The room was silent for a few minutes after Xerxes had asked the question. He refused to break eye contact with me and I refused to as well. A slow smirk of amusement was on his face as he watched me mumble in annoyance.
"Fine," I declared. "But you have to live up to your promise. You and I both know what will happen if you don't."
Xerxes nodded. "Yes, yes I do."
"And I'm still trying to get my head around this whole mate situation. So don't push me."
Xerxes winked. "I wouldn't dream of it." He chuckled. When my eyes narrowed again, he straightened and his face grew serious. He and I knew it would take me a while before I came fully comfortable with him. Xerxes has to prove that he is indeed going to carry out what he said he would.
The noise of feet made me realize that Penelope was still in the room. She was beaming, but trying desperately to cover it by coughing.
I raised an eyebrow at her as she nodded at us and left. A bowl of soup was placed onto my lap. My eyes looked from the soup and up to Xerxes. His eyes were looking intensely down at me and I shifted under his gaze.
"The soup's getting cold." Xerxes told me, before standing. "I have some things to discuss with my Beta."
I nodded and watched as his large frame walked away, scaring Charlotte who had almost collided into him as she scurried through the door, her hands with some clothes.
She placed them on the edge of the bed. "I brought a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. It's kind of chilly in here so I brought you a coat as well."
'"Thanks Charlotte." I said, before dipping my spoon into the soup. I managed to eat it quickly, wanting to change out of my clothes as soon as possible.
Ten minutes later, I had finished off my soup and was zipping up my coat, facing Charlotte. She linked my arm with hers and gently directed me out the room.
"You need some rest. There's a bedroom a couple doors down." She explained. I nodded and allowed her to show me to the room. My bags that I had brought from home, packed with my clothes and other stuff, were on the floor near the bed.
The bed looked much more comfortable than the one in the previous room. Charlotte told me firmly to get some rest, but I found it hard to do so.
I was worried about Leo and Harold. Charlotte, Penelope nor Xerxes had mentioned anything about them. I chewed on my fingernail as I sat up in bed, concerned.
Charlotte had told me before she left that she would return every twenty minutes to check in on me.
So for the next twenty minutes I stared at the door anxiously, waiting for Charlotte to return. I wouldn't sleep until I got some sort of information on how they are.
Charlotte exclaimed in annoyance when she saw that I was awake, but once I explained to her the reason why, understanding flickered across her face.
She sat on the edge of the bed, clearing her throat. "They aren't dead. Leo is fine, just has a few cuts and bruises. And Harold, he's recovering from surgery."
My eyes widened. "Harold had surgery?"
Charlotte nodded. "Yes. After he was stabbed by Gary, he was mauled horribly by one of the red-eyed wolves. He had to go straight into surgery as soon as the war was over." Charlotte patted my hand comfortingly. "Don't worry so much, Becca. He's doing great now. And like you, he needs some rest."
Charlotte stood, giving me a reassuring smile. She watched me lay down reluctantly on the bed, before leaving the room.
I allowed myself to sleep, knowing that Harold and Leo were fine.
***********
Two weeks later, the feeling of the bed dipping awoke me the next morning. With a groan I opened my eyes, only to swallow back a scream of surprise when I saw Xerxes sitting beside me.
His hands were frozen in the air, a few inches from me. It looked like he had been about to wake me up. I took in his tired eyes and tousled curly hair, before glancing across the room where a chair I hadn't seen before stood.
"Did you sleep in here?" I asked, beginning to climb out my bed. Xerxes gave me a sheepish smile. His fingers ran across the pillow I had just slept on.
"Yes," He told me. "I didn't want Charlotte to be up the whole night. She needed sleep. I told her I would stay and watch over you instead, for the night."
Charlotte often had been the one to stay by my side throughout the time I had mostly been on bed rest; my body felt weak since I was given no food whilst I was captured by Gary.
I nodded, glancing towards the door, where a few voices could be heard on the other side. "That's...nice of you." I mumbled, distracted, still staring at the door. "Who's out there?"
Xerxes moved to stand beside me. "Flynn and Penelope, along with some other folks." I felt his eyes on me as I continued to stare at the door. "How about we go and check out what's going on?"
Looking at him, the glint in his eyes revealed that he already knew what was going on. Nonetheless I pushed open the door and stepped out, Xerxes close behind me.
"I can't believe it!" Penelope was squealing loudly. A beaming Flynn stood beside her, an arm wrapped around her waist. "I can't believe I'm pregnant!"
I blinked in surprise. Penelope didn't seem that much older than me and was already having a baby. But I knew she would be a great mother. And she obviously was happy about being pregnant as well.
Penelope caught my eyes and I mouthed, congratulations, to her. I turned back to the bedroom to have a shower. Xerxes had began to follow me inside, but when I tossed him a warning glare, he decided not to.
I showered quickly. The water was freezing cold, like the weather outside. I got dressed again, in some clothes that I had brought from home. They didn't help protect me much against the cold, but they would have to do.
Grabbing my bags, I carried them downstairs and past the crowd of people still congratulating Penelope and Flynn.
I placed my bags into the living-room and went to the kitchen. I saw a box of cereals and poured them into a bowl. There didn't seem to have any milk so I just ate them without it.
It wasn't very tasty without the milk, but it wasn't the worst thing I've eaten that didn't have much flavour.
Charlotte approached me after I ate, a glass of water in her hand. "Drink this." She demanded. "And I'll show you to Harold and Leo."
As I chugged down the water, I followed Charlotte to a room. Harold was bending over, retrieving something from the ground.
His movements were slow, and I realized that his body was still trying to heal. A smile lit up his face and he stalked over and pulled me into a hug.
"It's good to see you, Rebecca." He said, pulling back from the embrace.
I smiled and we had a short conversation about his surgery before he turned, lowered his body carefully to grab a hat which was on the floor and put it on.
His eyes met Charlotte's and I saw her glance away, a blush rising on her cheeks.
"Leo should be up by now." Charlotte said, turning on her heels. I glanced at Harold, who wore a small grin on his face.
Shaking my head, at his and Charlotte's exchange, I walked out the room. It seemed as if they both had some sort of crush on each other.
Leo was glad to see me. And I was relieved to see that he was fine. He told me that he had to get a few stitches because of multiple stabs he received during the war.
"I can't do any sort of hard work, though. Charlotte said what I need most right now is rest to recover. I lost a lot of blood that day."
"You can rest back home." I said. "I can help you pack the bags if you want. We're leaving in the afternoon and I'm looking forward for some sun when we get back home."
Leo walked over to a closet with clothes. "You can help fold up my shirts. I'll just shove some of my pants in a bag."
I looked over my shoulder to see Charlotte and Harold standing awkwardly next to each other.
"I'm going to get some breakfast." Charlotte announced, sneaking a glance at Harold.
"I think I'll join you." Harold said immediately. A small smile rose on Charlotte's lips and they both left.
For the next two hours I packed up some of Leo's things. He would scold me every time I got one of his favorite shirts wrinkled, but I would just shove them in anyway.
Leo grumbled to himself afterwards, grabbing the bags from me. "If any of my shirts are ripped, you're paying for some new ones."
************
"Here."
I looked up at Xerxes through sleepy eyes. In his hand was a cup of hot coffee which he was offering to me. He also held another one in his hand.
I sighed, but took the coffee. I knew all it was going to do was keep me up when really all I wanted to do was sleep.
"Thanks," I told Xerxes. He simply leaned against the airplane seat and drank some of his own, continuing to gaze down at me.
I drank mine slower and stared out the window. "How much longer until we reach back town?" I asked, turning back to face him. A frown appeared on Xerxes's face and his jaw worked.
"Another two hours." He said, his voice sounding strained. "I'm assuming you'd want to return back to your hometown?"
I nodded. "Yes, I would. That's where I grew up."
Xerxes shifted on his feet, putting down his now empty cup into a cup holder. He ran a hand through his hair and gestured for me to make room for him.
I slid across, still clutching the warm coffee in my hands. It was freezing cold inside the airplane and fortunately for me, the heat from the coffee cup helped warm my palms and fingers.
"When I searched for you, after you ran away from the apartment complex," Xerxes spoke up, distracting me from the heat from the cup. "Some of my men and I went to search for you in your home. Let's just say, it's pretty much destroyed."
I clenched the coffee cup. "Why?" I demanded, glaring at him.
"Many of the things that were in that home were destroyed and broken. My men were careless in searching for you." Xerxes, glanced down at my hands which were tightening on the cup. "It wasn't much of a home, anyway. I'm surprised all of your family could fit in there."
I slammed the coffee cup onto the ground and made to stand. "We didn't have much of a choice." I bit out, getting ready to walk past Xerxes.
He was quick however and easily wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me down to his laps. I struggled as he wound both arms around my waist, gently but firmly leaning me to him. My face almost collided unto his broad chest and I straightened up on him.
"I understand your anger, Becca," Xerxes's tone was soft and almost somewhat caressing, something I wasn't expecting at all.
"I can arrange for a home to be built in your town. But your family and you would have to stay with me for a while until it's finished." Xerxes searched my eyes, waiting for my response. My thoughts went back to when his pack house had burnt down.
"And where would we be staying exactly, if we came?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"My apartment complex, the one I took you to." Xerxes thumbs were rubbing circles on my hips as he waited for my answer.
"If you reconstruct the other homes like mine in my hometown where families live, then we have a deal." I finally told him.
Xerxes grinned, lowering his head to my ear to whisper, "I was planning to anyway, Becca." His husky voice sent chills of pleasure up and down my skin. His silver eyes darkened as they went to my lips.
"Right." I swallowed, grabbing his arms and tugging them off of me. I went back into my seat and shakily grabbed a blanket, pulling it over my head.
I heard him chuckling at my actions and closed my eyes, trying to stop my racing heart.
**************
I was pissed when I saw people holding cameras outside the airport. And judging by the look on Xerxes, Leo, Charlotte and Flynn, so were they. Penelope and Harold just appeared to be amused.
I thought that there would be less snow when we came back, but I was so wrong. The air and wind also seemed to be worse than the country we were in previously.
Xerxes took off his coat and told me to put it on. He was now wearing a plain white shirt and I began to wonder how he would manage without something warm over it.
"The cold doesn't bother me." He said simply, putting a hand in the middle of my back and directing me to the exit of the airport, where people began to take pictures.
I scowled as they began to fling question after question.
"How was the war?"
"Are you two mates?"
"Alpha! What are your plans for the future?"
Xerxes moved his hand from my back to my arm, pushing me forward towards a waiting jeep. He glanced irritably at the paparazzi as I got in.
"Everything will be explained in time." Xerxes snapped. "Don't crowd the jeep."
Penelope was walking over with a snarling Flynn by her side. It seemed like he was way more protective over her now that she's pregnant.
After the climbed into the vehicle Charlotte, Leo and Harold came inside also. We were pressed close to one another and it was slightly uncomfortable. The jeep thankfully was large so it wasn't as bad as it could've been.
Xerxes slammed the door closed and shoved past a camera man to walk to the passenger seat. Flynn suggested that Penelope sit on him to make more space, which she all but gladly obliged.
The ride was silent, except for Leo's snores. He fell asleep on Harold's shoulder and was beginning to drool. I swallowed back a laugh multiple times at Harold's disgusted expression.
"I swear I'm going to break his nose if some of his spit goes on me." Harold muttered.
**************
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