She will be missed
The rain started in the midday. The blood slowly washed down his face. Xander’s darting eyes looked sidelong at a wizened face. He stood in the rain and ignored the pack around him.
“Xander come inside,” Sandra suggested.
She placed her arm over his shoulders. He wasn’t complying to move an inch.
An older beta riled up a few wolves including Manny and Jamal, “Boys let’s go back to the woods and find her body,” he ordered. Xander’s eyes were stricken, “You shall do no such thing Eric,” Xander snapped.
They were eager to search for Catherine’s body but Xander was strongly against it. He wouldn’t want them to find someone who wasn’t missing.
“It would be hard to find a scent in the wet soil anyway.”
“Maybe tomorrow?’ Eric asked. “Her scent will be fresh in the air.”
Xander grabbed Eric and pushed him against the fountain, “Are you deaf beta?” he groaned.
Eric submitted himself on the ground, “No Alpha,” he said.
“You dare not disregard your alpha,” he pinned Eric’s head against the crevice.
The rest of the pack held their ground not to intervene.
“And that goes for the rest of you,” Xander said.
He let go of Eric and went inside. The pack followed him from behind, their clothes dripping with water under the light bulb of the entrance door.
Manny tried to help Eric up but the older beta didn’t want to look weak.
“Let go of me,” Eric grunted.
Manny kept his hands to himself and walked in with the others.
Sandra and Jamal stopped at the entrance where the roofing covered them from the rain.
Her hair dripped off the water, she held out his cold hands and said, “I can’t believe she’s dead.”
Jamal placed his head on her shoulder and kissed her on the cheek, “She’ll be missed.”
They took off their wet jackets and changed in the cloakroom.
***
The pack gathered in the living room all cozy in their sweaters and warm clothing, Xander was in his quarters, he needed his alone time. They shared a moment to pay tribute to Catherine. She had a place in their hearts as their predestined Luna, but she is no more. Faye was seated next to Eric, across from Manny.
Sandra and Jamal started off at the center of the room.
“We will pay our proper respects to the Alpha at later times,” Jamal said. “But now we can at least say a thing or two about her. To honor her untimely demise.”
Sandra carried a small basket filled with petals to pass around, “Anyone who wishes to speak and pay their respects, take this,” she gestured. “And toss it in the fire after.”
The older betas took turns expressing how Catherine was kind to them and always commended them for the littlest of things. They appreciated those little things.
Faye got up from her sofa, “You all are doing the most,” she said curtly. “She was never one of us.”
The pack just murmured and stared at one another. Manny cleared his throat, “I’m next,” he said.
The pack settled and the noise dispersed lowly. Manny walked up to the fireplace and raised his petal for Faye to see, “In her short time with us…” he paused.
“This is so stupid,” Faye snarled. She rolled her eyes at Manny and went up the stairs.
“The Alpha wishes to be alone,” Sandra called to Faye.
Faye kept walking and going up the stairs.
Eric folded his arms and rested his back to detesting Manny, “Carry on kid,” he snorted.
“-I’ve witnessed the love of a mother, a sister, and a dear friend. She was going to be our Luna. She may be a human who found her way into our ranks somehow, but she wanted to be one of us, one in the family. She was a werewolf just like us… but sadly she was taken so soon.” He lowered the hand holding the petal, “She will be missed.” He tossed the petal into the fire.
Everyone took a brief moment of silence as the embers burned in the furnace.
***
His plan had worked. The next phase was to secure Catherine in her failsafe. He stood on the balcony looking over the fields and into the top of the tall pine trees. Deep into those woods, far deeper than the pack had discovered, Catherine was in an underground basement quiet and thriving.
Xander left the balcony when he heard footsteps approaching his door. He reached for the door before Faye could turn the knob.
He was light-minded and could barely handle Faye’s demeanor. She let herself into his quarters.
“What do you want now?” Xander asked
Faye made herself comfortable in his sheets. He took her by the arm, “Get up and leave,” He said.
As much as he tried to be polite and less violent, Faye was bothersome.
She ran her fingers on his grip, he wasn’t having it.
“I want you,” She aggressively pulled him to the bed.
Xander was too weak to give in. She hoisted her waist on his girdle and pressed a kiss on his neck.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.
“Faye that’s enough,” Xander said holding her shoulders.
She was resisting. She set him apart on the bed and undid his buttons with her mouth down to the brim. He managed to free his hands, and she pulled her shirt, revealing her braless bosoms.
She pressed his face on her chest. Xander held her waist, muffling under his breath, “You have gone-
“-crazy!” he withdrew and pushed her off the bed. She landed on the carpet and giggled, “You wanted to actually do it.”
Xander stood on the mattress and threw her shirt at her face. He hopped down from the mattress, making a loud thud on the floor.
Faye crawled back unnervingly. He was irritated by the stunt she pulled. His strength wouldn’t fail him now, Faye got up and leaned on his closet half naked.
She kept her hands behind her. He grabbed her quickly by the legs. “Xander I know you want me,” she said. “She’s gone and I am all for you.”
He dragged her on the carpet. He opened the door and held her leg with the other hand, she kicked at him erratically. He dragged her out of the room.
He shut the door before he could rush back in. She banged the door.
“I will hurt you really bad Faye,” He warned. “Just stay out.”
She stopped banging on the door. She picked up her shirt from the hallway floor, “You can’t even if you tried,” she smirked and left.
***
At dawn, when the pack were deep in their sleep their Alpha was alone in his quarters. Faye snuck out of the pack house without making a sound. She walked the silent courtyard in her breeches and crop top, on the phone with someone, “I couldn’t pick up in my room,” she groaned. “Ears are listening.”
“The beta… Jackson, he has been taken care of,” the caller said.
She stopped at the flowing fountain. She sat on the crevice, “Did you take out the human too?” she asked. “No,” the caller replied. She got off the phone and smiled.
“There is something not adding up,” she said to herself tapping her fingers on the crevice.
———————————————–
THE CORONATION DAY
Xander was on the balcony looking down at the guests, packs from different parts. They came bearing gifts. He couldn’t bring himself to call off the event.
There was a knock on his door.
“Xander, the Lakeview pack is requesting to see you,” Sandra said behind the door.
Xander walked to the door and opened it slightly, “This was all a misunderstanding,” he said. “I haven’t declared anyone next in line.”
“What should I tell them?” she asked.
“Just call it off,” he sighed. “I am not choosing a new mate or anything.”
“Understood,” Sandra nodded.
Faye watched Sandra leave Xander’s door from down the hall.