Alpha Xander: His Contracted Luna

Since the incident with Finley, her nights have been unpleasantly welcoming mares. Xander was always away in the woods at nightfall, observing the perimeter. Taking long strolls, sometimes watching from the top tree. He would later appear in front of her in the morning, on a chair across the room with his huskiness and endearing eye-rolling.

It was one of those nights. Her mind traveled back to the day her car broke down at noon and Finley offered her a lift home. They made a stop at the flower shop.

He got out of the car and walked to her side of the door.

“How long can you keep a lady waiting?” she teased.

“It depends on what she’s waiting for,” he smirked. “And besides a lady looks best unbothered, unaltered, unfiltered. If that’s waiting, I might do that for the longest of time.”

“You just might be wrong there,” she squinted.

“Oh is that so?” his forehead creased with a laid down smile. “We will see about that Catherine. We will see.”

She waited in the car enjoying the warmth in the streets. The way he walked, patting his curly blond hair to the side and returning it the hand to his waist. He pushes up his glasses with a finger whenever he looks over at someone. His dull-colored texture three-piece suit with a subtle demeanor was his look on most days.

He came out with a bouquet of buttercups. She smiled at him through the window, he returned a smile. It was a gesture she hadn’t received in a while. He strolled to the seat behind her and put the flowers in the back. Her face flushed with the impression the bouquet was meant for her but he failed to mention which kept her curious. She thought it bad to ask.

He got in the driver’s seat and started the engine. She turned her face away. Gazing out the window watching the young and old walking in and out of the tall buildings. The gift shops, candy stores, and supermarkets; were the places she hadn’t stepped a foot on their blocks. She wanted someone to share these moments with but was unsure of Finley’s intentions about her.

Their conversation ended when he got out to get the flowers. He had reached her block.

“I’ll make a stop right here,” she pointed to her apartment building with a blank face.

He pulled over next to a fire hydrant, turned the keys to switch off the engine, and stared at the street till he let out a breath.

She put her hand on the door lock to open and leave.

“These are for you,” he handed her the bouquet from the back. “It was worth the wait. The hold on the conversation I mean.”

He tilted his head and smiled. She let go of the lock. She folded her arms and turned to him raising a brow.

“I should have run you over the day we met,” she smiled biting her lips. “Lucky for you, I’m a sucker for quirky men.”

He moved his left arm over her seat and leaned close to place the other hand on the door lock. She raised up the buttercups from his head to pave the way to her face.

“I know this should have been sooner… but the flower might as well make up for a date later,” he said. “Dinner by 7?”

“Flattering but I don’t think so,” she pulled back from him. She placed her hand on his and unlocked the door. “I really appreciate what you did for me today-um and also the flowers much,” she blew a kiss from her lips to her palm away.

The air from outside the car blew fresh on her face. Her eyes widened to breathe in the fresh air. He admired her hair swaying from side to side.

She got out of the car and closed the door. The road was wet so she made careful and mesmerizing steps with her slip-ons. He watched her and drove slowly next to her. She glanced from the sidewalk till she reached the steps of the door to her apartment building.

He flashed his lights to get her attention.

“There’s no way you can look this beautiful without consequences,” he said.

She stopped to look back at his glimmering eyes. She thought of how alone she would be later in the day without anyone coming by or any places to go.

“7 pm it is,” she sighed.

He blared his horn in amusement at her response. He drove away blowing out a fake kiss of his own too. Muah.

***

She could never imagine his last words to be real. A threat in disguise, he was a monster under a beautiful skin. If Xander hadn’t come to her rescue she might as well be a rotten corpse in her apartment and be having a post-mortem right about now.

***

He stands up from the chair in the corner of the room. His voice wasn’t with the usual hostility.

“There’s no way in hell you are still thinking of him.”

She raised her back and sat straight on the bed.

“I thought you said you couldn’t read mind,” she scoffed. “Was that a lie too?”© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“I can’t do the reading of minds Catherine,” he said sternly smacking one pal openly on the other.

“You just expect me to believe you. Again and again with false words,” she snarled and kicked a pillow to the ground.

He crouched to pick up the pillow and tossed it back to her on the bed.

“It was obvious from your constant daydreaming and whatever you muttered to yourself at night,” he said. “And of course, it wasn’t a lie. I just feel it, your face says it all Catherine.”

He rubs his palms on his thighs and turns around slowly. He faces her and pockets his hands in his grey corduroys.

“What do you mean daydreaming? I am well aware of what’s around me,” she said. “For instance, you are a big bad liar. Your words are fallacies and your promises are nothing but shit.” She spits on the sheets in anger.

“You space out at random. When I bring you food and sometimes I’ll be around talking to you and it’s like your body is here but your mind is trapped somewhere else,” he said. “Be angry at me all you want. I am the only shot of survival that’s left for you. You have got me or nothing.”

She falls her head back and spreads her arms wide on the bed. Opening her eyes to adore the flower paintings. The very least to take her mind from him but she couldn’t.

Xander’s phone buzzed.

“Duty calls,” she mocked.

He picked up the phone and suddenly his forehead creased.

“Speak to me Eric,” he said on the phone.

“We found Jackson’s body,” Manny said through the phone.

“I’ll be on my way,” Xander said.

Affairs were still handled at the manor in his absence. His presence was barely seen but the Alpha had been at a difficult since Jackson was declared officially missing. Xander had been going back and forth, till he had to wait and protect Catherine. He entrusted communications with Manny.

He cut the call and looked back at Catherine who kept to herself and was hell-bent on not caring about him anymore. Her hair opened up on his bed like a bright sunflower only that she had hair brown with black roots at the edges.

He crawled on the bed next to her and looked over her face.

“Go away,” She blew air into his face.

He hadn’t moved yet.

“Don’t leave if you want to live,” he warned. “I’ll be back in a few hours. If you don’t see me by the end of the day just wait.”

His eyes were darkened. He got into his black summer jacket and went out the door.