Chapter 24

Xander -

Seeing Ann hugging whoever the wolf was sank my heart into my throat as I couldn't take my eyes from her. I do not know why, but I feel I need to be with my mate, not some random she wolf. I decided that perhaps a good night's sleep was in order, after all. In addition, I do not believe this is my mate, because men scared her, and she loved to play pranks on people. Compared to my mate though, she is nothing like her at all.

However, there is another wolf named Rachel that is more like her. Even though I have taken her out to dinner several times, I don't feel it at all in terms of a mate pull in any sense of the word.

Whatever the case may be, I can't help but feel enraged when I see this she wolf hugging that guy. My wolf had become so anxious that I had to get up and go take a nap to calm it down. My mind raced as I wondered if there was anything I had missed.

Clair -

"Esmeralda? What may I do for you?"

Esmeralda -

"Alpha James, the tenant of the basement suite, is trying to get over a loss that has profoundly affected his life. I cannot tell you exactly what happened to him, but the she-wolves won't leave him alone. I contacted Alpha Jason, and he suggested having one of his technicians train him to do what they did. I want you to be the technician, and I told him you will be involved from tomorrow onward."

Clair -

"Esmeralda, I am so indebted to you, however I would like to at least be asked if I agree or disagree with this proposal."

Esmeralda -

I smile at Clair, and I pat her hand to soothe her; she does not know that I am the moon goddess. I know that even then she would argue with me, based on my previous experience. Although it is disrespectful towards me, I know she is not corruptible and would make a great Luna and Queen.

"Clair, my apologies, it is just things of the heart that men are not as skilled at. In fact, the girl's mistake him for an omega, since he doesn't exude an Alpha aura any longer because of his grief. I just thought you would be a suitable choice because you are not trying to pick up on him, and you are friendly. I apologize if I overstepped my boundaries."

Clair -

The first thing I do is sit down and analyze the situation. Esmeralda was right, I was the most suitable person to train the Alpha. She apologized to me, giving me a choice. She is patiently waiting for me to answer 'yes' or 'no' to her question. After taking a breath, I realize it is the right thing to do.

"Esmeralda, thank you for apologizing. One reason I ran away was that everyone made my decisions for me. I had no autonomy to make my own decisions of my own free will as a member of my pack. The other guys in the shop probably wouldn't be a good choice because of Alpha James's emotional state. Count me in, I want to help you out in any way I can."

Esmeralda —

I smile and nod my head, "Thank you, Ann, thank you a lot. I have always tried to make my place a house people can heal. Each person has a story to tell, that is why each person is here. Finish your tea. I am headed to bed. Thank you again Ann. I appreciate it."

Ann -

"Good night Esmeralda. I hope you have happy dreams."

In the end, I rinsed the cup after I had finished my hot tea and placed it in the dishwasher. My body was longing for the comfort of my bed. The moment I stepped into my suite, I toss myself face first into the bed, kicking off my shoes as I did so.

I have been dreaming lately about a very dark city that is crowded with many people. Wolf pack members are killing one another, many burglaries are happening, and violence is everywhere. It is hard not to see dead bodies everywhere, both humans and wolves alike.

I get the distinct impression from the moment I see my mate that he has changed from the man I left behind. As a result, I have realized that he is a broken man; I cannot see myself fighting alongside him. Honestly, I have the distinct impression that we are losing because my mate was not strong enough to lead effectively. As a result, my heart ached for him. "I apologize for what I have done to you."

As I watch the scene play out with my mate, I scream when I see the knife penetrate his heart. He falls to the ground dead. "Xander, just wait, trust me, I am coming back, please don't die!" I screamed at him.

Even as I continued to dream, I felt as if I had entered a deep abyss without knowing where the bottom was. While I was falling, a hand reached out to grab me, snatching me out of my nightmare. I screamed and my nightmare ended.

The fear of the nightmare sent my body trembling as I shook with fear. There was sweat dripping from every article of clothing on me, and I had to peel them off. As I threw my saturated clothes across the room, I grabbed a towel and made my way into the shower.

In the wake of taking a well-deserved shower, I put on a t-shirt with spaghetti strings, and a pair of silk pajamas shorts with a rose-colored pattern. I realize I cannot go back to sleep, so I grab my book and head up to the roof, wanting to relax in the cool air.

Xander -

Throughout the day I have had a hell of a time with the she-wolves, who seem to find any excuse to bring me to them. Among the many things they need me to do, they need me to do their laundry, help them wash their hair (NOT), vacuum their bedroom, make their beds, bring them food, massage their backs, and anything else you can think of that a she-wolf here has asked me to do.

I took a she-wolf on a date believing she was my disguised mate, but I made a huge mistake by taking her. Now she believes we are boyfriend and girlfriend, although I told her we aren't. I haven't even held hands with her since we first met, this has become a nightmare for us.

My body sank into a deep slumber beneath the gray duvet. It is rare for a werewolf to need blankets because werewolves run hot, but lately, I have not been myself at all. Slipping into the depths of slumber, I hear Clair laughing at the latest prank she has pulled.

The scene changes, and I see women all around me. Each one of them I had been with sexually, there were too many to count. As I am trying to find Clair, I see a tear fall from her eyes as she runs, and I am trying to free myself from all the hands, grabbing me and forcing me to be suffocated in the many she-wolves' grasp. They all were repeating, "I will be Luna; I will be queen"

Amid my tossing and turning, I cry out to Clair. She probably does not know that without her I will die. A normal Alpha can be driven insane and feral without their mate; however, royalty will wither away and die without their mate.

In my dreams, I realize I am still selfish. I watch her run in pain, and all I can think about is my death and how she should realize that if she doesn't stop, I could die.

Still, she dies in another way as well, drowning in tears of grief when she sees my infidelity. I do not deserve her, in my dream I am not myself, as I am crying in desperation for her forgiveness.

Clair does not stop running. The fog comes closer, and the mist hides Clair even more. Suddenly, I screamed her name: "Clair, Clair, please come back to me. I promise you I will change for the better. Please don't leave me like this?"

After following her through the fog, I fell into a hole. It is a dark hole, I can't hold on to the walls, and it appears there does not seem to be a bottom to it.

Then, suddenly, I was redeemed from the pit of hopelessness by a hand that reached out of the darkness and reached for me. It was as if I could feel the hand dropping me onto my bed, waking me from my nightmare.

I stripped off all my clothes, drenched in sweat, and tossed them into the laundry basket near me.

After taking a shower, I put on a pair of sweatpants and a large white t-shirt. I felt so drained after such an emotional nightmare that I needed to relax. While holding my favorite book to read, my feet find their way to the roof.