14

XENIA'S POV

Two weeks. It had been two weeks since Marrylen showed up at my door, and those two weeks had been some of the most comforting, most peaceful weeks I had experienced in a long time. Being with her, feeling her love, her warmth—it had made me feel whole again. She made me laugh, she held me when I needed it, and she gave me the space to just be myself. It was everything I had wanted, everything I thought I needed.

But there was still something missing. There was still a part of me that felt restless, that felt pulled back to where it all started. To Beddington. To the pack. To Kaleb.

I knew it was unfair to Marrylen. She had come all this way, had put her heart on the line for me, and here I was, ready to leave again. But I couldn't ignore the pull any longer. I had to go back—to see Kaleb, to see if there was a way to make sense of everything. To finally confront the part of me that I had left behind.

I sat down on the couch, glancing at Marrylen, who was busy in the kitchen. My heart ached at the thought of telling her—at the thought of seeing the hurt in her eyes when she realized I was leaving. But I couldn't avoid it. I had to be honest.

"Marrylen," I called softly, and she turned, her face lighting up with a smile that made my chest tighten.

"Yeah?" she asked, wiping her hands on a towel as she walked over to me. "What's up?"

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "I... I need to go back to Beddington."

The smile on her face faltered, and I could see the confusion in her eyes. "What? Why?"

I looked down at my hands, feeling the weight of the words I was about to say. "I don't know how to explain it. I just... I feel like I need to go back. There's something there that I need to face, something I need to figure out."

Her expression shifted, the confusion giving way to hurt, and I could see the tears welling up in her eyes. "Xenia, I thought... I thought we were finally getting somewhere. I came all this way for you, and now you're just going to leave?"

I reached out, taking her hand, my heart breaking at the pain in her voice. "Marrylen, I love you. I do. And these past two weeks have meant everything to me. But I can't ignore this feeling. I have to go back and see if there's something there—if there's a way for me to make sense of all of this."

She pulled her hand away, stepping back as she shook her head. "So, what? You're just going to run back to him? To Kaleb? After everything we've been through?"

Her words stung, and I could feel the tears spilling over. "It's not like that, Marrylen. It's not about choosing him over you. It's about finding myself, about understanding who I am and what I want. I can't do that if I keep running away from Beddington."

She looked at me, her eyes filled with pain and frustration. "And what about us? What happens to us if you go back?"

I swallowed, my throat tight. "I don't know. I wish I had an answer for you. All I know is that I need to do this, and I hope that you'll understand."

She turned away, her shoulders trembling as she wiped at her eyes. "I don't understand, Xenia. I don't understand how you can say you love me and still want to go back to him. It feels like I'm not enough for you."

I stood, stepping closer to her, my heart aching. "You are enough, Marrylen. You are more than enough. This isn't about you. It's about me and the things I need to face. I wish I could stay, but I can't ignore this any longer."

She turned to face me, her eyes red, her expression a mix of heartbreak and anger. "I can't stop you, can I? You're going to go, no matter what I say."

I nodded, tears streaming down my face. "I have to."

She took a deep breath, her jaw clenched. "Fine. Go. But don't expect me to be here waiting when you come back. I can't keep putting my heart on the line for someone who can't decide what they want."

Her words cut deep, and I could feel the weight of the decision I was making. I reached out, my fingers brushing against her arm, but she pulled away, her expression hardening.

"Goodbye, Xenia," she whispered, her voice breaking as she turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, my heart shattered.

I watched her go, my chest tight, my vision blurred by tears. I wanted to call out to her, to tell her that I loved her, that I would come back for her. But I knew that wouldn't be fair. She deserved more than that. She deserved someone who could give her everything, and right now, I couldn't.

I wiped my tears, taking a deep breath as I turned towards the door. It was time to go back to Beddington. To face Kaleb, to face the pack, to face whatever awaited me there.

But as I stepped out of the apartment, a part of me couldn't help but wonder if I was making the biggest mistake of my life—if I was walking away from the one person who truly loved me, all for the sake of a past that I couldn't seem to let go of.

XENIA'S POV

The journey back to Beddington was a quiet one. Marrylen had agreed to come with me, despite her initial anger and heartbreak. I could tell she still wasn't happy about it, and I couldn't blame her. She was doing this for me, putting her own feelings aside, and I knew how much it hurt her. It made me love her even more, but it also made me feel the weight of my decision more heavily than ever.

When we arrived in Beddington, everything felt familiar yet different. The air was heavy, the woods surrounding the town dark and foreboding, and I felt the pull of the pack stronger than ever. I knew where I needed to go—to the caves, to see Kaleb. I needed answers, closure, something to make sense of everything that had happened.

Marrylen stayed back, her face tense as she watched me leave. I could feel her eyes on my back, the silent plea for me to come back to her. I nodded at her, giving her a reassuring look, but inside, I was filled with uncertainty.

The path to the cave was well-worn, my feet carrying me there almost on their own. I could feel the energy of the pack around me, the whispers of the bond that connected us all. As I approached the cave, I could hear sounds coming from inside—voices, muffled and strange. My heart pounded in my chest, a sense of unease settling over me.

I stepped into the cave, the dim light making it hard to see. As my eyes adjusted, the sight before me made my blood run cold. There, in the center of the room, was Kaleb. He was seated, his head tilted back, his eyes closed in pleasure—and Tochex was kneeling in front of him, her mouth working over his lower body, her hands gripping his thighs.

For a moment, I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. Anger surged through me, hot and blinding, and I felt something deep inside me snap. A primal rage, a power I had never felt before, burst to the surface, and I could feel the air around me shift, the energy crackling like a storm.

Kaleb's eyes snapped open, his gaze meeting mine. For a brief second, I saw shock flash across his face, and then something else—fear. Tochex pulled away, her eyes widening as she turned to look at me, but I couldn't focus on her. All I could see was Kaleb, the betrayal, the hurt, the fury that coursed through my veins.

"Xenia," Kaleb started, his voice hoarse, but I cut him off with a snarl, my body trembling as the power within me surged. "Don't you dare," I spat, my voice echoing through the cave. "Don't you dare say my name."

I could feel the power radiating from me, the energy pulsing through every fiber of my being. It was raw, untamed, and it frightened me, but I didn't care. I let it consume me, let it flow through me as I stepped closer, my eyes locked on Kaleb.

He stood, his hands raised as if to calm me, but it only made me angrier. "Xenia, please, let me explain," he said, his voice trembling slightly.

"Explain?" I hissed, my eyes blazing. "Explain how you could do this? How you could betray me like this? After everything?"

Tochex had scrambled to her feet, her face pale as she backed away, but I barely noticed her. All I could see was Kaleb, the man who was supposed to be my mate, the man who had promised to protect me, to love me—and here he was, with her.

The power inside me built, a storm that I could barely control, and I felt the ground beneath me tremble. Kaleb's eyes widened, and I could see the fear there, the realization that he had pushed me too far.

"You think you can just take whatever you want? That I would come back and everything would be fine?" I said, my voice shaking with fury. "You don't own me, Kaleb. I am not yours to control."

He took a step towards me, his expression pained. "Xenia, please, I made a mistake. I was hurting. I thought you weren't coming back."

I laughed, a bitter, hollow sound. "So this is how you deal with it? By betraying everything we had?"

The power inside me swelled, and I could feel it pushing at the edges of my control, threatening to spill over. I had to get out of here. I had to leave before I did something I couldn't take back.

I turned on my heel, storming out of the cave, my heart pounding, my mind a whirlwind of emotions. I could hear Kaleb calling after me, but I ignored him, my steps quickening as I made my way back to where Marrylen was waiting.

As I approached her, I could see the concern in her eyes, the worry etched across her face. "Xenia, what happened?" she asked, stepping towards me, but I shook my head, tears spilling over as I pulled her into my arms.

"Take me away from here," I whispered, my voice breaking. "Please, just take me away."

She nodded, wrapping her arms around me, holding me tightly as I sobbed against her shoulder. And in that moment, I knew—whatever connection I had to Kaleb, whatever bond had tied us together, it was shattered. And I wasn't sure if it could ever be repaired.