Xavier POV
I jerked awake, clasping my head with both hands as my ears rang.
It was a piercing, echo… that resonated through every part of my body. Beside me was Belinda naked and tangled with the sheets on the bed. I tried to stand but fell on the nightstand table beside the bed, crashing into the lamp. The movement woke Belinda up.
"Xavier, are you alright?" she rushed to my side.
Her voice sounded afar. Trying to still the ringing in my ears, I roused myself from the ground and staggered out of the room towards Selene's bedroom, I needed her.
"Selene!" I called under my breath pushing the door, open but what greeted me was a messy bed and no sign of Selene.
Selene never leaves her bed messy.
Groaning in pain, still holding my head, I turned back and staggered out of the room. I met Belinda watching me with concern in her eyes.
"Xavier, what's wrong with you? Should I get the pack doctor?" she inquired anxiously.
I pushed past her, trying to pick up Selene's scent which filled the corridor. Tracing it, I came out of the house onto the terrace and lost it completely.
"Selene," I screamed into the morning, getting frustrated by the ringing in my ears that wouldn't stop.
While I was still standing there, Lucius sprinted towards me, his face was filled with confusion.
"Alpha, are you alright? I felt some discomfort through our bond and came as soon as I could,".
"S-Selene," my breaths were coming out in gasps as I clutched my chest tightly. "I need her,".
"I'll go fetch her from her room," Lucius said immediately and tried to walk past me but I grabbed him, tugging him back with what was left of my strength.
"She's not there," I gasped and turned to the pack guards that had drawn closer "Where is my wife?" I asked staring at every one of them.
I watched with anger as they exchanged confused glances without responding.
"Are you all deaf or something?" I barked, grabbing the head guard by his collar "Where is our Luna? Where are the Deltas assigned to her?"
"I-I don't know, Alpha," he trembled making choking sounds "I wasn't the guard on duty until this morning,".
"Then go fetch the guards on duty at once and ask the security department to send a tape of the CCTV camera outside the pack house,".
Lucius instructed the guard before peeling my hands away from his collar and carrying me into the pack house. Every part of my body was on fire. My wolf, Colton was whimpering in pain, making it difficult for me to change into my wolf form.
Lucius laid me on the bed and instructed Belinda to fetch some ice compressors from the kitchen.
"I've texted, George, he's on his way," Lucius said quietly as he settled the blanket around me.
His eyes were quiet and I knew it was because of Belinda's presence. He didn't approve of my relationship with her.
"Selene…" I wheezed…".
"Preserve your strength, Xavier…" he said quietly as he stood up and went towards the window "You'll need it,".
"Don't you dare walk out of me, Lucius," I said angrily "You're close to Selene… surely you must know where she went to,".
"The last time I saw her was two days ago. Aren't you ashamed of yourself that you have no idea where your wife is?" he scoffed.
"It's normal for me to want to be with another woman," I defended "The curse doesn't allow me to love Selene. You know that more than anything,".
"Or you're simply not trying," he replied. "The curse is just an excuse for you to cheat on your wife. If I had someone as beautiful, charming and intelligent as Selene… there'd be no need to look outside. Curse or not…".
My heart pricked with guilt as I collapsed on the bed, trying to take in as much air as I could. The last time I felt this way was the day I got my wolf. My parents had brought the best of doctors and herbalists to cure me but there was no improvement.
It was a moon priestess that had answered our questions back then. My lycanthropy ushered me fully into the curse and the only thing that would save me was my mate. Two full moons later, with the help of the moon priestess, my mate was located.
She was the daughter and only child of Alpha Thorne from the Golden Moon pack. She was born to be my weakness. Her strength was my strength, she was the only woman that could heal me in any life-threatening condition.
The moon priestess had said she possessed powers far greater than even the strongest of moon priests. One touch was all that was needed and no matter how much I hated her… it was my fate for us to be together.
The door opened and George, the pack doctor rushed in with two of his assistants.
"Alpha, Beta," he nodded politely to me and Lucius "I'm sorry for the delay… I came as fast as I could,".
"Is there anything you can do for him?" Lucius came to stand by the bed.
George didn't respond immediately; he placed the tip of his middle finger on my chest and closed his eyes to get me diagnosed. When he opened them, they flickered in confusion.
"Luna Selene…" he asked tentatively "Where is she?"
"We can't seem to find her," Lucius said quietly "We've dispatched several search parties to look for her. Is there nothing you can do?"
"I could give him a shot of mugwort but it'll only be temporary and he can only have six shots per day," George said.
"I-I'll take it," I groaned stretching forth my hand for the shot.
He rifled in his bag and a few seconds later he handed me a vial. With the last willpower I had, I managed to break the seal and poured the entire contents into my mouth immediately. As soon as I had the last drop, I felt my strength seeping in slowly.
"How long do I have?" I asked him rising to my feet.
"Two hours at most," he said handing me 5 other vials "But Alpha, you have to look for a lasting solution ASAP,".
"Don't worry," I nodded "I'm sure she didn't go far. Come with me," I beckoned on Lucius and we left the bedroom and headed towards my office.
As we reached the corridor that led to it, Selene's scent hit my nose again.
"She was here," I announced and walked briskly following the scent.
It led me directly to my office which was slightly ajar. I threw the door apart, hoping to see her, but the office was empty. I spotted a closed file, sandpaper and Selene's wedding band on my desk.
Alarmed, I crossed the room immediately and picked up the wedding band wondering what it was doing on my desk. My eyes flitted to the sandpaper; it was empty.
Lucius had picked up the file and I noticed that he froze when he opened it.
"Fuck!" he muttered under his breath before thrusting it to me "I knew this was coming,".
"What is coming?" I asked.
"That's a divorce agreement signed with her signature and her seal,".
"That's not possible," I chuckled looking at the so-called agreement "Selene would never leave me. She knows what will become of her when she does,".
"Then how can you explain this and the wedding band?"
"I think she was kidnapped or something. Selene doesn't have the balls to leave. Besides, where would she go, her parents are dead. Her pack was merged with ours… We've been married for 7 years, she cannot just leave,".
"You forgot to mention that in those seven years, you've treated her worse than a slave. You ignore her… you scream at her as you would a pup… not to mention your wild marital affairs. Maybe she's had enough and left,".
"It's not my fault that I don't like her," I said through gritted teeth "It's the curse,".
"For fuck sake, Xavier," Lucius slammed his hand on the desk "The curse didn't ask you to maltreat your wife. Did you even know she was pregnant?"
"Pregnant?" My eyes widened in disbelief "Did she tell you that?"
"Fuck," Lucius ran a hand through his hair "I hate that I am your Beta…If I have my way, I would leave too,".
"How did you know she was pregnant?" I asked ignoring his comment.
"Why did you think I called you that day and told you to come home? I overhead someone telling her on phone that she was with child. I thought she told you,".
"She didn't," I sank into my chair trying to wrap my head around the information.
I reached for my phone and dialled Trisha's number… she was Selene's doctor.
"Alpha," she sounded surprised when she picked up my call.
"When was the last time you saw my wife?" I went straight to the point.
"Yesterday," she replied immediately "She came in for a check and left afterwards,".
"What kind of check?"
"You know," her voice shook "The routine checks and I gave her some…".
"Don't fucking lie to me, Trisha," I exploded cutting her mid-sentence "Tell me why she came to you yesterday,".
"For the baby," she said hastily "She didn't want me to tell you she's pregnant,".
"Why?" I asked, surprised.
"She didn't state any tangible reason, Alpha,".
After the call ended, I stared at Lucius, he had an exasperated look on his face. I closed my eyes trying to forget the hurt I had seen in her eyes last night when she stood at the door watching me mate with Belinda.
Why was she in my room at the hour? Did she want to tell me about the baby?
"I need to go follow up with the search parties," Lucius murmured and started leaving.
The door flung open and a Delta entered, panting.
"Alpha," he bowed "I have sad news,".
My heart leaped with fear and I rose to my feet immediately.
"Oh goddess, let it not be, Selene," I prayed in my heart.
"One of our planes crashed this morning," the delta announced.
I sighed in relief, At least, it wasn't about Selene.