XANDER'S POV:
It's 2:30 AM and I've been sitting at my desk since Alpha Nikolai and I had our discussion. Izzy's father had left a while ago and I haven't seen my mate for a couple of hours. I know she must be wondering why I acted to cold towards her, but it was for her safety.
I had the suspicion that her father could be working with the rogues, I knew that he knew that I loved his daughter greatly. He could use that against me. So I acted more of an Alpha towards Izzy than a mate so than Alpha Nikolai may suspect that I'm not all that loving towards her after all. A cover up.
The hurt I saw in her eyes hit me hard in the chest. At that moment I wanted to explain my thoughts to her, but Had no time.
Her father's offer was very tempting, but not tempting enough that I would give a part of my land to him. I told him I would consider, but I actually wasn't. I just wanted him to leave my territory without any trouble.
All I want to do now is go to bed and hold Izzy close to me. I stand up from my chair and stretch. I walk out of my office and lock it. I turn and make my was down the hallway. When I pass the living room, I stop. There's someone here. I growl. They better not touch Izzy.
I enter the living room and scan the area. The fire place is still blazing, but the window is wide open with the curtains flying around everywhere. I shut them slowly. When I here the windows click shut, I see a shadow standing in front of the fire. I turn around ready to lunge at the intruder, but stop myself when I see who's there...Lana.
She gives me an attempt of a seductive smile, "Hello Xander." She says.
I growl at her as if she's my enemy, "It's ALPHA XANDER to you."
She just laughs, "Come on Xander, I think we're more than familiar with each other to drop the formality."
"We're not familiar."
"Really? What about all those late nights we spent together huh? How I screamed your name."
I'm disgusted at myself for even touching someone like her. I can't believe I did that to Izzy. She waited for me. But I didn't and I hate myself for it. But, I feel nothing for her. She is nothing to me, she could get tortured for all I care.
"Do you know what we were doing in all those late nights Lana? We were fucking. That's all. You were nothing but something to scratch an itch. Besides, because you weren't my mate you never really...satisfied me. With Izzy, it's different. It's better. Because I love her and she's my mate when we make love...it's like an explosion. She gives me EVERYTHING. She is my EVERYTHING. There's nothing that you'll do that'll change that."
I see her eyes glaze over as if she was holding back tears. But I don't care.
I make sure to keep the couch between us. Not because to restrain myself from her, but for her own safety. I want to rip her to pieces right now. I feel my wolf wanting to come out and charger her. But I pull him back.
"What do you want?" I asked.
"You."
I laugh without humor, "Yeah right. I'm a happy mated man. Why would I trade the one person I love most in this world...for someone like you?"
I see a flash of hurt in her eyes before she masks it. "I have something you want." She starts to slowly walk around the couch.
"And what's that?"
"I might as well tell you now what happened. I got into a little, tussle, with your mate this afternoon."
"What do you mean?" I snarl. This woman makes me so angry. She touched my mate in a harmful way. I want to grab her and tear her a part. I breath heavily to try defuse my anger.
"I am working with the Rogues that are trying to get your mate."
I see red. I charge at her, but she quickly escapes me, "Before you kill me I need to tell you something. Something that may help Elizabeth."
"What's. That?" I growl.
I see her flinch in fear. She knows she's not safe from me anymore.
"I know when they are going to try and take her. And it's soon. You won't survive their attack. He's been planning this for years! He has planned every single detail of this for revenge. But, I am willing to trade you something for this information."
"And what's that?"
She gives me a smile that makes me feel uneasy. Then she slowly walks towards me seductively. I frown. What is she up to. She comes close to me. Her hands touch my stomach and slowly make their way up my chest. I am shaking right now in anger. I want to rip her hand off me. She smiles up at me, but there's an evil glint in her eye.
She moves her face closer to me and whispers, "I want you to kiss me."
I snarl with my wolf fangs out, "Like hell I will."
"Fine then...you'll just be risking the safety of your mate."
If I don't do this...Izzy will be in more danger. I need to protect...no matter the cost.
"Fine." The fact that I am agreeing to kiss this woman that is NOT my mate, makes me feel sick. I lean forward towards her lips, but she puts her finger over my mouth, "I want you to kiss me like you mean it. I want you to kiss me like I'm your mate."
"You're asking for too much."
She shrugs, "No information then."
I sigh angrily. I hate her so much, "Fine...but just so you know...after this, I am going to kill you."
"I wouldn't expect nothing less from The Great Blood Moon Alpha." She whispers.
IZZY'S POV:
I wake up during the night. I rubs my eyes and turn to look at the clock. 2:30 AM. Why did I wake up? I look out the window and see it's started to snow. I get up from the bed. A child makes it's into my skin, making me shake. I look down at my body and see that I'm naked. I totally forgot that I was naked. why am I naked again? Oh yeah that's right! I felt weak.
I move around a little. I still do feel weak. I feel like my legs could collapse any minute actually. What's wrong with me? Why is body going out of control?
I move around the room to get my gown.
"Nice body."
I stop in my tracks. The hairs on my arms raise as a chill racks my body, my heart is beating against my chest as I turn to see two black eyes. A man that's standing in the shadows.
"Yes, I think you'll be quite nice."
"Who...'who are you?"
Suddenly out of no where, he appears right in front of me, "I'm your worst nightmare."
He grabs me. I try to get out of his hold, but he's too strong. I feel his hands move up and down my body...touching it.
"Please don't!" I sob.
Where is Xander? I try to scream for my mate, but the man's hand is over my mouth. I see him grab a knife. I feel my blood running cold. Please no no no no NO! I scream in my mind.
"I will do to you, what he did to me." He says, "I'm going to kill the two most important people in his life. Everything taken from him...in a second."
Two people? What is he talking about? It's just me...isn't it? I look down at my stomach at the realization...no...it can't be. NO! But before it's too late. I feel the knife pierce me and my baby. I feel the knife sucking my life away as this pain courses through my body.
"XANDER!" I scream with all of my strength. But I already feel my life slipping from my body. Before I know it...everything goes black as I slip away from my life.
I wake up in a panic. I look around the room. everything is as it should. I collapse back on my bed and sigh in relief. It was just a dream. I look outside. It's still night time. The snow has finally come. It's coming hard. I look at the time 2:30 AM. I still feel shaky from my dream. It was so realistic. I feel so weak still...like something is using all of my energy. I turn to snuggle into Xander, but he's not there. Where is he? has he been gone this whole time?
Worry eats me slowly for my mate. Is he okay? Is he really that stressed that he can't sleep? I get out of my bed. On shaky legs I slowly get my night gown and wrap it around my naked form. I breath heavily as I force my body with all my strength to find Xander.
I hold on to the rails tightly as I walk down the stairs. I look in his office. It's locked which means he isn't in there. Ugh! Where could he be? I look down the hall. I see there's light seeping through the crack in the door of the living room. I take a deep breath before trying to making my way towards the living room. I hear whispers. I frown. Maybe him and Soul or Noah were talking about pack stuff? I open the door slightly and peak through the crack.
I couldn't believe what I saw. Xander was kissing...LANA!!! And it doesn't even look like a simple kiss. He's kissing her so...passionately. Her arms are wrapped around his neck, her fingers are griping is hair and his arms are rubbing up and down her back as he kisses her as if he, as if...as if she was everything to him. I hear her moan.
My heart totally, utterly, undeniably breaks. I feel like everything in my life has fallen a part. All the strength that was left in myself was gone. There was no reason for me to live. My eyes fill with tears and my lips quiver harshly. I try to be quiet, but I couldn't help the sob that escapes my mouth.
They break their kiss. I look into Xander's eyes...eyes that I once loved. I see shock and guilt. I never even thought he would do this to me.
"Izzy...sweetheart it's not what it looks like." He says. His breath was ragged from kissing Lana. My vision turns to her and I see her smiling at me with pure evil. I'm filled with complete. and Total FURY. I make no attempt to stop my wolf from rising, in fact I push her out and let her take control.
I run towards the whore and tackle her to the ground. I straddle her waist and rain punches on her face.
"I."
punch
"Said."
Punch
"To stay."
Punch. Punch.
"Away."
Punch.
"From him."
Punch Punch Punch.
I feel someone wrap their arms around my waist and pull me off of her. "Let go of me!" I scream. I get out of their hold and turn around. I'm met with Xander. He opens his mouth to say something, but before he does I knee him in the balls. Xander groans a bit and cups his injury. "Shit!" but it doesn't look like it hurt as much as I want it to.
I turn back to Lana, completely blind with rage, and see her trying to get up.
I grab her head and say, "I told you I'd kill you." I twist her head until there was a pop. I drop her limp body on the ground. I look at her face. Her plain face with such hate.
Everything happened so fast. "Izzy?" A deep sadness rips my heart a part. I have no strength left. I collapse onto the ground and sob my heart out. I scratch my chest, hoping to dig out this deep hurt that rests on my chest. But I feel no better.
"WHY??" I scream and sob. I look up at Xander and see in his eyes how hurt he is for seeing me like this. He takes a step towards me but I crawl backwards, "I Trusted you."
"Izzy, it's not what you think, just let me-"
"Explain?" I finish. He was the one person I trusted the most out of this whole trouble. He was my source to keep going, my drive. But now he's no different than the others. I have no one. No family. NO ONE!
"Stay away from me." I whisper.
I stand up on shaky legs. Xander notices how weak I am. He frowns in concern and takes another step towards me, "Izzy what's wrong?"
"I needed you...and you weren't there. You were here...with her...I hate you Xander Nightwalker. I HATE YOU!" I sob.
I see him flinch. I know that this was tearing him a part too. Good. I hope it hurts as much as it hurts me. I couldn't look at him any longer. I couldn't be here any longer. I feel suffocated in this place now. I feel empty. I don't care anymore. Let this rogue man take me.
I run away from Xander and jump out the door. "ELIZABETH!" Xander shouts.
I am instantly hit with this ice air and snow hitting me. My whole body is chilled to the bone. There is no room for warmth. I sprint through the snow storm, towards the forest. Each step I take come with a sob. Why does everything good in my life always turn bad? I know that my mate is running after me, but he won't be able to see me through this storm or smell me from how rough the wind is.
I run in the forest. I can't feel my feet and my body is going totally numb. I sprint past trees and bushes, covered in white. I don't see a tree root on ground, so I trip and fall. I sob harder.
I curl up in a ball, "Why do you do this to me?" I ask the moon goddess. I stand up on my knees and look at the dark sky, "WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME? WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS!" I scream.
I hear a twig snap. I turn around, but it's too late. a black figure grabs a hold of me. I struggle against them but I'm too weak. Another figure comes holding a thick branch. He swings it towards me. Everything goes black.
XANDER'S POV:
I run after my mate as she sprints into the snow storm. She's running fast. I run harder and harder, trying to get to her. But I can't see her. I try to use my sense of smell to find her, but I can't smell her scent either. I've lost her. I stop running and search the area. "IZZY!" I shout.
"IZZY!" I shout again.
No no no no no NNOOO! This can't be happening, please tell me this can't be happening. My heart is beating harder and harder against my chest as I panic. My mate is sick and weak and alone out there somewhere while there's a maniac trying to get her.
I yell at the sky with all of my might. I yell at the moon goddess for taking my love away.
I get back to the house before I freeze. I close the door and walk into the living room towards the fire place. I can still hear my mate's heart breaking sob. When she saw what I was doing...her eyes were filled with so much pain. It broke me. What's worse was that it was my fault. I thought I was doing this for her. But it was Lana's plan all along. She wanted Izzy to catch us. She knew that Izzy would leave and now I can't find her.
My heart is hollow. I can't believe that I failed her. I clench my jaw. I look over at Lana's dead body. Her blank stare. I am instantly filled with so much rage.
"You did this. You took her from me!" I yell. I stand up and flip the couch. I destroy everything in the room. Something shiny catches my eye. I look down. I bend to my knees and pick up Izzy's wedding ring. She either purposely took it off, or it fell off. No, I refuse to let her go. She needs to know the truth. I stand up with determination. I run out of the door and into the storm.
I try to use all of my senses at once to try and pin point where she went. I keep running against the raging wind until I come to the forest. It's not too bad in here. I run and run until my nose tingles as a scent hits me. I stop running and starts sniffing. I smell my mate's delicious scent. But I growl when I smell two others. I look at the ground. The dirt and snow are all mixed together. She was struggling. I see some faded foot prints that pressed into the ground. My eyes catch a branch that has blood on it. Please, please, please tell me its not her's. I bend down sniff the blood. I close my eyes. NO! Pure rage fills me from the inside out.
"NNOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!" I scream with all of my might. They have her, they have my mate, my one love, my everything...they have my very heart in their grasps.
This isn't over. "I will find you my love. I will do EVERYTHING in my power to find you and I will use to the rest of my days to love you. I promise...I promise I will find you...or I'll die trying"