Chapter Three: Guests

I inhale a deep breath. I could do this. It was one person, and I didn't have to accept anything. I don't have to do anything that I don't want to do.

Victor gives my hand a squeeze and I smile gently down at him. Everyone was waiting in the Front entrance. Mother smiles at me as I stand next to The Twins.

'Can we run?' I jab Aros in the side making him grunt. He knew better than to speak like that even to me through our minds like that.

The door opens and I hold my breath. The young man that came in smiling made my heart jump. Xavier had gotten taller...maybe six foot to be accurate. His copper hair was long enough for a short ponytail and his ivory skin was flawless. I guess he grew out of the acne.

He is athletically built but he had put on some muscle and the only reason I knew that was because his shirt clung to him in all the right way. His eyes land on me and my cheeks warm. His honey-colored eyes were almost hypnotizing.

My eyes widen slightly as he rushes me wrapping his strong arms around my waist for a hug and lifted me off the floor. Which made my stomach drop and a giggle to escape me. My hands gripped his shoulders as he set me by down gently on the floor.

"Astra." My ears were burning. What was he thinking?! I clear my throat and drop my hands, taking a step back from him. I give his a slightly embarrassed smile.

"Hello, Xavier." He beams down at me and then turns to my parents. I let out a long sigh as he moves away from me. I glance at Aryn who was grinning from ear to ear like an idiot. I roll my eyes and wrap my arms around myself and try to will my heart to slow down.

Flashes of Forest green eyes run through my mind.

"High Priestess! Vance! It's so good to see you both! I've missed this place." I glance at Xavier, and he glances down at my mother's stomach and chuckles lightly.

"Seems like there will be another addition to your ever-growing family." I mentally groan. Oh wonderful! No wonder she was acting strangely!! She was freaking PREGNANT AGAIN!!!!! Mom laughs lightly and nods. I really needed a break already.

"How can you always tell?" I roll my eyes again as Mom spoke. I really just wanted to knock some sense into her.

"Why don't we let everyone get comfortable and then we can all talk?" Mom nods.

"Of course. Sophie will show you to your rooms and once everyone has done what they need to then we can all have lunch and catch up." I wanted to gag. I hated that she was so chipper and polite.

I excuse myself quietly and rush back out to the garden. I couldn't stay in that house with her! I just couldn't. I made my way to the Pavillon and sat down. I inhale several deep breaths and close my eyes taking in the sunshine.

"Wanna tell me what that was?" I jump at the sound of Aryn's voice. I turn to look at her as she sits down. She gives me a sly smile. She meant what Xavier did. Not why I ran out of there. I growl out a sigh and shake my head.

"Your guess is as good as mine. I haven't seen him in four years!" Aryn arches an eyebrow at my somewhat angry tone. Then it was like a lightbulb went off in her head.

"What happened between you two? You're mad at him. I can feel it." I roll my eyes. Now she was listening to her empath instincts.

"Well, we were close growing up because Dad was friends with his. He kissed me when I turned sixteen. We got closer and at seventeen he broke my heart when he found his Pair Bond." Aryn reaches over and takes my hand giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Well, I can tell you that he was really happy to see your face." I chuckle at how she decided to phrase that. She was after all seventeen.

"Doesn't mean that I was all too happy to see him." Aryn arches an eyebrow at me.

"You blushed." I openly glare at my sister as she giggles. She was already getting on my nerves.

"I'm not so good with my empath powers again. But I'm pretty sure that Xavier chose our Coven because it was you, he wanted." I felt as if my whole body blushed.

"Don't say things like that. You don't know." Aryn shrugs and glances over her shoulder. She gasps and turns around fast.

"Yeah, well if I was wrong then why is he walking over here?! See you later." I open my mouth to keep her from leaving but no words would come out. I didn't want to be alone with him!

I inhale a rigid breath as Xavier sits down but doesn't look at me. I turn away from him so that he can't see my tomatoe face. This was so embarrassing. Please Goddess tell me that he didn't hear anything that I had just said! I might die.

"How have you been starlight?" I groan at the stupid nickname that he had given me when we were kids. My head snaps around so that I can snap at him for using it but I stopped when I saw the hint of sadness in his eyes. My attitude quickly deflated and I let out a long sigh.

"I think that I should be asking you the same question." He huffs out a chuckle. I stiffen as he moves a little closer to me.

"I didn't think I could have been happier to see anyone in my life, when I saw you standing there." I roll my eyes and snort.

"I think you were just happy that you get to tease me again and call me that stupid nickname." He laughs throwing his head back.

"Goddess, I missed you...I wanted to talk to you alone without your parents here." My heart skips a beat at his words.

"And why is that oh mighty Coven leader." I felt myself smirking. It caused Xavier to arch an eyebrow at me curiously.

"I came back for you. I loved Amelia. But you were still there in the back of my mind. Everything reminded me of you. I want you to be my wife Astra. That's the only reason why I am here."

** ** ** **

I didn't go to lunch, and I skipped dinner. I had decided that it was just best to lock myself in my room. I didn't know what I was supposed to say to Xavier. I had mixed emotions about everything and then there was the man that I had been dreaming about for the last six months. Seeing all the hardships that he overcame. Seeing how gentle he was with the people that he cared about. Seeing what a kind and loving heart that he had. Watching as he grieved the death of his sister and then feeling the pain, he felt losing his mate...

It meant something to me. I didn't realize that I had become attached to him until Xavier confessed those things to me. I couldn't be around him right now. I didn't know what to say and I didn't want to get caught up in some fleeting moment.

I sigh again for the hundredth time just staring at my wall. What on the earth was I supposed to do?! I had no idea how I was supposed to feel and frankly I didn't want to have to deal with it. I just wanted to stay locked in my room until they left...didn't I?

I groan and fling myself back on my bed. This was ridiculous! I was being stupid, and I knew that. I was a grown woman hiding in her room like a teenager. I rub my hands over my face roughly. I was getting nowhere, and it wasn't like I could talk to anyone about it.

The door to my room opens and I sit up with a start. Dad comes in and frowns at me. I sigh as he walks over grabbing my desk chair pulling it in front of me and sits down.

"What's going on with you?" I bite down on my lower lip I wasn't sure that Dad actually wanted to hear about this. Then the door opens again and Mom steps inside.

"I've got this one. You go ahead and help The Twins with Victor. Dad sighs and stands up patting my head gently before leaving the room.

Mom instead of taking the chair sits down next to me on the bed. Well, this was weird. She wanted to talk to me about what was wrong with me? This pregnancy wasn't like any of her other ones. It was messing with her emotion's way too much.

"Talk to me. Why have you locked yourself in your room?" I groan and shake my head. Did I really want to tell her what was going on? I had always wanted my mother to be there for me when it came to things like it and right now, I needed her or at least someone that I could talk to about this...But maybe not the whole situation...

"Xavier flat out said that he came here because he wants me." Mom sputters out a laugh and pats my leg. Both my eyebrows shoot up at her. What?

"Dear Goddess, that boy...At least he was honest. Are you afraid that he will hurt you again?" How did she even know that I was hurt the first time? Had she actually been paying attention to me this whole time?

"It's not just that...He had a wife and an unborn child that was taken from him. I can't compare to his Pair Bond." Sadness crossed my mother's features for a half a second and then it was gone.

"Astra listen to me...The bond that he had with her is gone and this boy confesses to you that he wants you. Which means that he has had feelings for you all this time even when he was with his pair bond. It seems to me that his feelings are there and so are yours. Just give him a chance and see where it goes. No is going to force you marry him."

My eyes widen in shock. This was the first time my mother had given me any advice or even taken a little bit of interest in me...It was weird for me seeing her and hearing her acting like a mother should... I just nod my head at her and she smiles sweetly, leans over and kisses my forehead before leaving the room.

I stare at the door for a long moment. Maybe just maybe this baby would help mom in some way and show her that while he hormones are messed up that he children loved her and that if she would just open up that we could too.

I let out a long dramatic sigh and throw myself back on my mattress again. Why was my life becoming so freaking weird all of a sudden?! Why couldn't it be someone else? Anyone else really.