6. My mate was abounded?

AT THE SAME TIME

XAVIER'S POINT OF VIEW:

The servant froze as soon I started looking at it Everyone's eyes got wide with fear as they glanced at the painting. 

"That's... that's Wanessa, my lord." They stammered. "She... she used to live here."

"Used to?" I repeated, my voice low and dangerous. I turned to the Alpha, my eyes narrowing. "Explain."

The Alpha shifted uncomfortably, his confident demeanor cracking. 

"She was part of our pack." He admitted reluctantly. "But she's no longer with us. She... chose to leave."

"Chose to leave?" I growled, my wolf rising to the surface. "Or was she cast out?"

The Alpha's mate stepped in, her voice defensive. 

"She didn't fit in here." She said. "She wasn't strong enough to be part of our pack."

I turned to Isabella, who was suddenly very interested in the ground. It's clear that she was hiding something important.

"And you?" I asked coldly. "What do you know about her?"

Isabella looked up, her cheeks flushed.

 "She was weak." She said, her voice trembling slightly. "She... couldn't handle pack life."

"She was your sister." I said, my voice like ice. "And you abandoned her."

Isabella flinched, but before she could respond, a voice cut through the tension.

"She wasn't worth keeping." Michael spat, stepping forward. His eyes burned with jealousy and anger. "She was nothing. And now you're here, acting like she's important?"

I turned to him, my gaze deadly. 

"Careful." I warned. "You don't want to finish that sentence."

Michael sneered, his fists clenched at his sides. 

"You think you can just walk in here and claim her? She's gone. She's nothing. She-"Michael said angrily.

"Enough!" I growled, my voice echoing through the courtyard. The pack fell silent, the weight of my anger pressing down on them like a storm. I took a step toward Michael, my wolf barely restrained. "You don't speak about her that way. Ever."

Michael's face turned red with fury, but he didn't back down. 

"You don't know anything about her." He said, his voice shaking with rage. "She's weak. She-"

"She's mine." I growled, cutting him off. "And you will regret every word you've said about her."

I turned back to the Alpha, my gaze cold and unforgiving. I had enough of this pack and her disgusting family.

"You abandoned her. You cast out your own daughter. And now you will pay for it."I said.

The Alpha tried to protest, but I silenced him with a look. "Tell me where she is." I demanded. "Now."I said.

The servant hesitated, then spoke up, their voice trembling. 

"She left the pack, my lord. She's... she's been living in the Death Forest."A servant said even tho I knew this information.

I needed to make sure that they are not going to lie to me . She saved me after all when I was in the Death forest. Forest. Alone. Abandoned. My anger surged, and I turned back to the Alpha. 

"You let her go there? You let her suffer?"I said angrily.

The Alpha stammered, but I didn't wait for an answer. I turned on my heel, my mind racing. I would find her. I would bring her back. And I would make sure her former pack understood the full weight of their failure. Michael shouted after me, his voice filled with bitterness. 

"You'll regret this! She's not worth it!"He said

I didn't bother looking back. He was wrong. She was worth everything.

The forest was suffocating, its dense canopy blocking out most of the sunlight. The air was damp, heavy with the scent of moss and decay.. The Death Forest lived up to its name, this was no place for anyone to survive, let alone her. My Luna. How she even survived all alone?

The servant's words haunted me. She's been living in the Death Forest. Abandoned by her pack, cast out like she was nothing. The thought made my blood boil. How had she survived? What kind of hell had she endured because of their cruelty? My wolf growled low in my chest, restless and angry. We should've found her sooner. He was right, of course. But now that I knew where she was, nothing would stop me from reaching her. Branches clawed at my cloak as I pressed deeper into the forest, the path barely visible beneath the overgrowth. After what felt like hours, the trees began to thin, and I caught sight of smoke curling into the sky in the distance. A village. Relief washed over me. If she was anywhere, it had to be here.

"She must be here."I muttered.

As I approached, the sight of the village came into view. It was small, nestled against the edge of the forest, with simple wooden houses and dirt paths winding between them. Villagers moved about, their faces lined with hard work and resilience. They looked up as I walked in, their expressions wary but curious. My presence drew a small crowd, whispers spreading like wildfire. They knew who I was. Good. It would save me the trouble of explaining myself. Now I need to talk to someone and find her.

A tall man with a friendly but cautious expression stepped forward, his hands resting on his hips. It must be their leader. 

"Welcome to Sundown Village." He said. "I'm Noah, the village leader. What brings the White Knight to our humble home?"

I inclined my head in greeting. 

"I'm looking for someone." I said, my voice steady but firm. "A woman named Wanessa."I said.

Noah's expression softened, and he glanced over his shoulder toward the center of the village. 

"Wanessa's here." He said. "She's one of us now."He said.

The relief that surged through me was almost overwhelming. She was here. She was safe.

"Where is she?" I asked, unable to keep the urgency from my voice.

Noah hesitated for a moment, then nodded toward a small clearing near the edge of the village. 

"She's gathering herbs in the forest. She'll be back soon."He said.

I didn't wait for more. My legs carried me toward the clearing before my mind could catch up. And then I saw her. She was kneeling by a patch of wildflowers, her hands deftly plucking leaves and placing them into a basket. Her dark hair cascaded down her back in soft waves, and her simple dress clung to her form as the breeze played with the fabric. She looked... radiant. Strong. Everything I'd imagined and more. My wolf growled possessively. Ours.