When fate and worlds collide

07 | Puzzle Pieces

I met Xavier outside in the courtyard, shouts surrounded me as training drills begun. I looked around at the people, the barrier above shimmering in the early morning light.

Thoughts swirled in my mind. I knew whenever I left the tower I risked these peoples lives, not knowing if my barrier would hold after my death. But half of these people were only here because I chose to leave the safety of the walls I had created. Xavier appeared beside me, looking around as well

"What's troubling you?" Xavier was one of the few people I had allowed to get close to me. I had met him on the outskirts of the city almost two years ago, but I realised the connection I had with him was far different from anyone else I had met since the fall. He was the brother I never had, and even though he was Liam's Beta, he was loyal to Rohnan and myself, following Liam's instructions out of respect for me.

"Do our people think me selfish? For going on scouts and risking the safety of this place?" Xavier glanced at me with his deep blue eyes "I sometimes think I am, its the only time I feel useful and...free" I added

"Did you know Catherine had an extreme fear of heights?" I looked at him in surprise at the subject change

"She's one of our best snipers?"

"Exactly, she use to pass out by walking up the stairs to the wall. Not long after you rescued Ahmmed, he spent weeks with her, talking through her fear until it no longer affected her. He was a phycologist before the fall, although you wouldn't know it given his faith" there was no debate on religion anymore, especially within the Tower. Here you were free to believe in whatever suited you.

"Joe had a drinking problem, got caught more than once trying to raid the food supplies searching for alcohol. Himari, the Japanese nurse you rescued from the Feral infested hospital, made him realise he was quite gifted with numbers and chemicals. Him, along with the botanist we have, are the ones that figured out the ratio of those herbs you use that appeared after the fall. Without him many of the Auras we have would be dead" he looked down at me again "including you"

"What's your point Xavier?"

"Before the fall, half these people wouldn't have even looked at one another, let alone give each other help. Many would have believed Ahmmed was a terrorist and Himari a plague carrier. The other half just simply didn't care. We lived in a world that someone elses life meant less than our own. No matter how rich or poor you were, we were divided as a species" He folded his arms over his chest as we watched the people mill about, so many different nationalities and religions all working together towards a single goal: Survive.

"Extinction tends to make everything else look petty in comparison, doesn't mean I caused a miracle" I mumbled

"You're right. You're not a miracle worker. But you gave these people something better. You gave them a home, you gave them light, warm blankets, food and water. You gave them courage, strength and most importantly, unity. You gave them a world worth fighting for, by simply being you. More than half of them owe you their lives because you do" a few people waved in our direction, their eyes brightening when they saw me.

I felt my chest tighten in realisation that the last thing these people would see me as is selfish, I had put more on the line every day until there were enough of us to defend the Tower effectively. Every day I had risked my son's life just to create a place I could keep him safe in.

'So, to answer your question, as to whether our people think you selfish" he turned to me, his eyes as kind as ever "No, they don't. They can't give enough to you in repayment for what you have done for them" I felt my eyes sting at that.

"Thank you, Xavier" I gave him a warm smile "I don't know what I'd do without you"

"You'd definitely be bored on a daily basis" he jested.

"Well, I hope you like entertaining me, cause you'll get more time to" I mumbled. He frowned, confused and I let out a sigh "Liam and I have come to an...agreement" the amusement fell from his face as he looked away. He didn't particularly like Liam, even though they had known each other before the fall he struggled to stay his place when he knew his Alpha was not in control, especially when I would get hurt

"I'm sorry for not helping you the other day" he ground out. It was hard for him to watch from the sidelines, the only downside to giving up Alpha "I should have stayed, pushed to keep him under control better"

"You know he would have thought it was a challenge. He would have killed you Xav. I don't need rescuing" he sighed, tilting his head back

"You're basically my family Na-na, I can't help but feel like I'm responsible for you" I gave him a face at the pet name he had for me. What had started out as a way to get a reaction earlier on, over time turned into a name of affection

"I gave up Alpha because I didn't think I could lead; I gave it to someone who I thought could. Turns out it isn't as simple as swapping roles" Xavier's chuckle made me smile

"No s**t" he mumbled, he glanced down again "sooo....same deal as before?" I made a face. Before I had pushed Liam away, we had indulged in the bond with no limits, which included a lot of s*x. At any point. In any place.

"No, I've made it clear things will be different. Out of the whole Tower, we are the only ones not working together, which goes against everything I have sought to achieve. I am not exempt from those rules" I admitted

"So..." he started "what's the agreement in place now?"

"My scouts have been cut to twice a fortnight" I mumbled, Xavier stumbled sideways, feigning shock

"And you agreed?" he let out a whistle. I punched him in the arm

"Don't get too excited, I have to take you with me" he gave me a face

"Anything else?"

"I have to attend the council meetings" Xavier laughed at that, he knew I hated the council meetings more than anything "in return he stops trying to force this bond, and trying to control everything I do" I sighed, I still felt like I got the lesser end of the deal.

"And you believe he will listen this time?" Xavier had a point, I sometimes felt like we were going around in circles, always expecting a different outcome but Liam came back to the same person he had always been

"I have to give him the benefit of the doubt. It felt like something actually budged within him. Guess time will tell if I am right or not"

"And if you're not?" I glanced up at Xavier, chest tightening

"I guess I will have to re-evaluate on whether he is the best fit as Alpha" I mumbled, stomach knotting at that thought "Alright, lets do the rounds before it gets too hot, I dont feel like sweating like a pig today" I started forward, not wanting to hear a response from Xavier at that statement.

~*~

After our rounds, checking in with the new recruits and participating in a few sparring sessions Xavier and I had made our way up the tower, assessing any problems and taking note on what we needed to scavenge for on the next scouting trip. I hadn't seen Liam but I could feel where he was in his war room, his powers brushed mine when he felt me reach out and a pang of guilt went through me as I drew away. I sighed inwardly and followed Xavier.

We sat in our usual spot high up on the tower, feet dangling over the edge as the city dropped away below. Silence stretched between us, but it wasn't the uncomfortable kind, it was the type that spoke more words then we could actually find.

I never grew tired of the magnificent sight this spot had of the city, and even though it was crumbling and broken, seeing the flourishing community below, amongst the decay and death made it all the more beautiful.

Xavier's hand rested on mine, thumb gently rubbing absently minded as he stared off into the distance. A simple gesture, but one I knew I would never let anyone else do. We connected in a way I never really understood, but didn't question either. I felt his power brush mine, his being the only other that could rival Rohnan's. It had taken a while when I had first come across him to figure out that he was a first gen Aura, like myself.

But after getting caught out in the city twice together, and saving each other countless times, we realised our powers resonated perfectly. Since then, he had not left my side, even acting as a father figure to Rohnan without ever showing signs of overstepping that line.

Part of me wondered if I had come across him first, would he have made a better Alpha? Would we have worked better together than Liam and I? Would I have accepted him any better? Or was the bond we shared only the way it was because we had grown as friends first?

"What has you troubled?" his voice jerked me out of my thoughts. I stared at him, noting the little flecks of green that swirled in his blue eyes. I looked away over the city again.

"Same old, same old" I replied, Xavier nudged me with his shoulder. I felt that switch niggle in the way it always did when he was around. As if my emotions knew they would be safe to be released with him. I pushed that thought away.

"I know that look. I feel that look Aiya" I let out a sigh. Hiding from him was like hiding from Liam's ever watching eye.

"What would you do, if tomorrow this all disappeared" I wave my hand over the broken city "and humanity could live without fear again, without death, to rebuild. Where would you go?" I looked at Xavier again. He blinked a few times, the question catching him off guard. He lent back on his hands, knee touching mine gently. Always touching in some way when no one was around.

"Before the fall I didn't have many dreams of doing anything big. I had travelled for work, but never for enjoyment. I had no children in a love-less marriage that ended in disaster and went about my life with no goals" he had never spoken about his past, the same as most people here. We didn't dwell on the before, most memories being too painful to talk about. The places we mourned our dead were in the shrines and group sessions the people had created to cope.

"But, now knowing what I do, and meeting the people I have...I'd like to show you and Rohnan the world. The quiet and special places. And then...maybe find a place I can create that would give you and Rohnan the peace you deserve to live your life, free from all burdens" I felt my heartbeat thump hard against my chest, that switch almost burning as it tried to turn my emotions back on.

He looked at me and gave a small smile, one that believed in that little dream, but also knew it would never be a reality. And for a moment I didn't know what was worse, that it would only ever be a dream, or that I felt deep down I was never destined to live long enough to see or feel a normal life again.

"I guess that gives me some comfort, knowing you wouldn't ditch for a young brunette the first chance you got" I teased

"And allow you to live Xavier pun free? Whatever would you do for humour?" a light laugh left my lips at that as Xavier gently bumped my shoulder with his.

"Why do I feel like something terrible is coming?" I said quietly, the light-hearted moment gone "there are things that have happened the past few days that are not normal, even for the world we now live in. Something has changed in the powers I feel, like a ripple growing in size" Xavier was the only person, aside from Rohnan, that I would openly admit my concerns

"I have noticed a change in the Ferals behaviour, and seen less nightmares sculking around at night. Their usual grainy essence absent as the night goes on" Xavier explained. I thought about that for a moment, and the attack we fought against once I had returned with Jax and his group

"Can you promise me one thing?" I asked, looking up at Xavier, allowing him to see the seriousness in my eyes "Whatever happens to me, or this tower, you will get Rohnan out to the safe spot and never look back" he frowned for a moment "I built this place to protect him, but if it falls I need to know that he is safe even if I am not here to protect him myself" the safe spot was an underground bunker high in the mountains that I had created a while ago, as a back up in case anything happened to me or the tower, somewhere I knew my son would be safe. Somewhere that could function without me. Xavier was the only person I had ever told about it, just in case.

"That's a bit of a jump to the worst-case scenario, dont you think?" I drew on my powers then, watching as Xaviers eyes went wide before his powers responded and shone bright blue

"I am asking, through our Aura bond, and as your close friend, if everything fails and I die, will you do everything in your absolute power to keep my son safe? Including abandoning your pack and Alpha?"' I felt Liam's powers perk up at the sudden surge in my power, but I pushed him away "you know what I am asking for Xavier, but you are the only person I trust with my sons life. If I fail to protect him, will you do it for me?" He stared at me for a moment longer before holding out his hand

"I will do everything in my power to keep Rohnan safe and alive, I swear to you" I clasped his hand with mine and opened a channel to my powers, sealing his oath in an unbreakable bond. After a moment I felt the invisible chains connect and I let my hand fall back beside me; Xavier sighed "But you do know, I will also do everything I can to keep you safe before that happens" I nodded, but knowing now he was bound by our power, he would not be able to choose myself over Rohnan. If it came down to it, he would be forced to abandon me.

"His life is all that matters Xav, you know that. Everything I have ever done is to keep him safe" I felt Xavier's arm wrap around my shoulders as he drew me in for a hug. It was quick, but it meant more than his words.

"What happens if Liam finds out? Isn't this going against him as Alpha?" I shrugged

"There's still so much we dont know as Auras, let alone what the pack can do. It's not like an encyclopedia dropped out of the sky along with the other creatures" Xavier chuckled at that

"That would have been handy" I thought about that for a moment, on the past four years. The beasts that reigned from the sky had been monsters from our fairytails. Vampire like creatures that stalked the night, draining any living creature that was unfortunate enough to be caught after the suns rays disappeared; Nightmares we called them.

And then there were the Ferals. Wolf like creatures that were blood thirsty and vicious, their claws laced with a deadly toxin that paralysed and then killed with even a scratch. They hunted and lived in packs, their Alpha smart, dangerous and strong.

However, both species had a venom in their fangs that had the ability to turn people into what we called lessor Auras, their power unpredictable and sparatic. And if it was to strong, it eventually turned the host back to the beast that bit them, unless they joined a pack and shared their power, allowing them to use the beast inside to their will. A few had mastered the change, enabling them to use their alternate form as a defensive strategy.

But there was always a price to pay with being half human, half beast. In times of extreme anger or fear, it allowed the beast control and to change at will. Those moments were dangerous as the beast was always uncontrollable and violent. We figured out that each person had the option of a mate, a other half that could personally share in each others powers as well as the packs. Some discovered it as a pull, almost like an instinct to be with each other.

And others, like Liam and myself, discovered the full extent of the bond through an act of intimacy that had left us bound to each other in ways we still did not fully comprehend. He was the Alpha, which meant through the ranking system I was now his Luna.

Or was it the other way around since I was technically his Alpha first?

"What are you going to do about that woman?" Xavier asked quietly. The question shot through me like a knife and my head snapped in his direction. I felt his spike of fear at my sudden anger but I suppressed the feeling

"I was thinking she could work the laundry shift, that might make her understand the seriousness of her actions" I sniffed as I looked out over the city, the wind tugging at the loose strands of my hair. I had wanted to kick both her and Glen out of my Tower, but I knew it would do no good, especially since Rohnan had not yet made up his mind.

"Considering she not only put those children in danger, but everyone else here in the Tower when she threw herself through that portal, we both know that's a mercy to what she really deserves" I pursed my lips as I thought about that. She had endangered this entire Haven because she wanted to save her own ass, but I knew I was being more lenient on the pair because of the connection Rohnan had to Glen.

"It's a hard decision to make Xavier, but it comes down to Ro-"

"Rohnan, I know" Xavier finished my sentence, knowing exactly how I felt and exactly the position it left me in

"So what do I do?" I asked quietly

"I'll speak to Liam, explain what had happened and he can be the one to deal out the punishment. It shouldn't be you to take the brunt of that problem. If Liam really wants to do better this time, he can start by helping you in these situations" Xavier stood, dusting off his pants before holding out his hand for me to take. I looked up at him for a moment, catching his eyes that held an emotion I wasn't quite sure of.

I slipped my hand into his and allowed him to pull me to my feet, our proximity closer than expected and I felt my breath hitch for a moment, that internal switch itching to flip as his scent washed over me in the strangest of ways. I blinked a few times before Xavier let my hand fall to my side and walk towards the rooftop door.

I stared at his retreating back, my mind puzzled at the strange reaction I just experienced with him. But he seemed completely unfazed by the moment. I shook my head and passed it off as my emotions wanting to break free.

I followed him, my mind a whirlwind and chest tight as I wondered how I was going to cope with what was to come over the next few days.