I'M SORRY.
When Alex went out to the living room, he found Eva lying immobile on the floor with the wooden stool crashed in broken pieces.
He ran to her side and pulled her up. "Hey, Eva. Open your eyes."
She didn't flinch nor open her eyes. She was still as stone. Alex was terrified something had happened to her but he could hear her heart beating lively and even when her drew the faintest breath. Eva was playing him.
"Acting's over. Come on." He said dryly.
Eva threw her eyes open. "Ow. Playing dead always works."
"Not on me." Alex grabbed the ropes.
Eva clasped her hands together as though she wanted to pray. "Please, sir -
"It's Xavier. Xavier is my real name." Alex blurted out without thinking. His eyes went round and he knew it was Max that made him do it.
"Wait. Xavier. Don't tell me - " Eva began to reel back her steps.
Alex gave a faint smile and stretched the rope.
*****
Eva was fast asleep on the stool. He had tied her hands and feet so tight so she wouldn't escape. In the kitchen, he made dinner with the intention that she might be hungry when she wakes up.
"Alex…I'm sorry about earlier. It was stupid of me to mention Anna." Max apologized.
"Apology not accepted." Alex reached for the pepper.
Max scoffed. "That's really petty of you."
Alex didn't respond. He stared the pot with a spatula and tasted the paste.
"Excellent." He said with a smile.
Eva stirred in her sleep and he looked at her. The scent of lavender and wild berries filled the room almost clouding the smell of his pasta. Alex looked away quickly.
"What do you think Drake wants with her?" Max said.
"I don't care." Alex began to pour the pasta into the pot.
"But she's your mate! How could you allow someone else have her! Not just someone else but that pervert, Alpha Drake!"
"I don't care, Max! I'm done with love and everything about mate. Don't bring it up again."
"Who's there?" Eva said in her sleep.
Alex ignored her and kept on stirring the pasta. He noticed she was shifting from the stool and he knew she was slipping. Almost immediately, he dashed across the room to catch her.
"What a lazy sleeper." He smiled as he put her back.
Then he noticed a tear slipping through the blindfold he had replaced over her eyes. He tried not to look but his heart broke.
"She's such an innocent girl, Alex. Just let her sleep on the couch. She can't sleep all tied up." Max whimpered.
Alex was conflicted. He had never been put in this kind of situation before. Drake had given him orders to put Eva to check when she disobeyed. She had tried to escape and he didn't hurt her. It was difficult to. He let her be not out of mere human sympathy but because his heart wanted her safe.
Slowly, he took off the blindfold. Her eyes were still closed but the tears did not stop falling down her cheeks. When he thumbed away her tears, he felt this tingling sensation, electric-like buzz if you would, that shot through his body.
In shock, he moved away from her. He had never felt this way since Anna and that was 5 years ago.
"I told you she was our mate, Alex." Max said proudly likes onwone who just won the lottery.
Alex just stared with his mouth agape. Eva was either truly his mate or his mind was playing games on him.
When he was done cooking, he went to wake her up.
"Here." He passed her a plate of pasta on the kitchen counter in front of her.
"I'm not eating that." Eva looked away.
Her stomach rumbles and he chuckled. "Well, that's not what your stomach wants."
Eva felt heat creep up to her cheek. He passed her a glass of water and she shook her head.
"What is it?" He asked, worn and tired. He had not slept for hours and it was getting late.
"I don't want to eat. I want to go home, to dad, to everyone. Please, let me go." Eva begins to sob again.
Alex heaved a sigh. "I'm sorry but I can't do that."
"You go about ruining people's lives. Why don't you get a life! A family! Stop trying to hurt innocent people, Xavier! I hate criminals like you" Eva screamed at him.
Criminal?
Get a life?
Stop hurting in innocent people?
I hate you?
Alex was used to hearing all that. For the past 15 years he had been hearing that from all his victims. He had been a killer at 15, the age he lost his parents to human hunters who thought they were rogue wolves. With that pain and anger, he had joined the Al Capone mafia and was trained to be the ruthless Xavier he grew up to be. No one dares him, not even Alpha Edward. But here Eva, a little girl, was yelling at him. Calling him names. It didn't hurt before when other people cursed at him but hearing it from her came as a arrow to his chest. It hurt.
He sank to his knees and she began to sob loudly.
"Don't hurt me, please." She closed her eyes and looked away as though he would hit her.
"No. I'd never do that." he said in a soft tone.
She was forced to look at him this time, totally bewildered by his change of tone.
Alex knew what he was about to do was a terrible decision on his part but it had to be done.
He began slowly. "The truth is you're in danger, Eva."
"You're the danger." She sobbed.
"No," he shook his head. "Not me. Someone else."
"You're lying." Obviously, she didn't believe him.
"Tell her her father sent you." Max suggested.
Alex found that as a waste of time but had to try his luck. "I'm sorry but your father sent me. If I wanted to kill you, don't you think I would've done that already? After all, I'm Xavier the executioner."
"You're - " Eva gives a soft gasp.
Alex felt a buzz in his pocket and he takes it out. It's Benedict, Alpha Drake's Beta calling. He puts his fingers to his lips and she grew quiet. Swiping right, he put the call on speaker.
Benedict's throaty voice booms through the room. "Yo, Xavier."
Upon hearing Xavier, her eyes went round.
"You got the girl?" he asked.
Alex looked at Eva who shook her head with tears rushing down his cheeks. He opened his mouth to speak and the light went out.