Chapter 41

Xaden’s POV

What the fuck is wrong with me? I shouldn’t be here, and I knew I shouldn’t be here. I should have just told Anila what was going on in my mind instead of acting so vague towards her. There was no doubt in my mind that she would know something was up. She was a smart girl, and I knew I would only push her away if I continued to act like this.

But I couldn’t help myself.

That dream I had of her was way too real for me to truly think about anything other than figuring out what it meant. All day, I had to live with the ghost of her lips on mine as I struggled to focus on class. I thought about her moans and gasps of pleasure as my brother… my fucking brother… pleased her with her tongue.

My best friend, Harley, who has been avoiding me like the fucking plague lately, concurred Anila’s breasts with his mouth and made her gasp with desires. Damien stood nearby and watched her like a fucking creep, seemingly intrigued by the pleasure she endured.

I also couldn’t get that strange shadow out of my mind as well. It was also watching, but it was faceless. I knew Anila could see it too because her eyes kept shifting in its direction. She kept throwing her h ead back, nuzzling against my erection and begging for me to kiss her. I couldn’t deny her and nor did I want to. She tasted so sweet, and I loved capturing her moans in my mouth.

I should have been pissed off that she was being pleased by three others and being watched by two more. But I wasn’t pissed. My sole thought was pleasing her and loving how turned on she was. I wanted her to feel good and at that moment, I didn’t even care who was responsible for her pleasure. As long as it was one of us, I was happy.

I must be sick or something.

I saw Harley earlier in the night and the look he gave me made my stomach tighten. His cheeks turned pink like he was embarrassed about something, but before I could ask him what was up, he turned and ran. I had never seen him look like that before; Harley was one of the strongest men I knew… he was my best friend.

I knew because of some strange fate that we were mated to the same woman, but he was still my friend, and I didn’t want to lose him. He was honored to step back, and I hadn’t even had a chance to thank him for it.

But the look he gave me earlier made me think that maybe he too had a dream about Anila… like perhaps the same dream.

No. That was a ridiculous thought.

The door chime sounded as I walked into the bakery, the smell of freshly baked muffins invaded my senses and made my mouth water.

The owner of the bakery, Winnie, looked up from frosting a platter of cupcakes and when she saw me, her eyes lit up.

“Xaden,” she said, putting the icing on the counter and facing her attention to me.

She wore a pink apron with a cupcake stitched in the front and icing splattered across her. Her dark hair was pulled up into her usual pony and her aged eyes had wrinkles in their corners as she smiled in my direction.

She placed a hand on her hip and leaned against the counter as she took me in.

“It’s been a while since you’ve come to visit me,” she stated.

“Hey, Aunt Winnie,” I said walking toward her. “I’m sorry I haven’t come to visit you recently.”

Her smile softened and when she studied my face, I saw a little worry in her eyes. Winnie was my mother’s sister, and she was also a very powerful witch. Whenever I had questions about witchcraft, I would usually visit her. I hadn’t gone to her in a long while though.

“Is everything okay?” She asked, cocking her head to the side as she continued to study me.

I sighed, unsure of how to answer that very loaded question. Was everything okay? I didn’t think so. I found my mate and it turns out she has more than one mate. I had a sex dream about her which contained the others and I’m not sure how I feel about it.

But was that something I should share with my aunt?

I had always been able to talk to Winnie about everything, so I wasn’t sure why this felt different.

When I didn’t say anything, a crease formed between Winnie’s brows.

“Want to step into the back room so we can talk?” She asked, trying her best to read my expression.

I managed to nod.

“Lock the door and come with me,” she said, motioning with her head toward the front door.

Taking a deep breath, I spun around, turning the lock and latching it. Once the door was locked, I walked toward the back room where Winnie had disappeared.

The back room was where she kept all her baking supplies and ingredients. There was a kitchen area in the far corner where she kept an extra refrigerator and freezer storage, along with an extra stove just in case the main stove in the front broke. There was also a dishwashing station and shelves of baking equipment.

There was also another door that led into her small office, which I knew from the past contained her desk and a computer.

But she didn’t go to her office, instead, she stopped at a large table in the middle of the open room which consisted of a few baking and cooking books, along with a few chairs that were set up.

She sat in one of the chairs and motioned for me to sit in the other.

I pulled out the chair and slid into it, keeping my hands on my lap and my eyes averted to the table, despite feeling her very curious eyes on the side of my face.

“Is there a reason you came to see me, Xaden?” She finally asked after I hadn’t said anything.

I hated how quiet I was; I was not the quiet type. I was going to be the Alpha in one of the largest packs in the world; I was strong and filled with a fiery essence that no other could match. I’ve fought in the war; I’m an Alpha werewolf that contains witch's magic.

Winnie was my father’s younger sister and despite not having a werewolf herself because it missed her generation, she was still part of the pack.

“Is it your brother?” Winnie asked, surprising me. “Are you two fighting again?”

I snorted at her words and shrugged a shoulder.

“When aren’t we fighting,” I murmured.

Her brows raised.

“It’s not as bad as your last fight I hope,” she said, scanning my face like she was searching for damage.

The memory of our last fight came into memory when Zach used a silver dagger against me. Because silver is fatal to werewolves, the cuts he made on my wolf’s skin never healed and now my wolf suffers with scars.

All because he was pissed when my father announced to the pack that I was going to be the next Alpha and not him.

I shook my head.

“No, it’s nothing like that,” I told her.

“Then what is it, Xaden?” She asked, her tone compassionate and I could hear the worry hiding in her voice.

I took a deep breath and decided to just blurt it out.

“I met my mate.”

She gasped and covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes large.

“Oh, my goddess!” She breathed. “Are you serious? Xaden, that’s amazing! Does your father know??”

I shook my head.

“No, he doesn’t. Not yet,” I admitted.

“You need to tell him if she’s going to be the luna of the pack,” she warned. “You are planning on marking her and making her your Luna right?”

My eyes shifted downward; it would be ideal. I want Anila to be my luna, I want her to be my everything. The problem was, she wasn’t mine alone.

When I didn’t say anything, Winnie frowned.

“There’s something wrong.” It wasn’t a question, but I found myself nodding anyway, feeling defeated.

“Tell me, what is it?”

“She has two other mates,” I admitted; her eyes grew large as she leaned back in her seat. Now, it was her turn to be silent. “My best friend, Harley, and… Zach,” I muttered.

“Harley? The bear shifter?”

I nodded.

“Yes. He’s going to be the Alpha of his bear pack,” I explained. “She’s mated to all of us.”

“You all felt the mate bond with her? Does she feel the mate bond with all of you as well?”

“Yes,” I answered. “She chose me based on the fact that she met me first and she doesn’t know the others. But I’m worried that it could change…”

Aunt Winnie nodded thoughtfully as she allowed that information to be processed.

“That’s not all though, Aunt Winnie,” I continued. “She hasn’t gotten her wolf yet, but she has powerful magic. She was able to use two spells at once the other day. She’s never used magic before in her life and she learned a few different spells within 24 hours.”

Her eyes grew wide.

“What is this girl’s name?”

“Anila Montgomery,” I answered.

“Montgomery… that doesn’t sound familiar,” Winnie said, furrowing her brows together. “I typically know the name of most witches in the region.”

“She’s not from this region. She grew up in the human world,” I explained. “Her mother’s name was Carmilla Opun.”

“Opun?” Winnie asked, her mouth hanging open. “She’s the daughter of Camilla Opun?”

I nodded.

“You knew her?”

She nodded, biting her lower lip.

“I did,” she admitted. “She disappeared long ago. I had no idea she mothered a child. I thought of her as a friend, but she was so secretive. Then one day, she just… disappeared.”

“That was probably when she went to the human world.”

Winnie nodded, thoughtfully.

“Are you sure she’s only mated to three of you?” Winnie asked, studying me. “There isn’t anymore?”

I wasn’t sure why she was asking such a strange question, but to be honest, since my dream… I wasn’t so sure.

“Why do you ask?”

“You know the tale of the Moon Queen, right?” Winnie asked.

I nodded.

“The Moon Goddess created the queen to bring peace around the nation and end all war,” I summarized.

Winnie nodded.

“And since the Moon Queen’s death, war had begun again. Shifters all over had been living in fear that the dragons would attack,” Winnie explained.

“Yes, I know that already.”

Winnie was quiet for a moment as she got lost in her own thoughts, but then she lifted her gaze to meet mine.

“I was thinking… what if the Moon Goddess had done it again,” Winnie finally said after a long pause. “What if she created another queen?”

“Are you saying that Anila could be the next Moon Queen?” I asked, and as the words left my lips, unease settled in the pit of my stomach.