21.

Farryn traveled as far as the human town with no sign or scent of Darius. Even the strong sulfur odor had faded away before she reached the town. With her head down she made her way back to the pack, not quite sure how to prepare herself for the backlash she was sure to face from those who were supposed to be her peers. She gave herself the walk back to feel dejected, she had to seem strong for everyone. She had to show no fear even though it was likely she was going to be accused of his disappearance again.

“Farryn! Any luck?” The female lifted her head as Amelia and Emily both approached her quickly. Her eyes skipped over Amelia’s kind yet worried face to her sister’s hardened gaze before shaking her head no.

“I found Xavier but that was it. He said he was out looking for Darius too but I sent him back here. Did he come back?” Farryn tilted her head slightly to try her best at looking past the twins. There weren’t many people back in town yet meaning several were still out searching.

“Yeah, he told us he ran into you. He had gone back home to clean up his place, said the mess was from his last hunt.” Farryn returned her gaze to Emily as she explained what was going on. Farryn noticed the way the twin refused to meet her gaze.

“Emily, what’s wrong?” She began to chew the inside of her cheek, her eyes sweeping the ground before darting to her sister's face who looked just as confused as Farryn did. Emily sighed deeply before finally looking to her alpha.

“I saw his house before he came back. The last hunt he went on was three days ago. The blood in his house was not that old, and it didn’t smell like animal blood. I-I think… I think it smelled like Darius.”

Farryn and Amelia shared a mirrored expression of shock at Emily’s claim. She looked just as uncomfortable as Farryn felt as soon as the words had left her mouth. “Emily you need to be very sure about what you are saying here. If the wrong people hear you say that… I mean I saw him out in the forest, he didn’t smell of anyone other than himself. He wasn’t wounded, there was no blood on him. He…” Farryn trailed off suddenly.

Xavier wasn’t a pack member that Farryn associated with often, before the Beta Royale she had avoided him frequently because he just hadn’t given her a good feeling. She didn’t know him well, his behavior during the Royale and in the forest, she didn’t know what was normal for him or what was odd. But his eyes, they had changed to three different colors in the forest and it hadn’t been because of the lighting or because his wolf was coming forward. His wolf’s eyes had been green, almost as green as her own eyes.

“Alpha?” Farryn turned her dazed gaze to Amelia. “What should we do?” The kind twin looked scared, if Emily was right then Xavier had a hand in Darius’ disappearance.

“Nothing. Neither one of you are going to do anything. Please, not until I know what’s going on. Let me look into it first and once I have some concrete answers I’ll let you both know.” Farryn sighed gently before placing a hand on either twin’s shoulders.

“Please trust me. I know I haven’t given either of you a reason to trust me yet, but you don’t want to send everyone into a panic without all of the facts.” While the twins looked at each other with a wordless conversation, Farryn looked over her shoulder to see the Fae siblings returning to town.

“Alright, we won’t say anything to anyone else but don’t do anything stupid.” Amelia reached over and grasped her sister's hand tightly. Emily sighed softly as Farryn looked back at the pair. “We won’t say anything.” She reconfirmed Amelia’s words before pulling her sister away.

Farryn’s shoulders dropped just slightly once they had turned away from her. How had her life gotten to this point? With a quick shake of her head, she turned and headed towards the Faeries, her footsteps faltering just a bit when she noticed Xavier behind them. He wore a content, almost smug, smile on his handsome face, his demeanor was once more, glaringly different than the last time she had seen him.

“We couldn’t find any trace of him anywhere.” Vini reported as Celeste shook her head slowly. Farryn couldn’t help but glance towards Xavier at the unsurprising news. Was that why he seemed so pleased with himself? Farryn’s mouth had turned dry. She needed a way for someone to keep an eye on the male without it raising any concerns from him, and without it getting anyone hurt of course.

“Alright, others are still out searching. Xavier, it’s been brought to my attention you don’t live in town, right?” As their eyes met Xavier’s smile faded away. His eyes just barely narrowed at her question before he silently dipped his chin in confirmation.

“Until Darius is found, or his disappearance is solved, you are to live in the town. I can’t risk anyone else going missing and you’re an easy target living on the outside.” Xavier’s shoulders rose just slightly as he brought himself forward, pushing past the siblings so they stood behind him.

“Do you think I can’t defend myself if someone were stupid enough to attack me?” Farryn didn’t dare to look away from his heated gaze. Her chin lifted just slightly to give her the feeling of looking down on him.

“I did not say that. I fully believe you could defend yourself. However, you are alone living outside of the town. It is safer for you to be with your pack. You should want to be here with your pack. Some people here can’t defend themselves and their pups at the same time so not only would you living in town be to your benefit, but it would be to everyone else's as well.”

Farryn watched as the muscle in his jaw twitched as his teeth clenched together, no doubt resisting the urge to yell or laugh at her suggestion. His eyes darted to the side quickly, looking somewhere past the alpha female before looking back, much calmer now as he took a step back.

“I have no place to stay.”

“You’ll stay in the main house with us.” Farryn’s response to his worry came so quickly that Xavier’s mouth shut quickly. He turned his head to look at Celeste and Vini in turn, the female beaming at the thought of him under the same roof as her while the male couldn’t possibly look any less interested in the conversation they were having.

When Xavier looked back at Farryn he chuckled. “Alright, fine. I’ll go to my house to grab some things, no telling how long this might last.” Farryn was slightly surprised that he was quick to give in, but it didn’t help to settle her nerves any.

Xavier turned back and began his walk home, Celeste swaying from foot to foot as she watched him go. “Celeste, keep an eye on him. I don’t want him to know but anything strange, anything… just anything strange needs to be reported back to me.” The silver-eyed Fae turned quickly with a large smile.

“Yes ma’am, Alpha ma’am. I’ll be sure to keep a close eye on him.” Celeste giggled softly as she patted her brother on the shoulder before slipping away. His eyes tracked her as she left before his gaze returned to Farryn.

“I hope you know what you’re doing because if you just put my sister in harm's way, I won’t hesitate to kill you.” Vini passed Farryn without another glance in her direction. Surely he noticed the way her hands had begun to shake after Xavier had left. She had no clue what she was doing, she had no clue how to lead and keep people safe from an unknown threat.

Farryn perked up slightly at a sudden mental reminder, she didn’t know these things but Chandler did. Farryn followed her nose, his oaky scent was easy to pick out among the others, she had gotten used to it thanks to their frequent interactions with each other. As she made her way down the street her eyes drifted between each building, half expecting to find some unknown stranger lurking in the shadows.

Chandler had just returned from his group's search, just as unfruitful as the rest had been so far. Farryn could tell in the way his shoulders were rigid that he was upset by this fact but he was putting on a brave face for everyone. Something she needed to learn how to do.

“Chandler, do you have a moment? I could really use your help.” Farryn straightened her back as she spoke, keeping her eyes solely on the male despite the snickering that could be heard behind him from those who felt she was unworthy of her title. Chandler didn’t seem to acknowledge them as he approached her hesitantly.

“What do you need help with?” Farryn swallowed hard as she motioned with her head for him to follow her back down the street, towards her house and away from the others. Chandler, thankfully, followed without a complaint.

“I know when I am in over my head Chandler. I need someone to help me who I can trust and I don’t know if I can trust you, I can admit that. But you know this pack, you know these people, and I don’t. I need your help but more than that, Chandler I need you to be my Beta.”

Farryn looked over her shoulder slowly. They both knew he had no right to the title. He rose from the very title to Alpha before falling back to just an average pack member. But Xavier had already turned her down in front of the entire pack, the rejection created a new division in the pack right after she had healed the division caused by her challenging Chandler. She wouldn’t have been able to handle a second rejection in front of the pack.

Chandler blinked once. His brows furrowed in confusion before he blinked again. “What is this about? You’ve been the Alpha with no Beta for a little more than a month now… is this about what happened at the Royale?”

Farryn shook her head no as they reached her front door. As she opened the door up she closed her eyes for a brief moment, trying desperately to take herself back home before her pack’s massacre.

“This is about Darius.” She responded as she led Chandler into the living room. She had to remind herself quickly that this had once been his home instead. “What do you mean?”

Farryn sighed deeply before seating herself in her recliner while Chandler opted to remain on his feet. “I think there is a chance that someone in the pack had something to do with his disappearance. It’s a slim chance, I have no proof yet so I won’t give you names but Chandler, I can’t do this alone and I can only use the Faeries but so much.” Farryn dragged her hands down her face as she resisted the urge to sigh again.

“I can’t do this alone and they all still listen to you, even those who respect me. I get it if you don’t trust or respect me but I am trying to make this my home. I am trying here and I am starting to drown.” As Farryn peered through her fingers she caught a glimpse of a rather pained look on Chandler’s face. Asking someone who had previously been in charge to now be second in charge was like a slap in the face, but she had no one to rely on.

The wolf inside seemed to whine in resistance, she didn’t like that Farryn was showing any sign of weakness at all. She didn’t trust Chandler, she didn’t trust that his ambition wouldn’t drive him to betray Farryn, but all she was able to do was whine insistently in the back of Farryns mind. Farryn refused to open her mind to the white beast who she still considered an invader. She refused to forge the bond with the wolf and knew her denial was causing the wolf to weaken.

“If my Alpha and my pack need my help then I’ll help. If that means taking my place as Beta again then fine.” The pair stared at each other through Farryns fingers for a moment. She watched as his chest expanded while he inhaled deeply before he brought himself to stand just before her. Farryn slowly lowered her hands while Chandler lowered himself to his knees, bringing the pair to an even height.

“I swear, with the Moon Goddess as my witness, to serve my pack and my Alpha faithfully as Beta. I swear to protect my pack and my Alpha with my life. In my Alpha’s absence, I swear to lead the pack righteously and fairly. By the Moon Goddess, I swear it, or my own life shall be forfeit.”


Farryn had only ever heard the Beta’s Oath one other time, years ago. Chandler’s lips twitched into a smile at her widened eyes before he gently grasped one of her hands that had fallen into her lap. That stinging burn returned but only for a moment, and unlike last time he didn’t let go at the feel of it.

“As your Beta, I have to ask that you please, please don’t hide things from me. If you feel someone is threatening our pack then tell me and I can help in any way you’d like me to.”

As he spoke the sound of the front door shutting rang through the room. Farryn snapped her gaze quickly to the threshold, where Xavier stood with a slight smirk on his lips, though his eyes were on their connected hands. “So sorry to interrupt. Just ignore me, I’ll find myself a vacant room.”

Xavier slung his bag over his shoulder as he headed down the hallway while whistling a soft tune. Chandler’s fingers tightened around Farryn’s hand just enough to draw her attention back. “Why is he here with bags?”

Farryn forced a smile to her lips. “Because I believe he may have killed Darius, so he will be living here with me so I can keep an eye on him.” She spoke with her voice low, even though Xavier was no longer at the door she didn’t want to risk him hearing her. Chandler’s soft expression that he had worn during his oath vanished quickly as he ripped his hand away from hers as if she had burned him.

Chandler rose to his feet quickly and Farryn followed suit. “Are you insane?! Are you trying to get yourself killed?” His voice was a trembling roar, his hands twitched forward as he resisted the urge to grab onto her. Farryn kept her smile on her lips instead, in an attempt to calm him down.

“I could be wrong, if I am then no harm done. If I’m not-“

“If you’re not then you could very well be next!”

Farryn placed her hands on his upper arms gently. “If I’m not then it will be much harder for him to hurt anyone while living under my roof and if I am his next target then I’ll already have seen him coming. I am not telling you these things to worry you, I’m telling you these things because I am very aware that if I die next no one will care. However, if I am next then you know who it probably was.”

“Do you really think that no one would care if you died?” The anger in Chandler’s face was replaced by a sadness that Farryn didn’t quite understand. Her shoulders shrugged once as she released his arms.

“This isn’t my pack, it’s okay that no one accepts me here.” Her words had just passed her lips when Chandler grabbed ahold of her hips and closed the distance between the two of them.

As their lips connected Farryn froze to the spot. Chandler wrapped one arm around her slim waist and grasped a handful of her hair. There was a moment of hesitation, that burning sensation sent a tingle down her spine before her lips moved in sync with his own. Suddenly it was as if there was nothing in the world that mattered except for this moment. Her wolf had been silenced from the moment he grabbed her hips, the pounding sound of her heart blocking out the wolf.

Chandler’s fingered tightened in her hair slightly, drawing her head back just enough to draw a slight moan from her. Her face warmed as Chandler slowly pulled himself away from her. The light in his eyes was teasing as he released his grip on her.

“There are many here who accept you, respect you, and would care if you die. I happen to be one of them. I’ll be back in the morning, do me a favor, and don’t die in the meantime.” Chandler winked as he took a few steps backward away from her.

“Wha… Um… Okay?” Chandler nodded once as she fumbled over herself for a word to give him. She watched as he exited the living room and paused at the threshold, looking in the direction that Xavier had gone before leaving the house.

Farryn dropped her body back into the recliner with a shuddering sigh, her fingers tracing her bottom lip mindlessly. Thanks to the kiss, the burning sensation earlier made sense. The wolf inside was furious, he was not their mate, that much was clear but there was some sort of pull that made Farryn want more.