Xander’s POV
The rhythmic tapping of my fingers on the mahogany desk was the only sound in the room. The office, bathed in the dim light of the overcast morning, felt stifling, suffocating almost. My mind, however, was far from quiet. It was a battlefield, torn between logic and emotion, between anger and something far more treacherous, doubt.
Alison’s tear-streaked face haunted me, the crack in her voice as she pleaded for me to reject her echoing in my ears. But every time I thought of softening, the memory of that night came roaring back, like a slap to my face. Her tangled in the sheets with that… Damon the mailman. The image was seared into my mind, a brand that refused to fade no matter how hard I tried to erase it.
The scent of her tears, the way her voice trembled as she accused me of giving up on her… it pulled at me, a gravitational force I couldn’t resist. But the betrayal lingered. Was it real? Or was I just a fool too blinded by my own pain to see the truth?
A faint knock interrupted my thoughts.
“Come in,” I growled, the weariness evident in my tone.
Beta Luke entered, bowing slightly. His expression was grave, and I immediately tensed. “What is it, Luke?”
“Alpha,” he began, his voice steady but hesitant, “we’ve combed the packs thoroughly, but the Damon the mailman… he’s nowhere to be found.”
I stiffened. “What do you mean, nowhere to be found?”
Luke stepped forward, his hands clasped behind his back in deference. “I went to the post office myself. They told me he resigned the day after… the incident. His house has been empty for almost a week. No sign of him.”
My jaw tightened, and my fist slammed against the desk. “Convenient, isn’t it? He disappears right when I need answers.”
Luke hesitated before speaking again. “With all due respect, Alpha, it’s possible he’s running because he’s guilty of something. Maybe he knows you’d kill him if you got your hands on him.”
The words hung in the air, sinking into my turbulent thoughts. I wanted to dismiss it outright, but… was there a chance?
“Are you saying you believe Alison’s story about behind drugged?” I asked abruptly, my eyes locking onto his.
Luke nodded without hesitation. “I do. She doesn’t seem like the type to lie, Alpha. And if she says she was drugged… ”
“That bastard might hold the key to all of this,” I interrupted, my voice sharp. “Find him. I don’t care how long it takes or what it costs. Bring him to me, alive, I need answers.”
“Yes, Alpha.” Luke bowed deeply and left the room.
As the door clicked shut, I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my temples. Doubt gnawed at me like a parasite. What if Luke was right? What if Alison had been telling the truth all along? Guilt began to coil in my gut, but I shoved it down.
The door creaked open again, and the air in the room shifted. I didn’t need to look up to know who it was.
“Hey Xander,” Caitlyn’s sultry voice greeted me, her tone laced with a flirtatious edge that grated on my nerves.
I sighed heavily, not in the mood for her games. “Caitlyn, what do you want?”
She stepped inside, her heels clicking softly against the floor. “I wanted to see if there’s anything I can do for you,” she purred, her voice dripping with faux concern.
“No,” I replied flatly, not even bothering to look up.
She didn’t take the hint. Instead, she walked around the desk, her delicate fingers grazing the back of my chair. Before I could protest, she began massaging my shoulders.
I stiffened at first, but the tension in my muscles betrayed me. Her touch was skilled, calculated. Against my better judgment, I let my eyes drift shut for a moment, allowing myself to feel the brief reprieve from the chaos in my mind.
But then, in a sudden move, she spun my chair around. Before I could react, her lips were on mine.
For a moment, I was too stunned to resist. The kiss was eager, desperate, and for a fleeting second, I let it distract me. Alison’s tears, her voice, the mail-man… everything faded into the background.
But as her hands moved to unbutton my shirt, unease crept in. My wolf stirred, a low growl rumbling in the back of my mind.
Wrong. This is wrong.
I pushed Caitlyn away, my breath uneven.
“What are you doing?” I demanded, my voice harsh.
Her eyes widened, feigning innocence. “I thought… I thought this is what you wanted.”
“It’s not,” I said firmly, adjusting my shirt. “I’m already mated.”
Caitlyn’s lips twisted into a bitter smile. “Mated? To someone who betrayed you? To someone who’s not even here for you?”
“Enough,” I growled, my voice laced with warning.
But she wasn’t done. “You deserve better, Xander. Someone who would never betray you, someone who… ”
Before she could finish, my wolf surged forward with a ferocity that startled even me.
“GET OUT!” the command ripped from my throat, laced with the authority of my Alpha.
Caitlyn stumbled back, her face pale. Without another word, she turned and fled, slamming the door behind her.
The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the frantic pacing of my wolf in the back of my mind.
“She’s in danger,” my wolf growled, his voice rough and urgent.
I frowned. “Alison’s in the castle. She’s safe.”
“She’s not,” he insisted. “I can feel Maya fading.”
My heart lurched. Maya… Alison’s wolf. If she was fading, it meant…
Without wasting another second, I mind-linked Luke.
“Come back to my office. Now.”
Minutes later, Luke entered, his face etched with concern.
“Check on Alison,” I ordered, my voice sharp. “Now.”
He bowed and left, his footsteps echoing down the hallway.
The seconds stretched into agonizing minutes as I waited, my mind racing. My wolf’s agitation was infectious, his growls a constant reminder of the bond I had tried so hard to ignore.
When Luke returned, his face was pale.
“Alpha,” he began cautiously, “half of Alison’s belongings are gone.”
The words hit me like a physical blow. My chest tightened, and the air seemed to vanish from the room.
“No…” I whispered, the realization sinking in. She was gone.
Fear surged through me, raw and unrelenting. My wolf’s panic mirrored my own, his howls echoing in my mind as if mourning the loss of something irreplaceable.
“Find her,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. Then louder, more commanding: “Find her!”
Luke bowed and disappeared, but the fear and pain remained, clawing at me with relentless ferocity.
I had failed her again.