Chapter 20 Vigilante
Xander
"What's up? You guys are fighting or something?" Max inquiries as he takes a whiff of one of my colognes placed on the side table by my bed, scrunching his face and putting it down quickly. "Moon Goddess, Xanny, how do you even breathe in this thing? One whiff and my throat already feels clogged."
I hum as I don my red Royal robe, using my hands to smoothen the little creases on the side. "It's that concentrated? I haven't gotten the chance to try it on yet."
"Anyway," he continues, waving his hand at me. "Why do you need me to 'spy' on Nessa? Did something happen?"
Oh, something did happen alright, I think as my mind wanders back to my interaction with Vanessa in the Vale forest - on her knees with arrows pointed straight at me.
A hunter.
What gave her away wasn't just the arrows because a lot of it is used during training sessions in the pack, but the markings on them.
Hunters, to distinguish between one another, mark the ends of their arrows with silver, as well as the tips - they are very much aware of the fact that werewolves are allergic to silver, and a large amount could kill a normal wolf.
To say I was surprised is an understatement, but at the same time, relief flooded me at the thought that she wasn't just all 'sharp tongue' and no action.
Firecracker...
"No. Nothing has happened." Even if she's bound to me because of the contract, I still need to make sure my pack is not in immediate danger, due to our history with her kind.
My people's safety will always come first.
"Then...why?" He persists, hand akimbo, and head cocked as he stares at me continuously, somehow hoping to find out the reason if he tries hard enough.
I shut down his questions with a wave of my hand. "The reason is to be discussed later. For now, just make sure to report her daily activities - where she goes, who she speaks with and any other thing you find out."
He throws his hands up and exclaims, "Aw, come on. It feels like the Melissa case all over again. Also, I'm pretty sure Nessa's innocent of whatever you're accusing her of."
I don't even bother to get angry at his words. He's developed a strange bond with Vanessa over the weeks she's been here, especially since after her release - which most times raises my wolf's hackles.
My wolf's actions and behaviors have been confusing me lately and I continue to wonder why.
"Just get on with it," I shake my hand out, waving him out of my room.
"Still sure she's innocent," I hear him mutter as he leaves, roughly closing the door behind him.
Alright, maybe I am a bit annoyed.
For the next few days, Max reports every single one of Vanessa's activities to me - although, begrudgingly. Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary, except her personal trainings on the field, which isn't unusual given her background.
During those days, I try to avoid her as much as possible, not just because of what had transpired between us the last time, but because my wolf never seems to be able to hold it together whenever he manages to even get a whiff of her scent.
I've always had everything under control for such a long time that now, I'm not so sure what to do about it.
"Your Highness?" a voice calls, snapping my mind back to the present. I look around me at the expectant faces watching me closely as I try to remember what it was that we had been talking about before my mind wandered off.
I close my eyes and groan inwardly, rubbing them gently before opening them again. "What is it that you said?" I ask Wade, who had been the one to call my attention, but I hardly give him the time to formulate a response before speaking again, "Actually, I think we should all take a quick break and come back later."
I stand and on my way out, Wade falls into step beside me, forcing me to stop. "Your Highness, is everything alright with you?"
"Yes, Wade. I am alright. The past few days have just been a bit hectic for me between fostering new alliances, planning reinforcement and all other related pack matters. I'll take a quick break and be back shortly." I reply, my voice clipped and detached.
Wade looks like he doesn't believe me and wants to say something but decided against it. He only bows and responds, "Please take care, your Highness. We can adjourn the meeting until you're ready enough."
I wave it off before he finishes. "There will be no need for that. We'll continue when I am back."
"Yes, your Highness." Then he leaves.
I release the breath I didn't know I was holding until he disappears from view. I run a hand through my hair, exhale one more time then turn right in the corner of the hallway leading the gardens.
I step onto the field and my gaze immediately locks on the two figures sitting on one of the benches placed on the left, overlooking all the beautiful flowers of different species, growing together as one, intertwined.
They seat facing each other, looking to be deeply engaged in a conversation that they don't even notice my presence yet.
Max says something to Vanessa - even with a heightened sense of hearing, I can't make out their exact words from the distance - and she lets out a loud laugh, covering her mouth with a hand.
My wolf bristles once again and I try to calm him down.
Her face lights up, glowing with the radiance of the sun, complimented by her ginger-red hair spilling over her shoulders in beautiful waves.
She's beautiful.
My heart skips a beat at the thought, but I ignore it. Yes, any man with functioning eyes would definitely know that. My appreciating her beauty has nothing to do with anything.
Without a word to either of them, I turn around, heart unsettled with an unexplainable simmering bitterness and anger.
What is happening to me?