Celestial and the Alpha

Chapter 5 P.2: Don't Let Me Go

"You're doing very well, Celeste. I think you should go eat something if you're feeling up to it. I brought you some snacks but I didn't really get a chance to give them to you." Zay moved to show the plate of berries and something a yellowish white sitting on her desk. Xavier took it from her and motioned for me to follow him. I gave Zay a small smile as thanks and followed Xavier out of the room.

For the first time, I was able to take in this part of what I'm assuming is their pack house. Zay's office was directly connected to a large living room, filled with dark furniture and natural wood walls. There were pictures on the walls. From what I can see of them, they seem to be from pack events; large groups of people surrounding bonfires or just overall having a good time smiling at a camera. In this living room, there was a large TV with multiple devices below it sitting on a cabinet. It's been so long since I've seen a TV this close and I can't recall having seen one this large before. There were several doors, a hallway, and stairs going up to what I know is a hallway of rooms, Xavier's included. "There's an entertainment room down the hall, meant to hold larger groups," Xavier said, noticing my stare flickering over the mass amount of entertainment systems. "I'd love to show you around later but I would also love for you to eat. Let's go to the kitchen." I nodded and followed him through a door to a dining room. The dining room was large, with the biggest table I've ever seen. "There's usually people in here but everyone knows you're here so they're probably out making the rest of the pack grounds look as nice as possible," he gave a small chuckle towards the end, turning back to me with a smile on his face. He nodded towards another door at the opposite side of the room and I followed him into the kitchen. The kitchen was full of white appliances and tan cabinets. There's two tile walls along where all the appliances are laid. "We have a larger commercial kitchen on the pack grounds for large pack dinners but this one does just fine for smaller dinners." Small? This place was huge and so was that dining room. He put down the plate, motioning to it, "Feel free to snack, are you hungry enough for a full meal?" I shrugged. I was hungry, sure, but I'm always hungry. I also don't tend to eat too much, purely because not much was ever available. I picked up a blueberry off the plate and popped it in my mouth. Surprise went through me as Xavier suddenly lifted me and set me to sit down on the counter. He gave another chuckle at the look on my face. I blushed and laid the crutches to lean against the cabinet. I poked at the soft whitish yellow block on the plate.

"What is this?" I felt silly for asking the question as I picked it up and smelled it. I scrunch my nose up at the strong smell.

"Cheese," he says as he takes it from me and breaks off a small piece and pops it in his mouth. He holds it back to me and I take it, giving it a small nibble. My eyes widened at the smooth but yummy taste that covers my tongue. I had heard of cheese several times but I have no memory of having eaten it. "Do you like it?" I nod as I quickly finish off the rest of the block. "There's lots of kinds of cheese," Xavier says as if this isn't basic info I just don't have the knowledge on. "My sister is a fanatic and I'm sure she would be more than happy to let you get into her collection." I smile at the thought of exploring more food. "Fair warning though, she will talk your ear off about the origins and practices. She'll do the same thing with wine but she can't drink right now, she's pregnant." I nodded, taking in the information. Xavier has a sister who's pregnant. It sounds like they have a good relationship. Xavier turns around and starts pulling items out of the cabinets and fridge. He works silently as I happily watch him cook a meal. Every now and then he sends me a smile or comes back to steal a berry while brushing a hand down my arm or leg. I was still in the silly gown but it was better than nothing. Eventually he places a plate down with several different items. "That's green beans, chicken, and alfredo pasta. The pasta is pretty cheesy, I hope you like it." He handed me a fork and I tried to hide my embarrassment as I recalled how to hold and use it. It's been so long for me but the skill remains in my head. Xavier doesn't comment, merely taking his own plate and standing beside where I sit on the counter. I take a bite of the chicken first, it being the most familiar item on the plate. It tastes different than any chicken I can recall having eaten but it's very good. Next I try the green beans, they're okay. The pasta is delicious, the flavor exploding in my mouth. I hum in enjoyment and Xavier gives me a broad smile. We eat in silence too but it's a comfortable smile. Xavier clears his plate but my stomach starts to ache about halfway through. I was full. When was the last time that happened? Xavier eyes my leftover food with a far away look in his eyes.

"I have to go deal with the. . ." He trails off but I know he's talking about the rogues. My heart aches at the thought of them. The thought of Mom. "I promise I won't be too long. Would you like to go back upstairs? I had one of the girls set up a room for you beside mine." For some reason I felt a little sad at the thought. I didn't understand my own feelings in this moment. "Or I can ask Zay if you two can hang out? I know you haven't gotten to know her too well yet but she's the only one you're semi-properly introduced to. ."

"Actually," my stomach was twisting at my thoughts. "Can I. ." I wanted to see them. I wanted to look into their eyes and know that it was them. I wanted to know that Xavier was going to do his best to make them pay for what they did. "Can I come with you?"

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