46. I'll Find A Way

**MAEVE**

The expression I gave was one that of pure shock. But the way Xander was calm and composed seemed like he had done his best to buffer the explosion he just created.
I wriggled out of his hold, dragging him back into the privacy of our bedroom.
"What do you mean by 'for me'?" I asked after a long pause. It was obvious and foolish of me to repeat, but I just could not imagine someone coming after my life.
My life was already overloaded with several instances of wildness, one that involved abominable visions and a boyfriend who turned into a werewolf during the full moon. A killer was definitely not on my mind.
But all the speculations went out of the window when Xander nodded convincingly. "When I sniffed the arrow the other day, I caught a scent. The scent of an ancient elixir created to put down the witches. Long ago, when a faction of witches' community was at war with the wolves, an owner of the apothecary gave it to the then-Alpha of the pack. Ever since, it was passed down the generations as the 'elixir'. Some even call it the 'lullaby of the witches'."
"What does it exactly do?" I queried.
"It puts the witch into a deep sleep."
I opened my mouth to speak but kept snapping close, searching for the right words until I found the ones to translate my thoughts. "If someone smeared an arrow in that elixir and shot at me, that means they know about me, Xander. They know about my visions," I whispered with wide eyes. Again, it was obvious but haunting at the same time.
Immediately, Xander reached out to bracket the sides of my face in his palm, cooing as one would towards an infant. "Shh. Look at me," he asked when all I did was squeeze my eyes shut. But he waited until I met his gaze. "You have nothing to worry about. Even the most powerful witch won't dare to step into the territory of the wolves. So long as you are inside the territory of this pack, you are safe," he assured.
I nodded, trying to breathe a little easy. "Why didn't you tell me before?"
Indecision was stamped over his face as he sighed. "I did not know how. You were happy, and I could not take away that happiness away from you."
"I don't know what to say or what to do!" I leaned against his body, resting my head against his chest. "How will you trace the person who shot the arrow?"
A hand smoothed down my back in consolation. "Blaize and I are trying to find out. But until then, my love, could you please stay inside the compounds?"
What choice did I have? So, I agreed. "Okay."
"I will try and have someone trusted guard you day and night when I am away. Please, don't refuse, Maeve."
The idea of someone tailing every move of mine was exhausting. But then again, I did not want to burden him. "Okay, if that puts you in ease."
"Thank you."

*******

The next morning, Xander was left earlier than usual with the bedside note that practically asked me to be careful and that he would be sending a man around to look after me. The panic, though, died down a little, but I could not disagree with the looming danger hanging over my head.
Between the stranger wanting to hunt me down and Xander's inevitable clash with Kade over political standing, I was torn.
I was at my wits' end because all I could do was sit back and watch him fight the battles for me, and because of me. It was clearly not something I had envisioned.
But luckily, a name crossed my mind. The only person who I could talk to within the territory, one who would have valuable advice in lieu of her age, wisdom, and experience.
So I rolled out of bed, freshen up, and grabbed the handmade bag of muffins I had made the previous day. Striding out of the pack house, I walked towards her residence and knocked on the door.
"What a pleasant surprise, Maeve!" Esmeralda exclaimed with a beaming smile as I leaned down to kiss her cheeks.
"Come in, come in!"
"How are you?" I asked, stepping inside her room. "I have not seen you around for quite some time."
She gestured with an open arm to take place on the couch while taking the one to its right.
"Well, my old bones do not want to carry my weight for long." Esmeralda laughed and sobered just a little. "Life is, sometimes, quite tiresome. So, what brings you by?"
I extended the delicious-smelling bag for her as she gracefully took and peeked into it. "These are for you, your almond muffins."
"Ah, the muffins." Her face broke into a satisfied smile. "You are amazing. Thank you, Maeve."
For the most part, the rest of our conversation revolved around my time here in the pack house, the festivities I enjoyed in my stay, and all things magical. But slowly, the tension crept into my mind, and a pile of questions heaped in.
"Esmeralda, I wanted to ask you something," I said, drawing her attention from the teacup she was sipping from. "What does the Blood Promise mean? From all I have gathered from the pack is that Xander will have to fight Kade. And even though they would not say it out loud, I know that the reason is me."
She set aside her spoon and shook her head in denial. "You are blaming yourself for no reason. You might be half the motive, but ultimately, it is for the better. The betterment of the pack."
Her words left me baffled. "I don't understand. If I would not have been with Xander, Janelle would have been his chosen mate."
Esmeralda chuckled. "You and I, we both know that it is not true. The Goddess has the divine plan for all of us. She is the one who chose you for him. Who are we, to defy her plans?"
"I don't want to be the trophy mate and watch Xander perish for his choice," I told her haplessly. "I want to help him, Esmeralda. I just don't know how."
She nodded thoughtfully, weighing her advice for a long time before dishing out. "Maeve, I am not the one who likes to interfere in others affairs', but may I ask you something personal?" she chanced.
"Sure."
"Why are you not marked yet?" she asked, stumping me. "What's stopping, Xander? I mean, he has already decided on his mate, and the challenge with Alpha Kade is merely on his position. It has nothing to do with his sister because, to my knowledge, Xander has already rejected her in clear terms."
"He did," I drawled.
"Then, why won't he mate with you?"
The thought never crossed my mind until Esmeralda voiced the words. I have known that mating was essential to the wolves, marking them as one's mate, but I never realized the importance until now.
"I don't know, honestly. Every full moon night, he would just disappear like he is trying to run away from me. All I faintly remember is that he told me something about a venom."
She quickly bobbed her head. "The werewolf venom. Yes."
"Xander told me that I was not fully strong enough to resist it and that he was giving me some time to adjust among the pack," I said, recalling his earlier words. But it looked like all he told me was half the truth.
"This makes no sense at all," Esmeralda informed. "The mating bond will actually be beneficial in the challenge against Kade. I have no idea as to why he would avoid the mating heat."
Heat? Bond? "I don't understand…"
She shifted in her seat, turning to face me with the utmost attention. "Every shifter, in his wolf form, can mind link with another, but not in human form. Except with his mate. Once the werewolf marks his mate, the everlasting and unbreakable mating bond is created on a full moon night, enabling them to mind link even in their human form."
I sat stupefied for a long minute, enabling me to translate my words or the reason for Xander's avoidance. On the one hand, he would proclaim his love and devotion every waking moment, and on the other, he would not even consider completing the mating ritual. But why?
"What do I do, Esmeralda?" I groaned. "How do I convince him that it is going to help him?"
Apparently, the psychic power was enabled too with the mating bond because every werewolf was a by-product of magic itself.
Esmeralda nodded thoughtfully, placing down her cup on the saucer. "I know of a way; I just don't think Xander will appreciate that," she whispered.
"I don't care, but I am not letting him sacrifice because of me."
"The reason he shies away from you on a full moon night is because it is impossible to avoid the mating heat. For a werewolf, it is an excruciating agony," she explained slowly, letting me absorb every word like the gospel truth. "All you have to do is make your presence felt around him, as irresistibly as possible. I believe the wolf in him would do the rest. Can you do that?"
Theoretically, no. I would never win against his will and power. But I could always find a loophole to get through it. For now, I just nodded.
"I will find a way."

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***Thank you for reading the story.***