Chapter 5 5

Madeleine's POV

"Oh no, this can be true; am I dreaming?" After all, I've been through it all in the hands of Juliette, and now she is my mate's wife. "Moon goddess, please, what kind of fate is this?" My eyes locked on Juliette's; I could feel the tension between us, the air thick with unspoken words.

"Won't you introduce me to your friend?" Juliette said to Xavier with a mischievous smile on her lips. She knew who I was but just wanted to make fun of me. "This is Madelene, my mate." Xavier replied, and I could see the shock on Juliette's face. "How can this trash be your mate?" She yelled.

"What's going on here?" Xavier demanded as Juliette rained curses on me. "This thing here is my sister," Juliette replied, and I watched how Xavier's face palmed, knowing he had brought himself trouble. "Why can't you just stay away from me Madeleine? Why can't you just die?" Juliette said as she walked up to me with anger written all over her.

She looked so angry that if she was given the chance, she could tear me apart. "Do you think I want to be here? No, I don't want to see the face of the person who almost got me.... "Shut up, you fool," she cut me off, knowing I almost revealed the truth about how she and her mother almost had me killed.

And that's the reason I fled my pack. "You're a disgrace to our kind," she continued. "A weak, pathetic excuse for a werewolf." I could tell Xavier wasn't having it as he watched us quarrel. But he remained silent. I knew he was torn between the idea of having two sisters as a wife and mate.

The tension was obvious, and I could also sense Dante's unease. "Enough!" Xavier roared. "Dante, please settle Madeline in a comfortable room. "No further discussion on this matter." Dante nodded, his eyes sympathetic. I followed him as he led me to my room, my heart heavy with emotions. But I knew this wasn't over yet.

Juliette wouldn't let me go without a fight. After I settled in my room, Juliette stormed in, her eyes filled with rage. "You think you just walk in here and take what doesn't belong to you?" She barked. "Leave now, and I will act like this day never happened, Madelene." She said, "I'm not going anywhere, Juliette," I replied, my voice firm.

She was the reason Liam rejected me, and there's no way I'm leaving Xavier. "I will tell Xavier everything, including how you and your mother tried to kill me because of your dirty little secrets if you don't leave me alone." Juliette's eyes narrowed.

"You haven't gotten your wolf yet; does Xavier know? Because he hates weak people." Her words crushed my heart, and I knew Xavier's reputation for disliking weakness, but he is my mate now, and I know he is drawn to me. This time, I wouldn't let Juliette take what was mine. "I will tell him everything about you and your mother and make sure he knows the truth." "You can't fool everyone, Juliette." I said, as I watched as her face twisted in fury.

"You'll regret threatening me, Madeleine," she hissed. I knew Juliette was trying so hard to make me feel intimidated, but I was tired of being scared and running. I was ready to fight for what was mine. "I'm not afraid of you anymore, Juliette." I said, my voice steady. "We'll see about that," she replied, turning on her heel and storming out of the room.

I let out a deep breath, my heart still pounding. I knew this wasn't over yet; deep down, I was scared to death. But I won't let my fear overcome me. I lay in bed, my mind racing with thoughts of everything that happened today. Traveling to this pack and discovering Xavier's wife is my sister... It's all so surreal. But one thing is clear: my feelings for Xavier.

The night we both had together plays over and over in my mind. The way he touched me, the way he kissed me-I felt so safe with him. So loved. My heart beats so fast at the mere thought. "I'm already in love with him," I whisper to myself, the truth sinking in. I know Juliette was married to him, and she will never let Xavier go without a fight.

I can sense her anger and her possessiveness. I won't let Juliette win this time. My thoughts drifted to my father, a complicated mix of emotions swirling inside me. He was a cruel man, but he once saved my life. I wonder if he's still alive and if my stepmother's betrayal killed him. She was poisoning him, trying to kill him slowly. I push the thoughts away, focusing on Xavier. He was my priority now. I was exhausted, my body and mind drained from the journey, and I felt emotional stress.

Just as I thought of relaxing with a bath, a maid knocked on my door. "How can I assist you, Madeline?" she asked. "A warm bath would be lovely," I replied, grateful for the offer. As I soaked in the warm water, I felt my muscles relax. But suddenly, I heard a noise, and the door creaked open.

"Who's there?" I yelled, my heart racing. But no one answered. So I quickly pulled my legs up, pressing my chest to cover my body. But the person approached the door, and I could feel someone's gaze on me. When I looked up, it was Xavier standing in front of me.

"Xavier! What are you doing here?" I demanded, trying to sound calm. "I came to check on you," he said, his eyes roaming over me. "You're... beautiful."

I felt a blush rise on my cheeks. "Is that what you came all the way here to tell me?" But he just smiled, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "I came to apologize," he said, his voice sincere. I looked up at him, my eyes still sad. "What for?" I asked. "For everything that happened today," Xavier said. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen today. Also, I'm sorry for not telling you I was already married." I nodded, my expression softening.

"So what happens to me now?" I asked. "Are you going to throw me away just because you're married to my sister?" "Why did you bring me here?" I pressed on. "Now that Juliette knows we're mates," Xavier's expression turned reassuring.

"Leave that to me; you don't have to worry." He said. "I'll take care of everything." Then he kissed my forehead and left the room. I had mixed emotions, still confused but slightly hopeful. Xavier's apology had helped, but the situation was far from resolved.

~~~~

I woke up feeling restless, did the same routine, had my bath, got dressed up, ate, and stayed locked in. I felt trapped in my room with no word from Xavier. So, I decided to sneak out, hoping to clear my head. As I wander around, hoping to avoid Juliette and not see her at all, because I didn't have the energy to fight today, I just wanted to be free for once.

Just then, I accidentally bumped into a man and almost fell, but he caught me. His reflexes were quick. "Who are you hiding from?" he asked, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. "No one." I lied. But he saw right through me. Werewolves can sense deception.

"Okay, are you alright?" he asked, his voice kind. I nodded. "I'm Gideon," he introduced himself. "You're Madeleine, right? I've heard a lot about you." I was a bit surprised; who could possibly say anything about me?

"How do you know me?" He smiled. "News travels fast in the pack. You're quite famous, Madeleine. The mate of Alpha Xavier." I blushed, feeling uneasy. "Is that the only thing you heard?"

Gideon was about to reply when Xavier appeared out of nowhere, his face furious. "What are you doing, Madeleine?!" I was shocked after noticing the look on his face. "I was just thanking someone for helping me," I explained. But Xavier's anger didn't fade. "You, stay away from her!" he growled at the stranger. "Be calm, brother," the man said, but Xavier's fury only intensified.

"Madeleine, go to your room now!" he yelled. I obeyed, feeling confused and scared about why he reacted that way. Who was this man, and why did Xavier react so strongly? And what did he mean by "brother"? As I walked away, I heard the stranger say, "Xavier, you need to calm down. You're going to scare her away." Xavier's response was a low growl.

"And that is none of your concern. Stay out of this, Gideon." It seems like Xavier disliked him so much. I got to my room, and I felt trapped again. Xavier's behavior was confusing to me. One moment he was sweet and gentle; the next, he was aggressive and dominating. I didn't know what to make of him. But one thing was certain: I didn't want to stay locked up in this room forever.

I needed answers, I needed to know more about this pack. I paced back and forth, trying to calm my racing thoughts. But my mind kept wandering back to Gideon. Who was he, really? As I pondered, I heard a faint knock on the door. "Madeleine?" a soft voice called. "Can I come in?"