Chapter 60 First Assault
Monday, April 1st. Xander's Office, 9:45 a.m.
Xander rushed to leave the food tray on top of the desk, waiting impatiently for Fredek to close the door and finally knock him down with questions.
-Fred, what a thrill! - he shouted quietly, making little jumps with his bare feet once they were alone.
-I know! - Fredek stood beside him and copied his gesture -. I'm not gonna lie to you, Xander, I'm very happy. It was great progress.
-And it would have gone further if I hadn't been so inopportune - he sighed resignedly, sitting in the chair.
-With baby steps, Xander - he took the other chair and sat next to him, watching as he took bites in his mouth -. I didn't expect to fuck him right there anyway - he ironized, causing both of them to laugh.
-That wouldn't have been bad either - Xander winked at him, receiving a slap on his arm in response -. What? You don't like him?
-Of course I do, but I don't want him to get the wrong idea - he looked down and blushed.
-You mean you don't want what happened to me and Magnus to happen to you? - Xander whispers.
Fredek felt his face burn now. He loved Xander very much, but witnessing how badly he suffered when Alexei mistook his love for him for lust, he didn't want to go through that too.
-Don't worry, Fred - he comforts him, patting his leg -. I know very well that things between Magnus and me didn't start out the best way - he looks down at the plate and begins to play with the pieces of fruit with the fork -. We both didn't know how to handle things like adults and that caused a chain of problems. But... - seeing him again and with a smile on his lips -. Although it was hard for me to admit at first, I never doubted my love for him and I have no doubt about his love for me now.
-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel bad.
-Not at all, Fred. Don't mention it. It's part of our past, now we just have to deal with it.
-You know, I find it hard to understand how you ended up being partners - his scowl slightly furrowed -. I mean, you're sweet and kind and loving, and attentive. My brother, on the other hand, is grumpy, grumpy, and on top of that, grumpier - Xander almost choked on a piece of watermelon for laughing at Fredek's comment.
He knew that he was partly right and that many people would think they were an odd couple. But he couldn't care less. He loved Alexei, all grumpy and cranky. He wouldn't change a thing about him.
-He is very sweet to me when he wants to - his cheeks with a slight blush -. He treats me well, attends to my needs, and during my heat, he was truly charming.
-Okaaaaay, please don't say anything I'll regret hearing - raising his hand to stop Xander before he talks anymore -. And I told you to call him by his first name when I'm here, I'm wearing the Magnus too.
-All right, but deal with me, will you? I used to call him that. Besides, it fits him - he smiles mischievously, Fredek wrinkles his nose in disgust.
-And what are you doing today? - requests, deciding to ignore the obscene joke behind Xander's statement.
-Well, Mag... - is interrupted when Fred points a finger at him accusingly -. I'm sorry, I meant Alexei, he told me to have lunch with him. After that, Lev will take me shopping.
-Yeah? Where? - questions with curiosity.
-I don't know, wherever Alexei tells him to, I guess. I need to buy some clothes.
-Ekaterinburg it is, then. Alexei owns a clothing store downtown.
-I imagined it - sighing heavily.
-Is something wrong?
-No... Well, yes - biting his lip nervously -. I mean, I had a feeling that he would take me to one of those super expensive stores, when I'm fine using anything. I mean, I've worn borrowed clothes for years, now that I'm with him, doesn't mean I need to swim in luxury.
-What?! - Fredek screams in amazement -. You mean all I've seen you wear since I met you is borrowed clothes? - Xander laughs because Fred's reaction was the same as Alexei's. «Brothers», he thought ironically, as he rolled his eyes.
-I told you, I don't need expensive and luxurious things. I'm fine with anything.
-I'll go back and repeat, Xander. You and Alexei are not at all the same- he laughs -. Besides, don't worry about it. The store won't charge him a dime. He owns the place after all. And if that was the case, it would only be a drop in the ocean for him - he raises an eyebrow and smiles.
-Yes, but still...
-You can try to convince him to take you somewhere more modest, but I'm quite sure he'll refuse and order Lev and the driver not to take you anywhere else.
-Fuck, you think I don't know that? When he gets something on his head, there's no one to change his mind - he puts the tray aside once he's finished eating -. And I'm a bit nervous about going with Lev, I have the impression he's a shopping maniac.
-And you're not wrong, that's exactly how he is - laughs again -. Do you want me to come with you? I know some tricks to calm him down a bit.
-Would you do it? - With a pleading look.
-Sure. So, you want to?
-But of course!- animated, picking Cooky up off the floor to place him on his lap -. Anything to help calm Lev's shopping madness- they both laugh and so pass the time, between jokes and games, while Xander tries unsuccessfully to concentrate on his work.
He was so happy and relaxed with Fredek's presence that he was surprised to see that it was already noon when Alexei burst into the office.
-Ready, kitty? - He smiles at him, extending a hand -. Come on, I'm hungry- Xander gets up and puts Cooky down gently, takes Alexei's hand, and before leaving the office, turns to look at Fredek.
-Would you mind looking after him for me?
-Not at all, Xander. Cooky will be in good hands - Fredek smiles, cradling the cat in his arms.
Alexei and Xander went to a restaurant downtown, also owned by the Alpha. They had a nice meal, enjoying little caresses and love gestures, accompanied by a sweet and smooth wine. At first, Xander thought that Alexei would be a little distant once they were under the public spotlight, but to his surprise: he was not.
His Alpha had no hesitation in holding his hand, giving him kisses on the cheek or the lips, and even going as far as encircling his waist with one arm. The Omega was in the clouds, although he was a little uncomfortable with Derek's presence on their heels, he was completely happy and enjoying Alexei's attention and company.
They took a short walk out of the restaurant and by the time they set foot in The Mansion again, it was already 3:35 p.m. Xander rushed to the bedroom, took a quick shower, and put on a new change of clothes. When Alexei entered the room, he was finishing his hair in front of the full-length mirror located in one of the doors of the huge wardrobe. He slowly approached him and wrapped his strong arms around his small waist, leaving a kiss on the tender skin of his neck.
-You smell good, kitty - running his nose gently down his neck, inhaling the sweet aroma -. Now I can smell my scent on your body and you don't know how hard it makes me - Xander laughs softly, a chill running through his body. He tilts the head a bit to give Alexei more space to attack his neck now with wet kisses.
-Yeah? - He closes the eyes and sighs contentedly, one of his hands is entangled in Alexei's hair and the other rests on one of his arms, holding it in place -. I like to feel my scent on you, too.
-Maybe we should save the shopping for tomorrow and finish the day locked up in here - slightly biting the sensitive area under Xander's ear -. What do you say?
-Tempting - resting his head on Alexei's shoulder -. We could...- but before he could continue, someone starts knocking on the door with a loud bang, alarming them. That is, until they hear the screams of the perpetrator.
-Xander King, let's go now! - Lev roars impatiently, knocking three more times on the door -. Everyone's ready, you two can fuck when we come back!- Alexei grunts and reluctantly breaks away, Xander turns around and leaves a soft kiss on his lips.
-I'll do my best to come back quickly, honey - smiles and kisses him again -. Save all those perverted thoughts for when I get back- Alexei puts his hands down and squeezes Xander's ass, taking him by surprise.
-I'll try, kitty - grunts -. But you're making it fucking hard for me. So you better leave now, before Lev comes back and forces me to take extreme measures.
-Okay, you're the boss - smiles and walks away. He goes to the door, but just before leaving, he turns and looks Alexei in the eye -. I love you, Magnus - he says sweetly.
-I love you too, kitty - Alexei promises, putting the hands in his trouser pockets -. Now go and come back to me quickly.
Xander closes the door and when he arrives at the lobby of The Mansion, he finds that all the members of The Gang and Derek, except for Yaakov, are waiting for him.
-Are you all going?- he shrieks in amazement.
-A complete pain in the ass, I know- Nikon's complaining -. But it's the boss's orders, kid. Nothing to do- shrugs.
-Come on, Xander- Fredek encourages him, extending his hand, being held immediately by the Omega -. Let's leave the grumpy one alone for a few hours.
-He's still protected enough here, isn't he? - he asks concerned.
-Of course - Adrik assures -. I left my best men, don't worry about that.
-Besides- Lev intervenes -. My Alpha will stay here with him. There will be no force in this world to get near Alex, so you can rest easy, baby boy - smiling smugly.
-For God's sake, let's just go - Derek protests with an angry tone, fitting his gun in the holster inside his vest. There were three black vans with tinted windows outside waiting with their assigned drivers.
Xander, on Adrik's orders, rode the one in the middle, followed by Fredek and Derek. The last one was Nikon, with Lev and Jackson. Leading was Adrik, Maxim, and one of the new guys, on his first mission, named Markov. Xander thought it was a bit excessive to provide so much protection for a simple shopping trip, but he wouldn't dare protest.
When the cars started to move forward, he turned his face to the window, and through the glass he could see Alexei standing at the door of The Mansion, watching his departure. Alexei didn't know at the time what would happen.
After fifteen long minutes of driving, they finally reached their destination. The shop was the luxury contained in four long and overly decorated walls. Xander wrinkled his nose as soon as he entered, though he reserved the comments that threatened to escape his lips.
-Excessive, isn't it? - Fredek whispered in his ear, as The Gang and the other henchmen searched every corner of the store. Xander just nodded -. Just pick what you like best and don't look at the labels, it'll be better that way.
-Fred, I'm not sure I want to do this - seeing the long columns of shirts and the perfectly folded pants with uncertainty -. It's too much for me.
-I know, Xander. But are you willing to come home with nothing and endure my brother's searing rage? - That was all the motivation Xander needed. He took a deep breath and once Adrik gave him the go-ahead, he started to walk through the rows of clothes, closely accompanied by Fredek and receiving excessive advice from Lev.
Two hours later, they had a whole bunch of clothes ranging from shirts, pants, shoes, belts, jackets and even underwear, at Lev's insistence. One of the workers was in charge of putting all the clothes inside boxes, all with the logo and the name of the store, the men started to put all the clothes inside the vans.
Xander was completely exhausted, sitting on one of the chairs in the shop while he played with his eyebrow piercing. He felt his trouser pocket vibrate and smiled. Alexei had given him a phone so he could communicate with him when they were separated and until now, it was the only contact registered. He quickly unlocked it and read the message.
»Where are you, kitty?
»I'm sorry, honey. We're almost done.
»I have a suspicion that you've been delayed because of Lev. Right?
Xander laughs at Alexei's cunning. He knows everyone in his life. If it wasn't for Fredek constantly telling Lev to relax and let Xander decide what to wear, it would have taken much longer.
»Yes, but they've already loaded everything into the vans. It won't be long now.
»Well, I'll tell Ewa to prepare our dinner. Hurry up, I can't stand Yaak anymore.
»For God's sake, it's only been a couple of hours.
»You're just saying that because you're not the one who has to deal with him. So get your beautiful, perfect ass home. Now, kitty!
His cheeks burn with shame, though a silly smile is drawn on his lips. He rushed to answer when he saw that the last box was already being placed in the trunk of one of the SUVs.
»Okay, grumpy. I love you.
»I love you too. Come back to me quickly.
-Xander, time to go! - Adrik yelled at him from the side of one of the trucks. He quickly blocked the phone screen and put it back in his pocket. By the time he got out, Fredek was waiting for him standing outside, with the door to the back seat open.
The sun was already setting in the distance and the cold of the night was making the little hairs on his skin stand up. He smiled at his friend, but when he was only a few steps away from taking refuge inside the safety of the vehicle, something happened.
-Xander, run! - Derek yelled at him, starting a wave of panic. Xander opened his eyes wide in terror when he saw four unknown cars arrive and block the path of the SUVs.
Immediately a horde of men dressed completely in black and armed to the teeth got out and started shooting in their direction. Xander's heart was racing as he watched his friends and other henchmen make great efforts to protect their position.
-Get in the fucking car, now! - Nikon ordered him, the moment he fired, successfully hitting the skull of an enemy.
-Adrik, we have to get Xander out of here! - Lev warned, protecting himself as best he could. The Omega's ears throbbed from the loud noise around them.
He held his head with trembling hands in an attempt to defend himself from the shattered pieces of wood and particles of metal, plastic, and glass that bounced in the air after the impact of the projectiles on the surfaces around them. He was scared... Immensely scared. He closed the eyes and in his head, he kept calling his Alpha desperately, praying that he would be the one to come and rescue him.
-Come on, Xander - Markov came to his side, and immediately Xander felt his arm being taken in a firm grip -. We have to go. Hurry!- the Omega opened the eyes to see how he was being pulled into one of the SUVs.
His chest rose and fell rapidly, while the anticipation of reaching the safety of the vehicle ate away at his insides. «God, just a little more», he thought hopefully, witnessing Markov's attack on two men who were approaching them in a threatening manner.
Just when he thought the situation was under control and his fingers brushed against the door, three more vehicles arrived on the scene, adding to the number of men involved in the shooting. The scene was chaotic, with bullets passing within inches of his body. He heard Lev scream and his eyes almost fell out of their sockets as he watched his friend fall, injured by a bullet that went through his leg.
-Lev! - he shouted and ran in his direction, wanting to help him.
-Xander, wait! - Markov reached out and tried to grab him. He almost succeeded, but he didn't count on an enemy attacking him from behind, ending his life.
-Wait, Lev. Don't move! - putting pressure with his hands on the wound, in an attempt to stop it from bleeding further.
-Xander, stop this nonsense - Lev protested, trying very hard to hold on to the pain -. You're the priority. Go with Fred and get out of here now!
-Are you crazy?!- he looked up desperately for his friend, relieved to find Fred under Derek's protection -. I can't leave you here bleeding to death!
-You must! - Lev pushes him and points to one of the trucks with his bloody hand -. Go, find Fredek, and get out of here! - Xander felt his chest tighten at the prospect of abandoning his friend to his fate, but he was right. Unable to defend himself, he would only be a drag on others. So he stood up, keeping his head down, and went over to where Derek and Fredek were.
-Backups are coming! -- Nikon announced, his voice rasping from screaming -. Hold on a little longer! - Xander was close... So close. But suddenly he felt a strong pain in the back of his head, the air left his lungs abruptly and his eyes were out of focus.
He heard Fredek scream his name as he felt his body lose strength. «Alexei...», was the last thing he thought, just before the darkness enveloped him and he lost consciousness.
ALEXEI.
By the time I felt the fear through our link, I knew something was wrong. Yaakov burst into my office and didn't have to say a word to make me realize what had happened. We quickly organized a group of heavily armed and equipped men and headed at full speed towards Ekaterinburg. We had only a limited time before the police intervened and we needed to be there before that.
When I spotted the cars in the distance, nerves and worry were taking over my body. I hadn't felt Xander through the bond in a while, and no matter how much I called him, I didn't get an answer.
«Please, kitty. I hope you've kept yourself safe». The van hasn't finished stopping when I go out fast, with my gun in hand, although the situation no longer warrants it. Several bodies surround the clothing store and the windows are scattered all over the street. People are running scared, but my eyes are only looking desperately for Xander, praying to all the gods that he is safe.
When I get close, I can hear the sirens in the distance and I know time is running out. So I force my feet to move faster even though my body is completely stiff with fear. I see Markov out of the corner of my eye, his inert body upside down on the cold asphalt floor, and the breath gets stuck in my throat.
-Lev! - My cousin's scream pierces through my entire nervous system and my eyes search wildly as Yaakov runs past me, kneeling beside Lev, who is squeezing a piece of cloth around his thigh, using it as a tourniquet for his bleeding wound.
-I'm fine, Yaak - he smiles weakly, his cheeks are splattered with tiny dots of blood, and at this moment I don't know what to expect. My eyes detail the men: Jackson has a wound in his shoulder, Nikon has his face full of bruises and is holding Adrik in his arms, who is checking a large knife wound piercing his stomach.
Maxim is passed out in the back seat of one of the vans, has a bandage around his head, maybe a bullet grazed him. Derek hugs my brother and a hint of relief runs down my back when I see he's okay. But Xander... I don't see him anywhere. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Don't... Please, don't let what I'm thinking to be true.
The sirens are getting closer and closer and I order the men I brought with me, with the thread of voice coming out of my throat, to help pack up everything so we can get out of here in no time. I approach Nikon, who lowers the gaze quickly when he sees me, Adrik at his side makes an effort to put the remains of his shirt back on.
-Nikon - my voice comes out in a pathetic whisper, but I don't give a shit at this point -. Where is he?- he doesn't answer me, but he and Adrik exchange a look and it doesn't take a genius to know they're afraid -. Where the fuck is Xander?! - I hear my brother crying his eyes out, Derek rushes to raise him on his feet and push him into one of the cars -. Answer, goddammit!- I use my commanding voice, desperate for the answer they refuse to give me, my wolf tearing at the walls that hold him captive in my subconscious.
-They took him, Alexei - I turn abruptly to Lev, his cheeks wet with tears, his confession pierces my bones and takes my breath away -. I'm sorry... They've taken Xander.
To be continued.