Chapter 52 Unwarranted Situations
Xander
She's really testing my patience at this point, and it's only a matter of time before I snap.
"Vanessa," I growl, my voice low and warning. But she's never been one to be fazed by it.
I seize her arm, gripping it firmly in my hand and she tries to wriggle free, which only makes me tighten my hand. Then I pull her sharply, away from Max who only watches us with amusement shining in his eyes.
"Let me go!" she grouches, pushing me away, but I I jerk her closer to me, white hot rage seizing my whole body.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I demand.
"Oh, I don't know what you're talking about," she replies with faux innocence.
"Don't test me, Vanessa."
Her nostrils flare up, blue eyes flashing like lightening. "Or what? You're gonna accuse me of trying to sleep with your best friend now?"
I stumble back a step and my hands go lax, her words hitting me right in the chest like a bullet to the heart.
"Vanessa–"
"Oh, I'm sorry, did I ruin the next blame surprise?" she snarks.
I don't respond, pressing my lips into a thin line as the guilt of my earlier actions washes over me once more. She didn't deserve that.
"Um, for the record, I'll never sleep with Vanessa," Max perks up after a while. "It's not you, Vanessa, obviously. You're just like a little sister to me, and I'd like to keep it that way."
"What the fuck are you saying, Max?" Vanessa asks, the irritation clear in her voice.
He sighs and gestures to us. "You guys should resolve this drama between you two. You're acting like old married couples and it's starting to give me a headache," he huffs, dramatically placing a hand on his head.
"Max, you're not helping," I warn, glaring at him.
"What? I just–"
"Shut up!" Vanessa and I echo at the same time, cutting our gazes to him, then back at each other, eyes wide and a little amused.
Max jumps, hugging himself. "Okay, okay, I'll leave you to it then. Sheesh, y'all are mean as fuck," he mutters, sidestepping us and runs away.
Vanessa also makes a move to leave, on instinct, I grab her arm but she doesn't stop, pulling her leg far behind her and connecting it with my knee. "Fuck off." Then she's gone, leaving me in a pain that's worse than the one throbbing in my knee.
What do I do?
The next few days go by without much activity - the usual meetings. I've barely seen Vanessa - it's been more than a week now, and I find my thoughts constantly drifting towards her, especially when I'm with Lucinda who always makes sure to bring her name up in conversations like it's become her duty.
Lucinda had noticed my bad mood since that day and always tries to cheer me up with her incessant talking, and trying to make me contribute - it never really works.
Today, we're both seated in my private office, after I just finished with a lengthy meeting.
Lucinda gasps, her blue yes sparking with something as she turns to face me.
"Xander, I just had an idea on how to make you and Vanessa reconcile," she announces.
"How?" I ask, curious what her plan is.
"You'll fight."
What?
"Wait, let me explain," she says quickly. "I've watched Vanessa for a while now without her knowledge, and I've seen how good and passionate she is about fighting. It's her scene, her way of soothing her mind when she's pent up with anger. Instead of leaving her to give you the silent treatment. Why don't you let her pour it all out instead?"
My head spins as I try to digest her words.
"So you want me to allow Vanessa to beat me to a pulp? How does that even resolve anything?" Irritation filling me at just the thought.
She sighs loudly. "Don't you want forgiveness?"
"I do," I reply honestly.
"Then you have to do this. I'm not saying you shouldn't do anything and just stand there while she beats you up. All I'm saying is to give her a means to expel all that anger and rage, and what better way than the one who caused it? This is more for her, Xander. She needs it." Lucinda's voice is pleading, and it makes me wonder why she's going to such lengths for Vanessa. It's almost suspicious. Almost.
"Alright," I say, resigning to my inevitable fate of being pummeled by the fiery red head.
She cheers, clapping her hands. "Tomorrow morning by 9am, sharp. Don't be late," she informs, then struts out of the room like she'd just delivered the best news.
The next morning comes faster than expected. Getting to the training grounds, the air feels thick with sweat and dust. I watch wolves sparring, and in pairs, the sounds of impact, sharp and rhythmic - fists, boots, grunts.
All of them pause their activities to bow when they see me, but I wave at them, gesturing for them to carry on; all levels of controlled violence, until I see her. Her ginger-red hair is pulled back into a tight pony tail, swaying as she storms over. Her electric blue eyes are alight with a different kind of fire; the kind that screams for blood.
My pulse picks up, and my palms start to dampen slightly, and I'm almost embarrassed at the way my cock hardens almost as soon as she's near.
"Alright, everyone, training's over. Out," Lucinda's voice booms throughout the place. There's a lot of groans and grunts, but knowing who she is, nobody defies her, and they all pile out one after the other until it's just Lucinda, Max, Vanessa, and I, left.
Lucinda turns to us. "The floor's all yours." With that, she and Max move to sit on a bench, watching the both of us, intensely.
Vanessa doesn't even spare me a glance as she passes me by and gets into the ring.
I follow.
The moment I step into the ring, I feel it. Her simmering anger under the surface, just waiting to be unleashed. The heat rolls off of her like a second skin, and it makes something coil tight in my stomach.
She cracks her neck and her knuckles, the sound echoing in the stillness.
Then we face each other.
"Rules?" I ask.
She gives me a wicked smirk. "Tap out or get unconscious. Your pick, pretty boy. Don't worry, it won't hurt."
From my peripheral vision, I watch Lucinda give the signal.
Vanessa moves fast, ruthlessly, with no hesitation, I barely dodge her first strike, her fist grazing my jaw. I feel the sting after, but I don't dwell on it.
Her second strike isn't fast enough and I catch her arm, twisting it behind her back, and she cries out.
I'm momentarily distracted by her lavender scent disrupting my senses, and I don't see her raised knee before it collides with my cock.
"Ooh, fuck. That's gotta hurt," Max exclaims on my behalf, the wince evident in his voice.
I drop to one knee, grunting and trying to stop myself from holding it.
Vanessa bends at the waist and whispers in my ear, "Hurts like a fucking bitch, doesn't it?" then she cackles like a fiend. "Get up, I'm not done with you, pretty boy."