The Street Rat And The Alpha

48

Xavier sat on the chair watching as the two girls slept in separate beds in the room he had had set up for their recovery.

He was absolutely exhausted, furious and relieved all in one. He had not gotten a wink of sleep since they had come home to him. He watched them, constantly, terrified someone would come in and harm them in their defenceless state of sleep. He didnt know the extent of which they had suffered.

The sight of the two girls injured would never leave his head. He would have no mercy towards whoever orchestrated such a thing. None at all.

He would never forget finding Maddy covered in blood, bites and lashes. Nor would he forget Lily lying poisoned with wolfsbane, her wrists burnt and bloody from the stuff.

The blackened jagged marks of poison had faded eventually after the vile stuff had been pumped from her body and sucked out of her wounds. There were still faint lines, hardly noticeable without close observation but they were there, like tiny scars. They would never leave her.

There was a constant beeping in the room. The sounds of various machines connected to the girls by various pipes and wires. The only reason he could see them alive was those machines. Without them the girls would be in the royal cemetery, as horrid as it was to think about.

Despite how awful everything was... they were at least home. He could watch them and try to keep them safe this time. He was getting another chance to look after the two most important people in his life, his mate, and his cousin (who was practically his baby sister in his eyes).

He froze as he noticed one of them gradually beginning to move. He rushed towards Maddy. His heart was pounding.

He did not know if her movements were the beginning of a seizure or just one of her movements or if she was possibly waking up.

He watched her soft eye lids flicker up. A pair of tired eyes lazily landed on him. He smiled softly at the sight.

He rushed to her side, suddenly registering she had woken up. "Do you want anything? Any water? Food? Some sweets-"

"W...water... please. I..if you want to," she quietly croaked.

He poured some water from a jug into a glass, almost immediately. He moved closer, being cautious of the wires going into her body. His arm slipped in behind her and he tilted her up, moving her gradually, terrified of giving her whiplash.

He tipped the glass against her dry parted lips. Tiny streams of transparent liquid dripped into her mouth with small intervals between them.

He placed the just below half full glass back on the nightstand and laid her back down. He made sure to be slow and careful when lowering her. It hurt him to see her wince when he accidentally touched one of the bandages on her.

"L...Lily. C...can I talk... to her?" She asked, her eyes watering.

He sighed, stroking her hair. "She is right in that bed."

"Ca..n I talk to her? Plea..se?"

Xavier looked at his mate. He focused on her tearing eyes. They were filled with fear and pain. She was exhausted in her speaking and asking permission for everything.

Maybe part of those were not too big concerns. She was probably asking for permission because she was too tired and sore to do anything herself. It had only been a few minutes since she had woken up.

"She is still asleep. She was poisoned by wolfsbane. She needs rest. Lots of it."

"W-will she wake up?" Maddy asked, terrified.

He paused. How could he tell her? How could he tell her that her friend, his cousin, had a chance of never waking up. Until seconds earlier there was a chance Maddy would not be waking up either.

"Yes," he said.

He could not tell her how bad it was. He could see she considered herself guilty of something. She did not need the stress. This time he knew the reason was valid. She was in I'll health and extra stress could set her back.

He felt her suddenly beginning to cling to his side.

"Careful. Don't pull out any of the wires," he cautioned her, terrified of what would happen if one wire pulled out. Those wires hooked to devices that were the very reason the two girls were still breathing.

"I... missed you so much," she whispered, tears dripping from her eyes. "Please... never let me go again. Please," she begged.

He listened to her pleading. She sounded so vulnerable and hurt, in need of comfort and reassurance.

He gently pulled her onto his lap. He made sure to face a direction that would make sure she did not get tangled up in her chords.

He felt her shaking against him.

"Calm down. You don't need to worry," he said wrapping his arms around her and making it easier for her to lean against his chest.

"Lily... she saved me. Lily risked her life for me," Maddy whispered. "She has to wake up."

"What happened with you two? You were missing for so long and I find you whipped half to death and Lily poisoned by wolfsbane."

"She... would have been better if she had not pushed herself. If she... had not taken me and tried to escape," Maddy whispered.

"I don't think so. That dosage is lethal... for a werewolf. She can handle it though," he lied.

Lily was critical. Maddy was right she had pushed herself. The dosage had become possibly lethal because of that. Maddy had not done anything though. He knew his cousin. She knew there was wolfsbane in her and deliberately did what she did.

"Lily should never have tried to help. If she hadn't... she wouldn't have been poisoned. M-mistress Ivera would-"

"Ivera? She did this to you!" He growled.

She flinched at his loud growl.

"Maddy just tell me. Tell me did she do this? Did she take you away from me and hurt you?" He asked softly.

"Y-you don't believe me..." she whispered.

"No Maddy. I know you would never lie to me. I'm just shocked. I trusted her. I entrusted her with bringing you home safely. I believe you though," he said pulling her back into his arms.

"That means a lot to me. Thank you," she whispered.

He froze. What was happening to Maddy. She was acting so.... polite? It made him feel rather off. Where was her fire? Was she just tired?

Would the same thing happen to Lily? He didn't like the change. Maybe it was only exhaustion. Nothing could change his mate. She was as defiant as they came.

He wanted to ask Maddy more. He wanted to find out what Ivera had done to her. He kept quiet though. She had just woken up for the first time since being found at the castle gates. He had time to get answers.

He knew there was no way Maddy could have just blamed Ivera unless Ivera had done something. Maddy and Ivera had never met, not at the castle. The name should have been foreign to her.

He was filled with rage. He would make sure the woman paid for what she had done to the two women in his life.

"I'm so glad to have you back," he whispered to her.

She didn't smile back, instead she just leaned into him. Water dripping from her eyes in streams.

                

A/N

I am sorry it has been so long.
I started university recently and the workload is hectic. I cannot promise that updates for any of my books will be frequent.

I love writing but currently my priority is my degree. I'm not going to stop writing though, I'll just be writing less.