Chapter 4

Xavier

I'm in my office talking to Jasper, who has just arrived from the search.

“Did you find her?” I asked. It has been three weeks since the rogue has taken Scarlet. Since then, I have continuously blamed myself.

“No, Alpha,” my beta replied with his head down. He also blames himself for what happened, and his twin sister, who happens to be Scarlet's best friend, keeps asking him about her every day.

“Okay, you can go home.” He nodded, but when he looked at me, I knew he wanted to say something.

“What is it?” I asked,

“What if she has been–”

“Stop it, Jas; Scarlet is alive.”

“How can you be so sure?” he asked. He didn't want that to happen, but maybe he already lost hope.

“I know because I am her alpha. I would know if anything happens to her.” I answered. Jasper looked at me intently, appearing to want to ask something, but decided not to.

“Alright, Alpha. We will search for her again tomorrow.” I nodded before I dismissed him, so he turned and left my office.

After I was alone, I leaned back, closed my eyes, and began thinking about what had happened.

***

I was in my office when Madison arrived, asking me to come to her and have a walk. I didn't come since I had things to do, so I gave her permission to walk around instead. Of course, she's not a pack member, so I mindlinked my patrol guards and informed them about her. As the pack's guest, I needed to ensure her safety, and then I returned to work.

‘Alpha, rogue sighting.’ One of the guards linked me.

‘Where?’

‘The safe part of the border,’ he replied. Then it’s not the safe part anymore.

‘I already mind-linked beta, Jasper.’

‘Alright, thank you.’ I replied as I walked out of my office. Then I remembered Madison, so I rushed out. Her father, alpha Desmond, will surely get angry if something happens to her.

I found the rogue at the same time as Jasper and my Gamma, Carl. My eyes widened. I saw Madison facing the rogue, and standing behind her was Scarlet. Then I saw the rogue jump, and my instinct told me to get to Madison since she was my responsibility. Another is that Carl was there to protect Scarlet.

But I was wrong; the rogue’s target was not Madison but Scarlet, who was nailed to where she was standing. I saw how the rogue sank his fangs on her shoulder before he took her. “Shit! Scarlet!” Jasper shouted, and then he ran for her. I was about to follow, but–

“Ah!” said Madison, standing beside me and making me look at her.

“What’s wrong?” I asked; she was holding her chest and looked pale.

“I don’t know. I was so scared, and I thought that that rogue was going to kill me,” she replied. I looked at Carl and found him staring blankly at where the rogue had taken Scarlet.

“Carl!” I called him. Shit! I can’t stay here; Scarlet needs me.

“Alpha!” three patrol guards said in unison. I sighed in relief and told them,

“Take Madison to the pack house and take care of Carl.” Then I left them. I needed to follow Scarlet; I needed to save my mate.

***

I open my eyes and look around my office. Yes, Scarlet is my mate. I have been suppressing that since she’s not of age yet. Many times, I have tried to tell her but can’t. I want my office to be filled with her scent, so I always ask her to come whenever someone tells me that she has done something wrong. But I also had to ask her father because I don’t know what I would do to her if we were ever left alone.

Although I didn’t like what Carl told her all those times, I thought it was better than not seeing or being with her. The last time she was here was when her father slapped her. I had to talk to my Gamma alone and warned him about it. I could see that he was curious, but he just shut his mouth. He knew he had no right to question me.

I’m grateful for my beta and his family, especially the twins. They’ve been kind to my mate and loved her like family. I know many have belittled her because of what Carl told everyone. He doesn’t believe he’s Scarlet's biological father, but I doubt it is true. Wherever I look at him, I see Scarlet as well. I don’t know why he was thinking that way.

Scarlet will turn 18 soon, and I was waiting for that day. But what is going to happen now that she’s not here anymore? I could feel that she was fine, so I always asked my wolf, but he didn’t respond as always. Whenever I asked him about our mate, he didn't say anything.

‘Ares, are you still not going to tell me anything?’

‘Quiet,’

‘What’s wrong?’

‘Nothing, just do your thing and let me be.’ Then, I couldn't feel him, but he retreated to the back of my being, where I couldn't reach him.

Days passed, and there were still no results from the search. There was one time that I felt a pain in my chest. It was brief, but I think it had something to do with Scarlet.

Carl helped, too. I think he was missing his daughter as well, but I just ignored him. He should have been caring for Scarlet ever since, but he chose to torment her.

“Xavier, when will you hold a ceremony for me?” Madison asked, making me crease my forehead.

“What do you mean?” I asked curiously. We were in my office, and she had visited just like always.

“I had been waiting for you to mark me and make me your chosen mate, but until now, I have been still in the dark.”

“Madison, I already found my mate,” I said, widening my eyes.

“Where is she?”

“She doesn’t know about it; I’m still waiting for the right timing.”

“No! You’re just saying that so I would stop bugging you about us being chosen mates. I devoted myself to you, Xavier.”

“I never told you to do that. I keep reminding you that we would only be friends and nothing more because I only want to be with my mate.”

“How dare you, Xavier. I give myself to you,”

“Which you offered willingly. Please, Madison, let’s not talk like this. I consider you my friend and want us to stay that way forever if possible.” She said nothing, but I could see tears falling down her cheeks. I felt guilty, too, but I had no choice. I want Scarlet; I only love my mate.

Madison left my office with her head down. I tried to call her, but she didn’t listen and continued walking out until she closed the door.

One thing I regretted the most was the entanglement with her. Then I began to remember the time that started her assumption.

I was 17 when I met her, and we got close. She’s kind, soft-spoken, and an alpha’s daughter, so I saw nothing wrong with us if we ended up being together.

When I turned 18, exactly on my birthday, she asked me to come with her because she had a gift for me. As a young man, I agreed, looking forward to the present she told me she would give me, which I had already imagined. And I was not wrong. She brought me to a hotel in the human territory. She's a year older than me, so it was fine since we’re no longer minors.

That day, I experienced it for the first time. But what I didn’t expect was that she was no longer a virgin, and she made me do things and taught me different things, to be exact. I don’t care about virginity or whatever. It’s just that I thought she was because of how she carried herself. Prim and proper. Another thing is that I met her a year ago when she just turned 18, and we’re always together. Everyone thought we were in a relationship, but no. We’re just friends.

After that incident, I didn’t clear things with her. She thought we were already in an intimate relationship, so I had to talk to her because I only wanted my mate and no one else. I met different women, so Madison will understand that nothing is going on between us other than pure sex.

“What? But we're already fucking!” she exclaimed. She’s mad, and I understand that. The prim, proper, and soft-spoken woman I used to know changed then.

“Please understand that I want to be with my mate.”

“Then you should have not fuck me!”

“You know that you’re not the only one I’m fucking,” I replied arrogantly. I was 20 and had just assumed the alpha title after the death of my father. “Madison, I didn’t want to hurt you because you were already my friend before everything happened. Please don’t insist on that idea on me because I only want my mate.”

“Have you found her?” she asked. I was tempted to tell her about Scarlet, but I stopped myself. Scarlet was only 14 years old, and it was inappropriate to claim her that early, so I lied.

“No. But I am willing to wait for her.” I saw how her face changed.

“While she’s not here, let me be your girlfriend. You’ll never know; what if she never comes? Then we could be each other’s chosen mate, right?” She sounded sweet, so I secretly sighed in relief. But no,

“We can only be friends now, Madison, and nothing else.”

“What? But we’re compatible in bed. Don’t tell me you already took a liking to the other women you fuck!” she exclaimed.

“Stop, Madison. I didn’t want to talk about this. We can only be friends, and that’s it.” Thankfully, she calmed down and nodded her head before she excused herself and said she wanted to go home. I didn’t stop her and asked my beta to escort her.

When she left, I started to think about Scarlet. I only found out about her by accident. Although I heard from pack members how hard-headed she was, I didn’t pay attention to her because she’s my Gamma’s daughter. I heard she’s also a bully, but I still ignore it. I am focused on my alpha duties and let the school and Carl handle her.

But on my way to the pack school, I suddenly decided to take the route in the woods and found Scarlet crying. Her scent was so intoxicating that I needed to control myself from taking her. She was very young, and I knew it wasn’t right, so I had to turn my back on her.