Chapter 22

Xavier's Pov:
I stared dead at Lsabella's back from a few dozen meters away, and I resisted the urge to rush over and waited as calmly as I could. But the time was too long for me now, why had it been so long and Lsabella hadn't summoned me?
What are they talking about now? Is Gary really going to agree to Lsabella's request? Wouldn't he use it to make some kind of condition?
My hand was already on the knife at my waist, as soon as I heard Lsabella's command, I would rush out.
"Xavier?"
Finally, I was relieved from my long ordeal.
"You come alone, through the front door."
Lsabella mind link got through to me, and strangely enough, I didn't care about the specifics of her speech right now, of getting the command to let me stay by her side, I could leave everything behind, even if death was waiting for me ahead I didn't care.
I was poisoned by the name Lsabella and did not want to suppress going.
The rogues did not stop me, and I met Lsabella without incident.
But she was not in a good condition, I saw her sitting weakly on a cushion by the campfire, as if she had been poisoned, and I immediately jumped to her side.
I was burning with murderous intent in a flash, and my eyes were fixed viciously on that Gary: "What have you done to her?"
Lsabella raised her weak hand, which I grabbed in a panic: "It's the medicine to inhibit the transformation form, I volunteered, it's part of the bet between me and Mr. Gary."
After that Lsabella turned her head to look at Gary, and I looked at him together.
This indifferent older man was in a state of complete disinterest, and his attitude made me feel inexplicably nauseous.
In the midst of this impending war, Gary suddenly drew a sword and pointed the tip at Lsabella.
I gripped the blade in this instant, and my eyes changed to blue wolf eyes.
But this Gary still looked like he didn't care about anything, and he was staring at me, not Lsabella, at the moment.
"Your name is Xavier?"
"Yes."
"Would you dare to die for her?"
Without looking at Lsabella beside me, I was able to repeat the vow I had made so many times: "I dare."
"Do you dare to admit that you love her?"
I snapped my head around to look at Lsabella, and I admit that I had a slight fluke at the moment, what did Lsabella and Gary talk about before I got here? Did it have something to do with the fake mate?
Could it be that Lsabella already knew about my feelings for her...
Lsabella's voice suddenly sounded in my head, "Answer you dare...it's a ploy."
"I dare."
The answer that was stuck in my throat came out the moment Lsabella mind-linked me.
"I dare."
I don't know if it was the strange occasion that gave me courage, or if I had been plotting deep inside for a long time, but I was more open than I thought I would be.
Gary gave a pale smile, "Then come and pay the price for your bravery accordingly."
Lsabella's pov :
I admit that when Xavier looked at me and said he loved me, I was completely heartbroken in that moment.
What have I always understood this person beside me to be to me? A brother, a Beta, an important presence in my life, but only I didn't dare to imagine it as my lover.
This teenager who has always been by my side and vowed to be my Beta for the rest of my life has unknowingly grown into a man that I can lean on and feel the peace he brings to me.
So what I felt inside was not panic of being understood in the wrong relationship, but a dawning realization.
It turned out that it was possible for us to kiss, to start a family, to stay together for the rest of our lives.
This time, I don't know if it was a side effect of the depressant or the images that came to mind, but my face burned red and I pressed my cold palm against my face to try to calm myself down.
Xavier is the best friend I grew up with, and he swore to be my Beta for the rest of my life, so I can think of him like that.
But he was the one who said he loved me...
I shook my head desperately, trying to shake out thoughts and images that shouldn't exist.
It was just a ploy... it was just a ploy!
Finally, sanity took back over my brain and I quickly calmed down.
Because I am still Jasper's MATE.
No matter why the Moon Goddess chose this way, as long as I came up with no evidence that I suffered a false MATE situation, I couldn't bring Xavier between the two of us right now, it wouldn't be fair to Xavier at all.
I looked at Xavier's back, I had already kept him with me forever as my Beta, so how could I let the part of his life underneath me be tied to me as well?
Xavier agreed to this one-upmanship.
I took his hand: "I didn't intend to involve you in this...forget it, protect yourself, there's no need to fight too hard."
Xavier looked as if his eyebrows still carried a little joy, he reverently cupped my hand and dropped a kiss on the back of it.
"I swore long ago that I would fight for you in this life."
Xavier and Gary reached the clearing in the middle of the cemetery.
With a hiss, Xavier was the first to transform into his wolf form. I hadn't even seriously looked at Xavier after his wolf form during these days of hard driving.
His fur was very white, and under the bright moonlight, it looked like the blessing of the moon goddess. His sapphire-like eyes added to his kingly dignity, and if he went to another pack, he would totally deserve an Alpha's throne.
So I should have faith in him, I prayed for him in my heart.
Gary also switched forms, and it was a black wolf. He had been a lone wolf for twenty years and hadn't died in the desolate wilderness, and he was able to earn himself the approval of the rogues and lead them to fight for himself. gary's strength was really not to be taken lightly, and I was worried about Xavier's safety at the same time.
I was supposed to be his Alpha, and I was supposed to be the one to keep him safe...
Both adult male wolves began to lower their front halves and display an attack stance.
A hiss and a low growl reached our ears.
The rogues formed a circle, all cheering for the upcoming battle. I felt their bloodthirsty and cruel side firsthand. I had heard that there would be wheel fights among the rogues and that they would sometimes elect temporary leaders in this brutal way.
Gary must have experienced such brutal battles, and he definitely had more experience than Xavier, who had just come of age.
The more I thought about it, the more I worried about Xavier's safety.
Suddenly, a white shadow flashed out, and two lights, black and white, tangled together, and I heard the sound of hissing and tangling.
They parted briefly, and in the unusual silence, I caught a whiff of blood in the air.
A little blood oozed from Xavier's front leg, dripping onto his white fur.
He was wounded, and I stood up for a moment.
Several days of running day and night and that shot of suppressant had changed my condition so badly that I stumbled and almost fell over.
Nick beside me gave me a hand, and he raised an eyebrow: "Why are you weaker than I heard?"
I didn't have time to argue with him, lending Nick's arm, I stared intently ahead at the colosseum, worried that Xavier was taking too much of a chance, that his endurance was certainly no match for Gary's, and that an overly impatient attack would not give him an advantage.
Another flash of white light and a shout of surprise came from the surrounding crowd.
When they separated again, Xavier had another wound on his body, but he managed to bite Gary.
I'm starting to wonder about Xavier's tactics. Is he going to do this where one person wounds the other and holds on until one of them falls and the other wins?
I don't think this is a reasonable approach, it's too risky.
But Gary lost his patience first, he wanted to teach this young man a lesson.
Both shadows pounced on each other at the same time, and they both wanted to give each other a fatal blow at this time.
A longer tussle than before finally ended, and I was shocked to find that Xavier had the upper hand as he cracked the bone in Gary's arm.
Nick sucked in a cold breath: "He was all over this arm before, this guy is more vicious than I thought."
I didn't squeal, but my heart had sunk. the fighting power that Xavier showed now was much stronger than before, was this the increased strength after his wolf awakened?
But Gary's strength is not to be underestimated, now even though he has been injured in the arm, I can not feel his panic, he is still on the defensive.
Xavier, after getting the advantage just now, was not as impatient as he was at the beginning and was more stable.
They were staring at each other, pacing around the field, hissing and gasping for breath, tugging at our hearts.
Just as I could hear my heart beating and count the seconds inside, Xavier hissed and darted forward.
This one erupted into many roars, neither of them getting out of the way quickly as if they would not rest until they had killed the other in this one engagement alone.
My heart clenched together. Was Xavier already this sure of himself?
Xavier jumped out, and he regained his human form with a shake.
I no longer cared so much, I ran up, if he had already lost, I could still protect him.
Gary, who was lying on the ground, also regained his human form. I smelled the heavy smell of blood, and only after I got closer did I see the large gash under the fresh blood on Gary's chest.
It was a fatal wound that was slightly off, and as long as Xavier was not seriously hurt, it was his win.
I pounced on Xavier's side, "Are you okay?"
"Don't worry, Lsabella. I'm fine."
Xavier looked okay, and he had the presence of mind to touch my head.
But how could it be okay? I wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and my heart ached terribly as he had several more bloody bite marks all over his body.
"So why the hell did you do that?" I yelled towards Gary who was on the ground, "What the hell are you betting on?"