Beta's Runaway Bride: 6 - Dual POV

Xiomara

I don't know what I expected from this Luna, but her pure kindness isn't something I banked on. She

could have easily let me be and not tried to make nice or whatever, but instead, she sent her literal

protection away so she can talk to me.

And what did I do? I was a complete bitch to her.

"Why don’t we sit down?” She says with a small smile. “Preferably before Maxim comes back here

and says our hour together is up.”

That actually makes me give her a small smile. We walk over to the sofas and sit down; me with my

hands clasped tightly in front of me and her looking comfortable, wearing that smile still on her

face.

I wonder if she’s ever suffered, or worked a day in her life. How easy things must be for her as a

Luna; I wish I had the same options, and yet I am nothing but a sold bride.

“Let me start by saying that you are not a prisoner here; if you wish to leave, the door is right there,”

she says, surprising me. Could this be true? Can I just leave here and no one would stop me?

As if she can see the question on my face, she offers a thin smile. “However, remember that with

that decision comes something else - the lives of your old pack members. Going back on an

arranged marriage to one of the biggest packs in the country could mean their exile.”

Just as freedom gets given to me, it's snatched away.

“So, what is this?” I ask, scoffing. “You tell me I'm free to leave but then threaten me with the lives of

my old pack members? What kind of Luna are you?"

“The type who doesn't lie,” she says clearly, but her eyes shine with apology. “This can't be easy for

you, Xiomara, but I promise you Maxim isn't as terrible as his reputation.”

I shake my head. “It's not his reputation that bothers me, it's the fact that I am being given away like

prized cattle. You might have been fine with being sold-"

"Do you know who Giovanni Cotroni is?” she interjects, her lips a thin line.

The name sends a sick shiver down my spine and a sliver of anger slips into my heart. “Yes, I know

who that bastard is; he’s the reason my Mamma is dead.” I bite out and can see the pity in her eyes.

“I'm his illegitimate daughter whose body he used to sweeten deals with other packs,” she says,

flooring me with her honesty. “The reason I'm here is because I escaped from the hands of the man

he sold me to; Niko found me.”

My breath hitches in my throat when she says this and my heart stills; she’s Giovanni Cotroni“s

daughter. The man who had my mother killed, the asshole who sits at the very top. How?

I pinch the bridge of my nose and let out a strained sigh. “The next one will be a keeper, I promise. I

won't fuck it up as long as she’s not defiant and keeps out of my way,” I say while sounding like a

complete and utter asshole right now and not giving a shit.

Niko shoots me a look I don't want to decipher and shakes his head. “So I am assuming this means

you have zero plans of playing nice with Xiomara for the time being?” he asks.

“None whatsoever,” I say before standing up again. “I'll go collect your wife; hopefully Xiomara

hasn't killed her yet.” Niko chuckles at this and shakes his head.

“Mia got me to crack and open up to her, I don't think Xiomara will be a problem,” he says while

looking fucking amused, so I walk out of there before I can feel even more annoyed than before.

While taking the long walk to my home, thoughts of Xiomara plague me again. Why does she get

on my last nerve so much? It's like she enjoys annoying the fuck out of me; especially her comments

while we ate dinner last night.

What was with that anyway? Making a delicious as fuck dinner for a man you supposedly hate; is

she trying to confuse me? Because fuck if it's not working.

Then I had to catch her when she nearly dropped those plates. The way she looked at me wasn't the

way you're supposed to look at the person you supposedly hate. My cock thickened right there and

then when I caught the way she looked at me.

Pupils blown the fuck out, as if she was turned on.

I growl and punch the nearest tree. If aggravation had a scent it would be a sweet mixture of

lavender and jasmine, it would have a body built for sin and dark hair I just want to wrap my fist

around.

“Fucking Bambi,” I grit out and try to push her more out of my thoughts the closer I got to my

home. A home that now smells like her and not of my stifled loneliness.

Throwing open the front door, I see them both still sitting in the living room and Mia asks me to

walk her back to the packhouse. What the fuck; it's better than being here with this woman.

Mia's wearing a grin similar to Niko's and I roll my eyes. “Are you gonna tell me or do I have to

guess?” I droll and it only makes her chuckle.

“I like her; she has fire,” Mia says, making me stop short and she slips her arm into mine to urge me

on. “I know what you're going to say and I am not here to convince you otherwise. But I do think

Xiomara has a reason for apprehensiveness.”

"She's not a caged bird,” I find myself saying, and immediately regret it. “She wants her freedom

back and I might be giving it to her.”

The look on Mia's face made me wish I didn't say a thing. “What? What's that supposed to mean?”

I shrug. “I asked for a different bride and Niko is making it happen so Xiomara will be leaving sooner

than expected.”

Mia stops walking and gives me a horrified look. “You didn't!" she exclaims and I just shrug again.

"Why make something work if we both hate each other? I'm sure she'll be just as happy to be free

of this arrangement,” I say, and that seems to be the thing that finally shuts her up and stops her

before she can even think of playing matchmaker.

I walk Mia up the steps to the packhouse and say goodbye before turning back to walk home. This

time my thoughts are quiet as I make my way home. There's nothing left for me to do today, so I

hole myself up in the gym again.

Usually, it helps me calm down but the more I sweat, the angrier I get until I bend a steel pull-up bar

and toss it against the wall. I need to either fuck or kill to get rid of this frustration and right now

neither of those options are available.

Deciding against my better judgment, I finally give up on calming down with a workout and head

upstairs to freshen up. The smells coming from the kitchen tell me Xiomara is playing house again

and I grit my teeth walking past that particular room so I don't have to look at her.

The shower is over faster than expected and I throw on a pair of gray sweats and a tank top before

heading barefoot downstairs. As much as I want to avoid her, I am fucking starving and whatever

she’s whipping up smells delicious.

She looks up when she hears me approaching and smiles, knocking the wind out of me. I don't miss

the way her eyes slowly rake over my body as she clears her throat.

“Just in time; I hope you like seafood,” she says before picking the plates up and walking over to the

kitchen island where we've been having our meals together.

Seafood paella; gods, it smells even better up close.

“Two for two; what's the special occasion?” I ask as I pick up my cutlery. “You must be really coming

to terms with your captivity.”

She visibly winces at my words and I feel like an asshole again. We remain quiet for a while, the

atmosphere fraught with tension as we both pretend to enjoy the food with the anxiety making it

difficult to breathe.

“I deserved that,” she says as she pushes her food around her plate. “I'm... just tired of fighting with

you, Maxim, and going to sleep with my stomach in knots only to wake up and repeat the cycle.”

My eyes find her and I see the sincerity in them. Now would be a good time to tell her that she

doesn't need to play nice because Niko is sending her back to her father and getting me a new

bride.

So why can't I say the words?