33. We Win Together

**MAEVE**

The drive from the council was silent, save for the purr of the engine. No one seated in the car broke the silence as the thick quietude reeled in our minds. The fire spread out of nowhere, radiating in dangerous flames as it had only one purpose - it was made to devour all of us.
But, thank goodness, there were no casualties.
After returning to the pack house with Blaize and a couple of other members of the Night Pride, I went straight to the room Xander and I had shared earlier. It seemed like my heart was beating as rapidly as before, and the rush of adrenaline was yet to settle.
The fire incident aside, my mind went back to the conversation I was having with Janelle. If the accident would not have taken place, I swear I would have engaged in an ugly brawl. Wolf or not, I was high on frenzy and rage.
As I near the mirror, my eyes fell on the reflection. The fire almost damaged the bell sleeves of my dress, and yet, my skin underneath was unscathed. I slowly touched the burned fabric, assessing the ruination.
How is that even possible?
I faintly recalled the incidents of panic and chaos when the building caught fire, the way Janelle spun on her heels and saved her ass while she left me behind. Not that I expected any more of her benevolence, but I still could not remember as to how my clothes caught fire.
And why wasn’t I injured?
I did run out of the exit while the bluish flames engulfed the place, but I was completely unhurt. I ran a hand over my face and combed through my hair as I inhaled deep and slow.
For what it’s worth, everyone is safe: I told myself. There was no point in pondering over things that were beyond me anyway. All I had to do was for Xander to come home.
I quickly changed out of the ruined clothes and indulged in a long shower to cleanse my body and mind. Janelle did quite a number on my sanity as I wondered if I had ever felt so angry before. Ironically, I was always the timid one in the room. But the way she looked at Xander and tried to undermine my presence, I simply lost my cool.
By the time I was freshened up and returned, the bedroom was still empty, and there was no sign of Xander. A knock on the door cut through the silence as I advanced towards it.
But it was not Xander on the other side of it.
Blaize stood with his hands tucked into the pocket and attempted to flash a curt smile. “Hey. Are you alright?”
“Uh. I am good,” I returned gracefully. “Thank you for checking up on me.”
“No problem.”
He hesitantly looked around as I held the door wide open for the invitation. “Why don’t you come inside?”
“No, no.” He was quick to answer as he shook his head. “It’s complicated. Do you mind if you come out? It’s beautiful out here during the sunset.”
Weird.
“Okay,” I shrugged and stepped out of the threshold and strolled towards the porch with him. As Blaize had mentioned, truly, the dusk in Payton was breathtaking. The sun was low in the sky, and the fiery, golden orb rose up from the horizon spreading its magnificent rays of light everywhere. The darkness of the night lost once again and parted away like a defeated king giving up his throne.
It was every bit poetic and inspiring.
“You are so right,” I mumbled, half dazedly, and slowly turned to look at Blaize. “But why won’t you come inside the room?”
Blaze chuckled a little, making me look a tad bit foolish to ask such a thing. “As a rule, no wolf can step inside the bedroom without the express permission of the alpha. I mean, they can, but they should not.”
Yeah, maybe, it was stupid for them.
My brows pulled together as I thought this through. The alpha was Xan’s father, Lucas, and not him.
“But Xander is…”
“Not an alpha?” He cut me in and then nodded. “He will soon be the alpha. And I am afraid it’s sooner than later.”
The last part of his sentence sounded a little downcast. “What is that supposed to mean? I am sorry, I am asking too many questions but it’s just that your world differs a lot from mine.”
Blaize smiled boyishly. “I’d agree. The Fire Hound pack is hell bent on their retribution. Alpha Kade is not willing to step down until his demands are met.”
“And what are his demands?” I asked.
Blaize looked ahead and exhaled heavily before turning to me. “Simply put, he wants Xander’s head on a platter. Kade was about to challenge my father when Xan stepped forward and took up the matter in his hands. Now, my brother has to assume his place as the alpha to take up the challenge against Kade.”
This does not sound right at all. Not the part where he takes up his father’s place but the fact that he has to do it under dire consequences.
“Xander is the obvious choice, right?” I wanted to confirm. There were so many new rules, new laws that it made my head spin.
“Yes,” Blaize acquired. “But every member of the pack has to give their assent. If any male wolf of the pack objects in the crowning of a new alpha, an open challenge is thrown. And eventually a match is fixed to determine their ability as a leader.”
If you would ask a human, it was outdated and futile. But here I was, involved in serious werewolf matters.
“Do you think any member of your pack would object?” I enquired.
Blaize contemplated for a long moment before shaking his head. “As far as Xander is concerned, I don’t think they will. He is, by far, the strongest wolf I have ever seen. Nobody would risk and lose their position by a rebellious match.”
“But you look worried,” I countered, given the way he fidgeted and answered carefully. “May I ask why?”
Conversationally, he led me towards the railing as we watched the last rays of the flaming sun, giving away to the inky blackness of the night. Somewhere far away, a wolf howled from the woods.
“There is no doubt that Xander is the alpha for the Night Pride,” Blaize told me. “But I am worried about what happens next. Kade would want to challenge his position and have his sister installed as the Luna or have my brother killed.”
Now I understood the wryness of his voice and the deep concern in his eyes. “Oh, my God,” I shuddered. “Can he do that?”
“If his evil intentions are any clue, he would definitely go for this. And to answer your question, yes, he can do that. We, shifters, are still primitive animals. Strength, power and leadership are the ultimate attributes for our pack.”
“What about honour and integrity?” I rebutted in a higher pitch. “A leader is meant to rule, not dominate.”
A smile carved up at the corner of his lips, making me look like a naive one. “Domination and ruling are synonymous in our world, Maeve,” he said. “One goes with the other. Even when an alpha is evil, he would triumph over the weakest, as long as the all of the pack members. That is the only rule.”
I gasped and then scoffed at the primitive way of their leadership and way of life. But because I was still an outsider, I restrained myself from commenting on it. The silence that descended snapped when his eyes landed at the front of the house, and his chin jutted out in that direction. “Xander’s here.”
Before I could cross the distance, Blaize jumped over the railing of the porch and met his brother with a manly embrace and a solid pat on the back. The quick conversation between them was far away from my earshot, but the look on the faces told me it was nothing but serious business.
When Xander finally bid his brother goodbye, his eyes of the night fell on mine. Even though the darkness had already engulfed, I could always feel the way he looked at me.
Without a word, he stalked into the porch, and his lips touched mine. It started out slow, calm, and every bit beautiful. A hand slid up my back, cupping the back of my neck, and I felt it - I felt the rush slithering up my body like a delicious sensation.
As much as we detested to stop, we needed to. Xander broke the kiss and traced a line down my cheek in a loving manner. “Why does my mate look worried?”
“Blaize was filling me in,” I muttered and slowly pulled away. A small fear was settling in at the back of my head. “Is it true that Kade and that wicked sister of his won’t step down by any means?”
Xander did not deny. “Wolves are stubborn animals,” he said as though it was a virtue. “There is no way he would settle for peace when war is reeling on his mind. But, he will get what he deserves. No one, and I mean this, no one can ever come for my mate and leave unscathed.”
As much as I loved the alpha in him, my human brain could not simply wrap around the notion of savagery.
“Clearly, you wolves need to be taught about democracy and civil rights.” I snorted, rolling my eyes. “You know the things people do in a civilised society?”
A husky tore out of his throat, and it was mostly the most beautiful laugh I have ever seen. “Oh, we are far from civil, my love. We are savages. We rule, we hunt and we fuck.”
I pretended to gasp. “Not necessarily in that order, right?”
We both laughed our hearts out, and for a moment, it felt like everything around us was normal. There was no alpha wolf after our lives or happiness or the fact I harbored a secret witch heritage.
We settled down on the porch while he drew lazy circles over my arm. “You were angry on Janelle,” he said and did. Not bother to frame it as a question. “Is that why you pursued her?”
It took me by surprise. “How did…never mind.” I sighed and rested my head on his shoulders. There was no point lying about it to Xander.
“I have every right to be mad at her. She has no business in interfering in our lives when she has her own,” I mumbled.
“No, she doesn’t.” He kissed the top of my head and interlocked his fingers with mine. “But Janelle is not worth losing your mind over. You are made for far greater things, my love. You are meant to be my queen.”
I looked up at him and straight into eyes, into the fierce determination with which he loved me. “That means, we fight together, right?”
Xander shook his head. “No, my love, *we win together*.”

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