**XANDER**

"Great heavens. You're the Alpha of the Black Pool pack? How could I have not recognize you at once, I'm so sorry my Lord." The reverie in the tone of speech immediately jolted me out of my sardonic gloom reminding me of who I was and who I still am though I was a little bit broken.


"Let's help you get into the city so you can get treated," she peered into the area in my leg and arm that had been shot with that damned arrow and the scrunch up look suggested that whatever it is wasn't looking too good, "It's a very deadly poison that was also sauntered with wolf's bane." Now that explains why my wolf couldn't fight the wound and that was why I couldn't heal in an instant.

Those darmned rivals had everything all mapped out before they attacked. Of course, they should have!

I rarely had opponents and whenever I had one I expected that they better be formidable opponents and this guy Antonio really impressed me beyond measures.


"We need to get back so it can be attended to, the poison is already spreading." They tried placing their hands on my shoulders to help lift me up but I wouldn't have none of it.

As long as I wasn't dead yet, I was going to walk with my two fucking legs no matter how much the pain hurt and sliced through my flesh.


"Would you be alright?" There was concern laced in their eyes and it infuriated me the more, I was an Alpha and I was the one that was supposed to be showing them that care and concern; it shouldn't be the other way round.

"I'm alive." I began taking slow and steady step's trailing them behind while some of them remained at my back. Two steps into the walk and my feet faltered making me land heavily on the floor and I gritted my teeth in pain.

"My Lord, please give us the honor of giving you a helping hand." I guess even the strongest of the strongest needed a helping hand at some point.

My men were all down on the floor, probably having a peaceful entry into the underworld or high heavens; my pack had been attacked, my warriors and pack members killed and my throne itself occupied by another.

What else did I have to lose? Even Leila was particularly far away from me so life had already given its bitter trait, how far could I fall more?

Two men from them placed their hands under my arms and helped me on till we got into their town and into their house.

The old lady that had previously inspected my injury began applying some herbs that would be considered painful to the average wolf but was no more than a sting for me!

Darm it! Forget I said that, the pain was seeping in slowly and it felt like my leg and arm would blow up with how intense the pain was building up.

"So Alpha, I'm so sorry to pry but my curiousity has taken the better and best part of me. How did you end up so injured? At first, I believed that you were attacked by rouge's but on a second thought you are one of the strongest Alpha wolf alive and rouge's wouldn't have leverage on you so that crossed out of my mind. But when I saw this wound and identified the poison, I realized I was right. It wasn't rogues, it was a planned attack right?" Mind-blowing that she was able to figure all that out, it made me want to ask how she had gathered such pieces in her head.

"You're right." I grabbed the glass of water that laid on the top of the bed side table and chugged it down in one go letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Whoever it is would face the wrath of the goddess, the Alpha is a good man." My eyes darted across the room finding the owner of the tiny shrill voice and I had to bite my tongue to withhold the swear word.

A freaking little child was even in support of me.

But she was right. I was a good man and I still am.

"I have to return to my pack." My innermost thought and request somehow made their ways out of my mouth as aura spread across the room.

With the way most of the boys were either perched somewhere near the walls and the little girls sat with their knees up, possibly fidgeting, I realized that they were terrified.

Terrified that I was in their room, this might be the first time an Alpha would be entering their room so it was normal to feel this way.

Not okay but normal.

"Please feel at ease, I'm another werewolf no doubt. An alpha, yes, but still another werewolf." I tried coaxing, I don't know why I was doing that somehow it felt like the right thing to do.

"It's not everyday we get to house an Alpha so it's natural for them to have that kind of feeling but Alpha, you can't return to Back Pool like this." She ended the first topic as quickly as I started it like she was trying to tell me that tonight was all about me and there was no possible way she would let me deviate from that.

"I need to. My people need me." Emphasis on 'NEED' and I wasn't just telling her so they could be aware of it and see me as a good man—The little girl across the room already called me a good man— but I was saying it in a bid to remind myself not to forget that my pack was still looking up to me.

"Black Pool pack was raided and defeated." I placed my hands on my chest like I was trying to clutch my heart but the strings were tighter than I could assume.

My pack was raided!

My pack was defeated!

I was defeated! All because I was trying to search for the love of my life which was a justifiable reason, whoever doesn't accept it, shouldn't.

"Oh, do you think it has to do with the people that attacked you?" The old lady's eyes were on my injuries.

"It does." I was going through a turmoil right inside of my head but somehow my thoughts kept rushing back to Leila.

How was she doing? Was she okay? Is she dead or alive?

*That shouldn't be where your thoughts should delve into, Xander?.*

That stupid inner voice was blackmailing me.

"Lucas, did you get any more information that the Alpha can use?" A smile crept up my lips, that was exactly what I wanted to hear.

"I did but Dad has more details."