Alpha Xander: His Contracted Luna

Catherine woke up to Xander’s voice coursing through the walls. It appears he was talking to someone else with a less fervent tone. She heard the sound of an engine revering. It clouded the dialogue going on outside the condo.

Manny rested his arms on the roof of the car.

“We have got about an hour.”

Xander yawned and looked back at the condo.

“It won’t be long. The road is just beyond the Blackwater Lake. And you will drive fast and be cautious.”

Manny dropped a hand to open the door of the driver’s seat.

“That place is closer to the condo. This place is farther-”

Xander buttoned his shirt to the brim.

“Closer or not, this place is conspicuous. Anyone, be it a wolf can walk far deep into the woods and go beyond the pine trees. And behind a lavender garden, they see a condo with a vulnerable human.”

Manny breathed air into his palms and rubbed them over his shoulders.

“We’d best get moving Alpha,” he got in the car and shut the door. “The sooner the better.”

Xander stuck his hands into his back pockets and walked to the porch.

“The lavender to null her scent may not be as strong as I thought,” he sighed. “I hope you covered your tracks?”

Manny ran his fingers over his head and glanced at his buzz cut in the side mirror.

“I made sure no one followed me on the way here,” he said. “The pack barely seems to care about each other these days. Ever since Jackson got copped out-man it has been hella tough Alpha. And not to mention, what Faye did to me,” his eyes darkened.

Xander stretched out his arms wide at the front door.

“One of the reasons why I have to show up today, Xander said. “Like I told you before, hold your own. We may not address it now but I’m not letting it go.”

***

Catherine got up from the bed and looked down at the carpet pondering her thoughts. She rubbed her feet on the carpet searching for something to slip into.

A car here? And wait, someone else knows about her?

She got into her clothes and wore the oversized robe from last night. Her breaths were cold. She dragged herself to the thermostat to heat up the room.

She looked up at the ceiling and the paintings that extended to the walls were dull and less attractive. It was like melting art. Perhaps it was the dizziness in her eyes.

She saw her bags were packed behind the door. She didn’t remember bringing any clothes when Xander supposedly saved her. Which was more of a kidnapping. She saw Manny in the driver’s seat. She noticed the grim that had just found a way to get stuck on his face. “Something must have gone wrong with him,” she thought.

Xander walked in and met her standing by the window.

“Oh good, you’re awake.”

He shut the door lightly. The breeze still came in from a vertical opening.

“And you look like you haven’t slept one bit.”

She pointed out with a raised brow.

“Hurry. We don’t have much time-.”

He grabbed her bags from the floor.

“To do what? I don’t remember having a talk with you about anything last night.”

She stepped away from the curtains.

“Last night, let’s just say it wasn’t a good night. Manny is ready to take to a new place-”

He pushed the door open with the bags. A cold breeze rushed in.

“What?”

She held her arms akimbo.

“Yes, it’s what you heard. You can clean up when you get there.”

He stepped a foot out the door. Many stuck his head out the car window to see what was going on inside.

“So it’s just me now?”

She sighed and walked back to the inner room.

“I need to get back to the Manor Catherine, you know that.”

He shut the door and dropped the bag behind it.

“Okay just leave like you always do.”

She hissed and kicked her clogs to a corner of the room.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

He followed her from behind.

“I’ll always be by your side was always bullshit.”

She sat on the mattress and patted a pillow next to her.

“We are not doing this right now. You are being selfish.”

He stood in front of her with his face contorted. He leaned forward and pocketed his arms in his grey pants.

She shrugged him off and laid her back on the bed.

He came into the room and pulled her off the bed. She came down with pillows as she fell to the carpet.

“Are you crazy?” she yelled.

“You are so stubborn,” he rose her up from the carpet.

She pushed him back and pushed him again. He took her arms and hoisted her on his shoulders. She struggled to get off but his overwhelming strength couldn’t be matched.

Manny was at the door when he heard Catherine screaming. He opened the door and saw Xander with a strong face holding Catherine up on his shoulders.

“Grab the bags,” Xander ordered.

Manny was stunned. Quickly, he grabbed the bags from the floor and headed out.

***

Xander put her in the backseat and shut the door before she rushed to get out.

“You are the worst!” she yelled.

“Aren’t we all,” he said and turned to face Manny in the driver’s seat.

“Who am I kidding? You are a monster!” Catherine railed on.

Manny tapped his fingers on the steering wheel ready to move.

“Catherine,” Manny called her attention as he turned to the back seat. “It is or the best.”

Her eyes were still and her body was calm.

“I am not going back there,” she said. “You know how it is back at the Manor.”

He took his hands off the wheel. And looked over at Xander outside the window.

Xander arched his stance and bent over to look into the backseat window.

“Who mentioned anything about going to the manor,” he scoffed.

“Where are you taking me then?” she asked. “I want answers. Now!”

“Somewhere safer,” Xander said.

“Hopefully,” Manny said.

“Hopefully?” she looked back at Xander all perplexed.

“Hope is all we have. Don’t mind Manny screw loose, you are gonna be fine,” he hit the roof of the car to send them on their way.

Manny started the engine way made way for the shady narrow path.

Catherine cozied up in the right end of the backseat looking at the tall pine trees ahead. The trees were moving by faster and she held on to her seat.

“Please can you go a little slower?”

“This is the slowest I can go. Alpha’s orders”

“Figured,” she sighed. “So how have you been Manny?”

“Bad. It’s been really bad since you left.”

He swerved the steering to the right and entered a crooked path. The wilderness was closing in on them.

“I thought she got what she wanted and would be at peace with the others.”

“She?”

“Faye.”

The car rescinded in its pace. He glared at the center mirror to look at Catherine.

“The devil has a way of ruining lives. She ruined mine.”

“What did she do?”

“Never mind. The loss of an innocent soul would be paid for soon enough.”

“Manny you can talk to me.”

She moved closer and pinned her hands on the shoulders of his seat.

“My first-the only one I ever let in.”

A tear rippled down his left cheek.

“Don’t tell me-”

“It was Shirley,” he sniffled.

She let go of his seat and rested back on her seat. She shut her eyes to keep the tears from flowing. She had never met with Shirley one-on-one. She was all Manny ever talked about when he and Catherine were chattering in the halls. She saw how happy he was with her. The happiness has now faded away and left a black hole in his chest. Faye didn’t just put Catherine through a lot but caught distress in the life of another.