Chapter 32

BETA XAVIER

A sense of dread washed over me when I heard what Eleanor said. She looked terrified, which scared me.

“Mom!” I yelled, and soon I heard her footsteps approach me. “Take care of Eleanor. I have to go and see something.” I told her, and she nodded her head.

I carried Eleanor bridal style and walked into the living room before I gently placed her on the sofa. When I was about to move away, she held my shirt in a strong grip, and her eyes flew open.

“Please don’t leave me, Xavier. He might kill me,” she mumbled, and this broke my heart.

I wrapped my fingers around her clenched hand.

“No one will kill you, Eleanor. I promise,” I said, but her eyes filled with tears again, and she shook her head.

“Don’t leave me.”

“Mom and Dad will be here by your side. Nothing will happen to you, all right?” I said, but she shook her head

The front door opened, and hurried footsteps came into the living room.

“Beta Costa.”

I looked up to see the pack doctor standing there. My eyes quickly moved back to my mate.

“Eleanor, listen to me,” I said. “I will come back before you know it, and please let the doctor treat you, all right?” I asked her. For a couple of minutes, she remained quiet when she finally nodded her head.

I stepped back and let the doctor check her.

“Mom, take care of her,” I said, and she nodded before I ran out of the house. I had already mind-linked the warriors and border patrols about the situation, but I hadn’t heard from anyone yet.

After closing the door behind me, I changed into my wolf midair and ran into the forest.

I ran deeper into the forest, but I couldn’t catch a scent of any rogues. Letting out a frustrated growl, I ran toward the border, where I saw two of the warriors waiting for me. The moment they saw my wolf, they lowered their heads in respect.

“Did you find anything?” I asked them.

“Yes, Beta Costa, we found a scent of the rogues right on our border, but their scent doesn’t continue inside our territory,” one of them reported.

“They must have found a way to mask their scent. Anyone kidnapped or hurt?” I asked, but both of them shook their heads.

One of them cleared their throat before saying, “We did find this piece of paper nailed to a tree.” He hesitantly handed the paper to me.

~Death has come looking for you, my little Eleanor.~

My blood boiled.

“Double the border patrol and always be vigilant. Don’t let another rogue enter our territory. Got it?”

“Yes, Beta,” both of them said before I ran back home.

When I arrived home, I quickly changed back and put on clothes that were left for me on the porch. My mom must have noticed the torn clothes in the driveway from my transformation earlier. When I entered the living room, I saw that the doctor was gone, and Eleanor was fast asleep. Mom and Dad were sitting on the sofa.

“What did the doctor say?” I asked them as I walked inside.

“It was a panic attack. But nothing serious happened,” Mom started explaining, but I felt like she was hiding something.

“Just spit it out, Mom.”

“Well, the doctor thinks that whoever Eleanor saw must have triggered a traumatic memory for her,” Mom said.

“I’ll take care of her from here. Thanks for your help,” I said and walked toward the sofa to carry Eleanor up to our room.

After tucking her into bed, I made my way to the bathroom and took a shower.

“~Xavier?~” Samuel mind-linked me.

“~Everything is under control, Sam.~”

“~No, there’s something you have to come and see,~” he said. His voice held urgency, and I knew that it must be something important.

“~I will meet you in your office in ten minutes.~”

“~Okay,~” he said, and the mind-link was cut off.

After drying myself, I wore a new pair of shorts and a T-shirt as I walked out of the house. When I walked into his office, I saw that Marquez was also with him, and both of them were staring at something on Samuel’s computer screen.

“What did you two find?” I asked.

“Why don’t you come and take a look,” he said.

I walked toward his desk. As I stood behind his chair, Samuel played the CCTV footage that was on his screen. The area was dark, and it looked like it was deep in the forest.

A few minutes passed by when three rogues walked into sight on the camera, and a couple of minutes later, a man wearing a black cloak that covered his body and face walked toward them.