When did you start talking?

Selene POV

I squinted my eyes in the direction of the arrow as I made out one large figure striding confidently towards us. Bea stirred within me and began to wag her tail as Xavier came to light. 

His long, unhurried strides commanded respect from everyone who stared at him. You could tell he wasn't happy by the big frown on his brows as he walked in. 

"Let her go," he pointed his index fingers to the guards holding me on either side. 

And without questioning, his hands slipped away from my clothes. Seeing that I was free, I ran towards Xavier, trying my best not to buckle under the strain of the horror I just witnessed. 

"Olivia," he held my face, "Are you alright? And the girls?" his eyes strayed to them soundly asleep in front of me. 

"We're fine now," I managed a smile. "Thank you for coming,". 

He stared at me with longing before finally shoving me behind him. Then he turned to my attackers. 

"Do I want to know why my hotel is in shambles, with dead bodies all over the place and why you held my guest ransom?" Xavier's voice was a mere whisper. 

Whenever he is angry, his voice starts as a whisper and ascends higher until it reaches a crescendo. It was as if his body had a regulator of some sort that regulated his anger. 

The faces of my attackers all lost colour, becoming pale as they stared at Xavier. 

"Y-You're not as dumb as they say you are," Lana said, pointing towards him. "Are you Alpha Xavier?" she asked again, staring at him suspiciously. 

"I don't know who you are, young lady," Xavier said coldly, "But here in Greyhound City, you don't point at me and talk. I am in charge here, and the only reason I am giving you and your goons a chance is to satisfy my conscience of a fair trial. Else that, I would have had all of you in prison the moment we got here,". 

The leader of the group pushed Lana aside and came before Xavier bowing to his waist with a hand on his chest. When he looked up, there was a mocking smirk on his lips. 

"My good Alpha, is that what you want? One would think that since you lost your wife, you would have changed even a bit, but you're narcissistic as ever,". 

Xavier's knuckles turned white on the bow he was holding, and his pupils darkened. 

"I will not ask you again. What are you doing here and what gives you the right to think you can destroy my properties like this?" he said through gritted teeth.

"We came for her and her children," the man pointed towards me "But, Alpha, when did you start talking? Perhaps someone important entered your life and suddenly you began to speak. Don't you find it a bit strange? Or are we ruling that as a miracle too?"

"You will address him with respect," Lucius emerged from the shadows which he had been hiding. "You're trespassing on our lands and you've killed a score of people. You're supposed to be begging for your life,". 

"I will beg for my life later on," the man chuckled and then drew closer to Xavier "How does it feel to lose everything that you ever had but do you know what's more painful, it's when you discover that everything you know was a lie and that the people around you are trying to hide something which would do you good,". 

"What gibberish are you talking about?" Xavier stared at him strangely. 

"Olivia," the man snorted, "Didn't you tell the Alpha who you truly are?"

My heart began to pound wildly in my chest. If he should tell Xavier who I truly am and, at this moment... he would never forgive me. Lucius's gaze flitted to mine, and he stared at me for a minute before he moved closer to Xavier, taking a stance between him and the Fox. 

"Who sent you?" Lucius barked. 

"I'll tell you all of that in good time," the man said brightly. "First, I want us all to establish that I'm not the impostor here. If more than anything, I am saving every one of you from a fate worse than death and...". 

Before he could finish what he was saying, Lucius clubbed him on his head, not hard enough to kill him but hard enough for him to crumble to the ground, unconscious. 

"Arrest them," Lucius shouted and immediately, a swarm of soldiers surrounded my attackers. They were all wearing masks. 

Lucius handed a mask to me before he turned to the soldiers and gave them a hand gesture. At the gesture, they threw a canister of garlic towards the assailants and immediately; they started to scream in agony. 

Foxes had a low tolerance for garlic, weakening them, and making it impossible for them to take up the form of another human or escape. 

"Alpha, the cars just arrived. Take her to it. We'll meet you people there in a short while," Lucius told Xavier. 

He nodded and reached for my hand, and we quickly walked towards where the cars were parked. He opened the door and ushered me in before he entered and sat beside me. In the car, we both removed our masks, and I was conscious of Xavier staring at me. 

Was he thinking about what that man said about me back there? Did he suspect that I was hiding something? Now that he could talk, would he get back some of his memories? 

"I apologize for arriving late. We had a car issue and I suspect there is someone inside the pack house collaborating with the enemy, as all the tires were slashed. Are you okay, though?" 

He gazed at me tenderly and reached out to hold my face, but I recoiled and withdrew unknowingly. 

Back when I was still in Greyhound, whenever Xavier tried to hold me like that, it wasn't because he loved me or would do it tenderly. It was always when I didn't respond to his question and he'd tighten his grip on my jaw, forcing me to reply. 

"I'm sorry," he said immediately. "I didn't mean to be handsy," he added. 

"It's fine." I smiled warmly at him. "And thank you for coming, Alpha. I don't know what we would have done without your help,". 

"It was nothing,". 

His gaze flitted to the girls still wrapped in front of me. "Are they alright?" 

"Yes," I nodded. "I'm so glad they didn't see that mess, it would have frightened them,". 

"Yeah," He sighed, his eyes still on them. "You can unwrap them now, everything will be fine,"

I nodded, realizing for the first time that I had a flimsy loungewear on and no bra. Hoping the car was dark enough, I untied the knot I had made behind my back and slowly removed the girls. Xavier reached out and carried Maeve holding her in his arms while I held on to Vina. 

There was a peaceful expression on their faces as they slept, a sign that they would forget everything that happened here today. 

"They're so beautiful," a small wistful smile settled on his lips as he stared at Maeve, "And so adorable. My wife..." his voice broke as he trailed off. "I was told she was pregnant before she died,". 

"D-Did you really lose your memories?" I asked to start a conversation. 

"Yeah," he smiled at me, "Every single thing. It's like restarting life afresh, but I'm glad I lived. I didn't think I would,". 

"Your wife..." It felt so strange talking about myself. "How did she look like?"

"I know she loves to smile a lot and loved talking strolls. That bench at the park you met me the other day. I had a recollection of going there with her and just sitting still until the sun went down. Else that, I don't remember how she looks and there are no pictures of her anywhere,". 

I turned to the window, staring at the soothing darkness that covered us outside. My emotions were in a jumbo.

"I know you must have heard a lot of things about how I treated her and maybe that's the reason you didn't want to stay at the pack house, but I promise you, I have changed. I'm not like that anymore and most of the things you heard were exaggerated,". 

"No," I looked away from the window and turned to him "That wasn't my concern, Alpha Xavier," I said quietly "I just feel better transacting business out of Pack houses so there's no emotional baggage attached plus I didn't want to inconvenience anyone,".

"That means you'll come with us now, right?" He paused. "I'll feel better if I know you're within my reach, so please, reconsider,". 

"Fine," I sighed. "I'll come with you. We have a few days left here before I leave anyway, and thank you for the offer". 

"It's my pleasure," he said. 

Suddenly, Maeve stirred in his arms. Her eyes fluttered for a moment as she looked around, first at me, then finally at Xavier. She hoisted herself into a sitting position, still looking around, confused. 

"Hey baby," I called out sweetly. "How are you?"

She didn't say anything, instead; she wrapped her hands around Xavier's neck, pressing warmly into him. 

"Daddy," she murmured.