Alpha Xander: His Contracted Luna

***AT THE MANOR***

Eric entered last into the living room. Faye sprawled on the couch, by the left of the room. Shawn sat upright on the one chair by the fireplace, above his head was hung the painting of the burning man. Xander sat on a one-seated sofa with his palms on his knees. His face was hardened when Eric proceeded to sit.

“Who permitted your entrance?”

Eric retreated to his stance by the cloakroom.

“As the first wolf of the beta-

Xander clenched the armrest.

“And who deemed you first wolf of the betas?” Xander furrowed.

Eric stood head up, with his hands clasped behind his back.

Faye mounted her elbows on the cushion on her lap. She palmed her face in disappointment. She had ordered Eric with a dismissal wave, moments earlier on the fields.

Shawn widened his legs. He was eager to hear what the beta had to say for himself.

In his forlorn attempt to back his misconception, Eric glanced at Faye, who had her head laid back on the couch staring at the convex décor of the ceiling. No hope there.

He swallowed up his utterance when Xander rose up from the sofa.

“Faye is still the first beta, Luna or not,” Xander’s fist waved over her head. “I see no reason you perceive yourself valuable to be here. You started an uproar at the courtyard,” Xander shook his head with a palm over his face. “And now you-

Eric dropped his hands to his sides.

“I only intervened when Shawn-

Shawn stomped the floor standing at the fireplace.

“How dare you interrupt,” he scowled. “Maintain your silence.”

Faye didn’t hold any bars either. And she wouldn’t let Shawn come at one of her own.

“Hold your peace delta,” She swatted the cushion to the side. “You have no words to spill in the presence of the Alpha,” she dropped her legs down to the carpet.

“Every one of you should shut your mouths,” Xander stepped to the center of the room. Shawn and Faye were steady on their feet. “Eric Parker…” he darted at the beta. Eric’s eyes were peeled with attention, “Get out and shut the door behind you lightly,” Xander ordered.

Eric turned back to the door and went outside. The door made a slight shriek when he closed it shut.

***

Xander rocked back and forth in the living room. Faye twirled her hair in her finger staring at the back of his head. Shawn stared straight at the window. He envisioned his deltas right behind the door, eavesdropping. He imagined Joni, even though he’d never hang with the others but he thought of him.

“Let this sink into your thick skulls,” Xander turned to them. They fixed their eyes back on him. “It will be a matter of time before the Alpha pack starts to lose themselves,” he pointed a finger at his temple.

“The deltas would be the first,” Faye picked at her fingers.

“With all due respect…” Shawn confronted staring down at Faye.

A knock came at the door.

“Who is it?” Xander nudged.

The door opened slightly. The loose threads of a grey beanie protruded inside.

“It’s um- Joni…?”

“Just tell him, man,” Manny’s voice whispered.

“I’m getting there alright,” Joni muttered.

Their shadows were wobbling at the foot of the door.

“Alpha, we were wondering if… we just wanted to know if we could come in.” He coughed.

“The whole pack,” Manny hissed.

“Like… the whole pack. The thing is we haven’t had anything to eat all morning. Sir-I mean Alpha,”

Xander walked to the door, “You don’t complain to me. Go out to hunt critters or something.”

Joni put his hand through the door, “So should I tell the others or…?”

“Yeah you do that,” Xander slapped his hand away and pushed the door shut.

He turned back to the others who had relaxed on the couch, “As we were,” They jolted upright to their feet.

“I can’t take her bullshit any longer,” Shawn huffed. “They treat us deltas as runts in the litter.”

“Put the petty beef aside,” Xander groaned. “I won’t give any contributions to that.”

“I just want to put it out there Alpha,” Shawn returned to his stance.

Faye smirked. The delta clenched his fists behind him.

“The reason I didn’t let Eric in is clear to her,” Xander cleared his throat. Faye looked up at him. “He is respected among the wolves of the pack, yes. And I hold at a high regard as I do the both of you. In your flaws and your counter actions.” Xander gleaned at Faye.

The first delta and the first beta stood apart as Xander inched forward to them

He placed his hands on their shoulders, “Under no circumstance do you let bring that regard to a low,” he squeezed tightly. “The Alpha pack relies on us. And if we break, they’ll scatter into pieces we cannot assemble.”

They faced each other and Xander stepped back to let them have a moment.

“I just want you to know,” Faye pinched the bridge of her nose. “I don’t like any of you-deltas. And It doesn’t break my heart to keep you all at arm’s length,” she breathed out stretching her arm to shake it off.

Shawn obviously didn’t take that as an apology. Her bluntness was shown in her actions and her words. She clearly stated it in front of the Alpha didn’t make the sky brighter or the grass greener. Just an emotionless standstill.

“I will join forces for our exploits. Even if it means holding back the urge to rip out your black heart,” his fists opened to his side.” He shook hands with her regardless. His lips didn’t break the faintest smile.

“Can we be seated now?” Faye wiped her palm on the side of her jean shorts. “Now that we have gotten this over with right?” she raised a brow at Xander.

Xander walked back to his armchair opposite where Shawn sat at the fireplace. Faye bent over to pick her cushion from the carpet. Her thighs were scanty and revealing. She pushed the cushion on her chest and hopped on the couch.

“I would like to share something with you both. Something I had held too long to be a dark secret,” Xander breathed out. “It will be devastating to your ears. And I can’t promise your trust in me will remain the same.”

“We can take in whatever you have to tell us Alpha,” Shawn leaned back on the sofa.

“This will be quite the enlightenment,” Faye folded her legs up on the couch.

***

“That night I drained the little life left in her frail body,” Xander lowered. “She would have thought of seeing the light of the next day. And I-I took that chance away,” he glanced at his wolves tensed in their seats.

“This is… It is so overwhelming,” Shawn squatted on the carpet staring into the ambers of the fireplace. “After so long. It’s been months, if not a year Xander,” he elevated to his feet with his eyes narrowed at the Alpha.

Faye locked her fingers over her feet and stretched, “Well… shit. I honestly can’t believe this Xander,” she pushed her hands behind her back and leaped on the carpet. “This is so outrageous. I can’t-I can’t take your side when the elders hear of this. I am sorry,” she gasped into her palms.

“I know how you must be feeling. You loathe me and want me to meet justice for my actions,” Xander took his eyes off his feet and glared at the ceiling. “Right about now… if the pack gets to know, it will cause a divide.”

“You want us to keep it secret?” Shawn looked puzzled. “You just let the cat put the bag and you want to put it back in. Fuck no man.”

“Saving your ass as always,” Faye placed her arms on her hips. “Typical Xander Marion. Do you think we will lean into your sob story? You are not innocent don’t you get it?” She pushed a finger at his chest.

Xander made a step back. From where he stood, he made a pedestal for scrutiny. He knew what would come if he came clean with the top delta and the top beta.

“Watch it, Faye,” Shawn warned. “He might be in the wrong, but don’t be too quick to act rash all of a sudden.”

“You want to take his side?” Faye snarled. “You want to take the side of a murderer. He is the reason came at us with the rogues. Heck, Xander made us believe we could welcome a human in our ranks.”

Faye realized she was taking it to another level of criticism. She would love to start a mutiny, but Xander had spared her life more than once. She made terrible decisions in the past. And if word got out about her alliance with the rogues. She wouldn’t be any less different from Xander. A traitor regardless.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

“Catherine is dead,” Shawn snapped. “Right?”

“Yes… the human is dead,” Faye gleaned at Xander. “And you are right. Xander is in the wrong but we can’t just go against him.”

Xander was gladdened Faye came to her right mind. If she hadn’t he’d come the satisfaction of exposing her corroborations with the rogues. And how it led to a temporary fallout in the Alpha pack. Jackson was a living testimony of that.