Her Devilish Alpha

"You know, it's nice being able to talk in uncharted territory," Madeline chuckled. 

"It is," Briar smiled, grateful Madeline had placed the whole blood incident aside. 

Madeline was a strong person in general. She was tough on the outside, but on the inside, she was incredibly soft. 

After years and years of having to keep to herself, she'd grown incredibly talented at hiding how she actually felt. 

Say, if anything were to happen, Madeline's first instinct was to bottle up whatever emotions she felt and keep them hidden from everyone. 

She wasn't one to openly share her emotions, so when she did, it was incredibly rare. 

So after Briar left her quarters, Madeline was surprised to find Xavier knocking on her door. 

"What is it?" Madeline asked, looking Xavier in the eye worriedly. 

What, had she upset Emilio by slapping him? She didn't think he'd react that poorly to her doing so. 

"If Emilio wants an apology, I'm not apologizing," Madeline said, getting straight to the point. 

The day she apologized to Emilio for slapping him was never. 

She'd never apologize, and she'd never feel sorry for what she did to the man. 

Yes, he was her father, but blood didn't mean everything. 

Being related to him by blood didn't mean anything to her at least. 

Xavier furrowed his brows, beginning to get confused, "Why would Emilio want you to apologize?" 

Frankly, he thought the man deserved it, so why did Madeline think he'd want an apology out of her?

If he were in her position, he would've done much worse. Heck, he wouldn't want to see Emilio either. He'd want Emilio as far away from him as possible. 

However, now wasn't about him. It was about her. 

"I'm not here because I want to deliver some message from him. I don't speak for Emilio, he's perfectly capable of doing that himself."

"I'm here to…" 

"To?" 

"To check up on you," Xavier finished his sentence. 

Madeline blinked.

She blinked once more. 

"T-to check up on me?" 

'Woah, why am I stuttering all of a sudden?' She wondered, feeling something creep up her cheek. 

'A-am I blushing?!' 

"That isn't necessary, I'm perfectly fine," Madeline dismissed it. 

"Ms Alva may have fallen for that, but you obviously aren't."

Madeline looked truly confused as she asked, "Why are you–" 

"Don't interrupt my spiel," Xavier said, a touch of sass to his voice. 

He did all of this with one intent. 

"Okay okay, come in," Madeline said in retaliation.

She opened her door wider for him to enter. 

Xavier entered the room, reaching to the doorknob to close the door for her. 

For a moment, they were in extremely close proximity with each other.

Madeline could smell him. She wondered if werewolves used cologne, then realized it was a stupid thought. And then, he turned. 

Seconds passed by as they looked each other dead in the eye. 

Nothing happened. No one moved. No one made a single sound or said anything. 

Xavier felt something he couldn't quite comprehend. 

What was this sensation? 

This… this feeling?

There was this burning sensation in the middle of his chest he couldn't explain. 

Call it je ne sais quoi, call it heartburn, Xavier couldn't put his finger on it. 

[Author's Note: Je ne sais quoi means something inexplicable. A certain something that can't be explained and put to words. Hmm, what do you think is happening here? Share your thoughts in the comments!]

He exhaled. 

Breaking the silence, he said to her, "Right, so…"

"I know we don't know each other that well, but I figured you could use someone to talk to," Xavier began, taking a step back. 

Pausing, Xavier realized he had actually never told someone that before. That was a first. 

While Adrian was the one who had suggested he check up on her, it was Xavier speaking and coming up with what to say. He was genuinely worried about her, and Madeline found the sentiment heartwarming. 

Yes, he had to admit, he felt partially guilty for what was happening. 

Perhaps he could have done something to keep her safe. He wasn't just anyone, he was the alpha of Eudora. The one responsible for putting Emilio in that cave in the first place. 

What if he got a stronger spell to be casted? 

Xavier had the habit of constantly blaming himself for everything that happened. 

Unbeknownst to most, behind that usually tough exterior lay someone that did care.

"Aww," Madeline managed to make out. 

Inside her mind, she was a hot mess.

Perhaps it was because this came from someone like Xavier, or because he could read right through her… All Madeline felt was joy and appreciation for him. 

"Well a couple minutes ago I'd insist I was fine but…"

'I hope he knows I appreciate it.' 

'And that I'm grateful to have a friend that cares.' 

Of course, she had Briar, but she understood the boundaries Madeline set in place. If she said she was fine, it was best to leave it at that. 

Xavier, on the other hand, predicted her moves and told her he was there for her no matter what. 

Somehow, it hit different. 

Did that make sense? 

"I guess I'm still reeling from all this. It just came so unexpectedly so I'm left in a state of shock."

And like never before, Madeline began talking. 

Xavier sat on one of Madeline's chairs, listening intently on everything she was saying.

He didn't have to say anything, she was doing all the talking, and he didn't mind. 

Albeit, one would be obliged to mention it was his first time hearing someone rant to him. Where they didn't hide behind some facade and try to act like they were completely okay, only for him to be able to estimate how they were feeling at the current moment. 

Then again, he wasn't too experienced when it came to emotions. Half the things he knew were from Adrian, and half the other he either learnt from personal experience or observed. 

Suffice it to say, Xavier wasn't the best at reading people's emotions 

Was it strange he found it refreshing?

It also told him more about her as a whole, and how she viewed things. 

Think of it as a glimpse into Madeline's world. 

"I commend you," Xavier said after everything. 

A bead of sweat formed on Madeline's face. 

Xavier, commend her?

Was she dreaming?

She couldn't help but gawk at him as he continued speaking highly of her. 

Is that what he really thought of her? 

Madeline was fazed. 

A small smile formed on her face the minute he finished. 

He didn't know how much his words meant to her. 

To say Madeline's mood improved was a vast understatement. 

It wasn't that she'd forgotten about the previous events so quickly, but she definitely felt better than she did before. 

"You realize you can be really sweet when you want to be, right?" Madeline said. 

"What do you mean, sweet?" 

"I'm not sweet," Xavier insisted, looking to his right. 

"You just don't want to admit it," Madeline snickered. 

"But thank you. Thank you for saying that. Really."

"I don't really know how to thank you enough," she admitted. 

"Hm?" 

"Thank me enough?" 

"When did telling the truth merit thanks?"

Madeline stared at him, truly speechless. 

Suddenly, she had an idea. 

She extended her hand out and ruffled his hair. 

'E-eh? Is he whimpering?' Madeline blinked.

It took her a few seconds to realize but… indeed he was. 

He was whimpering! 

This caught Madeline by surprise.

Actually, many things did today.

Today was a day full of surprises. 

First, she finds out her biological father was alive and well and that he was Xavier's mortal enemy of sorts… and that he's the ex-alpha of Eudora who was hated by the entire pack for his tyranny and that her mother was a supreme sorceress making her magical. 

She was still wondering if she had powers, and whether or not she'd ever get to meet this mysterious sorceress mother of hers that Emilio seemed still in love with. 

God, Emilio… the mere thought of his name managed to instill a sense of rage in Madeline.

She couldn't believe she had been making excuses for him. 

Madeline had insisted that Emilio was acting this way because he never knew he had a daughter and that he didn't know what it was like to treat his child after he had tried killing her, but those were all excuses. 

Since she knew nothing about him, she was doing what she did best, making assumptions. 

Madeline frowned. 

Snapping back to reality, Madeline asked him, stuttering, "A-are you whimpering?"

"Whimpering?! I'm doing no such thing," Xavier said, biting his lip. 

"Oh you were so whimpering," Madeline insisted, a mischievous smile forming on her face. 

"I was not."

"No need to hide it, we're in uncharted territory," Madeline said.

"What does that even mean?" Xavier questioned curiously, having never heard of the term 'uncharted territory' used for something trivial before.