Here We Go Again

"You're beginning to scare me," Madeline admitted after minutes had passed by in silence.

Was Xavier purposely ignoring her?

Did she break him with her life story?

What was going on?

'I broke the alpha,' Madeline breathed, wondering if it was about time to begin panicking. This clearly wasn't good.

"Xavier?"

"I'm only scary when I want to be," Xavier replied.

'Oh phew, I didn't break him,' Madeline sighed with relief before feeling a drop of rain hit her arm.

"Huh?"

Madeline glanced at her arm.

The sky rumbled.

Only then had Madeline realized the sky had become cloudy.

Reaching her hand out, Madeline watched as droplets of rain hit her palm one by one.

Although she didn't want to leave, she knew she'd end up getting a cold if she stayed out in the rain like this.

'No thanks to my weak immune system,' Madeline grumbled under her breath.

Suddenly, something changed.

Madeline wasn't aware of what it was till she looked upwards.

The rain wasn't hitting her.

Xavier held up an umbrella for her, shielding her from the raindrops that descended upon the lands.

"How did you get an umbrella so--"

Madeline stopped mid-sentence.

"Right, super speed."

"Forgot about it for a moment."

"Mhm," Xavier mumbled, wondering if Madeline wanted to stay here chatting out in the rain instead of seeking shelter and heading inside his place.

It was her choice of course, not that it affected things for him.

Staying out in the rain was a breeze for him.

However, the same couldn't be said for his friend.

Madeline offered to hold up the umbrella herself - although she was denied by Xavier who insisted it was nothing.

On the short walk over to his place, Madeline inquired, "Why are you doing this?"

"Hmm?"

"Doing what?" Xavier raised his brow, blissfully ignorant.

"All of this," Madeline gestured at the umbrella he held and his suit he had draped over her.

Xavier's answer managed to catch her off guard.

"Because," he pursed his lips.

"That's what friends are supposed to do, no?"

"Right."

"Friends."

"Briar would call how you're behaving gentlemanly."

"So being gentlemanly includes holding up umbrellas and making sure someone doesn't get cold?"

"Among many other things."

"How would you know?"

"I like reading romance novels."

"And?"

"Hey! Romance novels are very insightful."

"Ah. If that's the case, then you must be an expert when it comes to romance."

"I wouldn't call myself that."

By then, they'd reached the doors.

Xavier pushed the door open, letting her enter before he did. He was a lot of things, but he wasn't unbecoming.

Once Madeline hit the couch, she nearly passed out.

She slumped down.

"I just remembered we've yet to finish the icebreaker game."

Madeline sat up.

"I forgot about that," she confessed, taking off Xavier's suit and folding it neatly before walking over to him.

She handed him his suit.

"So, what about one last question and then we get dinner?" Madeline offered.

Obviously, werewolves enjoyed dining on raw flesh, but in their human forms, their preferences were returned to that of a human's.

However, they still retained their vicious appetites. One could say that a werewolf's appetite is similar to that of someone who hasn't eaten in an entire day.

Xavier sat down on a chair across from her, placing his leg over the other as he peered at her.

He already had a question in mind, and yet… he couldn't get the question off his tongue.

The way Xavier looked at her made her think he was going to ask some deep question that'd make her dig deep inside of her to answer.

What he asked instead was, "Do you have any siblings?"

Madeline faltered, "I-Is that supposed to be the last question you have for me?"

Xavier hesitated. No, it certainly wasn't the last question he had for her.

If he had the chance, he'd ask her a plethora of questions. But, he didn't want to overwhelm her.

Madeline looked like a goldfish lacking oxygen, opening and closing her mouth wanting to say something although nothing was said.

"I don't. To my knowledge, I don't have any siblings," Madeline responded.

'Was it odd I expected something else?'

'You know what? I should stop overthinking.'

"Ah," Xavier said.

"Right, now that we're done with our game, dinner?"

"Yep," Madeline nodded enthusiastically before she remembered something.

She looked out the window.

"But it's still raining, wouldn't it be a hassle to have to get all the way to the dining room?"

"Who said we're going to the dining room?"

'Hah, hassle my ass,' Xavier thought to himself.

If he wanted to, he could bring Madeline from his place to the dining room in seconds. But, she was right. It was still raining.

Madeline stared at him, she couldn't fathom what he was suggesting.

As it turned out, he wasn't referring to what Madeline had originally presumed he was.

In addition to Xavier being the alpha, he was an amazing cook as well.

The Xavier Madeline got to hang around was so different to the Xavier she encountered at Eudora. It was as though there were two completely different people playing Xavier, and she was currently with the nicer one.

One delicious homecooked meal later, she and Xavier sat beside each other.

The sun had already set, and darkness filled the land.

Time had flew by so very quickly.

It felt like an hour ago that Madeline was eating breakfast. Now? She'd just finished dinner and was sitting on the porch swing in Xavier's cabin.

"I should head back," Madeline realized.

'You don't even know your way back. How are you supposed to head back? Are you asking to get lost?'

Madeline inwardly cursed.

Right, Xavier had brought her here.

She didn't remember the way back since her eyes were glued shut during the quick trip there. She turned to Xavier, an awkward look on her face.

Madeline gulped, setting her ego aside for a short moment before she said sheepishly, "So… about heading back…"

Xavier shot her a look of understanding.

"Here we go again."