The Alpha and His Dancer

Chapter 7 - My Little Swan

XAVIER

"How dare you?" I growled, slamming Alex against the wall. He groaned in pain, his eyes tightly shut.

"I didn't know, Alpha," he cried, not even making an effort to fight back. He knew any struggle would end him in a grave. I would certainly rip his head off. It was because of him that my mate was so afraid of me. It was because of him that she tried to run away from me.

"She is terified of us because of you!" I yelled.

"She--She was scared beforehand, Alpha," he tried to plead with me. "I swear. She was afraid even before I kidnapped her. I had to do that because she ran off the second she found out I was a werewolf."

I felt my claws get longer, and his wince told me they were starting to prick his neck. "Please, I'm sorry," he cried.

I let out a growl and let go of him, the force making him fall to his knees. He coughed, holding his bleeding neck, his gaze downcast.

"If I ever see you anywhere near her, I will rip your head off. Is that clear?"

"Yes, yes Alpha. Your mate is my Luna, and I shall forever be at her service. But you'll never see me in the same room as her, I promise."

"Now get out of my sight," I snapped.

He did not even bother getting back to his feet. I hurriedly crawled out the room, closing the door behind him. I let out another growl and punched the wall. The slight c***k that formed gave me satisfaction. These walls were meant to contain rabid werewolves, and almost nothing could harm them. But it also told me how out of control I was feeling.

Serves you right for being an i***t and letting her leave. You know she's going to run, right? Hagor asked.

Yes, Hagor, I'm not stupid.

Debatable.

I clenched my jaw.

Alright, alright, don't throw a tantrum. I'm only saying this for our own good. Post someone outside her house.

I will. I had it in mind already.

How come I do not know?

Because I blocked you out. You're not very fun to be around, you know.

You're an ass.

Hagor hadn't always been like this. He was a nice wolf, a companion and friend I cherished and thanked the Goddess for. I still loved him of course, he was my wolf. But he had become very hard to deal with ever since we aged beyond twenty two and we still hadn't found our mate. I'd hoped he would go back to being normal once we found her, but apparently just having met her wasn't enough. He needed to know she was his. He needed to mark her or he wouldn't rest, and he'd never let me rest either.

There was a knock on the door, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Come in," I said sternly. I wasn't in the mood for company, but it could be important. As an Alpha, what I wanted, what I felt like didn't always matter. I had to put the pack first.

But when Clarice entered the room, I quickly regretted my words. A wave of guilt washed over me.

She was still dressed up. Her auburn hair was in a decorative bun, studded with jewels. She looked beautiful. Almost perfect. But she wasn't Delilah.

"Can I talk to you?" she asked softly.

She looked like she'd been crying.

"Of course," I replied, letting out a sigh. "But I don't really know what to say to you. Everything that happened is in front of you. I--"

"I need your help, Xav," she cut me off.

I frowned.

"My help? With what?"

"Could you kill me?" she asked, making me freeze.

My eyes gleamed. "What?"

She sniffed, lowering her gaze. "I can't wait any longer, Xavier. I have loved you since we were children, everything I did, every fight I won, every second I trained, it was to get your attention. I knew at the back of my mind that both of us will find our mates, but lately I'd been sure that maybe we were meant to love as humans do. Maybe that was why neither of us had found our soulmates. And when you asked me to marry you, I was ecstatic."

I lowered my eyes. Seeing her tears was painful. I never wanted to hurt her. It was never my intention to.

"But then at our engagement you found your mate, and... I can't ask you to let her go and be with me instead, but I can ask you to end this misery for me. Please, Xavier. Just kill me. My heart is crushed."

"Clarice," I sighed, walking up to her. I took her by the arms and pulled her to my chest. "I'm so sorry for everything that happened. I'm sorry for not being able to give you the happiness you deserve and for breaking your heart."

"It's not your fault," she cried.

"I can't kill you, you know. Nor can I let anyone else do that." I pulled away from her and gently took her chin, making her meet my eyes. "You will find your mate very soon. I promise. Even I had thought I wouldn't find her, but she showed up when I least expected it. I'm sure your mate is around here somewhere, just round a corner. You will find him, and your life will never be the same again. You won't even remember you ever loved a man called Xavier."

She stared up at me, her brown eyes red with tears. "You really think so?"

"I do." I nodded. "I promise."

"And if I don't?"

"You will." I gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze. "Now give me a smile."

She shook her head. "I can't."

"Clarice, the fiercest girl I know, cannot smile through pain?"

She let out a small chuckle. "The only way I'm gonna smile now is after kicking your ass at training."

"Hmm, I'll let you win then."

She narrowed her eyes. "Oh you're gonna get it."

I laughed, raising my hands in surrender. "Alright, okay, please go easy on me."

"Hm," she said smugly, "I'll see."

I smiled, feeling slightly relieved. "You wanna go see where your i***t of a brother is? We should go get a burger. Today was stressful."

"I'd like that." She nodded.

- - - -

DELILAH

"What are you doing?" Bri asked desperately as I filled my suitcase with my clothes.

"I can't stay here, Bri," I said, wiping away my tears, "I have to go." I closed the suitcase, putting all my weight on it so it would remain closed before I zipped it up.

"No, no, listen to me." She took my arms and turned me towards herself. Her eyes were filled with tears too. "You can't just up and leave like this, Del. We--we could go to the police. We could hire private security, there are those that give protection against werewolves."

"Private security?" I asked incredulously. "Where will you afford it? And can you guarantee that whoever we hire will not end up dead? I did my research all night long, Brianna. Xavier Crown is the most influential man in town. Not just as a werewolf. He can do anything. If I stay here, I'm as good as dead."

She opened her mouth to retort, but then closed it. She let out a sob, taking my hands in hers. "But I'll miss you, Delilah. Please don't leave me."

My silent tears turned into loud sobs as well, and I pulled her into a tight hug, closing my eyes shut. "You're my family, Brianna. After my parents, you're the only person I've ever loved. I'm so sorry, but I have to go. I promise you, the second I find a job there, I'll arrange something for you too and call you there."

"You will?" She sniffed, pulling away to look at me.

"Yes. I cupped her cheek. "You didn't think I can live the rest of my life without you, do you? I love you, Bri, you're my sister."

"Aright," she sniffed, nodding. "You gotta hurry up then. You need to be in a different town before he eve finds out that you've left."

I nodded. "Help me out with this."

- - - -

It took us a couple of hours before I'd gathered everything I would need to spend a couple of days in a new town without a job. I was wiling to work my ass off once I got there, if it meant not being caught and captured by a werewolf. At least this way, I would still be alive.

"I'm coming with you to the bus station," Bri said, grabbing my suitcase.

"No," I shook my head, "it's not safe."

"I don't care, Del. I'm coming with. Let's go."

She dragged my suitcase out of the apartment. If I had time, I would've argued more. But it was already afternoon, and I couldn't let darkness fall. I had to be out of here before that happened.

We caught a cab, and drove straight to the station. It was almost an hour drive, and with every second, I felt my heart sink deeper into my chest. I had built myself a life here, even if my end goal was to abandon it and move elsewhere. It wasn't supposed to be this soon, and it was supposed to be Stormfell, not another boring, rainy cold town. I hated this. I hated what life had thrown at me. I guess it was true what people said. The more you run from something, the more it chases you. I'd spent my life running from werewolves, and now one of the strongest, most deadliest of them was chasing me.

I didn't wanna think about what would if he caught me.

The car swerved, the sound of the tires drifting against the road filling my ears. Bri and I gasped, my eyes instantly going wide as I looked out the windows and the wind shield. The car came to a stop.

A sparkling black SUV stood in front of us, blocking our way.

My heart gave a shudder.

"Drive--drive round it," I said to the driver.

"There's no space, ma'am."

"Then reverse! Go back!" My voice trembled.

"It's a one way road ma'am, I can't do that."

I glanced at Bri, my breath hitched. Her expression mirrored mine.

"Someone's stepping out," she whispered, nudging my hand.

I turned my attention back towards the jeep.

And without a doubt it was him.

Xavier Crown, his expression stoic.

He stood there calmly, hilding his hands behind his back as he stared right at me. My heart leapt in my chest, my body beginning to shake.

"Is that him?" Bri whispered.

My head was spinning.

I felt nauseous.

"Delilah," she tapped my thigh, "is that him?"

Breathing was getting harder.

Xavier started walking towards us, and I let out a small cry.

"He's coming," I said, tears starting to form in my eyes. "He's coming, Bri, he's gonna kill me!"

She held onto my hands and shifted closer to me, as if she could save me from that monster.

Xavier reached us, and tried the door once.

It was locked.

He knocked on the window.

"Don't open it!" Bri yelled at the driver, her voice laced with terror.

Xavier knocked once more.

The driver didn't unlock it, nor did we.

Xavier lowered his gaze, and when he looked up again, his eyes were gleaming red.

Brianna let out a scream, covering her mouth.

Xavier grabbed the handle of the door, and the next second, the door was ripped open. It detached fom the car completely. Loud screams tore from our lips, and we hurriedly backed away to the other side. Tears rolled down my cheeks now, and my heart was beating so fast I could almost hear it.

Xavier placed his hand on the top of the car and leaned down to look at me. His eyes returned to their original blue, and he gave me a smile that did not reach his eyes.

"Going somewhere, my little swan?"

- - - - - -

Eeeeeek. I wouldn't want to be in Delilah's shoes right now. What do you think Xavier will do?