41. The Arrow

**MAEVE**

It took me three more days to gain enough balance to take a walk outside. The only information given to the pack members was that I was injured while exploring a hidden trench in the woods and that I mostly remained in the room until I recovered.
The pack doctors, what they called Asas, visited two to three times a day until otherwise convinced of my recovery. But the one I actually wanted to be around was evidently missing.
Xander.
Although I would not blame him for being evasive with his presence. Part of me knew that I was solely responsible for driving him away, which did not ease my guilt. If it was even possible, it made me miserable.
Even though Xander would come to bed at night, he would roll over his side and pretend to be asleep. The same routine was repeated every morning when he would slip out even before my eyes would flutter open.
By the third day, I was tired. Tired of waiting around for Xander to come back so I could talk to him. Unsurprisingly, he was nowhere to be found. Since the pack members could not fill me in regarding their new Alpha’s whereabouts, there was only one person I could reach out to.
So I followed the path behind Blaize’s cabin, where he was conveniently chopping woods in peace.
“I always thought they have those hunky machines to cut woods nowadays,” I remarked, waking around to perch myself on a log.
Blaize’s axe stopped midair as he turned around and glanced over his shoulder. “Those are for petty humans,” I quipped with a smirk and slashed his axe into the giant block of wood, splitting it in half.
“Ah! Of course!” I raised my hands and made a clapping motion before flashing him a smile. “May I ask what the occasion is? The next full moon still has time.”
It was mandatory to perform the bonfire ceremony, the monthly celebration in honor of their Goddess.
“Have you heard of Halloween?”
My brows shot up in surprise. “I did. But I thought that’s for petty humans, you know.”
Blaize chuckled, shaking his head. “Of course, it’s for petty humans. We are just the glorious beasts who love to celebrate our monstrosity.”
“So, what do I need to know? Trick-or-treating, glitter pumpkin or superhero costumes?” I asked.
“Oh, no, no. Our halloween is definitely different. Hold your breath until tomorrow night.”
“That’s ridiculous!” I protested, rolling my eyes.
“C’mon, I am sure this is your first Halloween with real monsters.” He winked. “Have a little patience.”
I huffed a breath, exasperated. “Fine. But speaking of monsters, have you seen Xander?”
At the very mention of his brother’s name, Blaize’s face turned a bit serious. “I have not seen him around. But if you can’t find him either, maybe he wants to stay alone?”
I sighed. “He has been staying alone, Blaize. It’s about time I find him.”
Blaize acquiesced with a slow nod of his head and pointed me in the direction.
Turned out, the woods and the forest clearing in and around the pack house was insanely huge. It took me quite some time to trudge through the sparse jungle and spot Xander perched over a small cliff.
I trod slowly, concealing myself behind a tree, and stared at him in profound silence. In all these months, this was the first time I have seen him in a melancholic state. And it did not agree with my heart. Xander was beautiful…if alpha wolves were at all regarded with that term. He was both ancient and young at the same time, the knowledge and strength of a shifter wolf battling against the powerless human emotions.
Somewhere down, I knew that I was responsible partly and my constant failure to communicate with him. The very life with the shifter wolves for a human seemed so…different and strange. While I was still getting to know the experience, the harsh realities were thrown my way in a manner, I could not shove them aside and move on.
My eyes found Xander once again, and my heart strained at the vulnerability of his stance.
I wanted to be able to understand this man, this proud wolf who gave me so much love and strength, even as I was broken with my own defects. Xander was, by far. The most complicated person I had ever come across - one who was cumbersome and fascinating at the same time. And it was all the more reasons that I was intrigued and enthralled by the sheer charisma of his.
And now that I saw him, with his emotions in turmoil, ripping him apart, I did not know what I could do to make it all better. He was always the man who latched onto strength and agility, holding onto his tenacity that was breathtaking.
His head moved a little, looking over his shoulder casually. “Do you need anything, Maeve?”


**XANDER**

I heard her heartbeat before I listened to the footsteps. And once she was sufficiently close, I could smell her scent that drove my wolf crazy. The hesitation on her mind was still lingering as she silently watched me. When it was pretty clear that she had not thought this through, I had broken the stillness between us.
But my voice did not startle her at all. Maybe, she was getting used to my hyper-senses after all.
“Not really,” she said and slowly came closer to occupy the vacant ground beside mine. “They told me I’d find you here.” Her eyes stretched as far as the wildness went, whispering, “It’s beautiful and so quiet.”
“Blaize and I used to play here when we were pups. I have lost the countless full moon nights we have spent here with him, and then training with the pups once we were adults,” I recalled those most straightforward days of my life.
Maeve elbowed me a little. “If I knew you were spending your time in this beautiful place in an attempt to avoid my company, I would have surely ambushed you sooner than later.”
“I was not—”
She quickly cut me in as I watched her expression contort into remorse. “It’s okay. I know I deserve it,” she said softly and turned to look up at the sky.
For the past couple of days, I could feel her reaching out to me, and every time I recoiled because it was just not ready. I was every bit as clueless as hers, acting on my instincts and reflexes when it came to mating a human.
Not really. But Maeve was still more human than a psychic witch.
“I have been told that you had a long conversation with Sedona.”
“I did. Even though I am convinced that she endured everything on her own accord, I am still lost for the need of such harsh retribution.” Her wistful eyes finally dragged back to mine and filled with wariness. “But I do owe you an apology. I know I made a mess, Xander and the lengths you went to protect me from your own.”
“I would always protect you, Maeve,” I told her. “My honour and responsibility calls for that.”
Maeve almost flinched as if someone slapped her but quickly schooled her features. She smiled, although it did not reach her eyes, and sighed. “Funny, I thought it was love.”
“It goes without saying,” I amended.
“Does it?”
I sighed deeply and yanked her hands to pull her closer. And to my credit, her strength was nowhere close to mine as I put her firmly on my lap as she was sitting astride the legs.
Fates, I missed her.
I craved her as badly as a wolf needed to turn on a full moon night.
I ground my mouth against hers, holding her tightly until she softened under his touch and leaned into me, surrounding me.
“Mhmm. Doesn’t that feel so much better?” I breathed against her soft lips, tangling my fingers in her dark riot of curls that flowed like expensive silk over her back.
Maeve sighed softly against my mouth as I kissed her again - more gently this time - savoring the sweetness of the lips that drove me insane with need every goddamn time I lasted.
There was doubt in my mind that she was my world. She was everything to me as my heartbeat aligned with hers. She was priceless, the other half of my soul, and he would not have her any other way.
“I am sorry, Xan. I was afraid.”
My heart melted at her words. It was haunting as well as the most eloquent truth she could offer. I gently cradled her face and wiped at the wetness that was starting to run down her cheeks.
One moment, I was caressing her skin and swaying her body against mine. And the next, a sharp pain shot through my shoulder.
“*Oh, fuck*!” I screamed in pain, quickly rolling down the small cliff to get us covered.
The first *arrow* was the only target that hit; the second and third were slight misses.
“Xander!” Maeve gasped, trying to get hold of the injured shoulder while I pushed her further down behind a rock.
“Stay down! Stay down!”
My senses went into overdrive as the beastly instinct took over. I did not know what hurt more - the fact that I could not shift into my wolf because there was a fucking arrow jabbed into my shoulder or the fact that I could not locate the assassin.
Either way, we were *fucked*.

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***Hey guys, would you like a Halloween Chapter for the Xander and Maeve?***