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D I S A P P O I N T E D

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It was not necessary for Lucas to ask what had happened. It was obvious. He should have expected this. He was a naïve fool to think she would remain the same girl she was when they had last parted. Anyone in their right mind would agree that it was not strange for Irina to have changed so drastically. In fact, it would have been peculiar if she hadn't done so. She was still human. What she went through. The unbearable pain she must have endured. Lucas couldn't even begin to imagine how difficult it must have been for her. From the reaction she had when she first saw him he could tell that she must have lived with her heart full of spite, her only companion being misery. Yet, somehow, he was able to understand her. It sounded farfetched and absurd, but it was true.

Once Xavier closed the door behind him, Lucas broke away from his thoughts and rose to his feet. He didn't utter a word and he didn't need to. His expression had betrayed him. He was worried. "Take a seat," Xavier prodded as he plopped down into the stool across from him. Lucas did as told and his eyes momentarily flitted over to the room Irina was resting in. He recalled the day of the execution, along with the agonizing cry she had let out, as the young girl was forced to witness the people whom she loved murdered before her very eyes.

If he could travel back in time with the knowledge he held now, he would have stopped her from returning to Collier at all costs. He would have spared her from having to helplessly watch as her family took their final breaths. The anguish and despair must've tortured her. His gaze then fell onto the ground, his hands curling up into fists on his thighs. It must have been lonely for her. How could he ever compensate for the irreparable damage his own kin had brought upon her?

Irina Kavalier may be considered a wanted fugitive in the kingdom but as far as anyone was concerned, the former second princess had already reunited with her beloved in the afterlife. No one was searching for her anymore, save for Lucas of course, and he was determined to keep it that way. So long as she was still alive that was all that mattered to him at the moment. "As you can see, Irina has allowed her family's tragedy to get the worst of her," Xavier began with a heavy sigh.

"You know who she is?" Lucas questioned almost immediately. Just how intimate was their relationship?

"Yes," the man confirmed without reluctance. "And judging from your reaction, you do as well. What are you going to do now that you've found her? Will you drag her back to the courts and have her join the rest of her kin?" Xavier's inquiry was a rhetorical one for he knew Lucas Vanderbilt would do no such thing. He did not have the heart to. However, he wanted to confirm it with his own ears. He had to.

"I would never do that," he replied, his tone and expression both firm. "She has been through enough." He was serious. Even if it meant going against his uncle, Lucas wouldn't dream of disclosing Irina's location. He owed her that much. She wasn't bothering anyone and he had decided right then and there that he would not permit anyone to bother her.

To this Xavier nodded in approval. "It's good that you are aware of that."

He wasn't sure if this was appropriate or not, but before he realized what he was doing, it was too late. "May I see her?" The older man contemplated on the matter and then stood tall. Relieved, Lucas followed. When he found Irina resting soundly on the bed, a foreign sensation stirred within him. What was this feeling? Xavier stepped out for a second, giving him his privacy and, with light steps, he approached her. Her eyebrows began to pucker the closer he drew and Lucas frowned. Was she having a nightmare? She looked distraught.

Carefully, he reached his hand down and rubbed the space between her brows with his forefinger. She hummed in content, her expression relaxing. Hesitance lingered in the back of his mind as Lucas proceeded to break contact and avert his gaze. What was he doing? He should not have touched a lady, nevertheless a former princess, without her permission! Granted, it was not done with malicious intent but society still had its etiquette. He should maintain a respectable amount of distance from her. Thus, with one last glance, Lucas vacated the room.

Next, he recalled the letter the Rogue had left for him. The very letter which had led him here. "What did you mean by I am the only one who can save her?" he pondered. He couldn't make sense of the situation. What role did he play in all of this? Because from the looks of it, his presence has done more bad than good. "Is something wrong with her?"

Xavier clucked his tongue and shook his head. He had expected things to go astray, but he didn't think it would happen this quickly. This was proving more difficult than he had anticipated. "I thought seeing you would help restore some of her sanity but I was wrong," he admitted. "I think we should hold off on this for now. It would be best for you to return to Collier."

His attempt to avoid the question and veer the topic elsewhere failed as Lucas stood his ground.  There must be more. Something that he was missing. "If you're aware of her identity, then I'm sure you know who I am as well." Xavier made no move to deny the claim, ultimately confirming his suspicions. "If you knew who I was then you should have figured that me being here would not help anyone, especially not Irina!" Lucas did not mean to raise his voice but it could not be helped. What had the man been thinking bringing him here?

"Aside from being related to the men responsible for her suffering, you also happen to be her salvation," Xavier stated as he walked to the door and made his way outside.

With no other choice, Lucas chased after the man, the cool night breeze greeting him. "Pardon me, but I am still struggling to grasp onto what you are saying. How would I be her salvation? I hardly know her!" He didn't know what was more ridiculous. Having spent the last five years of his life searching for a girl who wanted to do nothing but tear him from limb to limb, or finding out that he was supposed to, somehow, miraculously save said-girl. His head, by this point, was spinning.

"Yet here you are, risking your life for a woman you hardly know," quipped Xavier, amusement laced in his words. "Can you honestly say that it has never crossed your mind that, perhaps, Irina Kavalier could be someone more to you? Or maybe that you could be more to her than just the son of Henry Vanderbilt?"

Lucas had never entertained such thoughts. Why would he? "I—"

Xavier raised a palm and stopped him from continuing. "There's no need for you to answer that. Just know that I may require your assistance again in the future."

"And if I refuse?" he countered, pressing his lips into a thin line, his jaw slightly clenched.

Suddenly a soft chuckle echoed as Xavier tilted his head back and stared up at the stars. "You won't." And deep down, Lucas knew he was right.

* * *

Gradually, Irina found herself regaining consciousness. The effect of the Wolf's bane was starting to wear off at last. Her head was pounding, her mind attempting to recall what had transpired earlier. As she tried to sit up, she was able to feel her muscles twitch. Lucas flickered into memories and she could feel a whirlwind of emotions flood her system, overwhelming her once more. She gritted her teeth and tried to stand in haste. Her body was still a little numb and she nearly toppled over. For a moment, she didn't dare move and focused what meager energy she had left on steadying herself.

After, Irina stumbled out of the room and found Xavier setting up the table. "You're awake," he said, not bothering to spare her a glance. His nonchalant behavior had Irina second-guessing herself and she walked toward him. Had Lucas only been a figment of her imagination? A bittersweet nightmare coming back to haunt her? But it all felt so real. With her eyebrows bunched in confusion, Irina took a seat and observed the man with keen eyes. Xavier could feel her gaze fixated on his back yet he still turned around and placed a steaming hot cup of tea in front of her. "Drink it. It'll help you relax."

She did not reach for the cup. "What happened?" she questioned instead.

Xavier looked at her and exhaled. "What do you think?"  There was no reason for him to hide the truth, especially with the odds of him needing Lucas's aid in the future being likely. 

"You actually brought him here?" Her blood ran ice-cold while her hands balled up into fists under the table. She couldn't believe it. It hadn't been a mere hallucination after all.

"I did," the man confirmed.

"Did you want to see him die?" Her patronized voice rang through the entire cabin but Xavier did not even flinch. 

"Of course not," he disagreed as he leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms against his chest. "I wouldn't have brought him to you without taking precautions first. I'm not that much of an imbecile. Why do you think you've been out for so long?"

Having heard enough, Irina rose to her feet and knocked her chair over in the process. "Who do you think you are? Why do you keep meddling in my business?" She glared at him from where she stood and he frowned at her.

"Because you're out to destroy yourself," he replied evenly. "Have you not seen your own reflection as of late? Your entire family would be utterly disappointed if they saw you now."

For a split second his words had managed to creep under her skin but she was able to collect herself. "How can they be disappointed if they're all dead?" Irina could feel a rancid bitter taste sitting on her tongue yet she forced herself to continue. "I'm warning you, Xavier, don't cross me. I'm not the weak girl I once was."

"Being weak isn't anything to be ashamed of," Xavier said in return. "It's part of what makes you human."

To this she scoffed. "And that's where you went wrong. Who said I wanted to be human?" The cabin rumbled as the door slammed shut. Once she stepped outside, the sunlight stung Irina's eyes and she quickly used her hand as a shield. Xavier didn't bother chasing after her and so she stormed off toward the waterfall she'd grown attached to over the years without hindrance. Under her breath, she grumbled incoherent words. Her emotions were all riled up, her mind completely clouded by far too many things. Things which all somehow revolved around Lucas Vanderbilt.

That stormy morning where she'd first encountered him played over and over again and Irina hated that the memory was still so fresh in her mind. Why hadn't she forgotten about him already? Because he's your mate, her inner-wolf hummed. Although she was certain that both her mind and heart despised him gravely, there was still this nagging feeling tugging at her, refusing to go away. As soon as she could hear the waterfall, Irina pulled her gown off over her head and dove into the water. Her eyes transformed into its golden auburn, allowing her to see underneath the surface. The fishes swimming nearby grew alarmed of the glowing light and immediately fled the vicinity.

As Irina came up for a quick breath, she heard a spine-chilling shriek that made her freeze. She focused her ears and zeroed in on someone panting heavily and the shuffling of feet. What was happening? She hurried back to shore, this unsettling sensation swelling inside of her, slipped into her clothes and dashed toward the northern borders. Once she had drawn closer, careful to keep herself hidden, Irina spotted a young girl searching around frantically on Elysium land, her entire appearance in complete disarray. Uncertain if she had over-reacted, Irina's eyebrows puckered. She didn't notice any threat lingering around and just as she was about to turn around and leave, she heard a sneer.

"I found you," the man sung. He stepped into her line of sight, a sadistic smirk plastered on his lips and his sword unsheathed. Upon recognizing who the man was, Irina felt her heart stop as she fumbled a step back. It couldn't be.

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Author's Thoughts: Work has been consuming me whole so I'm sorry I haven't been writing much. I do hope you are all doing well <3 I've missed writing this story! Talk about a cliffhanger!