Chapter 25

Anila POV

Xaden burst out laughing; like a full-body laugh and I couldn’t even look at him.

He was completely naked like the day he was born, and he was standing only inches from me. My cheeks were on fire, and I averted my eyes to the water in front of me. My heart was pounding as Xaden sat before me, placing his hands over his manhood to cover himself. I knew he was only doing that for my benefit, and I appreciated it.

“I wasn’t so sure about shifting back like this. But you were so persistent on talking,” he chuckled. “Sorry.”

I shook my head, still not looking at him.

“My own fault. I forgot when you shift back, you’re naked,” I breathed, remembering how Professor Rapport forced all 3 of them to shift back and they stood before me completely naked only yesterday.

He rubbed the back of his neck with the hand that wasn’t covering himself.

“Shifters don’t really care about nudity,” Xaden explained, shrugging. “That’s more of a human thing. You’ll get used to it. But regardless you are my mate and it’s something you’ll see more often than not.”

He said that last part with a smirk and my entire body was now on fire.

This only made him laugh more.

“I’m glad my embarrassment is amusing to you,” I murmured, but there was a little humor in my voice as I stifled a smile.

“You’re cute,” he chuckled. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

“Talk?” I asked, looking up at him confused.

“You said you wanted to talk,” he reminded me.

“Oh… uh… right,” I stammered, my cheeks flushing.

The sultry grin that spread across his face melted me like butter, and I swallowed thickly, barely remembering what I wanted to talk about. There was a pressure building between my legs, and I worked to keep my eyes from following the muscular lines down his body, dipping into his hips and—

Nope. Stop.

“I-I noticed there were scars on your wolf’s body, but none on you. What happened, and why is that?” I stuttered at first, but quickly finished the rest of the sentence on a more confident note.

There was a moment of pause where his eyes centered on mine as his playful smirk slipped. I felt a strange tug in my heart, and I knew whatever weighed on his mind was heavy. I fought the urge to reach out and touch him. To tell him whatever it was, I would never judge him.

“They’re mostly battle scars. Mostly from Zach, others are from warring packs. Some are from training though. I told you, it's rigorous,” he explained, stating the last part as if to deflect me from something personal.

He reached out and touched my face, sending a wave of shivers throughout my body, but they were the best type of shivers. They were the type that left me wanting more. I found myself leaning into the touch.

I knew he was trying to distract me from what he had said, but I didn’t take the bait.

“You fought with Zach?” I asked in a whisper.

He averted his eyes, looking over the water, and my hands slipped from my face—feeling more confident about keeping my gaze locked on his.

“We fought a lot when growing up. He and I don’t get along.” Despite the anger in his words, I could still see the sadness in his forest-green eyes as he watched the reflective water.

There were so many scars on his body. I couldn’t even imagine what he must have gone through. It hurt me knowing he didn’t get along with his brother. I wondered how many of his scars were from Zach and how many were from fighting in a war.

I found myself reaching toward him, my hand brushing along his jaw as he turned his gaze towards me.

For a moment he held my gaze; I could see the sadness as clear as the water beside us. Then it disappeared as if it had no place to even be present in the first place.

Suddenly his hands ran over the curve of my hip, his large palm spanning the entire cheeks as he lifted me up. Instinctually my legs wrap around his waist, desperate to hold myself up as his lips curled in seductive amusement.

When he shifted beneath me, I remembered just how naked he was, and the heat that rushed across my skin had me flushed in seconds. He smirked down at me, knowing exactly how I would react.

His hold on me tightens, pulling me closer.

Sparks flew across my skin as he started to move, carrying me over toward a cabin that was tucked into the tree line so effectively, that I hadn’t even noticed it was there. He carried me up the creaking steps with ease and used his foot to push it open.

He set me down as he went across the living room and turned on some lights so I could see more clearly.

The inside was rustic, with maroon and gold curtains and furniture that looked like it’d been recently cleaned. There was a fireplace, the mantle without a single speck of dust. On the mantle, there were a couple of pictures, one of which was of a woman with long dark hair and gorgeous green eyes, cradling a small baby with the same green eyes. I knew that woman was his mother, and the baby must have been Xaden.

My heart swelled from the image.

Next to that picture was a large black wolf with eyes of wisdom and an aura that shined with authority.

Could that be Xaden’s father?

Xaden watched me as I took in my surroundings; his eyes filled with wanting.

I caught sight of a pile of clothes folded neatly on top of the chair, and I shook my head.

He planned on bringing me here from the start.

“Who’s cabin is this?” I asked, turning to face him, curiosity clear on my face.

“Mine,” he answered.

I raised my brows.

“You live in a cabin?” I asked. “By yourself?”

He shrugged, casually.

“This is part of the school's property and when I found the cabin, it was run down and abandoned. I asked Principal Rapport if I could fix it up and live in it,” he explained.

“It’s so isolated.”

“I like the isolation,” he confessed. “It was easier when I first got to this school if I were to be honest.”

My brows knitted together in confusion.

“Easier?”

He nodded.

“Yeah. When I first got to this school, controlling my wolf wasn’t the easiest,” he admitted. “I was young, and my wolf was kind of wild. People around here seemed to fear me. So, when I found this cabin, I thought it would be good to live away from the dorms.”

My heart hurt for him, and I bit my lip to keep the tears from spilling out of my eyes.

“Aren’t you lonely?” I asked him in a whisper.

A playful smirk appeared on his lips as he came closer to me.

“Not anymore,” he said in a low and husky tone that caused heat to rise throughout my body.

He closed the gap between us, wrapping his arms around my waist, and held me close to him.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my growing lust and nerves.

The delicious woodsy and fruity scent he carried with him penetrated my senses, and soon it became sharp, with a hint of citrus. He buried his nose into my neck, drawing a deep breath, as if taking in my smell, too.

There was a familiar purr coming from his chest, and he lifted his hooded eyes to meet mine. My heart raced so fast I was sure he could feel it against his bare chest.

“How about we take a break, Anila?” His heady voice makes my skin prickle, and I can’t find any words to respond to him.

So, I make my lips do it instead.

My lips crashed into his, flesh melding together as the titillating sensation rested between my legs spread across every inch of my skin. My body is ignited, the smell of him driving me crazy. His bare skin beneath my touch made my spine shudder in anticipation, and he quickly picked up on the signals radiating from me.

I could feel us moving, but my attention was too focused on working his mouth against mine, my tongue dove between his lips as I drank him in with abandon. His taste, his smell, his touch, everything about him was making my instincts and emotions haywire, and I became consumed with seductive lust.

My eyes opened when my back touched a mattress in a new room, not even registering he had carried me through another door. He broke away from me, tugging at my panties beneath my skirt, as I kicked off my shoes. Once my legs were free, he dropped his lips to my thighs, causing my breath to hitch as his tongue pressed against the sensitive and hot space close to my core.

I couldn’t take it; each stroke sent a spike of pleasure up my leg and straight to my femininity, making it slick and throb in anticipation.

“So beautiful, baby,” He growled as he took me in, his eyes flashed yellow as he yanked me towards the edge of the bed and sank into a crouch as his head lowered itself between my legs. He takes a deep inhale, and that rumbling in his chest turned into a satisfied groan, “Absolutely fucking beautiful.”

I never had a chance to reply, his tongue descended on me, diving straight into my wet core. My back arched as I released a shocked gasp. His tongue flicked against the sensitive organ driving me closer to the edge.

I cried out in pure pleasure.

He released a satisfied groan as my body started to shudder against him.

My hands tangled in his hair as I felt his fingers press into me. As soon as it was there, I could feel my muscles tighten sparks flying across my skin as I gave a heady moan.

I could feel my release approaching quickly, and my hips rolled in need as his fingers pumped into me. Liquid slips from my crevice, coating his face as he buries himself deeper. His tongue and hands work in perfect harmony as I am finally thrown over that edge.

I could feel myself clenching his fingers desperately as I cried out his name, the breath leaving me as I experienced an orgasm unlike anything before. He released a satisfied sigh between my thighs, his breath ghosting my femininity, making me shiver as he rose to his feet.

My eyes drank him in, my cheeks flushed as my hair clung to my sweaty forehead. My hand rubs across his firm chest, his pectoral muscles hard as his tongue licks the traces of me from his lips. I pulled myself higher onto the bed as he crouched over me, crawling over me as we made it to the center.

For a moment, we watch one another, our eyes too busy memorizing every detail of one another’s body. His eyes moved to my chest, while mine followed the indents of his abdomen muscles. His eyes trailed the soft curves of my sides to the dip of my hips, while mine slid lower, following those tantalizing lines down to his hardness.

My thighs clenched as I felt an intense need to have it inside me and grip me at my very core. He must have noticed this, because his hand finds my chin, forcing my eyes to finally meet his—a lush forest beneath the glow of the bright, white moon.

My breath left me as he looked at me with such a strong desire it was like he was devouring me with looks alone. But he was waiting, patiently, for me to make the first move. To confirm that this was what I wanted, that I wanted to give my virginity to him, and entangle our bodies and souls in a moment of pure bliss.