Chapter 59

Anila’s POV

It’s been a little over a week since Xaden brought me to see his aunt and my mind was still whirling from the information I had received. I learned a little more about my mother and the fact that disappeared after the war and met my father in the human world. I learned about the Dragon King and the Alpha King. I also learned a little more about the Moon Queen.

I already knew that the Moon Queen fought the darkness that threatened the world and to destroy the darkness, she had to sacrifice herself. She was a true queen and someone who should be worshipped. Her selfless act saved the nation. It was said that her mates followed her to death, not wanting to live without their beloved.

Thinking about my own mates, I wondered if we would ever get to a point where none of them could live without me. My stomach tightened at the thought of it, and I had to stifle a humorless laugh. There was no way my mates would ever love me that much, maybe Xaden. But not the others.

I grabbed my phone off the nightstand to see what time it was.

9:30 pm.

It was Saturday, so I had no classes. I wasn’t even sure why I was up this early, but something inside of me was telling me to stay awake. Then, I heard a knock on my door, and I bit back a groan as I slid out of bed and toward my bedroom door.

Opening it, I saw a big-eyed Penny standing in front of me with a wide grin.

“Happy birthday, Anila!!!” She squealed, wrapping her arms tightly around me.

I stood frozen, my mouth practically hanging open.

“My birthday?” I asked out loud. “What day is it?”

“The day of your birth,” she said, pulling away from me to study my face. “You forgot your own birthday?”

“Apparently,” I murmured, glancing at my phone again to look at the date.

Sure enough, it was in fact, my birthday. An overwhelming sense washed over me as I looked at Penny’s excited face.

“My first shift is in a couple of days…” I whispered, my nerves evident.

She nodded.

“Yeah. But you’ll get through it,” she assured me. “Now come on. Get dressed! We have a party to get to!”

“A party?” I gasped. “For me?”

“Of course!” She laughed. “It’s your birthday. So, we put a few things together and now people are gathering in the lounge.”

My heart swelled with gratitude for my roommate, and I smiled at her.

“Okay; give me a few.”

I quickly turned and ran back into my room, shutting my door behind me. I wasn’t sure what to wear to a party, especially when the party was for me. I’ve never been to a party before and nor have I ever thrown one. But thankfully, I had a few cute outfits from my recent shopping spree.

I grabbed a pretty blue dress that rested just above my knees and the straps went around my neck. It made my breasts look amazing and it hugged my thin figure perfectly. I showered and blew dry my hair with Penny’s hairdryer. Then, I used her curling iron to create waves that went down my back and across my shoulders. I left my hair down, liking how it looked with the dress.

After I finished in the bathroom, I walked into the living room and Penny whistled her approval when she saw me. Penny wore a white crop top and a pair of tight waist-high jeans. Her hair was also left down and slightly curled around her oval features.

“You look amazing,” she breathed, smiling fondly at me.

“So do you,” I said, admiring her appearance as well.

She wrapped an arm through mine and beamed at me.

“Ready?”

I nodded.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I told her honestly.

With a laugh, we got into the elevator and headed downward and to the party.

……

“Happy Birthday, Anila!!!” Everyone cheered as I walked into the student lounge. My mouth dropped at the number of people that were in the lounge. It had to be most of the school, and I was shocked that they all knew my name.

There were tables of food and loud music playing everywhere.

I immediately saw my friends in the front, and I ran to greet them.

“Hey,” I said to them, hugging each of them. “I can’t believe you guys did all of this. Thank you.”

“Don’t thank us,” Sage said, motioning with her head across the crowd of people who were dancing and drinking, no longer paying attention to me.

My gaze found Xaden’s and his smile lit up the entire room, making my heart swell in my chest and a warmth spread throughout my lower abdomen. Penny gave me a small nudge in his direction and the girls chuckled as they watched me approach my mate.

“You did all of this?” I asked him, peeking up at him through my lashes.

“You deserved a party,” he said, shrugging. “You only turn 19 once.”

I smiled and stood on my toes to kiss him, ignoring the cheering and cooing of my friends who were still watching us. I smiled into his kiss as he deepened it; he wrapped his arms around my body and held me close to him, swaying with the beat of the music.

“I’ve never had a party before,” I admitted.

“Your life isn’t ever going back to the way it was, Anila,” he whispered against me, making goosebumps form on my flesh. “Get used to being spoiled.”

My cheeks flushed from his words. I loved Xaden so much and being with him like this made me feel cherished and normal. I loved the feeling I had when I was with him, and I just wanted to get lost with my mate. I suddenly didn’t want to stick around the party. I wanted to go somewhere and be alone with my mate.

I felt my desires pooling between my legs as he ran his fingers up my spine and then back down to my waistline. I pressed myself further into him, wanting to bury myself within him.

His breathing grew heavy as he kissed the spot between my shoulder and my neckline and then his husky whisper sent a wave of electricity to surge throughout my entire body.

“What are you doing to me?”

I peeked up at him and saw his forest green eyes were darker and a smirk played on his lips. He was turned on by me and that made me want him even more.

“Okay, you two love birds. I’m stealing the birthday girl for a moment,” Penny said, wrapping an arm through mine and pulling me away from Xaden. I didn’t want to leave him, but Penny was very strong, and he only laughed as he watched me disappear through the crowd.

“We are taking birthday shots!” Becca announced to our small group while she gave each of us Mcgillicuddy nips.

“How did you get these?” I asked my very underaged friends.

“I know a guy,” Becca shrugged.

“Don’t you remember the last time I drank?” I asked, my brows furrowing together as I took the tiny container.

“It’s your birthday,” Sadie said, nudging me playfully. “Live a little.”

“Cheers, bitches,” Penny said, raising her shot in the air. The other girls followed suit and they all stared at me expectantly.

I sighed and raised mine in the air as well, clinking it against theirs while they cheered. I drank the sweet liquor, and I was surprised by how delicious it tasted. I glanced at the container and saw that it was butter scotch. I licked my lips, enjoying the aftertaste.

The girls cheered and Becca collected the empty containers to throw away before we got caught with them. Drinking on campus while underage was very illegal.

I wasn’t as dizzy as I was from the wine a couple of weeks ago, but I was feeling a lot looser and when everybody sang happy birthday to me, I didn’t feel as awkward. I could tell Xaden’s aunt Winnie made the birthday cake and when I asked him about it afterward, he confirmed that it was in fact his aunt’s creation.

The cake was delicious, and the party was way more fun than I expected. The only thing that truly bothered me the most was the fact that besides Xaden, none of my other mates made an appearance. I tried not to let that bother me, but I would be lying if I said it didn’t bother me.

Xaden wrapped his arms around me, kissing my neck gently.

“I want to take you to the cabin,” he whispered, much to my delight.

I beamed at him.

“I’d like that,” I told him, quickly brushing the thoughts of my other mates out of my mind.

Xaden went with me to say goodbye to my friends and then we left walking hand in hand. It didn’t take us long to get to the cabin and as soon as we were inside, Xaden was lifting me off the ground and into his arms, kissing me hungrily and passionately.

I wrapped my legs around him, loving him and basking in everything he had to offer. I hadn’t realized we had walked into his bedroom until I was lying on his bed with him on top of me. He didn’t bother with my dress zipper; I heard the fabrics ripping and I gasped.

“Hey!” I complained.

“I’ll buy you a new dress,” he said in a growl.

When I looked into his eyes, I saw a yellow tint within them, and I knew his wolf was close to the surface. I could also tell that Xaden was desperately trying to fight for control because his body was trembling, and he kept closing his eyes. It was a silent battle that felt like my own.

I didn’t want him to fight anything; not with me. I trusted him and I trusted his wolf. Hell, I rode his wolf a few weeks ago. I knew his wolf would never hurt me. I ran my fingers down the side of his face, making him shudder from my touch as he teased my nipples with his fingers.

“Let go,” I whispered to him, making him freeze. “I know you are fighting him. Don’t fight him. Let him loose. Relax, Xaden. I trust you.”

“You don’t know what he wants to do, Anila,” Xaden whispered, his eyes closing. “I need to keep him under control.”

“He won’t hurt me,” I whispered. “I trust him. I trust you…”

Xaden took a deep breath.

“Hurting you isn’t what I’m worried about.”

“It’s okay,” I whispered, smiling up at him. “I want this… I want you. Don’t hold back. Not from me. It’ll only hurt you and your wolf, and I couldn’t bear that. Please…”

He met my eyes and I saw the struggle within his gaze, but he soon relaxed and the yellow of his eyes grew brighter and I knew he was more his wolf than human. My heart swelled as I ran my fingers down his broad chest and across his torso. I pulled him closer to me, conquering his lips with mine and I loud growl escaped through his throat as he deepened the kiss, shoving his tongue into my mouth and claiming it as his own.

He explored every inch of my mouth, twirling his tongue with mine and nibbling on my lips. He ran his kisses across my cheeks and down the nape of my neck. I arched my back as he licked the sweet spot where my shoulder met my neckline, and I felt a wave of tingles coursing through my body.

“Yes,” I moaned as he continued to tease and nibble that spot. “Right there. Keep doing that.”

He paused for only a moment and then, before I knew what was happening, I felt the sting of his teeth in my flesh. I gasped at the sudden sensation and then he pressed even harder, sinking his teeth in the nape of my neck.