Page 9 of Xander
She nodded and he indicated where she could find the kitchen as he rushed upstairs and threw on a pair of baggy sweats and a tee.
When he arrived in the kitchen, Frost was glaring at the coffee maker, trying to figure out how it worked, and he brushed by her, placing a kiss on her head as he chuckled.Her hand shot out and she slugged him in the chest, before she stepped back and watched as Xander taught her how to use the machine.
As the first cup of coffee started to brew, he snagged a kiss, smiling against her mouth when she leaned into him.Not wanting to push her into anything until she was ready, he reluctantly stepped back and ended the kiss.He turned to hide his obvious reaction to her nearness by digging in the fridge and made quick work of cooking breakfast.
“How old are you?”
“Technically, I’m a hundred twenty-two, but physically, I look exactly as I did when I turned twenty-two and stopped aging.”
“Did your mate turn you?”
“No, sweetheart, you’re my mate.I was on a hunting trip with my father and older brothers, making sure that we had enough food to get through the winter, when I was separated from my family and attacked.As soon as I felt teeth pierce my shoulder, I passed out and woke up as a shifter.”
“So, you don’t remember anything about your transition?Not the heat or the pain?”
Xander couldn’t help it; he flinched at the thought of Frost in pain.“No, I have no memories of that.I remember blood, but that could have been the pain or a false memory, but I don’t remember anything until I awoke on the hard, snow-covered ground, alone.”
“What happened to your family?”
Xander swallowed as he pulled up the horrific memories of what he found after he’d become a shifter.“I found my two older brothers dead from the same shifter attack.Dad made it home but when he spotted me, he wouldn’t let me anywhere near the house, thinking that I had been the one who attacked my brothers.Instead of arguing, I let my parents be and left.”
“How did you become an assassin?”She had finished her breakfast and thanked him.She sipped her coffee, looking at him with concern.
He laughed at the memory.“I ran into Kai one day while I was wandering around the mountains.I thought he was a threat, being a vampire and all, and I attacked him without thinking it through.We fought for close to an hour, and while I suspected then and now that he could easily kill me, he pulled his punches and kept his teeth retracted.Shifter venom is deadly to vampires, and vice versa.What I learned later was that Kai was almost a century older than me and had been working as an assassin, training all day every day for decades, so of course I ran out of steam and lost the fight.I expected him to kill me, but Kai had offered me a hand, lifted me off the ground, and took me to see Ghost for a job.”
“You…mentioned that I’m your mate and you’ve been waiting for me.How do you know I’m the one for you?”Frost pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth and he groaned as lust surged through him.
“I had an inkling when I could hear your thoughts, but the moment I spotted you, every cell in my body screamed for me to protect you.To be honest, before I heard you, I thought I was destined to be alone.Kai found Liv close to four years ago, Reaper found Ara soon after, and even Seth, the kid, found his vampire mate, Aubrey, last year.She turned him in November and they married soon after.Out of everyone, I was the only one who had believed that mates were real and I desired to find you, but I lost hope until I heard your voice.”
There was a pause as she absorbed all the information that he’d thrown at her, but he had to ask.
“How do you feel about becoming a shifter and finding out that you’re my mate?”
“To be honest, the idea has settled into place with ease.I’d always felt out of place, preferring to be alone.Before I heard you, my thoughts were always so loud, rioting in my head, but they calmed the moment you spoke to me.I feel safe and comfortable with you, and I’m willing to accept the relationship, but I do have one question.”
Choked by her easy acceptance, he nodded.
“Are you attracted to me or do you want to be with me because I’m your mate?”
“No, sweetheart.Everything about you attracts me—from the sound of your voice to the way your mouth quirks on one side when you’re being sarcastic.How your eyes light up that particular shade of green when you’re happy, or hungry, or thinking.You’re beautiful on the outside as much as you radiate beauty on the inside.Even if my instincts, well, every part of my being didn’t scream for you to be mine, I would still know that I belong to you.”
Her hand cupped her throat with each word he spoke, and by the end, he reached toward her cheek and wiped a tear from her face.“Mates don’t ever cheat, lie, or hurt each other.I would never do anything to make you stop believing that I want you every moment of every day.”
Frost launched herself into his arms and proceeded to ravage his mouth, leaving his mind blank and his heart racing.He memorized every inch of her mouth and he pulled her onto his lap.Only when they needed to breathe, they broke apart and he pulled her close.
“If I’m a shifter now, why haven’t I shifted?”
“I don’t know.I have a feeling that you’re unique and will shift in your own time.But if you’re worried about it, we could talk to Liv and have her investigate.”
She nodded.“I would like to find out, and I need to apologize to Jade and Kane.I still have no idea what came over me when I saw her.”
“Well, you aren’t the only one who’s had that reaction to Jade.Ara had a panic attack when she thought that Jade and Reaper had a relationship.Liv had tried to walk away and ignore her jealousy, until we told her that shifters and vampires can’t mate.Aubrey pulled Seth behind her when Jade had tried to hug him.She even released her fangs and snarled at her.You were injured and your instincts told you that I was important to you; that’s why you reacted the way you did.Jade won’t fault you for that.”
Frost nodded and melted back against Xander.He couldn’t get enough of her and he couldn’t wipe the smile off his face.His mate was in his lap and had accepted him.And he would do everything in his power to keep her happy.
