Fighter

Chapter 12

Pov Dan:

I stared into space the whole time. I just couldn't get Xaver out of my mind. I was too worried. Jack came by and greeted me, but I was so deep in thought that I didn't respond to his greeting. He waved his hand in front of my face and repeatedly asked if I was present. "Earth to Dan. Hello~" Jack snapped his fingers a few times, and I returned to reality. "Huh, what? Oh, it's just you. Sorry, I was lost in thought and didn't notice you."
"No problem. What were you thinking about?" The redhead looked at me curiously. Should I tell him I was thinking about Xaver? "Oh, not much. Just this and that. And how Xaver might be doing.", I finally admitted. Jack slapped my shoulder, not gently, and laughed. "That guy's fine. As far as I know, he's back on his feet." A weight lifted off my shoulders. However, a voice inside me wanted to confirm this for myself. "That really reassures me." Jack looked at me questioningly. I realized what I had said and tried to explain myself: "Uh, I mean... that's good because I was supposed to bring something to Xaver." I laughed nervously, but Jack seemed to buy it, as a smile played on his lips. "I see. Unfortunately, I can't tell you where he is right now."
"Oh, that's okay. I'll find him, thanks anyway." I said goodbye to Jack and set off to look for Xaver.
After a while of searching, I still hadn't found him. I was about to give up when I suddenly heard the scream of a small child. I quickly turned around and tried to locate the direction of the scream. When I looked to the left, a terrible scene unfolded before me. Xaver was kneeling over a small child, and it looked like he was about to attack it. Had the guy gone crazy!? Why would he attack a helpless child?
Without thinking, I ran towards Xaver to help the child. As soon as I was close enough, I closed my eyes and tackled Xaver from the side. We rolled to the side so that I was on top of him. When I opened my eyes, a confused and angry Xaver lay beneath me. I felt my face grow warm. Just the look on the blond's face spoke volumes. So it was up to me to explain myself, "W-Why were you attacking that poor boy? He's just a defenseless child!" Xaver looked bewildered and asked, confused, "What?" The boy came over to us and said, upset, "What are you doing?"
"I-I helped you. Xaver was just about to do something to you, right?", I explained uncertainly. "No! We were playing!", replied the little boy. "P-Playing?", I repeated, confused. I looked down at Xaver again, who was looking at me expectantly. "Oh. Oops.", I said sheepishly. "Would you please get off me now?", Xaver hissed, and I hastily stood up. The Alpha also got up and dusted off his clothes. Then he turned to me and made it clear, "Think before you act next time." I nodded shyly. "Xaver always plays with us when he has time. He helps us improve our combat skills so we can be really strong later.", the little boy explained enthusiastically. "Oh, so that's how it is."
"When I grow up, I want to be as strong as Xaver and become the next Alpha." I was surprised at the high goals the little one had. "I'm sure you will." Xaver's voice held a hint of sarcasm, but the little boy took it as motivation. His eyes grew large and shone with joy. He started laughing joyfully and then ran off to the other children. He obviously had something great to tell them now. Sometimes I wished I could be a child again. My gaze wandered to Xaver, who stood next to me, staring at the playing children. There was a trace of sadness in his eyes. I would have loved to know what he was thinking right now.
I looked down and considered breaking the deep silence between us. "Do you... do you come here often?", I asked timidly. Without looking at me, Xaver replied, "Sometimes. I rarely have time for the little ones." A smile played on my lips. I think it was the first time I could talk to Xaver so calmly. Usually, he was always strict with me and scolded me. "They seem to like you a lot.", I observed. My companion briefly looked at me, then gazed into the distance again. "Maybe. The children's parents have little time for them. So the little ones have no one to really teach them what it means to be a Loup-ga. When I'm here, I try to help them develop their skills, at least through playing." My heart warmed when Xaver said this. Apparently, he was a very warm-hearted and caring person in reality. Too bad he hid this side of himself. "I think I should go now.", I finally said. I got no response, but that didn't bother me.
With a smile on my face, I walked home. Somehow, I felt more and more like I belonged. But I knew my injuries would soon heal, and I would have to go back no matter what. And I still couldn't remember what had happened back then. When I think about it, I don't really want to. If I were important to my pack, they would have searched for me long ago, wouldn't they? But that's fine by me. I was always the outsider anyway.