Chapter 13: Chapter 13

ELEANOR

~Beep, beep.~

The sound woke me up, and I looked at the unfamiliar ceiling above me.

“Ellie?” I turned around to see Marquez get up from his chair and walk toward my bed.

“How are you feeling?” he asked me.

I didn’t know what to say.

Everything that happened last night came rushing back all at once, and before I could stop it, tears slipped down my cheeks. I hated that it hurt this much. It didn’t make sense.

I’d only known Xavier for a few days. He wasn’t supposed to matter—not like this.

I pressed my palms against my face, trying to hold myself together. I wasn’t here to fall apart over some guy, especially not one who clearly wasn’t letting himself get attached.

I was here for answers. For justice. My mother’s killer was still out there, and every second I wasted feeling heartbroken was a second I wasn’t getting closer to finding them.

I needed to focus.

“What if you could find your mother’s killer and find love?” Erica asked.

I ignored my wolf and wiped the tears from my face.

Marquez squeezed my shoulder. I imagined he could see the conflict written on my face.

“He’s an idiot, Eleanor,” Marquez said.

The sort of pain that I experienced last night was something that I would never wish on my worst enemy.

I tried to sit up in bed, but I still felt some pain in my lower abdomen.

“The doctor gave you some IV fluids and pain killers. She said that you would still feel some pain, but it would be gone in a few hours,” Marquez said, and I nodded my head.

~Knock, knock.~

Both Marquez and I looked toward the room door to see Samuel walk in.

He looked pissed and tired.

“Eleanor,” he looked ashamed.

“I’m fine, Alpha Derek,” I told him.

“He shouldn’t have done that to you,” Alpha Derek growled.

“Marquez, could you help me up?” I asked him.

He held my shoulder and helped me up.

My head started to spin, but the dizziness slowly faded. I looked at both men.

I appreciated that after such a short time, the pack was already protective over me. It felt nice to know they had my back.

~Bang!~

The door burst open, and Xavier walked inside.

He looked like he hadn’t slept all night.

“Eleanor?”

“I told you not to come here, Xavier!” Alpha Derek spoke sharply at him.

“Look what you’ve done to her!” Marquez snapped.

“I don’t fucking regret it. I just came here to give her this.” Xavier handed me a small bottle of purple liquid. “That way next time I sleep with someone, you won’t have to come back here. And don’t worry, I already took some, so I won’t know when you fuck Ivan.”

“You think I want to sleep with Ivan? Did you sleep with Jade because you were jealous?” I asked him, exasperated.

“I saw you with him last night. You two were awfully close.”

I realized in that moment that Xavier was hurting. He hadn’t healed from what happened with his first chance mate. I may be crazy, but I don’t think he actually wanted to hurt me. He just had emotions that he didn’t know how to channel.

But I still needed him to know where I stood. I got up from my bed and walked toward him.

“I know this is temporary, Xavier. I know you’re fine sleeping with other people. But I’m not like that,” I said, my voice shaking. “I may not mean forever to you, but while I’m your mate—even just for now—I won’t be with anyone else. I can’t. That’s not who I am.”

I saw something flicker in his eyes. It looked like regret. The emotion passed quickly and he didn’t respond before he stormed out of the room.

I should be pissed with him, but instead I felt empathy, and an overwhelming urge to hug Xavier until he felt okay again.

“Eleanor.” I gently removed Marquez’s hand from my shoulder and turned around to face him.

“This is an issue between Xavier and me. Please don’t try to help us.” I silently begged them both.

I was firm in my decision to not have a mate until I found my mother’s killers. But there was an unexpected feeling when I thought about the agony in Xavier’s eyes when he was standing in the doorway last night.

When I saw him with Jade I felt this possessiveness and anger that I had never felt before. Then it hit me…I may have another chance at finding a fated mate, but Xavier doesn’t.

I said my thanks and goodbyes to Marquez and Samuel, then made my way to Xavier’s house.

The house was empty, so I quickly made my way up to my room, took a shower, changed into a long-sleeved T-shirt and my blue jeans, and walked to the bakery. I still had duties to attend to, and today I was supposed to pick up a cake for a mating ceremony today.

“Eleanor!” Mrs. Tanner’s cheerful voice made a smile appear on my face, but the smile soon deflated when I saw Ivan standing next to her.

My heart started racing.

~Hopefully, he didn’t tell her what happened.~

“Ivan told me that you fainted last night,” she said as she walked toward me with a slice of apple pie.

A frown appeared on my face, but I saw Ivan nod his head.

“Y…yes, Mrs. Tanner. I didn’t have dinner last night. That’s why,” I told her as she forced the plate of apple pie onto my hand.

“That’s a very bad habit, Eleanor. Skipping your meals. Now you sit here and finish this food, and then come into the kitchen,” Mrs. Tanner said before she left us alone.

Ivan walked toward my table and took a seat next to me.

“How are you feeling right now?” he asked me while I played with my food.

“I know what you want to ask.”

“I’m not going to ask anything that you don’t want to answer,” Ivan said with sincerity.

Dang it. Ivan was being so nice, and I still didn’t know if he had anything to do with the rogues.

“I know you’ll figure it out, Eleanor,” he said.

I appreciated him not probing more.

I started eating the food in front of me, and once I finished, Ivan got up with my plate.

“I have to go on my patrol now. But if you need to talk to someone, then I’ll be here, all right?” Ivan said, and I nodded my head and walked into the kitchen.

“I’ve got your cake all ready, Eleanor. Finished decorating it a minute ago,” said Mrs. Tanner.

“Thank you. This is perfect.”

I looked at my watch to see that I still had two hours before Jane and Philip’s mating ceremony. I grabbed the cake and went back to Xavier’s.

I changed into a pink floral dress and wore a necklace and earrings to finish my outfit and made my way to the river.

The arrangements were almost done.

The empty arch that was by the river was now decorated with fresh flowers, and purple and teal chairs were already neatly arranged facing the arch.

To the left, a table was placed with the food ready, and I put the cake at the end.

I walked toward the arch and looked down at the river.

“Thank you so much, Miss Amato.” I turned around to see Philip, the groom-to-be, standing next to me, wearing a blue suit. “Is Beta Xavier coming?”

“Um, no. He has some meetings so he won’t be able to make it,” I said when Philip nodded his head as he looked around the area.

“This is beyond what we expected,” he commented.

“It’s my pleasure. And I’m happy that everything is to your liking because this is your big day,” I told him.

“It’s wonderful,” he said, and I turned around to see the place was filling up.

Once all the guests had come, I took my seat in the front row with the parents. I still felt weird being front and center at important pack events. Right before the ceremony was to begin, Xavier slid into the chair next to me, wearing a black suit.

I was about to ask him what he was doing here when the music changed and the ceremony began.