Delayed

<<Narrator>>

Zoe woke Xavier up early the next day and took breakfast to-go. She was eager to get to the coordinates left by her mother. She was desperate to find meaning in her life. She needed to find a purpose.

They only stopped at a gas station to refuel and took lunch to-go before getting back on the road. Xavier was worried for Zoe but he was hoping that whatever was awaiting them in Kansas would help Zoe the way she needed. 

The journey was monotonous and silent. Spike was eager to converse with Dahlia but Dahlia had yet to accept his mind-link. Dahlia was eager to know more about her mate but she was loyal to her human and if Zoe was that upset with him, he must've hurt her quite badly. Which made me a little mad at him too. Mates are supposed to respect, love, and protect each other. They are supposed to have each other's back, but Zoe's mate had abandoned her and chosen someone else.

Sun was about to set, sending orange and golden hues to dance across the sky. Flocks of birds could be seen flying back to their homes. They drove through a canopy of trees. Woods on both sides. It was a mesmerizing view. But the driver and her passenger were too busy in their dilemmas to stop and appreciate the beauty of nature.

Suddenly, the car screeched to a halt. Zoe and Xavier were alarmed as they glanced at each other instinctively.

"What the f-" Zoe started but got cut off by Xavier, "Are you alright?"

Instead of answering him, she got out of the car to check why they had stopped.

"I get it, you don't want me here, let alone talk to me. I'm happy to stay silent. But at least, answer me when I am only inquiring about your well-being." Xavier shut the door of the car annoyed and walked over to where Zoe had opened the bonnet of the car and was looking over things.

"Who are you to care about my well-being all of a sudden?" Zoe retorted. It was hard for her to know that she had a mate but he was the one who had chosen someone else over her. 

"I am your mate. And I am so sorry for everything you went through because of me. I will keep apologizing as long as it takes for you to forgive me. But, I worry about you, Zoe." Xavier tried to keep his voice steady. He didn't want to sound too desperate and push Zoe even farther away instead of softening her heart for him.

"Worry? You worry about me?" She turned to face him. Her emotions bordering between disbelief and rage, "Why don't you go worry about your chosen mate, Alpha." She growled and Dahlia's light glowed in Zoe's eyes for a second.

Xavier wanted to tell her everything. He wanted to confess how Claire had betrayed him and played him. But he shut up. The broken and angry look that Zoe gave him, felt like a blow to his torso, pushing all air out of his lungs. He stopped breathing for a moment as the impact of her words hit him. She wasn't just upset about him sending her away and being the indirect cause of her father's death. 

As far as Zoe knew, Claire was the next Luna-to-be of the Blood Crescent pack. He wondered how Zoe would react if she knew everything Claire did and how Xavier had to torture the woman he had loved since he was a young wolf. 

"Thought so," Zoe muttered and went back to examining the engine. 

She had made up her mind and his silence had proven her right, even though the truth couldn't be farther from what she believed. He sighed.

The moment was gone and it was pointless to argue. Her wounds were still fresh. He went behind the car and started pacing to let her work in peace. He had no idea if she knew about cars and engines but he was going to let her do what she wanted first.

After five minutes of trying to find out the cause of the car stopping, Zoe huffed and gave up. She knew nothing about cars. Usually, Maisie drove her to most places and she was an expert at keeping her vehicle working at an optimum level. 

Zoe got her phone to call for help from the nearest mechanic, only to realize that they were in a no-service zone. There was no signal for her to call anyone or connect to internet. She groaned.

While she was busy on her phone, Xavier tried his luck at cracking the problem. He checked every piece he could think of that could've caused the car to stop but everything was in good shape and working properly. It didn't make any sense for the car to stop.

Xavier quickly checked his phone and found the same issue that was frustrating Zoe.

The night was about to fall. A chill was settling in the air. Late Summers tended to get chillier nights around those parts. Being surrounded by woods didn't help either. The were stranded.

Zoe walked back to the front of the car and saw Xavier tightening the lid of some tube. 

"Was that what stopped the car?" She asked hesitantly. She was the one who had asked him to avoid talking to her but the situation was worrisome enough for her to put her ego to the side.

He simply shook his head silently and walked away as soon as Zoe stepped close enough. If it was space she wanted, he would give it to her. It was too soon to call it quits but he was an Alpha and he had chosen to leave his pack to on that road trip with Zoe. According to him, she failed to see that he was trying to the best of his abilities. She failed to realize how guilty he felt. And those thoughts added to the problem of being stranded in the middle of nowhere with no one to help.

Zoe wanted to wait for any passers-by to stop. But the problem she realized quickly was that the route she had taken to get to Kansas city was not frequently used. Not a single car had passed since they had stopped.

She ran her fingers through her hair and looked around. She needed to find a solution fast because she had no intention of being there alone with Xavier.