Chapter 31

Chapter 31

i

When I open my eyes, feels like I’ve been asleep for a hurryears. Em confused, lost and I have no idea

where I am.

The tour around me is instaubat. It has white walls and mestial equipment beeping softly in the

background. Alpha Xavier assuring beside me his eyes closed, and his head the tok against the chair.

His face is gaunt, and there are dark

alex under his eyes that weren’t there before

Fox toy age but a starp pam shoots through me keeping me med to the bed. It takes me a moment to

register the IV bug hunging beside me and the bandage wrapped around my ar

Na comes as a hoarse whisper, but it’s enough to jerk him awake

Mekks a

blanks way, and for a homlying moment, I thank he might faint. But then his eyes narrow and he’s

sinkles all Alpha aca

“Pay the sawit ke he testng the word on his tongue. “You awake”

“Tam Lotion dry using to sit up again despite the protestations of my body.

the user to use in an instant pussing me gently back into the bed “Don’t move,” he orders, though

there’s a strange gentleness in his tone we never heard betone

Teve hum susps us What happened

You healed Lola Naver begins looking everywhere but at me Then you passed out from exhaustion.

The doctor said

used to much of your own energy almost to the pot where it could have been fatal. You’ve been

unconscious for

The words strike me like a thunderbol De days?

“savedLolaad my voice barely louder than a whisper.

his gare finally meeting mine. “Yes you did”

And the okay

“Yes Dust he says breaking into a small smile “She’s okay

Asense of rebet washes over me leaving me feeling lighter than I let my head tall back onto the pillow

and close my wwws as a laugh bubbles out of me the sound strange and foreign in the sterile hospital

room Tears pickle at the corners of my eyes but I fight them back with berce determmation

no

“I’m glad I breathe out “That vampire. I thought. I thought maybe he had gotten the last laugh”

“He didur”

T’in

“I know that now.” I say turning to meet Alpha Xavier’s green, emerald eyes. Im so glad I was able to

defeat the vampire All of them are monsters”

Ikisom

As a home Alaha nom Alpha Navier will agree with me He is known as the strongest Alpha alive, and

since the vaigures are our enemies. I can only imagine hus uner bloodiest fully expect him to be as

eager as me to get isdet every single vampus standing in our way

but has reactionshocks me

12:51 The May to

Chapter 31

He gives me a look I dont understand and asks “All of them”

To my eyes at hir

hem” 1 gut out as though ray tone will convince him “The only thing vampires do is

destroy The mags al realm is gone because of them and my frend almost died. Vampires are evil”

He looks out through the window and mumbles 1 gorss which confuses me Shouldn’t he be furious

about those monsters having intruded on our territory?

Alpha Xavier doesn’t reply. He stares out the window. His look strange and contemplative, as though

he’s mulling over my words. His silence is beginning to unsettle me

“What I begin carefully. Wo you mean I guess?

He takes a deep breath and looks back at me, his green eves now filled with an emotion that I can’t

place. It’s not anger nor resentment, but it holds a certam intensity that makes me hold my breath.

“Daisy, he begins in a quiet voice. “the world isn’t black and white. Not all vampires are evil”

I stare at him taken aback by his statement. Is he detending them? Defending those monsters!

“They are not monsters. Dusoc.” he continues as if reading my thoughts. They are just different,”

“But they killed our people! They almost killed Lola My voice echoes against the walls of the hospital

room as I fight agamst the urge to sit upright, my heart pounding in my chest. “How can you say they

aren’t monsters?”

“There are humans who kill, too” Alpha Xavier responds, the calmness of his voice a stark contrast to

my own. There are

Does that make all of us monsters tool”

His words strike me like a physical blow pushing me back into the bed. I struggle to form words, but

nothing comes out. My eyes dart back and forth between his sott green gaze and my hands tolded in

my lap

every species, there are those who choose darkness” he continues gently. “But there are also those

who seek light.

might be our enemies, but there are exceptions. There is always an exception.”

“But-

“Don’t listen to him. Daisy” Yato’s voice interrupts before he strides inside the room. There is a

mischievous grin on his face as he looks up at Alpha Xavier. “My brother is just sentimental because

our childhood friend, Chelsea, was a vampire.”

Alpha Xavier clenches his fist. “Don’t make me regret allowing you to come and see Daisy,” he growls,

but Yato doesn’t flinch at his tone

“Or what? You will beat me in front of Daisy Yato shakes his head in disbelief. “You need a freaking chill

pill, and please stop feeding nonsense into Daisy’s brain Vampires are evil, and that’s it.”

“Chelsea wasti’t evil”

“She tried to attack you when she was hungry” Yato replies, crossing his arms over his chest. “You

wouldn’t even tight back since you thought she could be reasoned with, and the only reason you

survived is because I ended up plunging a stake into her heart. That doesn’t sound not evil to me,

Xavier.”

“You didn’t have to kill her!”

“And that’s the thanks I get for saving your life…”

“I did right in banishing you after our duel With that mindset, you would have made a terrible Beta””

“Or I could have been the best Beta you’ve ever had!” Yato retorts, his eyes blazing with dehance. “At

least I can tell the difference between friend and for!”

G MY

Chapter 31

“Enough!” I shout, surprising both of them. Their heads turn towards me as silence fills the room. “You

two fighting isn’t helping anyone.”

“Daisy is right.” Alpha Xavier murmurs. “I will leave the two of you alone to catch up.”

With a flicker of remorse in his eyes, he turns and strides out of the room, the door closing behind him.

I let out a sigh, running a shaky hand through my hair. Yato watches him go, hibrows furrowed in

thought.

“Sorry about that. I shouldn’t have fought my brother in front of you. It’s just that our history with

vampires is…complicated.”

I shake my head, “No apology necessary.”

“You sure?

“Yeah..”

“Then why do you still look so upset?”

1 sigh heavily, “I’ve lost so much to vampires. It’s hard for me to hear that there might be some good

ones out there.”

Yato’s eyes soften as he pulls up a chair next to my bed. “I get it, he says quietly. “I really do. What they

did to Lola was unforgivable

A moment of silence stretches between us before Yato finally breaks it. “But my brother is right too,

Daisy.” He says reluctantly. “Not all vampires are bad… Chelsea wasn’t evil.

“But she attacked your brother,” I say, confused

“That’s where things get complicated, Yato replies. “She had been starving for days. You see, Chelsea

was trying to fight what she had become, but even though she tried to resist eating from someone, her

hunger got the best of her.”

“So you killed her?” I ask.

He nods, looking down at his hands, knotted together in his lap. It was a mercy killing more than

anything.” he admits, “I didn’t want our dear childhood friend to become a monster.”

“But she did, right?” I press, challenging his reasoning. His gaze meets mine, filled with a feeling of

sorrow I have never before seen on his usually mischievous face.

“She did what?” he asks

“She did become a monster. She attacked Alpha Xavier!”

He hesitates before letting out a sigh, seeming older than his years. “Yes, Chelsea attacked him,” he

admits, “But only because circumstances forced her into it. She was backed into a corner, starving and

terrified. You see, when a vampire goes for too long without feeding, they lose themselves, and in most

cases, they can’t come back.”

“It doesn’t excuse what she did,” I argue, and Yato shakes his head in agreement.

“No, it doesn’t” His voice is soft, almost regretful. “But it does make it understandable,”

“Understandable?” I echo incredulously.

Yato nods, his eyes dark with some unspoken sentiment. “Look at us, Daisy,” he says quietly. We are

werewolves. We are creatures of instinct, too, and when we are pushed to the edge we also do things

we later regret.”

His words dangle in the air between us like a lit fuse, ready to ignite an explosion of realization in my

mind. But no matter his reasoning. I’m still convinced vampires are bad

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Chapter 31

“I still hate them,” I growl. “And if my past life taught me anything by showing me the vision of her old

world, it’s that vampires can never be trusted.”

Yato gives me a weak smile. “Well, whatever you decide, I’m on your side.”

I stare at him. “On my side?”

“Mhm,” he reaches out a finger and pokes my nose. A blush spreads over my face, and Yato grins.

“You’re the reincarceration of the werewolf queen, and I’m loyal to you. Always and forever.

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