A Wolf's Duty Read online

  Tugging frantically, she managed to extract her hands from his grip before hopping off the bed and backing away towards the door that led back to her room. “Damn right it’s up to me, I’m glad that you’re finally realising that I can make my own decisions, a little late seeing as you dragged me here without asking me what I wanted, but I guess late is better than never. It doesn’t mean that I’ve forgiven you though.” Her back hit the door and the air rushed out of her lungs, seeing Tobias begin to move towards her she waved him off. Reaching behind her she gripped the door handle and turned, edging into her room. “Oh and Tobias, don’t think that you can come into my room whenever you like. I want a lock.” Slamming the door, she collapsed onto the floor beside the door.

  I must be the biggest push over in the world, one conversation and I’m ready to forgive the idiot. She sighed. Be strong Alex, you’ve got to make him earn forgiveness otherwise there’ll be nothing stopping him doing it again in the future. Ignoring the fact that she could see a future with Tobias, she tried to strengthen her resolve against him.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Aargh!” The heart-rending scream that flooded his bedroom pierced through Tobias’ veil of sleep, causing him to bolt upright in his bed, his head turning frantically in an attempt to locate the source of the sound. After straining his ears for a few seconds and failing to hear the sound again, he relaxed, beginning to settle himself back to sleep.

  “Aargh! Oh God dad stop, please stop!” The screaming resumed, the loudness of her voice in her state of agitation overcoming the thick walls between their rooms.

  “Alexandria,” he breathed; rushing out of bed and throwing the dividing door open wide. His eyes were now flicked with specks of amber and his muscles were tensed in preparation for an attack. He quickly scanned the room, easily finding Alex twisting frantically in the middle of her bed.

  Lying on the large bed, Tobias quickly noted that her eyes were still closed while her face was flushed in agitation, her brow beaded with sweat. Her limbs thrashed wildly getting ensnared in the thick sheets as she struggled against an unknown enemy. Her body was trembling and a brief sniff of the air brought the scent of salt to his nose, telling him silently of the tears she had obviously shed.

  A nightmare? he thought silently watching her.

  “Fred stop it, please stop. I don’t understand, someone help me.” Her desperate plea propelled him into action and he found himself striding across the room, his long legs easily covering the distance. At the side of the bed, he reached down to pull her from the sheets, receiving a fist to the jaw for his troubles. Easily shaking off the punch, he sat down, throwing her legs sideways over his own.

  Stroking her hair lightly, he tried to wake her. “Xandria, it’s ok, you’re safe now, wake up.” She lay unresponsive in his arms, her cries escalating and causing her entire body to tremble. Her fear blossomed within him as she wrapped her bare arms around his neck, unconsciously seeking him for comfort. “Xandria wake up!” His spoken attempts to wake her apparently a failure, he gently shook her, which served only to multiply her terror.

  That just made it worse! his inner wolf snapped, clearly becoming agitated due to Alex’s fear.

  I know but I’ve got to wake her up somehow, I’ve got to let her know that it’s me and not him. The wolf retreated, allowing Tobias to focus on the task at hand. Lightly cupping her face in his hands, he inhaled deeply revelling in her scent before trying to extend his mind beyond the confines of himself. Reaching for her thoughts, he wrapped her within the warmth and strength of his.

  Tobias? Her terrified voice was a mere whisper that he had to strain to hear.

  Yes it’s me Xandria; you have to wake up now.

  I’m scared Tobias, I’m so scared.

  You don’t have to be scared anymore dearest, I’m here now. I’m looking out for you and your father isn’t here to hurt you anymore. Wake up for me. You can do it.

  Her voice failed to respond, but he felt her beginning to stir against him. Staring at her face, he watched as her eyelashes fluttered open, the simple movement appearing to place undue strain on her. “That’s it dearest, open those eyes for me,” he coaxed, urging her on into further wakefulness.

  “Tobias?” she croaked, her voice small after the prolonged yelling.

  He nodded and her tears multiplied, tightening her grip around his neck she pulled him closer and continued to cry, allowing the natural warmth of his body to warm her. Holding her close he gently rubbed her back, glad that she was relying on him to provide comfort, despite the moisture that was coating his bare flesh. The cries eventually subsided and she began to withdraw from him.

  “What happened, Xandria?”

  “I had a nightmare.”

  “I understand that dearest, but do you want to tell me why you were so scared, I’m sure that you’ve woken up half the estate. What were you dreaming about?”

  She signed, resignation setting in, this wasn’t an argument she was going to win. He wanted to know and wouldn’t cease harassing her until he knew. “It wasn’t exactly a dream, more of a memory. My father, Fred sometimes beat me senseless because of the way I look.”

  “The way you look?” he inquired confusion evident in his tone. “There’s nothing wrong with the way you look.”

  “I have my mother’s eyes and apparently that was too much of a reminder of her. It would set him off for no reason at all. One second he’d be fine, then I’d look at him and the next thing I knew I would be on the receiving end of a beating.” Seeing his mouth move as though to ask her another question, Alex quickly moved to pre-empt it. “Look Tobias, I don’t want to talk about this ok?”

  Fearing that she would cry again if he pressed her, he decided to let the subject drop.

  She smiled at his acquiescence before realising where she was. The bare skin of her thighs not covered by her oversized t-shirt was brushing against the bare skin of his legs. Looking down to where their skin met, she gasped. “Oh God you’re naked!” she wheezed, unsure of whether to be shocked or appealed by the discovery. Opting for shock she quickly scrambled out of his grip, diving for the covers and throwing them over him in attempt to hide his nudity from her gaze while struggling to keep her eyes from wondering over his deliciously naked body.

  “Yes.” He smiled unrepentant.

  “Where are your clothes?” she shrieked, closing her eyes tightly.

  “I don’t wear clothes when I sleep.”

  “Why the hell not?”

  “I find them restrictive,” he chuckled becoming increasingly amused at her modesty.

  “Don’t you feel embarrassed? I mean, you rushed in here naked.” A mental image of Tobias hurrying to her aid in his state of undress entered her mind and refused to leave causing her cheeks to warm in embarrassment while her heart sped up in what she reluctantly admitted to herself was anticipation.

  “I don’t see why I should; you’ll see it all eventually.”

  “Oh God,” she groaned, “What’s with that kind of attitude? Hang on a minute, you rushed in here?”

  “Yes.”

  “You rushed in here when I told you I wasn’t speaking to you?”

  “You seem to have been speaking to me just fine.”

  “Aargh.” She screamed into a nearby pillow. “This is why I wanted the lock. I don’t want you just wandering in here.”

  “Xandria,” he began, clearly disheartened with the turn the conversation had taken.

  “Out!” she yelled pushing at him. “Get out. I’m not talking to you.”

  “Xandria, please don’t be like this, I just want to help you. I want to take care of you.”

  “Help me? Help me how exactly, by taking away my freedom and for your information I’ve been taking care of myself just fine for years I don’t need your help.”

  “I don’t understand why you’re so upset about this; you wanted to run away from him. All I did was help you, I haven’t done anything wrong.”

  “You woul
dn’t understand. You just took me away. That’s the only home I’ve ever had and you took me from it.” You took me away from all the memories I had of my mum and I can never get those back. “Just get out Tobias, I want to be alone.”

  He opened his mouth to protest but she sobbed, “Please.”

  Grabbing the duvet and wrapping it around himself, he stood up careful not to expose himself to her. “I’m not sorry for taking you away from there Xandria, but one day you’ll be glad that I did.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Sitting on the edge of his bed, Tobias stared forlornly at the door that divided him and Alex, his gaze hardening as he took in the new lock. As requested he had had it installed, secretly hoping that she would change her mind and tell him that she didn’t want it anymore. Luck however seemed to have abandoned him recently and the lock was installed without so much of a whimper of protest from Alex and so now here he sat, his mate closer than he could ever have hoped and yet further away from him than she had ever been, even on his four year search. It had been two days since they had arrived at his family’s estate and she hadn’t once ventured out of her room and from what Maria had told him she was in just as miserable a condition as he was, but having chosen to give her some time alone, he had let her inflict this suffering on the pair of them.

  Why is she making us both suffer like this? he groaned, head falling into his waiting palms.

  She’s right there, his wolf growled, break down the door and take her.

  She’d never forgive us if we did that, he responded calmly, lifting his head once more to glare at the closed door.

  She doesn’t seem to inclined to forgive us anyway. I suggest –

  A knock on the door interrupted his train of thought and the voice of his inner wolf faded to the back of his mind.

  Snarling, he turned his head to face the door, unreasonably angry at whoever had decided to disturb him. “What?”

  The door opened slowly and Ryan's head craned around the frame, a smile plastered on his face despite his cousin’s clear anger. “Calm down Tobias, I come bearing gifts.” He waved a small bag at him.

  The scent of vanilla hit his sensitive nose and he felt himself instantly calming. “Come in Ryan, take a seat.” He waved an arm at the small backless sofa that was directly opposite the foot of his bed.

  Stepping purposefully into the room, Ryan sat in the offered seat and stared at his cousin for a few moments before speaking. Never one to mince his words or beat around the bush, he said exactly what he thought. “Tobias, you look like hell warmed over.” Tobias growled in response, his canines becoming increasingly prominent in his state of increased agitation. “Well, it’s true,” Ryan admonished.

  Sighing deeply, Tobias felt his teeth begin to shrink in his mouth as his anger suddenly left him. “I know.”

  “What happened?”

  “Alexandria,” he exhaled, running a hand though his hair, trying to gain some form of relief.

  “Yes, from what Sebastian told me things haven’t been going so good.”

  “Understatement of the century,” he grumbled. “Things are going terribly. She won’t even speak to me and she locked me out.” He turned to glare at the offending lock.

  “I can see that.”

  “And she’s had nightmares every night she’s been here and they’re always about him. I don’t think I’ll ever understand the way her mind works. If you heard her screams…” he groaned. “If you heard them then you’d know that she’s terrified of her father so why she’s still mad at me for taking her away from him I don’t know.”

  “A woman’s mind is a very strange thing Tobias, I don’t think that we were made to understand them.”

  “You’re not going to find me disagreeing with you on that, but I miss her.”

  “What are you talking about? She’s right there,” Ryan chuckled, pointing at the door.

  “Yeah she might physically be there, but my Xandria is gone. I miss how she used to smile at me whenever she saw me as though I’d just made her day by being there. She used to touch me too.”

  Leaning forward, Ryan leered suggestively, “Touch you…”

  “You had better not be saying what I think you’re saying,” Tobias snarled, causing Ryan to sit back in his chair.

  “Of course not Tobias, I’d never say something like that,” he replied quickly, seeing that this was a touchy subject with his cousin.

  “Good, because that’s not what I meant.”

  “Then what did you mean exactly?”

  “She used to hug me, run her hands through my hair and not even notice she was doing it, grab my hands, small things like that. She was always trying to be closer to me, though I’m not sure she realised what she was doing half of the time, but now…Nothing. She doesn’t do any of that anymore.” She used to kiss me, he thought, silently unwilling to admit that to Ryan.

  “She’ll be doing it again in no time Tobias, she can’t stay mad at you forever.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I’m banking on at the moment. Anyway enough talk about me, did you get them?”

  “Of course I did, you know you can always rely on me.” He waved the small blue bag he carried in front of Tobias, who instantly snatched it from his grasp.

  “You got everything?”

  “Yeah I got everything, I left her clothes behind though, they were a bit worn out and I figured you’d get her new ones.” Tobias nodded, remembering the state of her clothing when she had lived with her father and agreeing with Ryan’s decision. “There wasn’t much at her house and the plant is probably dying.”

  Taking the red and white orchid out from the bag, Tobias cradled the fragile flower carefully in his large palms. “What did you do to it?” he growled at his cousin upon seeing the bent shoots and wilted petals. The way Xandria’s face lit up when I bought this for her…she’d never let it get like this.

  Raising his hands in a gesture of peace, Ryan pled his innocence. “Nothing Tobias, I swear it was like that when I found it. It wasn’t even in the house, it was a little ways down the road from her place but her scent was all over it so I figured I should bring it anyway. I did what I could to keep it alive but plants aren’t really my speciality.”

  “I believe you Ryan, thanks for doing this for me, I would have gone myself but…” He trailed off, his eyes wandering to Alex’s door once again.

  “I understand Tobias.”

  “No you don’t,” he sighed, “but when you get a mate then maybe, just maybe you’ll understand what I’m going through.”

  “My mate isn’t going to give me this much trouble, I’ll tell her exactly what’s what, lay down the law and my life will be stress free.”

  Tobias laughed at his cousin’s response. “When the day comes and you find your mate I doubt it will be anywhere near as simple as you want it to be.” It never is when you love someone and if you love your mate even half as much as I do Xandria, then she’ll mean more to you than your next breath and you’ll want to do whatever she wants. Lay down the law? He chuckled aloud, causing Ryan to regard him with confusion. The law will be whatever she wants it to be.

  “Did you see her father?” Tobias growled as an after thought.

  “No, there was no sign of him and I waited for the bastard to get back as well, it’s why I didn’t come sooner. You might have promised Alex not to hurt the fucker but I haven’t. If I’d seen him then I would have dealt with him on your behalf.”

  “But nothing?” Tobias asked again, hoping that his cousin had managed to do what he could not.

  “Nothing,” Ryan agreed

  Tobias sighed, disheartened that Fred still lived but excited at the prospect of killing the man himself. The small bag began to feel increasingly heavy within his hands and he eyed the locked door for a final time. “I’m going to give these to Xandria, a peace offering. Thanks again cousin.”

  “No worries Tobias.”

  Standing from the bed, Tobias strode out of his bedroom and walked the
short distance to stand in front of Alexandria’s bedroom door. His free hand automatically gripped the door handle and began to turn it before he abruptly removed it, raising his hand to knock on the solid oak door. He waited a few seconds for her to respond before turning the door handle and walking into the room. She sat by the window, her gaze vacant as she stared unseeing outside.

  “Alexandria,” he called from the doorway. Receiving no response, he strode to her side, crouching down when he reached her. His hand rose of its own volition to cup her soft cheek and a small smile graced her features as she turned into his warmth and closed her eyes as though to savour the sensation. “Xandria.” He smiled, pleased at her response to his presence.

  At the sound of his voice, however her eyes opened and she moved away from his touch. “Tobias.”

  “I want to talk to you Xandria.”

  “Well I don’t want to talk to you,” she replied stubbornly.

  “You’ve locked yourself away for days and this is going to end right now.” Standing, he reached down and easily lifted her from the chair into his arms. “We’re going outside, I have something I want to show you.” Ignoring her struggles, he walked out of the door and into the hall, her vocal protests attracting the attention of the guards and servants who littered the corridors.

  “Tobias put me down! I can walk by myself.”

  “If I put you down, will you follow me?”

  Her mind debated simply running back to the sanctuary of her room but the look on his face told her that he wouldn’t be denied in this and that one way or another she was going to do as he wanted. “Fine, I’ll go wherever you take me, just put me down.”

  Nodding, he released his tight grip on her legs and allowed her to slide down his body. “Follow me Xandria.” Walking down the long corridor, his head turned frequently to ensure that she was still following him, assured that she was he soon reached his destination. Stopping he turned and waited for her to catch up, when she stood directly in front of him a smile crept across his face. “Close your eyes, Xandria.”