Chapter 130: Bring Her Home

Chapter 130: Bring Her Home
Xavier’s POV
The meeting chamber was silent.
Xavier sat at the long oak table, his hands clasped together, his body heavy but upright. Across from him, Damien leaned forward like a predator about to spring. Even at this moment, his wolf seemed to take over him. His amber eyes burned furiously.
Beside him, Magnus fidgeted, his wolf energy buzzing in his restless legs. His eyes were still red from tears he hadn’t bothered to hide.
Three chairs filled. Alpha. Beta. Gamma. Brothers bound by the bond of one woman. But now that she was gone, what would happen to them? And, to some extent, to the future of the Moonlit Pack?
They’d been there for quite a while, but none of them spoke. They just stared. Each breath seemed to tell everything they didn’t want to say aloud. The silence itself was deafening.
Finally, the door creaked open nearby.
Xavier’s head instinctively snapped up. His jaw tightened when the fourth man entered.
Dr. Alexander.
Calm as ever, hands folded neatly behind his back, eyes lowered as though he knew he was walking into a den of werewolves. Even though he was one himself, just a weaker one.
A second passed, and Damien moved before Xavier even thought of breathing once more.
A roar ripped through the chamber as Damien lunged across the table, teeth bared, claws half-sprung. His hands seized Alexander by the throat, slamming him against the wall hard enough to rattle the wooden beams.
“You,” Damien snarled, his fangs hovering inches from Alexander’s ear. “You dared betray me. You dared betray your pack!”
Magnus immediately rose to his feet, his body moving fast.
“Alpha, stop!” he said, wrapping his arms around Damien’s waist and straining to pull him back away from Alexander. “Killing him won’t bring her back!”
“Let go of me, Magnus!” Damien’s growl was pure wolf, his muscles straining against Magnus’s grip. “He’s the reason she ran, right? He’s the reason she’s not here anymore!”
Xavier rose slowly, his fists curling so tightly his knuckles cracked. His wolf burned for blood too, of course. The urge to tear Alexander apart in that moment was almost too much for him to bear.
But his voice came low and steady despite that. “Enough, please…”
Both Damien and Magnus froze at the command in his tone. Alexander gasped, still pinned but silent, eyes narrowing as though he welcomed whatever fate they chose for him.
Xavier’s voice cut through the silence as he added, “We all want his blood. Don’t think for a second I don’t. But he knows where Meredith is.” He took a step closer, his fists trembling at his sides. “And right now, that is our only priority. Nothing else. So please…”
Damien’s chest heaved violently, his golden eyes blazing into Alexander’s pale ones. His claws pricked the doctor’s skin, drawing thin lines of blood.
Magnus clung tighter, his voice almost begging. “He’s right, Damien. He’s right. Meredith first. Always my Little Wolf.”
The chamber filled with the sound of Damien’s ragged breathing. A second passed. Then another. Finally, with a snarl of disgust, Damien shoved Alexander hard against the wall and released him.
Alexander slid down, coughing, one hand on his throat. Still, he didn’t protest. Didn’t fight. He only looked up at the three strong wolves staring at him.
“I’m sorry,” he said in a hoarse voice. “And let me help you find her.”
Xavier’s gaze was sharp as a blade. “You will,” he said coldly. “Or you won’t live long enough to regret it.”
Alexander soon sat across from them, trying to compose himself despite the bruises blooming along his throat.
“Speak. Now.” Damien’s voice thundered first. “Everything you know about Meredith’s whereabouts.”
Magnus leaned forward on the table, his fists clenched, his boyish face wet. “No riddles. No half-truths. Just tell us where exactly she is.”
Xavier said nothing at first, only stared. He knew his presence alone would press Alexander to answer.
The doctor exhaled slowly, then folded his hands together. “Don’t worry, she is alive. I can promise you that much. She is living alone now… in a small village just a few miles away from the border.”
Xavier’s chest tightened. Alive. The word was both a relief and a threat. Because he wondered, for how long?
When no one dared to say anything, Alexander continued. “She’s taken work at an establishment there. It is owned by a man named Carrick.” He paused to clear his throat, as if preparing himself to say more. “That is all I know…”
Wait, what?
“What?” Magnus slammed his fist against the table, making the wood groan and tremble. “That can’t be all! I thought you had so much more to say? Who is this bastard named Carrick? What kind of man is he? Is she safe with him? And if she’s all alone as you say, then what if… what if…” He buried his face in his shivering hands and sat back down in his seat.
Xavier leaned forward. “How do you know this much?”
“As I told Gamma Magnus, I had contact with the driver who took her back,” Alexander said simply. “Unfortunately, that is all he told me. Nothing more.”
Damien finally shot to his feet, his chair toppling and crashing to the floor. His golden eyes blazed, his wolf straining beneath his skin.
“That’s really it? That’s all you give us? A name and a village?” He slammed his hand on the table, the sound cracking like thunder. “Useless!”
Magnus stirred but stayed silent, his jaw tight.
Xavier’s fists curled. “It’s not enough,” he admitted, trying his best not to shift and make unnecessary mistakes. “But I guess it’s a start.”
Damien then turned on Alexander, his growl reverberating through the chamber. “Get out of my sight. Find more. Track every lead, shake down every source, do whatever it takes. If you fail me again, I swear I’ll tear you apart with my bare hands and eat you raw.”
Alexander bowed his head, his face grim. “As you command, Alpha.”
He finally stood, his steps slow as he made his way to the door. The heavy wood closed behind him with a soft thud, leaving only the three of them in the chamber.
For a long moment, none of them spoke. The silence pressed on Xavier’s chest like stone.
Finally, he exhaled, turning his gaze to his brothers. “So. A village. A man named Carrick. That’s where we start.”
Damien’s jaw clenched, his rage simmering like fire. Magnus forced a grin that didn’t even reach his eyes.
And Xavier made the vow silently in his heart. “We will find her. Whatever it takes.”
Afterward, Damien paced like a caged wolf, shoulders tight. Magnus leaned against the table, lost in thought, rubbing his thumb against his chin as if to calm himself.
Xavier remained seated, his arms crossed against his chest. His silence stretched until both of them turned to look at him, waiting.
It was supposed to be the Alpha to lead right now, but all of them knew he could not think clearly at this moment. Not when Meredith was at stake. If it were war, Alpha Damien could’ve already gathered the warriors and begun the attack on the enemies.
“Listen,” Xavier said at last. “We can’t tell anyone else. Not the entire pack. Not even our parents. No one. If word spreads, if even Meredith hears of it, she’ll probably run farther. And we’ll lose her for good. And if our enemies learn of this, well, you know what will happen.”
Damien growled low, but he didn’t argue. He knew Xavier was right.
Magnus straightened, brushing his messy hair back. “So, what’s the plan, Beta? You’re the brains here.”
Xavier exhaled slowly. “We should divide our roles. Alpha Damien…” He turned to the Alpha. “You’ll keep the pack stable. They’re restless without their Luna. If they suspect she’s gone, it’ll surely cause chaos.”
“The fuck are you saying?” Damien’s eyes flared. “I should be the one leading the hunt—”
“And you will,” Xavier cut in firmly. “But not yet. Just think about this carefully. If the Alpha vanishes now, the pack will know something’s wrong. We can’t risk them panicking, can we?”
“Right…” Damien’s jaw clenched, but after a long silence, he gave a curt nod. “But don’t expect I’ll just stay here and do nothing…”
Xavier nodded once, then looked to Magnus next. “You’ll handle the outside, Magnus. Dig for more info. Find this Carrick. Learn who he is, what ties he has. Use that charm of yours, but keep it a secret. No one must know you’re hunting for your Little Wolf.”
Magnus smirked faintly, though his eyes were still rimmed red. “My charm, huh? Fine. I’ll play the fool if it gets me close to her.”
Finally, Xavier placed his hand flat on the table. “And I’ll handle the coordinates. Every bit of information comes through me. I’ll track the leads, cross them, and plan the moves. We keep this between us. No outsiders. Not even those we trust most.”
Damien’s gaze locked with Xavier’s. He usually argued and disagreed with some of Xavier’s strategies. This time, however, he knew he could not think of a better way. “Very well. But hear me, Xavier and Magnus. If you fail me—if either of you fail her—nothing will hold me back from destroying the entire village just to take her back in my arms…”
Magnus gave a short, sharp laugh at Damien’s words. “We won’t fail, Alpha,” he assured. “We can’t.”
Xavier leaned forward. “Then it’s decided. We find her. Quietly. Quickly. Before anyone else does. Meredith belongs here, and we will bring her home.”