Chapter 10: Tell me where the bastard is

~Kira~

I almost choked.

No, scratch that. I did choke on my food as I heard the insinuation of what he said. My face turned red as my airflow was restricted and the food got into somewhere that it wasn’t supposed to get in.

Who would have thought that the tight-faced man that I saw on my first night here would be this open and flirty? One would almost think that he barely talks about anything.

“Here; have some water” he calmly stretched a glass of water towards me as I fought for my life.

Gratefully, I took the glass and downed it, then handed it back to him. My eyes were all teary and I suddenly felt embarrassed of what had happened.

“Are you alright now?” he asked, looking at me with concern.

I nodded briskly. “I’m sorry for the mess that I caused”

In reply, he just took a napkin from the table and reached out towards me. Then he helped me dab my lips to remove any food particles that might have escaped during my coughing spree. I understand that it was meant to be a noble gesture, but it embarrassed the living daylights out of me.

I shyly moved my head a bit so that he could take a cue and quit trying to wipe my lips. It’s not like I’m a baby who spilled all his food. “Thank you alpha”

“It’s Xavier to you. You seem not to be comfortable with calling me by my name. I hope you know that calling my name does not automatically mean that you’ve been marked by me.” he said, putting the napkin back and sitting back in his chair.

“What? No. That's not it. It’s just…you’re an alpha. It wouldn’t be so appropriate for me to address you so flippantly without respect-“

He interrupted me before I could continue my senseless rambling. “You’re my mate. Calling by my name doesn’t equate to disrespect here. My name on your lips is the most therapeutic thing ever for me. It heals my broken soul”

I smiled shyly, tucking my hair behind my ears. That was a dumb move, I know. But that was also the only thing that I could do at that moment to avoid squealing like a pig. He hasn’t stopped making me feel lightheaded with all the compliments that he’s been throwing my way ever since I came here. How long has it been? A week? And I’m already swooning over a man that I barely know.

Well, the one that I knew for a long time merely saw me as a bet that needed to be won and threw me aside like dirt the minute he won his bet. So who says that the one I barely know wouldn’t be a better person? I think the saying that the devil you know is better than the angel you don’t know, doesn’t apply to this beautiful man here. He sounds too perfect to be a devil.

Well, take that Jake.

“What’s going on in that beautiful mind of yours?”

His question drew me back from my reverie. I looked up and smiled, shaking my head. No way I was going to tell him that I was thinking about how beautiful he was and how my ex dumped me without any remorse.

“Were you thinking about me? or someone else? I do hope it’s me that was on your mind” he said, reaching out to take the remaining piece of pancake left.

I raised my eyebrows when he bit off a part. “I thought you were done. Weren’t you?” he asked, gasping in a dramatic manner.

“No, I’m done. You can have it” I said in between laughs.

“Well, thank goodness. I thought I was about to be convicted of robbery”

I watched as he chewed, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down with each swallow. It was almost mesmerizing and captivating to see. The more I tried to scold myself to tear my gaze away from him, the more I found myself goggling.

“So,” he started, distracting me from my hungry stare, “tell me something about yourself? What Pack are you from? Where are your parents? And you could tell me what happened between you and your ex. That is if it’s convenient for you”

I guess that was a conversation that was long overdue. For someone who has accommodated me for the past week, I was surprised that he hadn’t even tried to get to know the stranger in his house.

“Or don’t worry about it,” he said when he noticed my falling countenance.

I waved my hand in protest. “No. it’s fine. I’ll have to talk about it sooner or later anyway”

I started to tell him about me as much as I could remember. I told him about my Pack, my life growing up as an omega there, how I found out that the people who raised me weren’t my real parents, and how my mate and my best friend betrayed my love and trust in them.

When I got to how Jake betrayed me, I couldn’t keep my voice from cracking. It was as if all the pain that I’d tucked back in exploded and came down on me in full force. The betrayal once again hit me up like a tsunami, making my airways constrict. Before I knew it, I was starting to bawl my eyes out.

Then I felt strong arms envelop me into a strong body. They were so strong and comforting that I snuggled even more into them, the scent emanating from the body so familiar and comforting.

“Shhhh” he cooed, “It’s alright, sugar”

I nodded vigorously, trying to calm myself down and not be a blubbering mess. “He…They… My heart…they trampled on it, Xavier. They…they destroyed my self-esteem and brought me far below ground level. I don’t know if I can ever recover from the heartache that this caused me”

His hands tightened on my body and he hugged me even tighter to himself. I could hear his ragged breath and occasional cursing under his breath. He sounded like he was trying to keep himself from doing something. Trying to control himself.

When the sobs racking my body had quieted down, he gently pulled me away from him, his eyes roving around my face. I saw a shadow of hurt pass through his features but just as immediately, it disappeared.

His hands came up to my tear-stained face, and the pad of his thumb swiped at the tears on my cheeks. “Tell me where the bastard is. I’d love to have a friendly talk with him”