Chapter 30

BETA XAVIER

It was pouring rain outside as I left the pack house.

As thunder rumbled, I found myself staring into the dark, trying to make sense of what had shifted inside me. I wasn’t sure when it started, but somewhere along the way, my feelings for Eleanor had grown deeper than I expected.

There was something about her—something that set her apart from every other woman I’d ever known. And now, I couldn’t deny it anymore. I was drawn to my mate.

“~Let’s go and see our mate, Xavier,~” Kyle whined, sounding distressed.

I wanted to do the same thing, but I knew that I needed to figure out what was happening.

The unusual attacks were getting out of hand, and now my mate was in a coma. It was unacceptable, and I couldn’t wait any longer.

I walked in the pouring rain, into the forest, and once I reached the pack border, I removed my clothes and shifted into my wolf.

Shaking my fur out, I looked behind me one last time before I ran into no-man’s territory.

Trees zoomed past me while I felt the rainwater soak into my fur.

One hour later, my pace slowed down, and I started jogging when I saw the small cottage I was looking for. I walked toward a tree and quickly shifted back into my human form. Fortunately, my stash of clothes was still there.

I made my way to the cottage and knocked on the door. A couple of minutes passed, and I was about to bang on the door again when Eliza opened it.

“Beta Costa, I thought I told you that I would contact you soon.”

“I need a favor, Eliza. Please,” I said in desperation.

Eliza wasn’t the type to offer help quickly. She had strong boundaries and liked to take her time with people. But something in my eyes must have softened her, because she nodded once and opened the door a little wider, allowing me to step inside.

“Eliza, something bad happened. My car was crashed into on the way home from your shop. We think it was rogues, and now my mate is in a coma. I know you told me you need some time. But have you found anything?” The words rushed out of my mouth in a panic.

“Sit down. I’ll get you some tea,” Eliza said.

“I don’t need tea. I need answers.”

“Xavier. Sit down. I’ll be back,” Eliza was firm, and I knew she wouldn’t take no for an answer, so I sat on her couch and waited impatiently.

Eliza came back with a hot cup of tea with what I imagined were calming herbs mixed in. She handed the cup to me.

“Here. I was going to send you this letter.” She handed an envelope to me. “But I might as well explain in person.”

My heart skipped a beat. She found something.

“I’ve heard rumors about some kind of recruitment going on among the rogues. I don’t know who’s behind it, but whoever it is—they’re gathering every rogue who knows how to fight,” she said.

“What’s their end goal?” I asked her.

“They’re planning to take over a pack. If the leader succeeds, then the rogues that he recruited will be given a place in that pack.”

I stared at my tea. ~Take over our pack? That’s unheard of.~

“What about the kidnapped girls?”

“I thought the info I found was just a rumor at first. But to be sure, I went to the location listed on that paper. By the time I got there, it was completely cleared out. Nothing left. I think they keep moving to avoid being tracked.”

“Thank you, Eliza,” I said as I got up from my place and chugged my tea.

Eliza rolled her eyes. “That was meant to be savored, Xavier.”

“I’ve got things to do,” I responded.

“Take care of that mate of yours, Beta Costa. Something big is going to happen,” she said as I left her house.

I changed into wolf form and ran straight back to the hospital. As I arrived in the room that Eleanor was in, I saw my mom sitting beside her.

“Any changes?” I asked her.

She shook her head as she got up from her place. “Did you inform her parents?” Mom asked me.

“I don’t think she would want them here, Mom,” I said when she nodded her head.

“I’ll go back home and come later, son,” she said. She gave me a motherly hug before leaving the room.

I got comfortable in the chair next to Eleanor’s bed and pulled out my phone.

I was busy looking through my emails when I heard a knock and saw Marquez step inside.

“How is she?”

“No changes yet,” I answered.

“She’ll be okay, she’s strong. I came here to talk to you about the rogue situation. We have an idea, but I need you to listen to me with an open mind, all right?” Marquez began. “We need to capture these rogues, and someone has volunteered to go and look for them along with our tracker.”

“Who is it?” I asked, raising an eyebrow as Benjamin stepped into the room. I shot to my feet.

“He may have been our head warrior once, but I’m not going to trust him again, Marquez,” I said coldly, my voice sharp as Benjamin lowered his head in respect.

“I know you’re still angry with me, Beta Costa,” he said quietly. “And I don’t blame you. I regret the choice I made every single day. Living as an omega after being a warrior…it’s not easy. But I want to earn back what I lost. I want to redeem myself.”

He finally looked up, eyes steady. “I swear, I won’t let you down this time.”

“Let’s give him a chance, Xavier,” Marquez said, but I didn’t know if he could trust him again.

“Fine. But one slip up and you are as good as dead this time. Do you understand?” I asked him, and he nodded his head.

Once Marquez and Benjamin walked out of the room, I moved my chair closer to the bed and stared down at Eleanor’s form. The wounds caused by the glass had now faded. I ran my hand through her hair.

In that moment, as I felt her slipping away from me, it was like something was tearing the life out of my chest too. I prayed—desperately—to every god I could name, begging them not to take my mate from me. And that was when it hit me.

I had fallen deeply in love with her.

A mate bond might connect two souls, but love…love is a choice. A risk. And I had never been afraid of losing Chantelle. But with Eleanor, it was different. Terrifyingly different.

I leaned closer, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.

“You’ve found your way into my heart, Eleanor,” I whispered.