17

Xavier

As the night stretched on, I felt more and more awake. I rolled onto my back and stared up at the ceiling, but I was so lost in thought that I wasn't really seeing it.

Somewhere in the house was Ruby, so close, yet still so far out of my reach. Is she asleep? Is she awake? Is she sleeping in the same bed as Axel?

That last thought had me clenching and unclenching my fists as I rolled onto my stomach, causing my sheet to roll down to my waist. The cool night air blew into the room through the open window, and I inhaled deeply as it chilled my exposed back. When I had seen Ruby today, a part of my world that had been in ruins for a week instantly mended itself. That is until that asshole Axel had put his hands on her.

The rage I had felt on the night I had saved Ruby in that alleyway so many weeks ago returned in a crashing wave. I had wanted to rip Axel to shreds. My skin dotted with goosebumps the moment she entered the house and I could smell her. But when I saw her, I felt like killing someone.

Her skin was still smooth and unmarred and her hair still a vivid red, but she was thinner. Her collar bones and shoulder blades were so pronounced. She had lost so much I could barely believe she had only been gone a week.

I rolled out of bed, my temper getting the better of me the more I thought about what she might have gone through. I threw a shirt on and made my way downstairs and into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water. Sitting through dinner with my dad, Olcan, and his Enchanted, Rieka, had been painful. I had hoped Axel would join us along with Ruby, but they had remained in their room.

I still think it is rubbish that Olcan was allowing Axel to keep Ruby away from me. Yes, he's her mate, but so am I. I hated the way he had said "She's in Axel's possession," as if he was talking about a mere object and not a person. What's worse was that I had no idea what plans he had for Ruby, myself, and my dad. What I fear most is being forced to reject her.

Maybe that's what Natalie had meant when she had said the Council would try to see what effect she has on Axel and me. Right now, I was more worried about Ruby than myself.

Natalie didn't have to tell me Ruby wouldn't be able to take it. Then again, she might not feel anything, while I felt it all. When our bond was discovered, she got sick, but the almost paralyzing need that came after wasn't something she seemed to feel. Maybe if Axel or I rejected her, she'd merely feel sick again and then get over it.

I threw the empty water bottle in the recycle bin and began making my way through the house to go outside. It was a tranquil night with a clear sky and a calming breeze. I sorely needed something calming right now.

My plan to relax outside until I felt sleepy crumbled to the ground as I stepped out the door and saw Axel standing outside. I paused, my eyes lowering with annoyance, but I wasn't about to turn and go back inside. This was my house.

I pulled up by his side, but neither of us spoke. He dropped the cigarette he was smoking and crushed it under his boot before blowing out a cloud of smoke.

"Why did you do this?" I asked him. "Why did you tell the Council about Ruby? She's your mate as well, Axel. Do you really not have a soul to feel anything when you think about her getting hurt?"

He didn't respond, and we both kept staring dead ahead. An owl hooted in the distance as the trees swayed in the winds, and I finally looked over at him. He was older than me, but clearly not wiser if he thought this bullshit move was a good idea.

"All we needed was time to get some answers because you and I both know the Council won't show her mercy." He looked at me from the corner of his eyes. "You've fucked us all over, and for what?"

"How long would it have taken for us to get any answers? Huh?" He asked. "The Council will do that, and faster."

"The Council will search for a reason to kill her! She's a human that's mated to us both!"

He turned to face me, a deep crease between his brows as he pointed a finger at my face. We're about the same height, and while he might be older with more fighting experience, he wasn't as pissed off as I was.

"She's your mate, Blackwood, not mine. I'm sick of saying that. Do you want to know why I'm doing this?" He stepped closer to me, and my nose twitched at the smell of the cigarette on his breath. "You're weak, and she's making you weaker. You'll have to take over for your dad soon, and you are nowhere near ready. You're not built to be an alpha."

"You don't know shit about me," I said through clenched teeth, and he chuckled mockingly.

"I know more than you think. Alphas are supposed to put their pack before everything and everyone. A single human knowing about us can be detrimental, and just because she's your mate, you spared her. What, Xavier, are you going to make her Luna for the pack? Is she going to bear your pups? Can she even survive a werewolf pregnancy? You haven't thought about any of this, that much is clear. Doing this saves her, Xavier, or she's going to live a life of rejection and pain. When it comes right down to it, you can't make the tough decisions. Rejecting a mate is the hardest thing for any wolf to do, but an alpha must be prepared to do it. She won't just be your woman, she'll be your pack's Luna. It will be her job to birth the next alpha. Have you ever heard of a half-human and half-wolf child becoming an alpha?"

I said nothing, and he made a sound and turned away while shaking his head. I swallowed hard. Everything he had said was true, and of course, I've thought about those things. But like I'd said, we just needed time to know what we're dealing with. Maybe he's right, I'm not ready to be an alpha. One thing is for sure, I am not ready now, nor will I ever be ready to be the man that kills his mate.

"It'll kill her. You know rejecting her might kill her, don't you? But hey, you don't care. Tell me, Axel, what choice does she have in all of this? If you don't want her, fine, that's great news. But just leave us alone then. Don't preach to me about what I should want, or what's good for my pack. My people are different from yours, and always have been."

He crossed his hands over his chest. "Goddess, do you even hear yourself?" He shook his head and looked down at the crushed cigarettes on the ground. "You know what, you're not my problem. Olcan will handle it. Ruby is just a means to an end for my pack to return to these lands."

My head tilted to the side. This man was talking about me not being a true alpha when he was putting my pack, his pack, and an innocent girl's life at risk, all for some land?

"That's what this is about? Land? Are you serious, Axel? You can take your pack anywhere, anywhere, and you've brought the Council here because of greed?"

He spun around to face me, his eyes blazing with anger. "Greed? This is my land! My pack's land! We deserve to live here! You have no idea how hard it is to relocate or even find suitable land to hide werewolves. My people have made their lives here. They live comfortably enough among the humans, but we have to live somewhere with trees, thick trees so we can be comfortable. So we don't have to fear shifting and being caught."

This time I stepped forward, my face inches away from his. I wasn't going to be challenged or disrespected on my land. His pack left ours years ago, the decisions made by people in the past were none of my business. Not right now.

"For years our packs have come to an agreement and have lived peacefully away from each other. Now you want to start a war over this, and you've included the Council that you think is only going to stick to one matter and not dig deeper into our lives. So that's it, you wanna use Ruby to give the Council a reason to say we are a weak pack, that we don't deserve this land? What about your pack, Axel? Do you think the Council doesn't know about your wild pack members that had attacked those humans?" I shook my head. This man was delusional. "You've fucked yourself, Axel, and your people, too. The Council might hate humans like you do, but they don't tolerate dumb shit like that."

His face twisted, and I realized I had hit a nerve. Of course, he didn't know that bit of information had gotten out. My lips curved into a sinister smile.

"The wolves that did that were taken care of." He said slowly.

"Do you think the Council will care? They'll just say you don't have a strong enough hold on your people for that to have ever happened to begin with. All you do is spew hatred for humans, so of course, your pack members will act wrongfully because of the bullshit you fed them. Where the fuck is your father? If I'm not ready to be alpha, then neither are you. Where is your father? You're not alpha yet, and a true alpha doesn't resort to trickery or go as far as to abduct another's mate."

"She's not only your mate, but she's also mine as well, remember?"

My gums began to ache as my need to rip his throat out grew stronger. This man didn't even know what he wanted. One minute he claimed she wasn't his mate and then the next minute he claimed she was. Ruby didn't deserve that, and he did not deserve her.

"She is, but she'll never choose you! She'll never choose you!" I looked him up and down, my face twisted with disgust. "You'll always be a savage, no matter what land you and your pack live on." I flicked my finger under my nose as his cigarette breath became unbearable. For werewolves, every sense is heightened. I have no idea how or why he smokes those things. "Where is Alpha Sirhan? He knows this isn't how wolves act. This isn't the way we handle things. Humans behave like this. They go behind each other's backs, so their wars never end. But wolves are better. We work things out civilly to keep the peace."

I stepped back and made a sound, one to show my repulsion, while he continued to stare at me, his lips in a thin line. I knew that, even in the current situation, his father, Alpha Sirhan, would never condone an action such as abducting someone's mate. It was an unthinkable act of hostility and aggression.

"You act like you know everything. You stand there and judge me as if you're better than me. What kind of alpha has Sirhan raised? You're acting more human than wolf. You're a fucking disappointment!"

I saw his fist coming, but he had moved so quickly I hadn't had the time to dodge it. His fist connected with my jaw, sending me staggering backward, but I caught my balance quickly. My hand shifted and swiped at his chest, cutting through his shirt and chest.

He howled in pain and dove for me, his shirt ripping off his body as he began to shift when Olcan appeared before him. Olcan slapped Axel across the face, sending him flying backward.

I stared in shock at Olcan's strength, while Axel skidded to a stop on the ground. He had backhanded Axel as easily as if he were swatting a fly.

He turned to face me; his eyes black. "You two are both disappointments." His voice was low, his expression neutral, but his words were dripping with rage. "I had hoped we could all stay under the same roof for one night. I wanted to see what hold that girl has on you both, on two promising alphas. Look at you!" He looked over his shoulder at Axel, who had finally gotten onto his feet, his chest already healing. "You were both

ready to fight each other, to kill each other, for a human. You both failed my test miserably. Whom would she fight for either of you?"

"Olcan, I…"

"Silence!" He yelled at me as my father appeared outside as well. He pointed a stern finger at me. "I've had enough of your attitude. Do not speak unless spoken to, wolf! Know your place!"

I turned to look at my dad, and the weariness in his eyes had me swallowing what response I was about to give Olcan. I don't care about Olcan or Axel, but disappointing my father was the last thing I wanted to do. I'm his one and only son. His only heir to carry on the Blackwood name. I was making a fool of myself and of our pack.

Natalie had warned us that this would happen, that the Council would watch us closely to see what effect Ruby has on us. This wasn't Ruby's fault. This was Axel's fault and my own. Frankly, it was more his fault than mine. He was the one who invited the Council.

"Do you want to know what I've seen so far?" Olcan said to no one in particular as he walked away, his hand on his chin. "I see two men who aren't ready to be alphas."

"Olcan, this isn't…" Axel began to say but clamped his mouth shut as Olcan growled at him.

Olcan pointed a finger at Axel and then at me. "Neither of you is ready. You're both too emotional. Despite what issues are between your fathers, have they ever behaved like this? Sure, this is a little different, because you both have the same mate. But do you really?" I frowned at him, and he shrugged. "Is she really mated to you both? I would have liked a good night's sleep, but I guess that won't be happening." He turned to my father. "Wake her up. We're having the trial tonight."

◆◆◆

Natalie

I watched Xavier make his way outside and knew disaster was about to strike. I remained by the window on the second floor, his and Axel's conversation floating up to me on the cool wind.

I listened as their conversation grew more heated and knew this was what Olcan wanted. Xavier had been ready to rip Axel to shreds today when he had arrived with Ruby, and Olcan had left Ruby under Axel's care for the sole purpose of seeing how Xavier would react. Would he remain cool and collected, or act on his instincts to be with his mate and not have another man touching her.

Of course, Axel wasn't just another man, and that would bother Xavier even more.

It was a setup. I knew I was right to think so as soon as Axel punched Xavier and Olcan made his appearance to lecture them both. I had expected Xavier to throw the first punch, but I had been wrong. However, I was just as curious as Xavier was about Axel's father. Axel was here alone when his father's presence as alpha was needed as well.

That was strange, but really none of my concern. "She's a lucky girl," I heard Reika say behind me.

"How so?" I asked, and she appeared by the window to stare down at the men.

"She has two alphas fighting over her. A Council member making an appearance in person that we all know is dangerous for him and a powerful Enchanted as a friend." She looked over at me. "I'd say she's a lucky girl."

I turned to stare at her, and she gave me a teasing smile. "I'd say she's a girl that didn't pick any of this and wants it to end like everyone else."

"Well," she looked away, "I'll see for myself if that's true.

Apparently sooner rather than later."

I looked back down at the men, and my ears perked up as Olcan announced that he'd be conducting the trial tonight. I sighed and swallowed hard.

"What will you do to her?"

Reika moved her hair behind her ears as she turned her back to the window. "A mind link. From what I've been told, you tried and learned nothing. For an Enchanted so strong, how was that possible?"

I wasn't about to answer that. "And if it doesn't work for you either, what then?"

She shrugged. "Olcan will decide. Take comfort in knowing that he actually likes Ruby."

I turned my back to the window as well. "Does he? Why? I'd think he'd despise her. She's creating chaos- although indirectly of course."

"Of course." She drawled before looking over at me. "Olcan has yet to find his mate and is quite the man whore. He thinks she's beautiful, but he's also very intrigued by this entire thing." She turned to face me, a new fire within her eyes. "Imagine what will happen if this gets out? A human mated to a wolf." She smiled. "There is no known record of hybrids. We have no idea what a child between a human and a wolf would be like. Axel thinks it will weaken a wolf's bloodline."

"Don't you think so?"

She inhaled deeply and turned around to look up at the night sky. "What I think doesn't matter." She murmured before looking down at me. "What I think, Natalie, is that if this isn't some kind of witch's trick, what Olcan has planned is going to really piss our goddess off."

"And what does he have planned?" I asked her, my eyes piercing into her, but she began walking away.

"Let's just say there might be a spike in hybrid children if they prove to be strong. That's if the human mothers can even handle the pregnancy. That, I will never stand for."