Unmated and Unloved

Chapter Two

He stood frozen, his pulse pounding in his ears as he watched the violent scene unfold before him, praying for it to end; worst of all, he couldn't do anything, or his cover would be blown. The thick coppery scent of blood invaded his nostrils-aggressive and unrelenting-a vivid reminder of the violence they had left behind. How could they attack her and leave her like that? His eyes scanned the horizon, waiting for any signs of their return, but none came as the small fae laid in the middle of the field, seemingly lifeless. He had to confirm if she was indeed really dead.

First, he checked for life-threatening injuries as she barely breathed. He didn't know why he was being so careful around this small, fragile female, but he knew he didn't want to leave her side not in such a vulnerable state. His two guards stayed back in the shadows and kept watch over their alpha as he inspected the injured wolf, one of them always keeping an eye on the surroundings, the other listening and smelling.

Alpha, we need to be going. The ashen gray wolf silently whined as he came closer to his alpha, he hung his head low and looked at the large bluish-black wolf.

With a resigned glance at his subordinate, Xavier turned his attention back to the fae as the other wolf left him. He looked down at her and nudged her slightly with his muzzle before leaving for his pack once more. He glanced back as he walked back into the shadows of the forest, he froze in that spot when he made eye-contact with the terrified, small fae as she fled as he turned to leave.

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Throughout the pack, word had already begun to spread that the alpha had found his mate. The only ones who knew anything would be the two guards that had watched the scene unfold before them. It had taken everything they could to keep their alpha under control in his wolf form. The large bluish-black wolf had been shaking in anger and slight agony as he watched the purplish black fae being attacked by her alpha none-the-less.

Xavier sat at his desk with his head being held in his hands as his hair fell slightly in front of his face. A female from another pack-why did it have to be her? He knew just asking these questions would give him a headache, as his wolf tried to explain to him.

He still couldn't get her scent out of his head-the scent of fresh bloomed clover, honey with a slight musk filled his nostrils as soon as he got near her. He didn't need a mate right now; he had a pack to worry about and to take of.

Three rough knocks on the office door brought him back to reality. His eyes narrowed into slits as the door creaked open-every sound seemed amplified in the silence as Conner came in, staring at the ground, not daring to look at Xavier as he felt the intense stare on him. "Please tell me, why the hell you and Demetrius would go and tell the pack that I found my mate?"

Connor looked up slightly for a moment before finding his voice. "Xavier, do you even remember Demetrius and I holding you back?" He finally lifted his gaze fully and watched him, knowing Xavier didn't remember anything from that night. Conner lifted his shirt slightly to reveal a seat of deep claws marks as he spoke again "This is what is took to keep you under control. We did everything we could to keep you pinned down. You were completely lost to your wolf." Xavier stared at him and sighed slightly "If anyone in the pack asks, it's false. Call it whatever you want, a misunderstanding if necessary. I don't want to get their hopes up."

That night, as Xavier laid down, images of the night before began to replay through his head, and because of them, he couldn't sleep; he just lay there staring at the ceiling as they continued. Every image of that night fanned the flames of his rage until it consumed all rational thought.

He and his guards stood in the shadows as a large charcoal black wolf walked into the field with two others. One wolf pinned the fae down on the ground. Xavier looked at his two guards out of the corner of his eye and watched as the black wolf changed his stance to being overly aggressive and started towards the young fae again. His grey eyes narrowed into slits as the wind blew towards them, and he caught her scent for the first time. His wolf tried to take over, but he didn't let it while he watched the scene unfold. As soon as the black wolf's teeth came in contact with the fae, Xavier's wolf went crazy and charged as it took over. He felt someone pull him back as an arm struggled to wrap around his neck to pull him down and the weight of someone else using all their strength to tackle his large wolf form to the ground. He began to struggle with them to get free and to try and reach the fae. What had felt like forever to him was only a few minutes as he stayed struggling against the hold of his guards/betas. Once the other wolves were out of sight, only then was he released.

Xavier growled loudly as he got up out of bed and lashed his anger out at the wall. His fist cut through the air, colliding with the wall with a sickening thud. A sharp sting in his knuckles echoed the searing rage within him, offering a brief, momentary relief. He climbed back into bed and tossed and turned, trying to find some semblance of peace amidst the chaos in his mind.

The next day, Xavier went and found his two betas, the ones who knew of the turmoil that had been brewing in his mind since that night "Conner, I want you and Demetrius to run the pack for a few weeks. I need to get away for a while." They quickly looked at each other before nodding as Xavier turned and shifted into his large bluish-black wolf form and ran towards the forest. All he had to do was get away from the stress of the pack and relax for at least two weeks.

He knew they could control the pack; after all they were his betas.

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He had only been gone from his pack for less than a day, but the stress that had plagued him there had already started to wane. Still, he had to fight back his wolf, who urged him relentlessly to go to his mate. The problem was that she belonged to a pack with which he already had a strained history. Just thinking about her and the way he had to leave her behind filled him with a rage that was shared both by him and his wolf.

She's, our mate; we must go to her! he growled loudly as his wolf kept at it. The forest was dense and quiet as Xavier's paws carried him deeper into its heart. The cool breeze ruffled his fur, carrying scents of pine and damp earth. His wolf urged him on, relentless in its pursuit of their mate. With every step, the pull grew stronger, the need to find her escalating within him.

As he ran, images of the fae flashed through his mind - her delicate features, her scent that lingered in his senses. Despite their complicated situation, his instincts drove him forward, a primal need to protect and claim what was rightfully his.

The sun cast dappled shadows on the forest floor, creating a mesmerizing dance of light and dark as Xavier pushed through the undergrowth. His senses were on high alert, searching for any sign of her presence. And then he caught it - Her scent filled his nostrils once more; fresh bloomed clover and honey with a hint of musk-a fragrance that had now etched itself deep into his memory, was now floating on the breeze along with the sound of a wolf whimpering.