19

Xavier

Reika released my hand while Axel removed his hand from her shoulder. I watched as a thin glowing string unwrapped itself from around my arm and Axel's and Ruby's as well. It vanished into thin air as she gently laid Ruby's hand on her stomach, her eyes still closed as she slept soundlessly.

It's been half an hour since she had fallen unconscious, and as the time stretched on, I became more and more anxious. Reika and Natalie had to be given the time to eat and replenish their strength. The rest of us - Olcan, my dad, Axel, and myself–have had to sit and wait to find out what had happened.

I spent the time trying to understand what Reika had meant about Ruby knowing one of the most well-known and beloved Enchanteds. My mind was straying and creating insane theories. There was one question that I just couldn't get out of my head: what if Ruby really wasn't sent by our goddess? What then? Was she truly my mate, or was this all some kind of elaborate spell or evil trick?

"Well?" Olcan asked, and Reika got to her feet rather shakily. Performing the spell she just did so soon after what happened with the mind link had severely weakened her. I turned and walked away once she was on her feet because my heart was in my throat waiting for what she might say in response.

"It's real," she whispered. "I can feel their bond. It's not a spell."

I glanced at Axel and found him already looking at me. If Natalie had known how to do this, or if we had even known this could be done, we would have done it from the start. It might have eliminated any reason for Axel to send word to the Council.

I glanced over at Olcan, who was now looking at Ruby thoughtfully. I wondered why the spell wasn't completed before Reika tried to see into her mind. Wouldn't it make more sense to find out if our bond was real to begin with? Because if it had been fake, it would've given Olcan and Axel the ammunition they needed. I suppose trying to invade Ruby's privacy came first on the Council's list of priorities. I shook my head. I suppose I had no right to be judgemental when I had forced Natalie to do the same thing once before.

"When will she wake up?" I asked as I turned around, and Reika shrugged.

"I don't know. What happened was extremely taxing on Natalie's body and mine, so just imagine what it might have been like for her. Forcing her awake isn't a good idea, so we'll just let her sleep."

My eyes darted to Olcan and caught the way he narrowed his eyes at her. Reika failed to notice because she was busy staring down at Ruby on the sofa. Natalie was sitting across the room with a cup in her hand as she stared out the window, her legs crossed lotus style.

"And what exactly happened just now?"

Reika looked Olcan's way before turning away to sit down. My dad entered the room at that moment and gave her a cup of tea before sitting down as well, a solemn expression on his face.

"You said you saw Lovette," he said as Reika blew on her tea, his baritone voice filling the room. "What exactly did you see?"

Natalie looked away from the window as the darkness outside started to be chased away by dawn, and Reika glanced her way for just a second. I frowned when I noticed how she held her forehead slightly to somewhat shield her eyes from Olcan while taking a sip of her tea. The look that passed between Nathalie and Reikawas quick and all but imperceptible, but I was sure it meant something.

Despite my suspicions, I remained silent as she reclined in her chair and inhaled deeply. "Even with the two of us in there, we were only able to make a small crack. When you guys mentioned a wall in her mind, I had expected the normal defense mechanisms humans use to suppress memories. But there is an actual mental barrier within her mind. A strong one. And it was definitely made from magic." She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I was only able to get a small glimpse of what is behind it and what I saw…who I saw, was Lovette." She opened her

eyes and stared sternly at Olcan. "She was in tears, distraught about something, but that's all I saw before Ruby started to force us out."

Olcan made a sound of frustration. "How did she force you out? You're both strong Enchanteds. She's a frail human girl. So, we still know nothing and now have more questions than before. What will it take to break through?"

"A witch is needed for this, and a strong one. Powerful magic was used to create the block in her mind, and only powerful magic will be capable of bringing it down."

"I thought you Enchanteds were like witches," Axel said, and I had to stop myself from laughing. This is the future alpha of the Bluewater Pack? I had heard rumors that they didn't have an Enchanted among them, but I hadn't believed it. The Bluewater Pack has always been peculiar, right down to their practices and rituals. I could not deny that they've all been trained well, though, both from what I've heard and from fighting Axel myself.

"They are like witches, yes, but they have limits that witches do not," my father replied.

"I'll ask Willow to help," I said, but Olcan immediately shook his head. "No. The Council will find a witch," He got up and walked over to Ruby. He stood above her for a moment before walking away, his hands clasped behind his back. "How is it possible that she knew Lovette? It makes no sense."

Ruby groaned as her head turned from left to right. She raised a hand and held her forehead, and Natalie smoothly joined her on the sofa.

"Hey, take it easy," she said as she helped Ruby into a sitting position. "How do you feel?"

Ruby inhaled deeply, a deep crease between her brows as she looked around the room. "Like I was attacked by a wild animal," she said as she stared at Axel as if she suspected that he might have been that wild animal. He narrowed his eyes in response. "What's going on? What happened?"

"You forced Reika and me out of your mind, just like you did the first time I did a mind link with you."

"So, it didn't work then?" She asked weakly, and Natalie shook her head. She looked at Reika and frowned. "There is something, though, isn't there? What is it?" She looked my way. "What were you guys just talking about?"

"We saw something, yes," Reika replied, and Olcan crossed his arms over his chest.

If he was going to find a witch to break through the barrier in Ruby's mind, did it mean he was planning on staying here longer? Or would he force Ruby to leave with him? Neither of those options sat well with me, not with the way he kept staring at her as if he would happily open her skull himself to see what's inside. Ever since Reika had said what she had seen inside Ruby's mind, he'd become increasingly agitated.

My father cleared his throat and slid to the edge of his seat. "When I did my background check on you, Ruby, I found nothing about your parents and no record of where you actually came from. I just know that you were left at the hospital when you were born. If you know anything at all about where you're from, can you tell us now?"

"And no one thought that was odd and decided to press her for that information from the start?" Axel asked.

"That's not odd, Axel. Haven't you ever heard of an orphan? Believe it or not, I'm not the first human to grow up without their parents" Ruby snapped at him. "No, I don't know my parents or where I'm from. I was in and out of foster homes my entire life."

Olcan uncrossed his arms and buried his hands into his pockets. He tilted his head to the side like a curious dog. "Do you know a woman named Lovette?"

She looked thoughtful for a moment before shaking her head no. "I don't know anyone named Lovette. Why? Should I?"

"No. She's a Grand Elder for the Enchanteds. The same way wolves have a Council and Witches have High Priests and Priestesses, a Grand Elder is the most powerful of the Enchanteds. They often lead very sheltered lives because of this power." Ruby started to look confused, and my dad continued. "As I'm sure Natalie has told you, Enchanteds have lived with a lot of discrimination from other wolves for years due to the fact that they can never transform. However, there is something special about them that only a few outside of the Enchanted know - they are all descendants of our goddess."

"What?" Axel and I yelled in unison. I looked at Natalie and Reika for their reactions, but neither looked surprised at all. It's not like I doubted the existence of our goddess, but hearing something like this was blowing my mind. "Are you being serious right now?" I asked my father, and he

nodded. "Why is something this important not widely known? So, you're telling me Natalie is related to our goddess?"

"Yes. The Council banned that information many years ago."

Axel hung his head and laughed. "Of course they did." He pinned Olcan with a glare, "If other wolves found out there were actual descendants of our goddess living among us, they would demand the Enchanteds have a seat on the Council. Maybe they'd be the Council. Why listen to other wolves when we can listen to the children of the goddess that created us?" He shook his head. "But the power you Council members have would then be nothing compared to," he looked at Ruby and I was surprised to see awe within his eyes, "a demigod. Wolves deserve to know this."

"They will never deserve a seat on the Council," Olcan said through clenched teeth, his face turning slightly red. "Even though Enchanteds are wolves, they aren't pure wolves. They are a different species. The Council is for pureblood wolves only. That's why the Enchanteds formed their own faction. Enchanteds play an amazing and honorable role in our society, despite the fact that they aren't pure wolves. The Council has worked hard over the decades to stop the discrimination. Keeping this a secret isn't for the purposes of oppressing anyone. It is for the Enchanteds' own safety. Demigods invariably end up being used, abused, hunted or killed for their powers. Why do you think demigods from other cultures are kept a secret or hidden? It's a sad fact that we cannot count on people's better natures to keep our precious resources safe. "

"I'm sorry but what does all of this have to do with me?" Ruby asked, and Olcan turned to her, anger now in his eyes. I stepped closer to her.

Grand Elders worked closely with the Council, so I understood his anger and confusion. He had lost a friend when Lovette had disappeared. All wolves had grieved the loss.

"Lovette gave up her post as Grand Elder suddenly and vanished." His jaws clenched. "Her body was later found, and to this day, no one knows exactly what happened. All Enchanteds that show a strong connection to magic are appointed Grand Elder because they have the strongest connection to the Goddess. Because of this they don't…mingle, with anyone outside of the Council or even their own people. Even under those circumstances, contact is limited. How do you, a human girl, with no people and no past, have a memory of our revered Lovette?"

Ruby frowned and looked away. "I-I don't know. I don't know anyone named Lovette."

"Do not lie to me!" Olcan roared. Mathieu swiftly got to his feet and placed himself between Ruby and Olcan. Axel and I stepped forward in unison as Olcan's breathing became labored, his eyes now black.

"Olcan, control yourself. You know she knows even less than we do." My dad said to him. "Yelling at her won't miraculously help her to remember things that were sealed away from even her."

Olcan took a deep breath and straightened his spine. Everyone watched as he cleared his throat and ran a hand down his shirt as he calmed himself. "I apologize for my outburst." He looked at Mathieu and then me. "It's clear Ruby isn't just an ordinary human girl after all, in more ways than just the fact that she is a human mated to two wolves."

He sideglanced at Axel, whose jaws clenched in response. I didn't trust either man, but Olcan even less so than Axel (and that was saying something). I had a bad feeling about how things were going to turn out forRuby with the addition of yet another unexplainable mystery. One that I, too, wanted answers to. Her knowing Lovette didn't have to mean something bad, but in what capacity could she have possibly come to know her? And why had Lovette been crying in the memory?

"So, Ruby met Lovette presumably sometime after she stepped down. Even so, correlation is not causation. Just because they had a relationship does not mean Ruby is the cause, directly or indirectly, of Lovette's demise." I pointed out. Who knew my college Research Methods class would ever come in handy while trying to save my mate's life? Olcan's face twitched from the anger he was trying to contain. I could feel his dominance rolling through the room and poking at my flesh like needles. "You have no idea what the Grand Elder did after she left. You don't know everywhere she went and all the people she met." He didn't seem pleased to hear that, but he said nothing. He knew I had a point.

"If we knew everyone she had come into contact with after she left, everyone would be a suspect in her death until proven otherwise," Olcan said through clenched teeth, and Ruby got up and turned her back to everyone.

She stood there for a moment before stepping away, her face in her hands. Her hair was a tangled red curtain around her, and my finger twitched, yearning to feel one silky strand. If it wasn't for Axel'sgreed and

his stupidity for involving the Council, Ruby and I would be so much closer now. Instead, I have to watch her deal with all of this from a distance.

I looked in Axel's direction where he rooted himself close to the door. I frowned because his eyes were glued to Ruby. They didn't hold the same indifference I've come to expect from him when it comes to her, and a stab of jealousy gripped my heart. Despite everything he's said, I know he's feeling the need to take her into his arms and protect her, the same way I am.

I don't think I'll ever be comfortable knowing that some part of her belongs to him. I can't help it; I want all of her to myself.

"Look, I'm sorry to hear that this Lovette person died. She was clearly important to all of you, and I would freely share with you anything I knew about her. The fact is, I just don't know anything about her. " She shrugged as she turned to face us, her eyes droopy and bloodshot from exhaustion and unshed tears. "I mean, maybe I do, but I can't remember. There is one thing I do know for sure, and that is that I sure as hell did not kill anyone. You came here to see if I'm really Axel and Xavier's mate, and I am." She said to Olcan and Reika before looking at Axel. "Xavier broke a law by saving my life and revealing to me that werewolves are real. So, what's going to happen now in terms of that?"

She looked Olcan's way once more. His face was now an unreadable blank canvas. "Those are the things you're here to clear up. Let's clear one thing up at a time, please, and tell me what's going to happen next. What's going to happen to me? Will I be spared because I'm a mate, or will I be killed because I'm a human that knows too much?"

No one spoke as they waited for Olcan's response. I sighed and looked away before walking to the window. The sun was now out and the world outside was bright and alive.

"I came here myself because I hadn't wanted this to get to any of the other Council member's ears. I wanted this issue resolved and put to sleep quietly." He made a soft chuckle as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "A human mate is unheard of, but here we are. Neither Axel nor Xavier will be forced to reject you because we don't know what effect that will have on you, or them, for that matter. You will be spared, Ruby, but now I have no choice now but to involve the other Council members. This is much bigger than it originally appeared to be. You will be coming back with Reika and me to Romania."

I felt like a cold hand had wrapped around my heart and was squeezing the life out of it the moment those words left Olcan's mouth. I glared at Axel, and I wished he could see the images in my mind of me ripping his fucking tongue out. Now, look at what he did! There will be no end to this any time soon, and Ruby is still in danger.

"I'm sorry, what?" Ruby announced as she stepped back, her eyes wide. "I'm not going to Romania. Fuck that! If I go anywhere with you, I don't need anyone to tell me that means my life is over. Whatever needs to be done will be…"

"Shut up!" Olcan yelled, and Ruby clenched her fists. I bit down on my tongue to stop myself from speaking, to hold back the urge to bite this man's throat out for speaking to my mate like that. The tension within the room was starting to become stifling, and Olcan closed his eyes and held his head back. "Know your place, human. Be grateful even being given this chance to live and come with us." He said calmly. "You don't have a choice in this matter, and neither does Xavier or Axel. They will both be coming with us as well. " He said this as he opened his eyes to stare at my dad, daring him to object. Despite the anger evident on my father's face, he remained silent. I love my father and have a lot of respect for him, but I hate how easily he rolls over sometimes.

"A witch is needed to get through whatever wall is in your mind. Hopefully, we will find out who created the wall in the first place, and that will all be done in Romania. You might have vital information about Lovette, so I can no longer keep this a secret from the others. You will be coming, and we will be leaving tomorrow. All of us. You all have one day to get your affairs in order."

He turned and left the room, and Ruby's wide teary eyes jumped from me to Axel and then back before she too ran from the room. Natalie sighed and leaned forward to palm her face, while Reika got up and left wordlessly. Axel remained standing by the door, but now he looked close to exploding. None of this had been t the outcome he had wanted. I had to admit, even though things were now fucked for everyone, I was secretly happy the smug prick was caught up in it, too. He made his bed, and now he was going to have to lie in it.

◆◆◆

Ruby

That bald fucking asshole wants to take me to Romania. Romania!

I kicked at a stone outside and watched as it bounced away from me. The only place I felt like I was alone was in the forest, although I knew, in reality, there were werewolves for miles around. I wasn't really alone, and it was clear I probably never would be again. Come to think of it, I still haven't received a tour to see any of the other houses. There was a whole community here, and all I'd seen so far was the main house and the training area. I guess that no longer matters. At this point, I'll be lucky to ever see this place again. I've been alone my whole life. There was always a part of me that had yearned for that to be different, but now with all this chaos and being constantly surrounded by people I wasn't sure if I could trust, I missed being alone. The fact was, I missed my old crappy life. As horrible as it had been, it was nothing close to this madness. Olcan had spared my life, but had he really? Dealing with one Council member had been bad enough. I just knew the moment I set foot into Romania, I'd have two other pompous asshole Council pricks gunning for me and whatever secrets I have hidden away in my mind. Once they find what they are looking for in my head, and once the story of Axel, Xavier and I start to spread, that'll become another whirlwind of problems. My impression of the Council is that anything that became too big of a problem to them tended to disappear conveniently. I was not excited to discover just how the Council intended to take care of me and all the problems I represented for them.

I sighed heavily and continued walking, the morning sun shining down through the gaps in the trees. As I hightailed it out of the house as fast as my legs could carry me, I had felt the intense urge to sob uncontrollably with all the anger and frustration that had built up over the course of the trial, but the moment I entered the woods I felt much calmer. Well, I wouldn't qualify it as calm exactly, but at least no longer on the verge of spontaneous combustion.

Birds and insects sang around me, but all I could hear were Olcan's words replaying in my mind.

I have no idea who this Lovette woman is…or was. And the more I thought about it, the more my head began to hurt. I stopped walking and held my head. My headache was becoming unbearable. It was at the point where I felt like it would be less painful to slam my head against a tree to just stop the overflow of thoughts, which continued to intensify the pain.

There are things from my past that I no longer know. There are people I've met; things I've said and done that I don't know. Am I who I even think I am?

I felt like screaming.

The shadow of a bird above passed over the forest floor before me, its high-pitched cry echoing through the forest. I looked up in time to see brown wings before it vanished, and a tear finally slid down my cheek. I wish I could fly away from my life, from myself.

I have no idea who I am.

An image of what I had seen within my mind, of the running and screaming people, resurfaced, and more tears began to cascade down my cheeks. Was that a memory? It must have been, but what had happened? Who were those shadow people? Who took my memories from me?

"Fuck!" I screamed at the blue sky above, my body shaking. "Fuck!"

A twig snapped behind me, and I spun around and came face to face with a wolf, his black eyes narrowed with his massive tail swishing behind him. The last and only time I had seen Xavier in wolf form it had been night time, so now I could truly admire his size and beauty with the light of day. His paws were massive, his nails black and pointy. No one would mistake him for a normal wolf if they ever came across him. He was simply too massive.

He shook his body, and his fur ruffled somewhat. The jeans and shirt in his mouth swayed from side to side. He stepped forward, his paws digging into the ground as I dried my tears. I staggered back as he pushed his snout into my chest and dropped his clothes into my hand. His heavy breath fanned my face as he towered over me, and I giggled as he licked my cheek.

"Why do I need to carry them?"

He lowered his head for me to give him a head rub, and I closed my eyes as I gently pushed my fingers through his fur. He exhaled heavily before stepping away, and I opened my eyes as he started to circle me.

"What?" I asked and he stopped at my side and plopped down. His black eyes blinked at me, and I shrugged. "What?" He shook his head and licked his shoulder before growling. "Do you want me to get on your back or something?"

He shook his head again and looked away as he angled his body more towards me. I made a face as I stared at him for a moment. So, I'm

about to ride a werewolf. Well, okay then. I sniffled before tucking his clothes under my blouse, and he turned his head to look at me. I swallowed as I grabbed his fur, worried I might yank on it too hard, but after two tries I finally made it onto his back.

He got up suddenly, and I screamed, clenched my legs, and pressed myself to him. I've never ridden anything in my life, so it was hard to get past feeling like I could fall off of him any second. And it wasn't exactly a short distance to the ground. "Hey, hey, you're not wearing a saddle, sir. Please be careful." He shook his head and leaned forward, causing me to slide down closer to his neck. The ground was so far down. All I had was his fur to hold onto, which I didn't want to yank on too much for fear he might throw me off. "This was a bad idea."

He moved off, slowly this time, and I swallowed the lump that had lodged itself in my throat. I could feel the power in his body with each step he took, and I soon relaxed and leaned forward until I was lying on the back of his head. I could feel his heartbeat, strong and fast, and soon I closed my eyes before I realized it.

"Thank you," I whispered as the vibration from his heartbeat calmed my thoughts. He growled in response, and I smiled, when suddenly he jumped. I grabbed onto his fur and sat up to see what was happening, but he had only jumped over a log.

He started to walk faster. I gripped his fur and lowered myself the way I've seen people do while riding a horse. He slowly began to pick up the pace until he set off on a run. At first, I panicked, scared that I would be thrown off him, but soon the wind in my hair, his heartbeat beneath me, and the freedom I felt had me laughing and urging him on.

We zoomed through the trees, leaving the house, the pack, and my mysterious past behind. If I could freeze time and create an endless loop, this would be the moment I would choose to repeat. I could be free forever with Xavier.

He slowed down until he was walking again, and I frowned as the sound of water met my ears. I was panting as if I was the one that had been running as I looked around, and soon a waterfall came into view. My eyes widened and excitement set in as he crunched down and I slid off him. We walked together down a small hill down to the waterfall, and I placed his clothes on a rock as I walked forward to see the falls and pond surrounded

by vibrant bright flowers and full bushes. It was like an oasis in the middle of the forest, This was what I needed.

I scratched him behind his ear, a face splitting smile on my face. "Thank you."

He made a sound and walked forward into the pond. I watched as he dove in, and I waited as seconds went by and he didn't resurface. I frowned and began removing my clothes.

"Xavier?" I called as I entered the pond. I closed my eyes for a moment as I bent down to scoop up the cool water. "Xavier? Stop messing around. You're a wolf, not a merman."

Something brushed against my leg and instead of screaming in surprise like I'm sure he had intended, I dived in to grab him. We resurfaced together, his arms around my waist.

"Well, look at you, trying to be a badass. I could have been a piranha or something. "

"Or something," I replied as I wrapped my hands around his neck. The smile on my face fell as I stared at the falls behind him. "Too bad you're showing me this now when we'll be leaving tomorrow."

He released me and moved a strand of hair that was stuck to my face before pushing off, "Don't think about any of that right now, Ruby. Right now, nothing else matters. After today, whenever you feel down, you will always have this memory to think back to. "

And I know I have a lot of sad days ahead. "On the upside, you'll be there with me."

"So will Axel," he added before he submerged himself and reappeared again. He combed his hair back and swam to me. "Although I'd rather him not be there at all, he needs to be there for you."

I frowned. "Be there for me? You'll be there for me. He's the one responsible for bringing in the Council, to begin with, which is the only reason we have to go at all. Everything is going sideways thanks to him."

"When it comes to blaming Axel, I'm happy to be first in line, but I don't think we can lay this completely on him. I think this would have all happened eventually, to be honest. You have some kind of connection to a Grand Elder. I don't think that would have stayed buried forever. I think it has to mean something."

I sank lower into the water until my chin was covered. "You're right, let's not talk about any of this." I swam away from him towards the falls and

took a deep breath as I dived under.

I came out on the other side of the falls where there was a dip in the rocks, almost like a little cave. I climbed onto the rock and sat down, and soon Xavier popped up out of the water.

He nestled his way between my legs, and I couldn't stop myself from combing his hair back, the wet strands gliding through my fingers. "Can I ask you something?"

He nodded lazily, "Sure, as long as you keep doing that." "Are mermaids real?"

He pulled back, his lips curving into a smile. "Seriously?" I shrugged as I laughed. 'What? I wanna know."

He nodded, and my eyes widened. "But they aren't gorgeous women with long hair and seashells for a bra." He reached up and moved my hand from his hair to kiss my palm, and the action sent a burst of electricity up my arm. "I'll take you to meet one someday."

"Angels?"

"Yes, they're real," He replied as he kissed my wrist. "Demons?"

He nodded as he kissed the dip at my elbow, and my toes inadvertently curled under the waterline. My lips parted to ask him another question, but he pressed his lips to mine before I could. I swallowed my words and my eyes fluttered closed as I wrapped my legs and arms around him.

He gripped my waist and pulled me closer as his tongue explored my mouth, and I moaned into his. I had missed him so much. The sky could open up at this very moment to rain meteorites down on the earth, and I wouldn't let him go.

He pulled away and pressed his lips to my cheek and then my neck. "I missed you," he whispered. I sighed and pressed myself to him even more, his words music to my ears. "Even if Olcan hadn't ordered me to go to Romania as well, I'd still find my way there just to be with you." He pulled away to stare into my eyes, and I pouted as sadness set into my heart once more. "I'm not letting you out of my sight again, Ruby, and I don't care if you get tired of me."

I shook my head. "I'll never get tired of you. But Xavier, no one knows what's in my head, what's in my past. I don't…"

"Nothing from your past will ever change how I feel about you.

We're in this together."