Chapter 10 The Tour
Chapter Ten
The Tour
AVRIELLE'S POV
"Oops... I’ve got some bad timing, haven't I?"
The man’s voice was light, but his awkward giggle made the heat in my face flare until I was certain my skin was glowing crimson. I couldn't look up, instead focusing intently on the pattern of the mahogany table, wishing it would simply open up and swallow me whole. To be caught in such a compromising, intimate position with Alpha Xavier—the man who had only yesterday been the terrifying figure of my nightmares—was enough to make me want to run back into the rain.
Xavier didn't pull back with the same flustered panic I felt. He straightened slowly, his presence expanding until the room felt small again. His voice was a low, dangerous rumble that lacked even a hint of apology.
"You had better have a damn good explanation for interrupting me, Kaiden," he hissed.
He turned his head slightly, and even without looking, I could feel the weight of his Alpha glare directed at the newcomer.
"For now, show Avrielle around. And I meant what I said—when I get to my study, you had better have a reason that justifies your life."
Xavier let out a sharp, territorial growl that vibrated through my very chair before he turned on his heel and strode out of the hall, his dark coat billowing behind him like a shadow.
I sat there, stunned. Why was he so angry? It was just a conversation—or whatever that was.
I looked up finally as the man, Kaiden, walked toward me with a wide, cheeky smile that didn't match the terrifying atmosphere Xavier had just left behind.
"Well," Kaiden sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets. "He’s in a mood. But then again, when is he not?"
He reached out an hand, his eyes bright with a curiosity that made me feel exposed.
"We finally meet, Avrielle."
I stared at his extended hand, my mind reeling. The way he said my name—it wasn't with the pity I usually received from members of the higher pack circles. It was with a strange kind of reverence, as if I were some high-profile figure or a celebrity the humans spoke of.
I was a lowly, wolfless omega who had just lost everything; did I need to remind him of that? Or was he just being polite because I had been the Alpha's nephew's wife?
I tentatively took his hand, offering a small, shaky smile. "I suppose we do. You’re the Beta?"
"Kaiden, at your service," he said, pulling out a chair and sitting right next to me with a relaxed ease that was the polar opposite of Xavier's intensity.
He placed a heavy leather-bound book and a stack of documents on the table.
"I’m tasked with giving you the grand tour and, more importantly, getting you up to speed on the Alpha’s schedule. It’s a nightmare, just so you know. The man doesn't sleep, he doesn't rest, and he expects everyone else to be just as much of a machine as he is."
I nodded, leaning in as Kaiden opened the book. "He seems... disciplined."
"Disciplined? That's one word for it," Kaiden laughed, tapping a pen against the first page.
"The Alpha is a force of nature, Avrielle. Most people see the 'Devil,' right? They see the ruthless leader who executes traitors and keeps the rivals at bay. And don't get me wrong, he is that man."
"But there’s a reason for the schedule. Look at Monday—05:00, border patrol briefing. 07:00, legislative council. 09:00, training the new recruits. He doesn't just bark orders from a throne; he’s in the dirt with them."
I scanned the list. It was packed. Every hour was accounted for, from dawn until well past midnight. "He handles all of this personally?"
"Every bit," Kaiden said, his expression turning uncharacteristically serious.
"He took over this pack when it was crumbling. People think he’s heartless because he’s efficient, but the truth is, he’s protective. Highly protective. Everything he does is to ensure that what happened to... well, to people who are vulnerable, doesn't happen on his watch."
I felt a pang in my chest. What happened to people who are vulnerable. Like me. Five years ago, I was the victim of a system he was supposed to run.
"I know what you're thinking," Kaiden said, as if reading my mind. "You're thinking about the decree. About the treason case."
"The Alpha blames himself for that, you know. He doesn't say it—Alphas don't usually apologize with words—but he’s spent years changing the judicial laws of this pack because of what almost happened to you. He’s been a different man since that day. More focused. More... obsessed with justice."
I looked away, my heart racing. "He has a strange way of showing it."
"He does," Kaiden agreed softly.
"But look at the schedule for Wednesday. He has a block of time marked 'Private.' Do you know what he does then? He visits the omega sanctuary. He funded that himself."
"No one knows, because he’d hate for the fearsome Alpha Xavier to be seen as a softie, but he’s the reason those families have homes."
"Follow me, Avrielle. This house is like a living thing; if you don't know its heartbeat, you’ll get lost in the ribs," Kaiden said, gesturing for me to rise.
His voice had a melodic quality to it, a lightness that felt intentional, as if he were trying to counteract the suffocating intensity Alpha Xavier had left in his wake.
We began in the East Wing, a sprawling corridor lined with portraits of previous Alphas that seemed to watch us with judgmental, painted eyes.
"This is the 'History' wing," Kaiden explained, his boots clicking rhythmically on the polished marble. "The Alpha rarely comes here. He isn't a man who likes looking backward."
"He says a man who stares at his shadow for too long eventually forgets the sun is in front of him."
I trailed behind him, my fingers brushing against the cold wainscoting. "He sounds... unsentimental."
"Not unsentimental," Kaiden corrected, pausing before a massive tapestry. "Just practical."
"You see this garden?" He pointed through a floor-to-ceiling window to a courtyard filled with silver-white roses.
"Most people think they’re for show. But the Alpha had them planted because they bloom in the harshest winters. He likes things that survive against the odds."
"He’s always had a bit of a soft spot for the underdog, even if he’d rip my tongue out for saying so."
As we moved toward the West Wing, the air grew warmer, smelling of old parchment and beeswax.
We entered the library, and I gasped. It was a cathedral of knowledge, three stories tall with spiral staircases that seemed to disappear into the shadows of the ceiling.
"This is your sanctuary," Kaiden whispered, his voice hushed out of habit.
"The Alpha’s decree is that this room is open to you at any hour. No one—and I mean no one—is to disturb you here."
"He once told me that a mind without books is like a wolf without a pack; it wanders until it starves."
"He spent a fortune sourcing rare manuscripts from the human world and the other packs, just to ensure this place was a refuge. He believes that knowledge is the only weapon that doesn't dull with use."
I looked at the thousands of spines, feeling a strange lump in my throat. "Why go to such lengths for a library?"
Kaiden tilted his head, a cryptic smile playing on his lips.
"The Alpha knows what it’s like to be silenced, Avrielle. When you grow up in the shadow of power, you learn that the person who holds the information holds the key to the cage."
"He’s spent his life making sure his people—his whole pack—have the keys. He hates helplessness. He finds it... offensive."
We climbed a narrow set of stairs that led to the upper balconies.
"Now, this is the 'Grey Zone,'" Kaiden said, his tone turning more serious. "These are the offices. You’ll spend most of your time here."
"That door at the end? That’s the Alpha’s study. It’s the brain of the pack. You don't enter unless you’re called, or unless the world is ending. And even then, you might want to wait for the smoke."
He walked me past a series of doors, explaining the logistics of the pack's economy, the trade agreements with the southern territories, and the complex web of alliances Xavier maintained.
"The Alpha is like a weaver, Avrielle. He sees the threads that no one else does."
"People call him ruthless because he cuts the threads that are frayed, but they don't see him staying up until dawn trying to tie the broken ones back together."
"He’s a man of action, not words. If a bridge is broken, he doesn't hold a meeting to talk about the bridge; he goes out with a hammer and fixes it himself."
I watched Kaiden's face as he spoke. He wasn't just giving me a tour; he was painting a portrait of a man I realized I didn't know at all.
"You admire him a lot," I noted.
"I’ve seen him in the trenches," Kaiden replied simply.
"I’ve seen him give his last ration to a scout and pretend he wasn't hungry."
"He’s a fortress, Avrielle. And like any fortress, the walls are thick to protect what’s inside."
"He isn't the 'Devil' because he enjoys pain; he’s the 'Devil' because he’s willing to do the dirty work so his people can sleep in the light."
We descended back to the main floor, passing the kitchens where the scent of baking bread was overwhelming.
"He eats what the servants eat," Kaiden remarked casually. "He says if the food isn't good enough for the Alpha, it shouldn't be served in the Alpha’s house."
"He’s a man of strange ethics, but they are unshakable."
Finally, we stopped in a small, quiet sunroom filled with lush greenery and comfortable armchairs. It felt different from the rest of the manor—softer, more human.
"This was his mother’s favorite spot," Kaiden said, his voice dropping an octave.
"He keeps it exactly as it was. He says that some memories are anchors; they keep you from drifting too far into the storm."
He turned to me, his gaze searching mine.
"Adrian... your ex-husband... he only ever saw the power. He wanted the crown but hated the weight of it."
"Alpha Xavier? He hates the crown, but he carries the weight because he knows no one else can."
"He’s spent five years watching people fail you, Avrielle. He’s spent a long time waiting for the chance to show you what real strength looks like."
"Not the kind that shouts, but the kind that stays."
I felt a shiver run down my spine, the weight of Kaiden’s words settling deep in my chest. He wasn't telling me Xavier loved me—he was too careful for that—but he was telling me that I had been on the Alpha’s mind far longer than I ever imagined.
"I don't understand why he’s doing this for me," I whispered, looking out at the silver roses in the courtyard.
Kaiden stepped back, giving me a respectful bow as he prepared to leave.
"A gardener doesn't explain why he saves a wilting flower, Avrielle. He just waters it and waits for it to bloom."
"The Alpha has a lot of patience. More than anyone I’ve ever met. Just... try to see the man, not the title."
"He’s been lonely in this big house for a long time."
"He’s not the monster your ex-husband probably described," Kaiden said, closing the book.
"Adrian... well, Adrian feared him because the Alpha sees through bullshit."
"The Alpha values loyalty above all else. And he’s been remarkably loyal to you, even when you didn't know it."
"Loyal to me?" I scoffed, though my heart was hammering. "He barely knew I existed."
Kaiden gave me a cryptic look, one that made me feel like there was a massive secret hovering just out of reach.
"He knew, Avrielle. Trust me, he knew."
He stood up, gathering the papers.
"Now, as his assistant, you’ll be responsible for keeping him on track. You’ll be his shadow. You’ll see the man behind the title. Just... be careful."
"Careful of what?" I asked.
Kaiden grinned, that cheeky, awkward giggle returning for a brief second.
"Careful of your heart. Because when the Alpha decides something belongs to him, he doesn't let go."
"And I think he decided a long time ago that you were worth the trouble."
As Kaiden walked away, his footsteps echoing down the long hall, I stayed in the sunroom, clutching the leather-bound schedule to my chest.
The manor didn't feel like a museum anymore; it felt like a map of a man’s soul.
And for the first time, I wasn't just a guest or an assistant. I was a woman standing in the middle of a mystery, wondering if the Alpha would ever let me see the heart behind the fortress.
"Is the tour to your liking, or has Kaiden been boring you with his parables?"
I spun around, my heart leaping into my throat.
Alpha Xavier was standing in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest, his gaze dark and unreadable.