Believe
THIRD PERSON’S POV
Xavier stood rigidly, his face a mask of suppressed emotion as he faced his father, Alpha Martin. They were inside his office, and the atmosphere was thick with tension. The memories from last night came crashing over him like waves, making his jaw tighten.
The silence in the room stretched, and then, with a gravity that matched the weight of the situation, Alpha Martin finally spoke.
“I know what you’re going to say.” Alpha Martin murmured, his tone carrying the authority and disappointment of a father and an Alpha.
“Our pack is facing a huge threat.” Alpha Martin continued, his face serious as he looked at
his son.
Xavier’s face darkened even more. He had come here intending to explain what had happened last night, but part of him knew his father would already be aware.
He pressed his lips tightly before he finally spoke in a gruff tone. “I apologize. I couldn’t to stop
him.”
Xavier waited for his father’s reply. Alpha Martin’s face remained impassive for a long
moment. Then, slowly, he rose from his seat and took a deliberate step toward his son. They
stood eye to eye, yet Xavier, for the first time, found himself unable to hold his father’s gaze.
He looked away, feeling the weight of disappointment, years of unresolved tension, and the
ache of his past mistakes.
It was the first time he broke contact in an openly manner with his father. He remembered
those strained years all too well. The distance between him and his father had grown when he
married Isabella, their relationship severed over misunderstandings and his own youthful
stubbornness.
His father had arranged the marriage, believing it was for the good of the pack, and back then,
Xavier had resented him for it. He’d been too proud to see his father’s wisdom, too blind to
recognize his own feelings. By the time he finally realized his love for Isabella, she was gone, leaving a hollow space in his life and heart that no amount of regret could fill.
He realized it too late and it caused several years of his life without her. Several years that he
felt empty inside. Years when even his relationship with his family – his father and mother, became estranged.
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Now, as he looked at his father, Xavier realized that he still had a long way to go before he could emulate his father’s deeds. His father had done well protecting the pack, especially the
woman he loved, his mother.
Over the past five years, their interaction had been merely for discussing pack matters. It
wasn’t a lie to say that their relationship had been quite severed, but not totally. Xavier, in the
past, refused to admit his mistakes, while Alpha Martin was too disappointed and even more
hard–hearted, wanting his son to learn his lesson. Neither of them adjusted, both carried the
same stubbornness.
But now, as Xavier stood in front of his father, he felt the need to finally admit his defeat this
time.
But Alpha Martin spoke first.
“You did the right thing.”
Xavier felt a somewhat–heavy pat on his shoulder. This time, he looked up and directly stared
at Alpha Martin’s face, a face which was similar to his but just an older version.
“Sometimes, the hardest decisions require restraint. There are times to advance and times to
retreat. Knowing the difference is what makes a leader.” Alpha Martin continued speaking, his
tone serious but also somewhat carried a hint of lightness.
Xavier felt the words resonate within him, stirring emotions he’d buried for years. This was
more than approval; it was recognition, a father’s acknowledgment of his son’s growth. He felt
the sting of old wounds, the regret for the lost time, and a sense of gratitude he couldn’t quite
voice. But his father was already turning away, his gaze shifting to the window as his face
grew serious once more.
“Theodore,” Alpha Martin muttered, almost to himself. “I never expected him to go astray.”
Xavier frowned, somewhat agreeing to his father’s words. He, too, didn’t expect that Theodore would collude with those rogues. Not after everything that happened.
“Their pack was destroyed by rogues. And his father was also killed by rogues. What could be
his reason for siding with them?” Alpha Martin’s tone was full of inquiry and at the same time,
disappointment.
Xavier almost felt the same way. He had treated Theodore like a younger brother, and he never
expected he would betray the Lunar Crescent Pack.
“Jacob was a good man. It’s a shame his son didn’t inherit his strength or wisdom.” Alpha Martin’s voice held both sorrow and contempt.
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With the sudden mention of his mentor’s name, Xavier’s whole body stiffened. The memory when he was a child, back when he got abducted by the rogues and when Jacob saved him and Theodore from those rogues but ended up being killed, came crashing back to him.
It was not just a memory, but more like a nightmare that had been haunting him over these past few years. Haunting him with the pain and regret of losing someone he deeply cared for.
Slowly, the image of Theodore’s face, his eyes laced with hatred and wickedness flashed inside Xavier’s mind. He was still wracking his head as to what went wrong, as to why Theodore had made that decision. Jacob had given his life for them. And now, Theodore was walking a path that spat on everything his father had stood for.
But the fact that he also discovered that Theodore had the same voice as him had started to
unnerve him and raise all his suspicions.
“I suspect he’s been practicing black magic.” Xavier’s tone was low as he faced Alpha Martin.
Alpha Martin glanced at him sideways, his frown deepening.
“He can speak. He had been deceiving us all this time, right under our nose.” His voice was
restrained as he continued speaking. The very idea of someone closely related to him, betraying their pack was still a hard pill to swallow.
But now that it concerns his family’s safety as well as the pack, Xavier has to set aside all previous relations he had with Theodore, or maybe perhaps cut it all for good.
“We need to investigate further into this matter. This is a huge threat that cannot be ignored.”
Alpha Martin spoke in a firm tone after Xavier finished telling him about every detail that
happened.
Xavier nodded solemnly before he finally excused himself and left his father’s office.
He was on his way back to their house when he suddenly received a message from Lucas in
their mindlink.
“Luna Isabella went to the pack dungeons.”
Xavier stilled, his senses sharpening in an instant. Although he was aware of Isabella’s
capabilities, he was still concerned about her safety, especially after entering the pack
dungeons.
In fact, there could be only one reason why she went to the pack dungeons. Her purpose should be Sophia.
Xavier reached the pack dungeons just within a span of a minute. His steps were hurried. He
was worried about his mate. Sophia was a scheming woman. She was cunning and ruthless
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and had many tricks behind her sleeve. Xavier couldn’t risk Isabella facing that woman alone.
But once he arrived at the pack dungeons, there were no signs of Isabella around, Sophia
wasn’t also there either.
The aura on his body as he stood in the middle of the dungeons was quite cold and terrifying,
making the prisoners and even some of the guards around that were present shiver in
intimidation.
Xavier tried to track Isabella’s scent, and when he finally did, he sensed her presence at a nearby forest.
“T–the Luna ordered me to take that woman with her, Alpha.” One of the guards reported to
Xavier, stammering.
Xavier shot him a glance, his face cold and serious.
“Were there guards accompanying her?” His tone was harsh, his frustration bubbling to the
surface.
The guard shifted nervously. “She ordered us to leave…”
Without waiting for more, Xavier followed Isabella’s scent into the forest, his steps growing
faster with each second. The thought of her alone with Sophia made his blood run cold. His
wolf, Xavion, stirred within him, growling with protective fury, ready to surface at the slightest
hint of danger.
Finally, he spotted them. Isabella stood before Sophia, her posture unyielding, a fierce
determination lighting up her face. Sophia lay on the ground, her gaze shifting to Xavier as she
tried to act pitiful that only fueled his disgust.
“What’s going on here?” Xavier asked in a grave tone. The thought of what had happened before he arrived – of Sophia possibly hurting Isabella a few moments ago, made anger
simmer within his chest.
“I just discovered her lies. She’s not pregnant after all.” His mate, Isabella’s tone was hard.
Xavier met her gaze and notice something fierce flashing in her eyes. Then he tried to examine her body and somehow got a relief after seeing that she was not hurt.
But then, Sophia pretending to be pregnant struck another discovery within him, making his disgust and hatred rise to another level. He had been suspecting it the very first time Sophia claimed she was pregnant. Only that he overlooked the matter and forgot to send someone to investigate further.
“Take her away!” A growl rumbled from deep within his chest, his eyes narrowing dangerously,
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The guards quickly dragged Sophia from the scene, leaving him alone with Isabella. As silence settled over the forest, Xavier looked at his mate. Isabella’s face was resolute, yet he could sense an underlying layer of hurt, as if she feared he might doubt her words.
She held her ground, her gaze unwavering.
“I wasn’t lying,” she insisted, voice steady. “I sensed the truth. It’s part of my abilities, to feel life… or the absence of it.”
Xavier’s heart ached at the hint of distrust in her tone. He realized that she must be thinking he’s doubting her, that he would fall into Sophia’s manipulations over her word. Guilt tightened his throat.
In the past, he had failed her in so many ways–letting her go, not recognizing her worth until i was almost too late.
He stepped closer, his gaze softening, unable to hide the emotions that surged within him. Isabella was looking at him with a deep resolve that made his chest tighten.
He stopped right in front of her before sighing, staring straight at her exquisite face that could make him fall into his knees any time now.
“I believe you.”
