kitten. You are not coming so easily tonight,” he chided, slapping the inside of my thigh that only intensified the craving. “I want your pussy to grip my cock when you come.”
I moaned and whined in response, then opened my eyes as Xander moved up. He knelt between my legs with his throbbing manhood arrowed at my entrance.
“Please, Xander…inside me…” I pleaded.
The beast smiled with dangerous ferocity. He teased some more, making my body hum with a powerful gratification.
“You beg me so beautifully, I am almost tempted to play with you some more,” came the hoarse voice.
Goddammit.
My fingernails starched his arms, groaning in frustration, and just when I was absolutely unprepared, he thrust. His cock sank deep into my body as my hips lifted to meet his.
“Oh, God!” I gasped as Xander let his eyes shut, savoring the moment with every fiber of his being. He bent down, paws either side of my face as he grunted and fucked like the glorious beast I knew him to be. Even in the dim of the night, I watched the fascinating play of his eyes, catching the faintest of the moonlight and reflecting back some of the silver.
“Never,” slam “…doubt…” slam “…us, kitten.”
“No, never,” I panted in between his thrusts.
Wanting to feel more of his weight, I tugged at him, but Xander’s force was nothing like mine. He remained above me, his hips rocking against mine with a tempo that spoke of his restraint to take me down hard and fast. Despite himself, he maintained the tenderness as much as he physically could.
His cock cleaved me in steady, deep strokes with unfathomable stamina.
“Harder, faster…”
Desperate, I ran the soles of my feet up the backs of his legs, then dug the heels not his hard, muscular ass. That did bring him a little closer, but he remained as rhythmic as a machine. Argh! He was giving me only the littlest part of what I needed, rather than in full force. Ironically, it only made me scream harder and faster.
“Feel it, baby. Feel me inside of you,” he wheezed, varying his movement and rotating his hips in a circular motion.
My body was so taut with pleasure that flutter of quick, short thrusts threw me over the edge. My head arched back, and my body locked in rigid ecstasy. The orgasm was unexpected and profound, rippling down the spine and rocking right at the womb. He watched, holding his body still as he slowly descended.
Right after I came, my muscles were loose puddle. But Xander did not stop. He began anew, leaning away just a bit to avoid the full contact with the sensitive clit as my eyes began to flutter close.
A slap landed on my hips, jerking the body awake more than my mind.
“Look at me, Maeve. Look at your mate when he is fucking you,” he ordered hoarsely, and yet unspeakable love and passion was etched in vivid emotions.
I looked at him with the eyes of a woman as well as a lover, and I saw forever.
It was then he smiled, and the expression on his face took my breath away.
I had to admit to the crazy circumstances that brought him to my life and in the bed. He was the one man—or beast—in the world who instinctively knew how to capture my heart, rule my body, read my mind, and more importantly, how to protect me from the entire world.
Every time I surrendered my mind and body to him, offered my gracious submission on a silver platter, I was absolutely certain of the pleasure. Letting go of my emotions was painful as well as shattering. And it didn’t take Xander long to realize the glassy tears pooled at the corner of my eyes.
Almost instantly, he leaned over me and kissed my lips with delicacy and sweetness.
“Closer,” I breathed.
I caught his head and brought him closer, willing him to dominate me with every inch of himself. And that must have been the undoing.
Xander finally succumbed to rapture. His long, powerful body engulfed mine and trapped me under the force of his weight. His face buried into the crook of my neck, licking the mark for his propriety. The pace picked up as the vicious slapping of skin and sudden dampness of sweat coated our flesh.
“Together,” he grunted, more urgent and passionate than ever. “Come for me!”
Xander growled as his powerful cock pounded in and out of me, fast and hard. And I met every one of his stroke for stroke. My traitorous body was enthralled by his words and his demands as an unexpected climax coiled through me.
Even though I wanted to fight back, I just could not.
Reached down, I clasped his ass in my hands and dug the nails deep, almost marking with my human strength.
“Fuck, fuck!” Xander cried out, plunging in and out wildly, and his tempo turned ragged and unsteady.
We came together, struggling and cursing as our bodies locked in perfect synchronicity. Until the last of the spasms ebbed away, Xander’s full weight collapsed over mine.
Every worrisome thought of the supernatural world or some ancient witch was gone. It was just the wolf and his mate.
Tomorrow, when we go and meet Hugo, we will see what new evil awaited us. But for now, it was just the two of us. Us against the world.
By the time the sun came up on the horizon, we were done and lying naked on top of the covers. Our bodies were naked, coated in sweat, and twined together so closely that I could not tell where mine ended, and he began.

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***What do you think will happen when Maeve gains her power through magic? How will she be able to control it?***