Beta's Bride [ShadowPack #2]

Xavier was running in the forest on all four when he was expecting something to come and attack him. He did not like the voice of his mother when she was telling him something was wrong with his sister.

Please be okay, please be okay! He prayed as he was running through the forest of Paphos that was full of pine trees and the grass was green as always. He slowed down when he was inside their territory that was claimed by the Shadow Pack long ago during the Running.

That's what they called for the Special Greeks to get away from the slaughtering of their own heads.

Xavier was panting when he was coming to a slow jog as he was looking at the house that was built by his father to his wife. It was a symbol of love but he knows a lot that the late Beta did not love his wife.

He just saw her as his breeding machine and that's it.

Xavier was shaking his brown fur before he was shrinking back the bones into his body. It cracked before he was kneeling on his knees and hands, naked as he was born, in front of the house that he called home.

"Oh, thank god you're here, my love," his mother was calling after him when Xavier just put up his black pants that were supposed to be around the house for their owners to fetch one when they finished transformed.

Xavier greeted his mother with a kiss on her forehead before she was guiding him inside the house. The house was spacious with less furniture as his father did not like clutter. And his mother did not mind the sparse space between them.

It was good for her, she said to him one time. No more of those suffering images of her husband to hunt her.

"Mama, what's going on? What happened? Where's Diana?" he said before his mother was ushering him inside the house through the main door. The living room consisted of only the fireplace and a set of couches that were circling one coffee table. There was a rug underneath it and that was pretty much it.

"Mama, you scare me. Where is Diana?" he asked her before his mother sighed as she was leading him to the couch. Xavier took the seat before his mother was sitting next to him. She turned to look at him before she took his hands into hers.

"Do not be mad but your sister has run away from home," she said calmly before Xavier stood up from the couch.

"WHAT!! Mama, how could you let her go like that?!" he said before he was trying to reach out to everyone that was supposed to be making sure the warrior of the pack, his sister, safe. But it was not reacting the way Xavier wanted it to be. He grimaced.

"Will you calm down and listen to me, my love? No, I did not stop her because she had found her true love. Diana has found her mate," she said before Xavier was turning sharply at her. He blinked as if trying to make sure that he was hearing this right.

"Do you mean—as you know this—why are you not telling me this before I came home?" he asked his mother before Mrs. Marchand was sighing.

"It has been going on for some time now. I know that Diana will never be agreed to marry Caleb and I have suspected that she was the one that was keeping a secret from your father. She wanted to tell us that she had found her true mate but your father would never agree to it. And now that she's gone, I think it is not a good thing from spearing those love to be apart. Besides," his mother said before she was sniffing him, Xavier tensed. "I think you have something to tell me as well, young Mr. Marchand," his mother said with an arched eyebrow. Xavier cursed under his breath before he was rubbing his mouth.

"No, Mama, I don't have anything else to tell you. I told you, I don't have any secret," he said before a certain blondie with blue eyes was appearing in his mind.

Stella. His wolf purred at the name.

"Uh-huh. Like I would believe you for one second. You're just like your sister. Always keeping a secret from me," his mother said before she stood up and patted his cheek.

"You should shower and we can have lunch. You hardly home these days and to think that today might as well you will be sleeping here since your sister has vanished," his mother said before she was humming a lullaby that she knows when she was a little girl.

Mrs. Marchand was not a local but a naturalized citizen of Cyprus. She married the late Beta and became his wife and left France to be with her husband. Xavier and Diana were taught of her mother's language as well as their father's which were French and Greek as well as the universal language that they were taught in school, English.

So, the Marchands can actually speak three languages which was an advantage in and of itself.

Xavier sighed before he chuckled. He cannot believe that his mother was making him coming home a lot earlier than he was supposed to but Zack was taking care of everything. This will be okay and everything will be back to normal.

But first, he needed to shower before he can find out who the fuck was the true mate of his sister and he has a few words to tell him.

*****

After finishing her brunch, Stella went out to go sightseeing most of the town square with the farmers' market that was just around the corner. She always wanted to experience it and it was the best thing that she has ever done.

Then, she was going around, taking a good picture of herself and the monuments that people don't think valuable. Later she will show it to her best friend, Laura, and perhaps this will be the best thing ever for her to see Stella's adventure.

At 3 PM, Stella went back to meet the waitress named Sam and she was happy to see her. Sam or her full name Samantha Lykos, was the childhood friend of Xavier and his sister, Diana as well as her brother, Sebastian. Stella thought it was too much information but Sam was happy to get to know her that she just let it go.

"I never see you around and you are not like the rest of the locals. Let me guess, you're from Scandinavia, aren't you?" Sam asked Stella after they bought some blended coffees and took a seat at the table outside the shop. It was family-owned and it was delicious, despite not being popular.

Stella would definitely make a recommendation to the people that saw her Instagram stories later on.

"Well, no. My father was from Scandinavia and my mother's Italian. We settled in Roma, Italy so not many people would think I was Italian, despite my appearance told you otherwise," Stella said before she was smiling at Sam. She nodded in agreement before something was itching her to ask about Xavier.

Would she dare? Just go for it!

"Um, if you don't mind me asking," Stella said before she was looking at Sam, she was sipping on her coffee, "is Xavier with anyone? Like have a girlfriend or something?" she mumbled before Stella felt the warmth of her cheeks. She blushed even when she was asking a regular question.

Sam took her time to answer it before was putting her coffee down. She looked at Stella and suddenly, she felt conscious of her appearance. Was she looked like a broke person? She hoped not when she was an heiress to a fucking company.

"Well, it was not something usual to see Xavier bringing a woman to the café and paid for her meal," Sam said to her as Stella was looking at her face. Sam smirked.

"Maybe he has some intention of pursuing later on but don't get your hopes up. It was not...always normal for Xavier to show his interest in someone. Especially a woman, much less a foreigner," Sam said as Stella was furrowing her eyebrows.

"What do you mean?" she asked before Sam was sipping on her coffee again. Then, she took a box for her as Stella took it from her hands.

"Those are the brunch from earlier. I have reheated it for you it should be good for an hour before it went cold again," Sam said, avoiding the question that Stella asked her.

"Sam," she warned her before Sam was sighing at her.

"Okay, I don't usually tell people about this but Xavier can be...wary of a woman. His mother has been going through a rough patch with his father and lately, he has been taking care of her when his father died a month ago," she said as Stella was looking at Sam. She nodded at her as if she was trying to understand the situation. Suddenly, Sam stood up as she was looking at the watch.

"Shoot, I have to go and people of Paphos don't usually stay late outside at night. You should get to your hotel and perhaps eat those before it goes cold, okay?" Sam said before she was taking her coat and handbag before she was taking a piece of napkin and wrote something on it.

"And this is for you since you have been a good friend. I think we will be spending some time together in the future," Sam said before she was smiling at her. Then, she did something unexpected.

Sam hugged her.

"Stay safe, bye. See you later," Sam said before she was running toward her house which was on the north side of the town. Stella looked at the napkin and it was revealed that it was a phone number.

What's worse, it was Xavier's phone number.