Chapter 1 - Her Revenge Contract

Xavier's POV

It was early Saturday morning when my Beta, Greyson, and I went on a hunting expedition to blow off some needed steam after a busy week at work.

My wolf, Ray, has been restless the last couple of days and I was hoping that if I took him out for a run, he would focus on something else and calm him down.

Beta Greyson brought the black truck to a stop, and we both got out, stretching our legs.

"This is still one of my favorite places to hunt!" Greyson said and I nodded my head, confirming my feelings too.

I stalked toward a nearby tree, stripped myself of my clothes, then hid my clothes inside the trunk of the tree.

I let Ray take over, and I shifted into my pitch-black beast.

Greyson went around a tree just as I passed the truck.

"Ready?" I mind-linked, and Greyson's dark grey beast yapped excitedly.

We both took off at a sprint, heading towards the river, before we went deeper into the forest.

It was still very early, and the sun was just peeking at its head from behind the mountains.

We came to a stop at the edge of the river... seeing two deer calmly drinking on the other side of the river bank...

We knew we couldn't cross to the other side, it was illegal, and the river was the boundary between two major packs.

We used to have a treaty between the packs. That was until recently when both the pack leaders of our rival pack were killed.

I sighed, shaking my head.

I still can't believe that both died in a car crash...

Ray took a sip of the crystal clear water, and then Greyson and I took off toward the forest.

It didn't take us long to find a dear, and we chased the poor animal towards the cliff.

The deer cried out in panic when he saw us pouncing toward him, killing him in the process.

"Feeling better?" Greyson asked after we filled our bellies, and Ray nodded his major head.

"Have you started to worry about me?" I asked, teasingly.

"A bit," he answered seriously, "you have been acting strangely the last couple of days..."

"Nothing to worry about," I mind-linked back, "Ray just needed a good leg stretching, he seems a bit more..."

A horrific scream echoed through the mountains, sending shivers down my spine and cutting me off.

Before I could register what I was hearing, Ray took full control of my body and ran as fast as he could toward the river.

As soon as we arrived at the river's edge, he scanned the water, searching.

He threw his nuzzle in the air and chased after an intoxicating scent of soft lavender.

"What the hell is going on?" Greyson, mind-linked, bewildered.

"I don't know..." I answered.

My words died off when I saw a body floating in the water, and Ray jumped into the river, swimming after it.

Ray managed to grab hold of a piece of clothing and started dragging the helpless body from the water toward the river bank.

"It's a girl," Greyson gasped, surprised as he pulled the body from the water. He must have seen me jump after the body and shift back.

Greyson immediately started to work on the girl and checked for a pulse. Then he started to do CPR on her, and I shifted back.

"Mate," Ray yapped excitedly in my mind...

In that moment, my heart seemed to stop beating altogether.

Her long lashes trembled slightly as teardrops rolled down her cheeks. Her rosy lips were slightly ajar, leaving little doubt as to her captivating beauty.

However, I knew that the feeling I was experiencing was not because of her beauty, but rather - the taste! The sweet and aromatic flavor of cocoa and cookies! Never before had I smelled such an enticing aroma!

... This beautiful creature was made for me and was now on the brim of dying.

My mind filled with the roar of a wolf, my heart racing uncontrollably, and as if by some mandate from the universe, I sensed a voice commanding me to save this girl and not to lose her.

I scrunched my eyebrows together as my gaze moved over her face. She surely looked familiar, as if I had seen or met her somewhere before.

"She's breathing," Greyson yelled out proudly, and my head snapped towards him.

I bent down next to the girl, carefully picked her up in my arms, and started towards the truck.

Greyson unlocked and opened the back passenger door for me, and I laid her down on the back seat.

Greyson jumped into the front seat, starting the truck.

The girl's lips had started to turn blue, and she shivered below my fingertips.

"You gonna have to help her!" Ray yelled in my mind.

"How?" I asked, bewildered.

Greyson had already turned on the heater to heat the truck.

"Body heat," Ray suggested.

"Are you kidding me?"

"Now, before she dies..."

I carefully removed the girl's wet clothing, leaving her in her bra and panties.

Greyson gave me a concerned look but didn't say anything, he clearly understood.

I pulled the thick jacket that was lying on the front passenger seat over us, holding her close to me.

The drive back home didn't take long, and as soon as Greyson stopped the truck, the doctor waited for us in the foyer.

I carried the girl to the top floor with Greyson and the doctor on my heels.

Greyson unlocked the door, and I stalked towards a visitor's bedroom and lay the girl down.

Color had returned to her cheeks, and she didn't look so blue.

The doctor came in, nodded his head, and I let him be...

I quickly went for a shower and got dressed, and as soon as I walked out, the doctor closed the door behind him.

His eyes were full of revelation and anger, and I suddenly wondered what was happening.

"Alpha," the doctor called, and fear rose in me.

Why did he look so concerned?

Did something happen to my mate? Was she badly hurt? Will she wake up? Was she about to die?

"Yes?" I answered and walked closer, swallowing hard, against the lump in my throat.

"I am sorry to inform you..."

I cut him off with an angry roar and, startled, he took a step back, looking shocked back at me.

"Alpha, it is not that bad..." the doctor tried again.

I blinked a couple of times, shaking my head. It's not that bad? What was he going on about then?

"What's not bad..?" I asked, feeling almost relieved.

"Alpha, the girl you found appears to be human..." he said, he found my gaze and smile, but still there was something he was withholding from me.

Human? I'm pretty sure she is more than just human... why would she be between two rival packs' borders? Humans don't come here...

"Okay... what is the bad news?" I asked.

"She had gone through a lot of trauma, and the evidence shows that it's now recently..."

My mate has been tortured... my heart pinched hurtfully in my chest and anger flared up inside me... Whoever did this to my mate will be severely punished... if not killed...

"How long will she be asleep?" I asked, hoping for a miracle.

"Not sure," the doctor answered, "she can wake up any moment... but be warned that the girl might suffer from memory loss... she might have anemia..."

"How long can that last?" I asked.

I needed to get information from my mate to know who did this to her.

"It depends on how badly her mind wants to block out the experience" the doctor answers.

Silence followed a moment after, and when I didn't say anything, the doctor spoke again.

"If that is all, Alpha, I will be leaving now. I will check in again later today..."

I thanked the doctor and he was on his way.

Greyson entered my quarters moments later with his mate, Kelly. She had a few pieces of fabric in her hands.

"Morning, Alpha," she greeted and turned toward the door where the girl was lying on the bed

"Greyson?" I called, to stop him, yet, he nodded his head and gestured for Kelly to continue and she entered the girl's room, closing it behind her.

"Kelly will just give the girl a change of clothes," he said, "and make her comfortable..."

"Thank you..." I said and let out a deep breath.

I must have looked depressed or something, and it caught Greyson's attention.

Greyson walked over to me, took a stand before me, then started to search my gaze, before he read my body language...

I smiled at the gesture, knowing that I couldn't hide anything from Greyson. We have been friends since kindergarten, and from the age of five, we have been best friends.

Greyson's facial expression suddenly changed from serious to surprise...

He blinked a couple of times to process the information before he uttered the words I couldn't.

"She's your mate..." he said with wide eyes.

I kept silent... giving him time to process the information.

I chuckled and walked to the alcohol cabinet, poured each of us a glass of bourbon, and handed him one.

"This... wow..." he said.

No one would have thought I would be blessed with a second chance mate...

Kelly appeared minutes later, and Greyson pulled her into his lap.

She kissed him quickly before she turned her attention to me and spoke.

"Alpha, do you know the girl lying in your guest room is Katherine King?" She asked and waited for a response.

"Katherine King?" I asked, enjoying the name that moved between my lips.

"Yes," Kelly continued, "she is the heiress of King Enterprises now that her parents were..."

"Killed in a vehicle accident..." I finished Kelly's words.

I had read about the vehicle accident on the news, yet I couldn't put my head around it.

The chances of wolves dying in car accidents were extremely slim, and I had a bad feeling about the so-called accident...

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and typed Katherine's name, and sure enough, a picture of her popped up on my cellphone screen.

I started flipping through different kinds of data and images of my mate and I couldn't help myself moving my thumb over her bright and spotless smile when I found a clear and decent photo of her.

Kelly got up from Greyson's lap and showed me an article about Katherine. It was broadcast a few hours ago saying that the heir of King Enterprises died in an accidental fall from a cliff. Her body has not yet recovered. That spiked my interest and I searched for the article on my phone...