... enjoy!
twenty nine
"Okay Belle, I know since you've been here I've been giving you answers in small doses. So now I'm giving you the chance to ask anything and I promise I will tell you the truth to the best of my knowledge." Xavier says watching my eyes widen.
This is what I've been waiting for. For someone to finally answer my questions, not dance around them, or feed me tiny pieces of information. I shut my eyes, where do I begin?
"Why did everyone know I was a true Luna before I even knew what that was?" I ask, starting off small. Jake, Michael, Theo and Xavier, every Alpha I've encountered has told me, I'm born to lead, and I need to know why.
"We're Alphas' Belle." I raise my eyebrows, is that really the answer? Xavier sighs, "remember how I told you about the importance of a true Luna to lead a pack."
I nod my head. "Since werewolves have walked this earth Alphas' have had the ability to sense Lunas, she-wolves who were born to lead. It's like a fifth sense."
"O-oh." I say dodging Xavier's eyes, somehow I thought the answer would be more fulfilling than that.
"Um, why did Theo leave so abruptly?"
Xavier gives me a stern look, "My position means that what I say goes. There are few people in this world who would challenge me."
I look at Xavier, studying his face, "what's the real reason?" He's hiding something and I'm done putting up with being kept in the dark.
"Theo is an incredibly feared Alpha, you don't get that way by following all the rules unfortunately. His own actions and those of his family have brought him before the Weresile on many occasions."
The actions of his family? I bite my lip, how can I be a true Luna when I don't even know what the hell is going on? Brought before the Weresile, what does that entail? With every answer Xavier gives me ten more questions are form.
"Usually, Theodore and his family have got off pretty lightly on technicalities, but in recent years they've become far more v-." Xavier hesitates his eyes searching mine, "vindictive and inexcusable. One more encounter with the Weresile and Theo would be stripped of his title and his ability to shift."
I gasp, they can do that? "The day in the forest, was the first time I have personally met Theodore, he knew who I was and that was enough for him." Xavier continues ignoring my obvious shock at the idea of being stripped of ones ability to shift.
"So Theo left me with a complete stranger because he was afraid?" I ask a ball of anger swirling in my stomach, "you could've killed me!" I cry out what kind of mate is he?
Xavier raises his eyebrows, "were you ever afraid of me?"
"Y-y-. Wait, no?" I shut my eyes, was I ever scared? The past few months have begun to blur together in my mind.
"You are my mate Isabelle, I can say that without a shadow of a doubt. Ever since I laid eyes on you I've known. Theodore made the right choice because there was never a scenario where I left his pack without you." Xavier's tone changes whenever he says Theo's name, I can see anger bubbling in eyes.
"Then why is Theo my mate?" I say in a whisper not wanting to make Xavier mad, I picked the wrong question.
I watch him rise from his seat, walking towards me until we are only a few centimetres apart. "He's not Belle."
"H-h-how can y-y-you be sure?" I stutter out my heart beating in my ears.
"I just know." He murmurs taking a step back, the warmth that once surrounded me disappears, my heart rate returning to normal.
"Why have my memories gone?" I say switching the topic, it's clear I'm not going to get anywhere asking about Theo or my two mate situation.
"The Alpha of your old pack, Alpha Michael, he wasn't always the Alpha."
I look at Xavier incredulously, "I can't remember a time when he w-. Oh. Do you think that's why they took away my memories?" I ask softly.
Xavier takes a deep breath, "I don't want you to die Isabelle and I don't know what's safe to tell you. But yes, I think that is part of the reason."
I nod slowly, another dead end of questions. "Who was that women you were talking to when I was in a coma?" I say catching Xavier off guard, I knew it was her sister they'd said as much but everything else about her is shrouded in mystery.
"You could hear that?"
"Yes, I couldn't move or talk but I could hear everything going on."
"That was my older sister, Gemma, she came to see me after what happened to you. It's the first time I've heard from her since she found her mate."
"Why?" I prompt Xavier, if he really is going to tell me anything I ask, then I'm going to ask everything.
"I'm one of four, Gemma, my older sister, Jacob was my older brother and Katrina who was about your age." Xavier murmurs refusing to meet my eyes.
"Was?" I say softly, guilt washing over me. I've been so consumed with my own life and everything I've been through, I haven't even thought about Xavier. Maybe I'm the shitty mate, not Xavier, not Theo, me.
"Jacob was killed and Katrina disappeared 10 years ago." Xavier says a tear sliding down his cheek.
I bite my lip, "I'm sorry."
"It's okay Belle, it's just been a long time since I've really talked to anyone about it." Xavier replies his eyes finally meeting mine. The gorgeous green is clouded in sadness, my heart hurts seeing him like this.
"What were they like?" Xavier needs to talk about this, there's so much pain in his features.
"Jacob was my mentor, I idolized him my whole life. He was the reason I competed to become head of the Weresile." Xavier hesitates after his words, as if he wasn't meant to say anything at all. "Jacob, he is the reason I am who I am."
"He sounds like an incredible brother." I reply fighting the urge to stand up and hug Xavier.
"Katrina, she was special. One minute she was playing with her friends and the next she just disappeared." Xavier flinches, he's reliving the memory in his mind. "That just leaves me and Gemma, but ever since I became head of the Weresile she's barely spoken to me. When you were in the hospital, that was the first I'd heard from her in three years."
A tear slides down my cheek, Xavier's been through so much and here I am another complication in his life. No, this isn't the time for sentiment, I have one chance to find everything out, fill in all the blanks.
"Who was the Alpha before Alpha Michael?" I ask returning to the previous topic.
Xavier shakes his head, "I'm not putting you at risk Isabell-."
"But I NEED TO KNOW!" I cry out waving my arms around.
"You didn't let me finish," Xavier says softly amusement dancing in his eyes, "I'm going to tell you a story Belle."
"O-okay?"
"Once upon a time there was a happy family, they had a beautiful daughter with gorgeous blonde hair and mesmerising eyes. She had a happy childhood, she was loved and adored. Until one night everything changed, as the members of the pack slept their Alpha was slaughtered in his sleep."
I double over with Xavier's ending, a stabbing pain in my stomach. I guess that's something I'm not meant to remember. "I'm fine." I say curling up on the ground.
"No you're not, I'm stopping this right now." Xavier says bending down, he strokes my hair gently.
"You said you would tell me everything I asked." I reply swatting away his hand and sitting up.
"Not if it puts your life in danger, which it's beginning to." He says gesturing towards my hunched figure. I open my mouth to respond but he beats me to the punch, "that's it Belle. I know it's not everything but it's as much as I can tell you."
I watch Xavier stand up my mind still reeling from his words, it's just like the first day. The authority in Xavier's voice had returned and it's aimed directly at me.
"Where are you going?"
"I have a lot to do, I'll see tomorrow." With that, Xavier shuts the door behind him.