**Life is hard ok plz forgive. I should really stop uploading when sleep deprivation is a thing. I hope ya'll enjoy.
Aceso's POV
It's been about three weeks since I arrived at my new pack. With everything that's taken place it my life, this has got to be some of the most uneventful few weeks I've ever experienced. Xavier has been hovering over me 24/7 and I'm going slightly crazy – not from his company, but from how overbearing he is being. I can't do anything by myself, and ever since I helped him better his speaking, all he does is protests and demands that I let him do everything for me. Well, that and talk dirty to me, but that was the one thing I did enjoy...a lot.
I don't know if the behavior is because of the fact that our mating didn't go as either of us had planned, or the fact that he's been waiting so long to finally find me. We've already talked out and discussed our feelings on the touchy subject that was how we consummated our bond, and Lord do I know that he feels bad - I do too for putting him in that position - but seriously! It's not like there's a glass box around my emotions! And to make matters worse, every time I call him out on his antics, he does anything and everything in his power to change the subject. It's absolutely infuriating.
I pushed the annoying thoughts aside as I heard Rory yell out to get everyone in the clearing's attention. I glanced around the training field and took note of how built everyone in this pack was. There wasn't a single person who was out of shape, including all the women. That was the other thing that made me incredibly proud of Xavier. In almost every pack I've ever heard of, the Alpha will refuse to let any of their women train. They said it was because their wolves would be distracted from fighting and they would ultimately get hurt. When I asked Xavier for his input on the subject when I realized this pack was different, he said that although their wolves would be anxious about their mate fighting, it was also better to know that your mate could hold his or her own during a fight if push came to shove. He also told me that Jarrod was extremely against the whole idea when he first came to the pack, but he soon came to change his mind after Xavier incessantly prodded him about it.
His reasoning and his ability to make change was just another reason why I knew Xavier was an amazing Alpha. I believed that as an Alpha, you aren't just born into your title. It needs to be earned. You should gain the respect of your people and you should be experienced enough to make wise decisions that are ultimately going to affect a large group of people later on. Xavier had that. He thought things through, and used logic both logic as well as instinct to make a sound decision, instead of ruling off of just pure emotion, like a lot of Alphas tended to do.
Stepping up to the gym mat that had been laid out, I waited for Xavier to show up. Yes - he let me train - but ONLY if it was with him. Figures. He pouted for thirty minutes about it when I said he should be focusing on his Alpha duties instead. Men.
"Sorry I'm late baby, got caught up talking with some men about border patrols." Xavier's deep voice rumbled out behind me. I shrugged my shoulders to let him know that I didn't care about his lack of attendance before leaning up on my tiptoes and pecking his cheek. He started to ramble on about what he was going to be teaching me today, half of which I didn't catch because I had dosed off. I'd been really tired as of lately and I wasn't quite sure why.
"Aceso, are you even listening to me?" He asked while narrowing his eyes. I shot him a sheepish look before shaking my head. He let out a frustrated huff while crossing his arms. He then proceeded to retell me everything he had just said, much to his chagrin. We got halfway through, and I could tell he was holding back the entire time we were sparing. I let it slide in the beginning, thinking he might step it up the longer we sparred, but he didn't and it was beginning to piss me off.
"God dammit, Xavier! Stop going easy on me! Do you think some random wolf is going to hold back just because I'm a woman? No!" I yelled at him, letting my temper get the best of me. I could tell his wolf really didn't like the way I was speaking to him by the way his eyes began to swirl and darken.
"You will not be fighting ever. Do you understand? This is just precaution. You're lucky I'm even letting you train!" He shot back, gaining the attention of almost everyone in the clearing. My blood began to boil as my anger shot through the roof. I was one of our best fighters already. Matter of fact, he told me that I was the first day we started training. And now here he was discrediting all the progress I've made so far.
Fighting came surprisingly natural to me and I picked it up quickly, yet he still thought it was okay to undermine my ability simply because I was his mate and he could. Shouldn't this be the other way around? He should be proud of me for how strong I actually am! He knows my potential, but he's just being an huge asshole. I ignored the fact that practically everyone was snooping in on our little dispute.
"You don't get to tell me what I can and can't do! I am your mate and the Luna of this fucking pack as of a few weeks ago! If I want to fight alongside my warriors to protect our people, I fucking will!" I shrieked. My face felt flushed, and I knew my anger was visible. I could feel the pack's unease through the pack link. It was never a good thing when the Alpha and Luna fought.
He took a menacing step towards me, but I stood my ground. No way will I let him make me feel inferior. Not today, not ever.
"Yes, I do get a say in what you do! If I tell you you're not doing something, you're not fucking doing it! I am your Alpha and you will do as I fucking say!" He bellowed out with finality. I couldn't fucking believe he pulled the Alpha card. That was one low fucking blow. I felt my eyes sting with unshed tear, even though I wasn't even upset – just extremely angry. Too bad for him I always have to get the last word in everything.
"Well you know what? You may be the Alpha of this pack, but you are not the Alpha of this relationship! So you can just go-" I was about to let out a slew of curse words when my wolf forced herself forward and I shot my head towards the trees, searching them frantically. A wave of searing warmth rush through my body and without second thought I made a mad dash towards the trees. I ran as fast as I possibly could, only vaguely aware of the fact that my mate was just barely keeping up with my fleeting pace. I came to a stop at a clearing where a little girl, only about six or seven, was laying half alive on the grass in a pool of her own blood.
Releasing a feral growl, I dashed towards her body and began examining her wounds. She had deep claw marks marring her entire stomach and majority of her upper right leg. Packs usually never had an issue with rogues, or Wilds as most liked to call them, because they tended to be peaceful creatures living out the rest of their life in wolf form.
But, in this moment, I had no doubt that it was some filthy rogue who did this. No one else in his or her right mind would harm a sweet, innocent little girl. My hands started to tickle and itch as an aura of bright white light began to emanate from their skin. On instinct, I pressed and slid my radiating palms over the little girl's wounds and watched as her skin began to fuse back together perfectly, not even leaving a trace of a scar behind. Her once shallow breaths were beginning to deepen and her pale, white skin pinkening with color once again. I smiled from ear to ear when the little girls eyes opened once again and she stared back at me.
"Hi sweetheart. I'm Luna Aceso, can you tell me your name and what happened to you?" I asked in a quiet, soothing voice. I helped her sit up and she climbed into my lap with a little difficulty. I stroked her hair and whispered encouraging words in her ear before all the tension left her body and she finally spoke.
"I was c-chasing a butterfly for mama cause she always tells me how beautiful t-they are, but then some man with red eyes c-came out a-and when I asked him if he could h-help me get mama a butterfly he hurt me." She said, beginning to stutter as big, fat tears made an appearance.
"Why did he hurt m-me Luna Aceso?" She cried into my neck. My heart broke at how sad she sounded. My sorrow for the little girl, whose name I was informed through the pack link was apparently Mariposa, was instantly replaced with anger with the disgusting rogue. I finally glanced around the shocked crowd that eyes bore into me before calling for three of our warriors. I covered Mariposa's ears while I spoke.
"Luke, Jake, Steele! Gather a group and send out a search party. I don't want you back until that piece of fucking shit is dead, do you hear me?" I demanded, the natural Luna instincts inside of me coming out.
"Yes Luna." They all spoke simultaneously before dashing off into the surrounding forest.
Xavier's POV
"Well you know what? You may be the Alpha of this pack, but you are not the Alpha of this relationship! So you can just go-" I waited for the insults that never came. I watched as Aceso's hair began to glow once again and her once ocean blue eyes transformed into a bright silver. I mind linked for the pack doctor and Elder Esmeralda as she began frantically looking around the clearing. Just as they arrived, Aceso shot off into the trees. I tried my best to keep up with her, but it was difficult. I'd never met anyone who was even close to as fast as me, but here I was struggling to keep up with my mate's pace.
I watched in astonishment as we stopped at a clearing about a mile and a half away. There was a mauled little girl lying on the grass, bleeding out. My wolf's anger rushed through my body and I began to shake. Someone dare fucking harm one of my pack members!
A few minutes later everyone else joined us. We all stood around, watching in amazement as Aceso's hands began to match the glow of her hair and she literally healed the little girl that was practically dead on the forest floor. A woman, who I assumed was the little girl's mother went to run towards the two that were now cuddled in each other's embrace. I put my hand up to stop her. Obviously Aceso knew what she was doing right now and didn't need to be interrupted.
"Luke, Jake, Steele! Gather a group and send out a search party. I don't want you back until that piece of fucking shit is dead, do you hear me?" She spat out, making sure the little girl in her arms didn't hear the vulgar words she spoke. I couldn't help the pride I felt when I watched her taking on her Luna role like a complete natural. No one spoke a word after the warriors left to hunt down the rogue. It was finally Elder Esmeralda who broke the deafening silence.
"Just as I suspected. Alpha Xavier, Jarrod, Luna Aceso, we must talk in private. This is a highly confidential matter." She said, shooting us all a serious look before turning on her heels and making her way back to the pack house. We all nodded before Aceso handed the little girl back to her mother, who then continued to cry and thank he numerous times for saving her. I reached out to hold Aceso's hand as we walked, but she yanked her hand away from mine and walked ahead of me. I barely managed to suppress my wolf's rage due to her easy dismissal of me. I glared at the back of her head, fully knowing that she can feel my displeasure through our bond. She can be pissed off at me all she wants, but I will never allow her to fight.
**
Leighton's POV
I sat in my dad's office, staring off into space as my father continued to scream at me at the top of his lungs. He's been going on like this ever since I first walked in an hour ago.
"Are you even fucking listening to me, Leighton? You're a worthless piece of shit soon-to-be Alpha! I can't believe I have to hand down my position to someone so fucking unqualified. You couldn't even follow one simple fucking order! You have ruined the entire plan! You were given one simple order to stay close to Aceso and not let her out of your sight, but what do you do? You let that fucking wannabe Alpha steal her right out from under your nose!" When he finished his tirade his chest was heaving up and down and his face was bright red with exertion. He pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance as he stared me right in the eyes. Suddenly, a malicious smile spread across his face.
Shit.
"Because of your incompetence, your true mate is going to suffer. I have told you time and time again, if you don't follow instructions and do as your grandfather and I say, your mate would get your punishment instead. This is truly so sad, Leighton. She really is a such a sweet girl." He said, mocking me.
My heart crumbled at his words. I couldn't let them do this to my perfect Arabelle. My excuse of a father has been keeping my true mate captive since I found her three months ago while doing a border patrol. She was on a run and had accidentally stepped over our boundary line. I can't thank Goddess enough that it was I that had found her, and not someone else. Well, that's what I thought until I introduced her to my parents. I knew my dad and grandpa had this weird obsession with Aceso, but it wasn't until they forcefully separated me from Arabelle and locked her in the pack cells and they finally explained their plan to me that I realized just how sick the two of them were.
It was sick, really. The thought that they would actually fucking make me and Aceso mate forcefully just because of a hunch that they had. It was repulsive.
They didn't even know if she really was the next chosen healer or not! They were gambling with not only Aceso's life and our true mate's lives but also my life, his own son. My own father didn't have a single care in the world whether I died or not because of the forced mating. I became blinded by my hatred for my father and abruptly stood up before throwing the chair I was once sitting in across the room, causing it to shatter in the process.
"You can't do this dad! You can't keep me from my true mate just because you and grandfather are fucking power hungry mongrels! This is absolutely wrong and when the council finds out what you've done, and have been doing, you will be executed!" I screamed before storming out, knocking shoulders with my grandfather on the way.
I ran as fast as my legs would carry me through our pack land. I knew that a guard would soon alert my father that I was heading in the direction of Bloodlust territory, but I was hoping that I would be fast enough to get there before he came after me himself.