Hunted

Chapter Nineteen

Zale and Xander sat glaring at each other on opposite ends of the living room a sulking Kenji between them. Upon introduction Zale had received a punch to the face and if it wasn't for me seeing as Ken was enjoying the fight, a lot more damage would have been done.

"Why is he here?" Xander asked.

"He's helping." I sighed. "We have a common goal so can the both of you cool it for one minute."

"Fine. One minute."

"I wasn't being literal Xander I will hurt you." I glared. He huffed and faced the other way.

"You should have at least waited for Zale to retaliate before separating them."

Ignoring Kenji I sat down and took a calming breath. My rising temper was causing a power rise. The Jasper was absorbing most of the excess but it was now overheating against my skin. It didn't burn but I could still feel the heat.

"Okay. Zale says the only way we can get Marina out of here is by breaking the enslavement spell that was put on her by a demon. I still don't believe or trust him and I'm still trying to figure out if he has any ulterior motives."

"I don't."

"Shit." I heard in my head making me pause and face Xander who quickly put on a poker face.

"You know something. What do you know?" I asked.

"I asked some of my connections and Zale is right. We just have to figure out what spell was used and how to reverse it. That's all I know." Xander sighed running his fingers through his hair.

"You're not saying everything." Kenji frowned. "Don called while I was in between breaks and told me. He said you wouldn't say everything."

"Not now Ken."

"What is he talking about Xander?"

"Tell her. This mission shouldn't be delayed or failed because of anything personal." Ken told him getting up. "Zale why don't I show you out?"

The two walked out and I was left alone with Xander. I looked at him waiting for him to start talking but he didn't.

"You not going to tell me are you?" I laughed bitterly. "Again with the secrets."

"It's not like that." He said.

"I want to talk to Xerxes." I told him folding my arms.

"Mel..." He groaned in pain clutching his head and bent down. I watched him struggle for a few minutes in silence before he sat up straight and looked at me. Golden eyes staring right into my soul.

"We have a summoning spell. The person we asked for Intel sent it to me. You can summon the demon that cast it and they can help. The island stops demons from coming in so it'll have to be done off the island."

"Why didn't he want to say that?" I asked. "The faster we do this the better."

"He's scared." Xerxes responded after a second.

"Scared of what?"

"Alistair was not always the demon wolf. After high school his father chose his brother instead of him to take over as Alpha even though he was the oldest son. This made him angry. He went crazy looking for ways to increase his strength and take over the pack he believed was his birthright.

He made a deal with a demon and got possessed. Once he started playing around with demon magic he found a way to merge his soul with the demon inside him. That's how he became the demon wolf. Xander has witnessed Alistair's madness first hand. The scar on his face is a testament.

When you found out about your father and being half demon you were scared. He was too for the same reasons. Of losing control. He won't admit it because he's supposed to encourage you and support you. He thinks if he tells you he's scared it won't help your fear and only increase it. The more scared you are the less you master your powers and eventually you lose control."

I sat across from him my mind racing. I stood up and knelt in front of him taking his head between my hands. Xerxes took that as his cue to leave and I watched him blink until he was looking down at me with his blue eyes. He looked defeated, embarrassed and scared.

"Xander..."

"I'm supposed to be strong. I'm supposed to be fearless. How can I wipe away your doubts and fears if I have the same ones?"

"It's okay to be scared Xander. I don't expect you to be fearless. Your fears don't make you weak. Your job isn't to be my knight in shining armour and slay my dragons. It's to walk with me through the fire through hell. To face them with me and for both of us to come out on the other side."

"I try to kill your dragon every day. Son of a bitch won't die." He mumbled.

"I'll ignore that because I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I am your knight though." He said giving me a small smile. "I'll always try to fight your battles for you no matter how many times you tell me not to."

"You wouldn't be you if you didn't." I smiled.

I traced the scar on his face and frowned remembering what Xerxes said.

"Your mom told me you got this from a fight with a lion shifter."

"It's the story we came up with in case anyone asked. I came up with it tried to make myself seem tough." He chuckled not meeting my eyes.

"How did you actually get it?"

"I got this the day before you left. I was trying to be your knight."

........................

Really short filler chapter I will put up the next one tonight if I don't get distracted by Netflix.