CATRINA

"What do you want, brother?" I ask for the tenth time now. We are in Xan's car and he's taking me to his place, to meet our dad.

He confessed to me that he's my step-brother. That our dad had an affair a few months before he met my mom. My mother didn't accept Xan so he left and since Xan didn't have his mother with him, my dad left with Xan to look after him.

Apparently, my father is not dead how Connor claimed him to be. I don't know why he lied and why did Cayden or my mother not correct him then. I remember how unaffected my mother appeared to be when Connor said that my father is dead. I can't imagine how enraged I'll feel if someone said that Connor's dead when I know that he's very much alive.

Come to think of it, I never in my life thought that my father's unfaithful behavior would be the reason for my parents' separation.

"I don't want anything from you, malyshka. Dad wants to meet you. We came to know about your existence only a few days ago. I don't know why Christine sent you away," he whispers, trying to make his words sound less rude. But it hurts all the more to hear this and to think that he faced the same rejection from my mother.

"Okay, but can we make it quick, I have to go back home," I say after getting a hold of my emotions.

"Sure. You can decide whether you want to go back to your mom or stay with us. I'll make sure you are cared for till you find your mate," he offers and I smile at his words. He sounds very thoughtful.

I didn't believe him at first but then he told me about Christine and Cayden and about how they look and where they are living right now. He even shifted into his wolf form in my living room.

That's when I believed him that he's truly my step-brother. He's family and I can never reject my family member.

"My mate?" I ask, not quite sure if I should tell him about Connor.

"Yes, you know that you are also a werewolf, dormant but still a wolf. You do have a destined mate but maybe you don't know him, or you do?" he asks, after taking a very huge sniff, and his upper lip curls up. His eyes change a little, and his nails lengthen a bit causing me to gasp.

He quickly turns to look at me and then takes deep breaths.

"I am sorry, I need to bring my wolf forward to use my sense of smell," he says.

"That's fine but please don't use your sense of smell on me," I reply feeling quite embarrassed that he can scent me or my clothes.

"So, will you tell me about him," he asks and I frown.

"Who?"

"I sniffed the air, more specifically you, and you were with someone yesterday, weren't you?" he asks with a smirking face, sending a chill down my spine. I want to slap that smirk off his face. He looks like a guy from the wrong side of the town but I don't let my judgment show on my face.

"Yes, I was. He's my friend," I say.

"Okay." He says in a sing-song voice and I catch the playful tone in his voice which causes me to blush.

"Fine. He's my mate," I snap. I already hate this werewolf sense of smell. I don't know how he sniffed out Connor's scent from me. I took a shower and wore new clothes then how did he scent it?

I'll make a note of asking Connor about how scent things help.

"Someone stole you before you met us. That's a shame but I am happy for you," he says and leans over to squeeze my shoulder in reassurance. For some unknown reason, I don't like his touch. I shrink back from him, putting some distance even when there is the gear-console between us.

"Thank you," I whisper, not telling him about Connor. He doesn't ask about his name and for that, I feel relieved.

Connor and Cayden don't get along for some stupid reason and I don't want Connor and Xan to have problems as well.

Not wanting to talk about any of this, I turn to look at the scenery as the car speeds off out of the town. Connor's house was in the opposite direction, I think as I take a look at the trees alongside the road.

As we speed off, the trees reduce in number and the land looks barren, covered in snow and skeletons of trees. There are no houses or cottages here as I had seen in Connor's part of the territory.

"Just a few minutes and we'll reach," Xan informs me. I nod, thinking of borrowing Xan's phone to inform Connor of my whereabouts. He surely must be knowing about Xan. Mom and Cayden too. Still, no one told me.

It makes me feel like an outsider and this feeling seems so familiar than being loved. I shake my head to remove all these negative thoughts and turn to ask Xan for his phone. But at the same time, he takes a left turn and there's a house or a warehouse by the looks of it at the far end of the road. He speeds up and then turns the car into the garage.

It's dark inside the garage and Xan doesn't switch on the lights. Slowly, my eyes adjust to the little amount of moonlight that slips into the garage. Reaching out of the door handle, I get out of the car and search for Xan.

"Xan are you there?" I ask, suddenly feeling cold and afraid.

"Yes, I am here. Come on, can you cross over to the driver's side of this car?" he asks and I start following his directions.

Soon, I see him and he motions me to follow him.

The moment I step inside, I feel a sense of dread crawl up my spine. The more I walk inside the mansion, the more uneasy I feel.

"Xan?" I ask, feeling uncomfortable.

"What?" he snaps and I startle a bit. "I'm sorry. What is it?" he asks in a much softer tone now and I relax.

"Where's dad?" I ask. He shakes his head.

"Oh, he'll be back soon. I'll make sure of it," he says. His words confuse me but maybe it's my imagination. Dad must have gone somewhere, I think, and follow Xan deeper into the house.

"Xan, can I borrow your phone?" I ask. He whips his head to look at me and my steps falter as I look into bright yellow eyes.

"Why?"

"I want to call–"

"No," he cuts me off and that's when I feel the first sliver of fright run through my body. Something is definitely wrong. A person losing his patience, once is okay but twice? Something's wrong with him and I start doubting my decision now. What if he's lying?

"I..."

"Sorry. I just want to speak with you and then you can choose whom you want to be with," he says with such a pleading tone, his eyes shining with grief that I forget about his anger. I nod in reassurance and soon we enter a room that is well lit that makes me relax a bit.

"Sit. This is your home," he says and I wonder how suddenly I have three homes. Connor's, Cayden's, and now my step-brother's home as well. Am I really that lucky to have such a huge family all of a sudden?

Xan motions for me towards a worn sofa in the corner of the room. It looks more like an unused office, a much-neglected one for that matter but I don't comment. Maybe they are financially not that well. Whatever may be the case, they are my family so without thinking much I settle on to the worn sofa, waiting for him to settle in the armchair beside the sofa.

Xan settles in and then clicks on some sort of a buzzer, instructing someone to bring some water and hot chocolate. I take the time to take in my surroundings. There's only a single window in this room which is shut at the moment. There's only a single table with one chair for it, a sofa on the corner side on which I am sitting and one armchair where Xan's sitting right now. He lets me have my fill of looking around the room while I feel him study me.

By the time, I let my gaze settle on him, he's looking at me with a very intense gaze, his eyes raking from my head to toe. Did I imagine him leering at my chest?

Shaking my head to get rid of the paranoia, I open my mouth to speak.

That's the moment when the door to his office opens and a young dirty blonde haired girl enters the room carrying a tray of what I think is hot-chocolate and water. I turn my gaze back at the girl. She's wearing a dress that appears to be two sizes short on her, the hem of the dress reaching her mid-thighs and the top of the dress looking as if it's restricting her breathing. It causes her ample breasts to be highlighted and I watch Xan from the corner of my eyes as he sneers and then licks his lips when the girl bends down to offer him the first cup.

The girl visibly shudders in front of me and I want to say something, scold Xan maybe? But I don't know how he'll take it. He's actually a stranger, even if he's my family. I don't know how he would see me scolding him on our first meeting.

So, instead, I give him a very reassuring smile to the girl when she turns to hand me my cup of hot chocolate. The girl doesn't look me in the eye and this close I can see her skin tone. It's dull, lifeless even and her eyes also appear to be lifeless. The moment her tray goes empty, she holds it in one hand and the other reaches down to caress her belly.

My eyes drift down to her belly and widen at the sight of finding her pregnant. If she's pregnant then what's she doing in an unhealthy-looking environment like this? Is she Xan's mate? If she is then why is he leering at her? Is this girl not happy with him?

I think of asking him about it but then refrain, remembering that I have only met him today.

Sighing, instead of opening my mouth and asking all my questions, I take a sip of my hot chocolate, relishing the taste of its hot sweetness in this frigid weather.

"Our father is not well," Xan begins and I straighten in my seat, giving him my full attention. I notice that his eyes are the exact shade of Cayden's blue eyes. Up close, he's very similar looking to Cayden but with a darker and harder edge to his face. Xan looks like a bad guy but Cayden looks rough on the outside with a hidden teddy bear inside of him.

"What can I do?" I ask, ready to help my father recover.

"You will have to give something precious of yours so that we can bring him back here," whispers Xan, while taking slow but huge sips of his hot chocolate. He folds his right knee and rests that ankle on the opposite knee in front of him, while the hand holding the cup rests on his folded knee and the other hand is busy stroking his chin.

Oddly, Connor's face appears in front of me. When he sat like this, he looked much better as if he really owns that seat but with Xan, all I feel is revulsion. I feel as if something's wrong that I should go home, get out of here.

Maybe it's because of the darkness in this room. I always did hate darkness. A well-lit room makes me feel refreshed compared to the dullness that a dark room brings.

"Tell me, I'll help however I can," I promise and immediately feel as if I've done something wrong.

"Thank you. You don't know how much you'll help by giving your bl... belonging," he corrects himself before I can understand what he's asking for. I want to ask him but before I can ask, a scream echoes from outside the room and I get up. The scream sounded so horrible as if someone's dying.

"What is it?" I ask, not wasting any time.

My skin chills under my coat and sweater at the realization that Xan might not be the person I am thinking that he is. Quickly pushing away my suspicious thoughts, I look at Xan who's also out of his chair and looking back at me.

"It must be some maid. They are very clumsy, tripping over in the house," he says and shrugs. I don't believe him for some reason and quickly walk out of the room but find that the door is locked.

Feeling a lot more scared now, I turn to look at Xan but my demand dies down at the tip of my tongue when I see him standing so close up behind me.

A scream escapes from my throat before I can contemplate what's happening and he immediately backs off with his hands held up before him. I relax but only a bit. This entire situation is becoming creepier by the second and I have this overwhelming need to get out of here.

I want to go back, to Connor, to Cayden, just not here.

"I have to go home."

I feel my confidence rise a bit when I speak those words softly yet firmly. He bends over me and then opens the door for me to get out. Sighing in relief, I quickly walk out of the house just when another scream echoes off, this time a lot louder and longer.

I whip my head in the direction, quickly focusing on the window on the second floor of the house. It's misty because of what I think is condensation as if someone's inside.

"What is that?" I ask him, pointing upwards but he shakes his head once again.

"You should go now. My friend will drop you back home. The maid might need me," he whispers but I hear him clearly which surprises me about my own hearing ability.

"Let's go and check," I say and move back towards the house even when something tells me not to go.

"NO!" he shouts and pulls me back by the elbow.

My heart's thudding loudly in my chest now and I don't know what to do. I pull my hand back out of his grasp, not liking that he's manhandling me, I take a step back, thinking of a way to know something, do something.

What's going on?

"HELP!"

Another scream from the same direction and I lift my head just in time to see a woman screaming but this time she comes near the window giving me the first glimpse of her form and what I see scares me to the very core.

I am so scared watching that woman with what looks like blood coating her body and her dark hair plastered on her naked chest. I want to help her desperately and I think of ways to do so that I don't realize Xan walking up behind me with something in his hand.

By the time I realize it, it's too late!

~~~~~~~

Thank you for reading!!

As some of you guessed, it is XANTHOS!!

What do you'll think will happen now? The next chapter's ready but little editing is left so I'll upload it in the next few days. Let me know your views about this chapter in the comments section. 

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