"This is it," Xavion says, spreading his arms out to show the massive house hidden on an unregistered road behind the mountains. It's been a few days since the rogue appeared, and between Xavion and me, we found a middle ground as to when to leave.
"Woah," is all I manage to get out upon seeing the small thriving village, unknown to the whole world except for these very people who live in it.
"It's nice, isn't it?" Royce suddenly speaks up, making me slightly jump at his appearance.
"Sorry," he apologises upon seeing my reaction, and Xavion pulls me to his side before I can respond.
"They've already prepared an extra room for you," Xavion clutches my waist as he leads me to the biggest cabin.
I wave to the bystanders when we pass them on the dirt road.
He takes me to the second floor of the cabin and down the hall to the left.
"Here, make yourself at home," he gestures to an open door.
The room inside is quite spacious and has that typical cabin vibe. A large bed sits in the middle, directly framed by a large window.
"Oh, wow. Is this where I'm staying?" I think out loud, not expecting an answer.
"Yes, specially prepared right next to my room," Xavion answers anyway, pointing to the end of the hallway behind him.
I pop my head out for a quick look at the double doors he's pointing at before stepping back into the room and flinging my body onto the large bed.
"Nice," I nod my head in compliment of the soft bed and sigh in delight as I let my body softly sink into the bedding.
"We're having dinner with the whole pack in about an hour, so if you want, you can rest a bit," Xavion steps closer to the bed and leans against the wall.
"The whole pack?" I lift my head to look him in the eyes with confusion.
"Yeah, we're eating outside. It's like a small celebration for your arrival," he explains, never looking away from me.
"That sounds fun," I admit before placing my head back down on the bed. It genuinely sounds fun just to enjoy myself amongst other people.
I feel the bed shift, and I know Xavion sat down on the top end of the bed, and my suspicions are confirmed when his hand starts stroking my hair.
"Do you mind if I just fall asleep for a bit?" I ask with my eyes closed, ready to drift off in the next few seconds.
The long trip with his calming strokes is taking effect.
"Not at all, go ahead," he whispers and I think a smile slipped on my face the moment I lost consciousness.
"That's time!" a booming voice shouts, followed by the slam of a door. I jolt awake, eyes still closed, heart thudding from the sudden noise.
"Finian!" Xavion warns him with a loud whisper as I open my eyes slightly.
"I'm so sorry, Alpha," Finian quickly apologises, and I can make out an image of him scurrying off and disappearing.
"It's fine," I speak up when I notice Xavion's eyes shifting in colour. His eyes immediately grow soft upon seeing me and I almost blush, but I take in a deep breath as I prop myself up.
"I guess it's time, no?" I tilt my head slightly with a half-awake smile.
"Do you want to change or immediately go outside?" He asks in a softer tone.
"I want to change," I confirm with a nod, and he follows with a smile.
"I'll wait downstairs," he quickly states before rushing out of the room and closing the door behind him. I smile at the closed door and wonder when I will be able to give him the same amount of love he offers me.
I remind myself to just focus on the present.
A change of blouse and a pair of jeans later, I'm walking out of the room and skipping down the stairs. I find Xavion at the bottom of the stairs, now wearing a different shirt, and he greets me with a look that makes my heart flutter.
"If you're ready, we'll be on our way," he says, making sure I'm ready for the people outside, and I inhale and exhale before answering.
"Let's go," I look up at him with a smile, and he starts leading me by putting his hand on the small of my back.
As we step outside, the feel of a festival surrounds me and I can't help but burst into a smile. Everyone is either chatting, playing around, and making food. I step away from Xavion's touch as I notice a familiar group of people.
"Good evening," I greet Rae and Tasia with a smile.
Rae just nods with a smile while Tasia greets me with an enthusiastic hug.
Finnian joins seconds later with Jay by his side, and everyone starts greeting again. The warm atmosphere engulfs me as conversation starts flowing through the group of friends.
"I heard you work with animals?" Tasia brings up as everyone's heads turn to me, curious about my status amongst animals.
"I'm an animal physiotherapist. I rarely work in the office, but I sometimes like to go in to help the rest of my team," my head sways a bit as I explain to the bunch.
"Do you usually work with wild animals?" Finnian chips in, most likely referring to how I met Koray.
"I've only worked on bears before as poachers like sneaking around the forest despite it being under the protection of the park," I explain further as I notice some of them exhale in understanding and others scrunching their faces into disgust.
Xavion's hand finds its way again to my back, but this time he slides his hand further to hook around my waist, and I unconsciously lean into his warmth.
The conversation takes a turn as Imelda and Kai arrive after their shifts have ended patrolling the territory. They keep explaining such details about the pack, and I feel myself absorbing every word.
Xavion's warmth engulfing me is unlike anything else I've felt before, as it calms me more than a warm cup of tea ever could.
Eventually, the food is ready and everyone, especially me, enjoys the meal while huddling around the bonfire. The night drags on till late as the food never stops being plated up.
And throughout the whole evening, I can feel the growth of the bond Xavion had mentioned. It's as if I can almost refer to it as a physical thing I can feel and touch.
It's growing.
And I'm starting to believe it's real.