1. Once upon a one-night stand

[Xavier’s POV]

A chilly wind swept through the air, and she shuddered a bit and snuggled closer to me while I tightened my arms around her; trying to keep her warm as she pressed her head closer to my chest, her heart beating rhythmically in sync with mine.

My eyelashes fluttered as I finally opened my eyes, defying sleep. It was dawn already, and soon, she would wake up to smile. Hopefully, she wouldn’t be regretting our one night stand. I wasn’t very good at calming people down.

The memories of last night flashed through my mind, and for the first time in a very long time, a smile found its way to my lips. Most days, I minded my business, but when I had seen her being taunted and sexualised by rogues, I hadn’t been able to keep my anger in and for the first time, I had gotten myself involved in someone else’s business.

Rustling. I heard rustling among the bushes, but for a moment, I thought it was probably a squirrel. However, when I heard the sound of it again, I knew better. That was definitely not a squirrel.

Placing her gently on the makeshift bed, I stood up and grabbed my trousers which was hanging on a tree. How the hell had it even gotten there in the first place?

Pulling them on, I paused for a while and listened carefully to the sound. I couldn’t hear it anymore, but I could perceive an old familiar scent I would remember anywhere.

I heaved a relieved sigh as I buttoned my shirt which had been crouched by the pond nearby, thanks to the blondie who had flung it over there while we were having a wild time the previous night.

“Jeffrey, show yourself. I know you’re there,” I said, flexing my knuckles.

“Can I ever sneak up on you successfully?” he joked as he came from behind the tall bushes ahead of me, walking leisurely.

“Not in this life time,” I replied, moving towards him.

“I see. It would be a shame if anyone sneaked up on the next Alpha King without him knowing though. Come on, let’s head back to the Palace before someone discovers you didn’t sleep in your chambers this night,” he said.

“So what if they find out? I can’t go now. You shouldn’t have come,” I told him.

He had a worried expression written clearly on his face. He opened his mouth to say something, but hesitated and stood at akimbo, appearing to be thoughtful.

At that moment, I instantly felt that something was up.

“What’s wrong?” I inquired.

“The Alpha...,” he started, then stopped.

“What about him?” I asked, urgency ringing in my voice.

“He is home. He came back home,” he told me, and I could see as sweat trickled down his forehead even though the weather was really cold.

“He’s back already from reaching a truce with the Dark moon pack? I thought he said he would coming back in two days time,” I said.

“That’s what we all thought,” he said, his voice broke a little.

I ran my fingers through my hair, pacing around as I thought carefully. “He’ll call me a useless troublemaker again, wouldn’t he? Anyways, that won’t make me go home with you now. There’s a maiden here. I can’t leave her all alone,” I explained.

“A maiden? Where is she?” he asked, craning his neck.

I pushed his neck away. “What are you trying to do? Stare at her nakedness? Listen, no one must find out about where I am. I’ll come home once the sun rises and she has woken up,” I told him in a confidential manner.

“Xavier...”

“You can go now,” I told him, firmly, then turned my back on him.

He heaved an exasperated sigh. “You don’t understand, Xavier. The Alpha came home, but he didn’t come back in one piece,” he said, almost at the top of his voice.

I spun back around immediately. “What do you mean by that?” I inquired.

A drop of tear fell from his eyes. “He’s dead,” he responded.

“What? Are you kidding me right now?” I asked, clenching my fists as I struggled to believe the news.

“No, I am not. Some members of the Pack found him lying by the roadside, and brought his lifeless body to us. I told them that you were out hunting for deer and that you’d be back soon. You have to take care of the funeral rites,” he said to me.

I could feel my heart breaking into a million different pieces, and I gritted my teeth, shaking my head in disbelief.

“Do not cry. No Alpha’s son must shed tears,” my father’s words echoed in my head.

So, I didn’t cry. Instead, I screamed. I screamed out loud in anger, until that scream erupted into a growl; my fangs sprouted from my mouth, my claws sprung out of my fingernails and my hazel eyes darkened into an intense smoky glow.

“Calm down, Xavier. Stop! You’d hurt someone,” Jeffrey said.

I shook my head vigorously, hitting on it really hard in order for my wolf to become calm. This wasn’t the right time for this. I needed to maintain my sanity.

“H - - how did he die?” I managed to ask, regaining control of my human form.

“It wasn’t a natural death. He was ambushed and murdered by an Omega clan. We are waiting for your orders to find them and punish them in accordance to your will,” he explained.

“So, those lowly things called Omegas had the temerity to gang up and kill an Alpha King? Such audacity! My father was put to death and left to die like a beggar in the streets, and this so-called act was done by those inferior beings? How dare they!

“Summon all the guards and trackers, and find them immediately. Kill them all on sight, whoever they might be – men, women or even children, and for all those other Omegas who aren’t part of the traitorous Omega Clan, make their labour ten times harder and for the old ones who can’t work, take them to the dungeons. This would teach them never to try such again in the future. This is my order,” I told him, giving him a fierce look.

“I will let them all know,” he said, with a small bow.

“I need to tell her!” I turned towards her, realising how much it pained me to think of never seeing her again.

“You can’t! We don’t know what’s going on back at home, and even if you are serious about her, it’s too dangerous!” He grabbed my arm, and in the end, I gave in.

How could I expect her to get involved with an Alpha’s hair whose pack’s fate is at stake?

I let my wolf spring out now that I was done with giving my orders and raced on all fours to my home, the Alpha King’s Palace with anger piercing directly at my heart.

I never thought I would miss a one-night stand until later, but I could only hope to apologize for not being there when she wakes up and hope for her forgiveness.