Chapter 37

The stench of blood is making me sick. Four lifeless bodies are lying on the ground. One of them being Dante.

I feel sick.

My eyes land on Xavier's bloody face.

I might throw up.

The color on my face drains as I look at the gruesome scene in my living room. It was our only option, right?

Why don't I feel good about it?

Oh Gods.

My stomach twists and my legs take me to the bathroom to throw my guts out. 

Dante's dead.

He's dead.

His wide eyes void of life are vivid in my mind, making me puke some more. Tears are sliding down my cheeks. A hand on my back makes me jump.

"It had to be done. I'm sorry, Red," Xavier murmurs when another voice makes itself known.

"I called the Creatures Council. Alpha Denver will arrive first thing in the morning. He said to not touch the bodies until then," the rough voice of my dad speaks up.

"I'm sorry you had to witness that, sir," Xavier says, his hand rubbing my back as I lean my head on the side of the toilet. My mind can still hear the sound of a neck breaking and an agonizing scream abruptly stop. He's dead.

"I've heard the conversation. No one deserves to die, but if the death of a few can save millions, I would have done the same," dad says.

What's gonna happen to the Crimson Pack? Dante didn't have a Luna nor a child, so the Beta should step up. What about his business? Did we stop it? Or will they continue?

The image of a dead Dante is haunting my mind, and I can't stop the sob from leaving my lips. My stomach is so tight it's getting harder to breathe with my chest constricting as well.

My body gets scooped up by Xavier, and I hide my face from dad as I quietly cry the pain out. He's gone.

Words are exchanged between the two men, but I'm too focused on my mind to hear them. Xavier's smell of blood makes me scrunch my nose. Regardless, when he puts me down on the bed, I wrap my arms around his neck, refusing to let him go.

"Alexa, I'm not in a condition to touch the bed now," he says, trying to free himself from me.

I shake my head. "I don't care," I murmur, hearing him sigh.

He pulls my body into a sitting position, and I reluctantly released my hold, watching him crouch down in between my legs. "Do you want to talk about it?" he quietly asks as if I might break at any moment.

I let him wipe the tears from my cheeks with his thumb. "I feel weird," I say in-between deep breaths. "A part of me is glad because now werecats might be safe, but another part is full of guilt. Was he alone because of me? He wasn't like that when I first met him."

Xavier gives me a small smile. "How was he?" he asks with more tears sliding down my cheeks.

"He was kind, funny, mysterious, a bit cold, and always studying. He was— he was a good person," I hiccup at last.

"That last statement is debatable, but I'll let it slide just because you're grieving. Now let me take a shower to take all the blood off and hug you until your tears dry out and you fall asleep," Xavier says, getting back onto his feet, his knees cracking at the action.

I bring my hands under my eye-view, seeing the blood for the blue-eyed white man I finished before he could touch Xavier. "I should shower as well," I murmur.

"Let's have a bath then," he proposes, offering his hand for me to take. I grab it without a second thought, and after five excruciating minutes, Xavier and I are sitting on a warm bathtub.

My back is pressed against his wet chest. Silence fills our ears, but I don't mind. Just having him close by is enough for me. The crystal water turns red as it cleanses us from our mistakes.

If we were humans, we'd be in jail by now.

Killing is tricky in the creatures' society, and many deaths remain on the down-low. You can't be labeled a criminal if no one catches you. If you do get caught, there will be a trial with the Council where they'll hear your version. Lying is impossible since the head angel knows about them in a blink of an eye.

If you end up being guilty, they lock you up in a place worse than jail. Unfortunately, no stories about our prison are currently known.

Soft lips touching my neck snap me out of my thoughts. "Do you hate me?" a tiny voice belonging to Xavier asks.

I frown, twisting my body enough to look at his saddened face. "Why would I hate you?"

"I killed your ex."

I sigh, leaning against him again. "If I hated you, I wouldn't be here now. More importantly, how do you feel?"

He hums, wrapping his arms right underneath my breasts. "Nothing."

Nothing?

"I don't know how to feel about that," I confess. How can he not feel something?

"It's weird, but if I don't like that person, I feel nothing when they die," he says. "And I don't understand why you would cry for someone like Dante."

What?

"I beg your pardon?"

Xavier sighs. "He treated you like shit, he forced you to suck his dick, he hurt you many times, and you're still crying for him."

"He was my ex-boyfriend, what do you expect? Fireworks erupting from my arse?" I snap, defending my heart.

"No, but I also don't expect tears."

"Just shut up Xavier before I say something I'll regret later."

"Don't hold yourself back, Alexa. I'm all ears."

My lips purse before I completely turn around, sitting on my knees. The abrupt cold air wakes my nipples up as I narrow my eyes at the lion. "What do you know about being in a relationship and loving someone?" I blurt out, internally wincing at his hurt expression.

His usual glowing eyes disappear, and his plump lips go into a straight line. "Definitely more than you do since you didn't mind staying with a guy who fucking chocked you to death," he retaliates, hitting a nerve.

"Says the guy who had a human huntress girlfriend."

"That human treated me better than Dante with you."

My mouth opens only to close. I hate that he might be right about it. I give him a sour look and sit back down on the opposite side of the filled bathtub. "Screw you," I murmur under my breath as Xavier rests his big arms on the sides.

He leans his head back and releases a sigh as my body warms up at the fine view. Is he flexing, or are his arms that fit? I mean, I shouldn't be surprised since he trains werecats for a living. Maybe it's the effect of the water and the bathtub making them seem so big. 

"For how long are you gonna keep ogling at me?" he speaks up.

Huh?

I quickly blink my eyes, realizing that they've been staring at his inked biceps. My face reaches the water's warm temperature as I stand up. "I'm tired," I say, putting a foot out of the tub when a damp hand grabs my wrist. 

"You're acting weird. Are you okay?" Xavier  asks, raising an eyebrow.

I give him a small smile. "I'm just tired, it's almost six in the morning, and I'm not used to being awake until then anymore."

"At least finish showering," he says, tugging my arm toward him. His eyes start glowing again, and I find myself sitting back down with him. 

My shoulders slump forward. Xavier's closeness is putting me at ease but at the same time anxious. It's the kind of anxiousness that reminds me of the first time he tutored me back in high school. It's not that bad. 

I let him soap my body with a fluffy sponge, trying hard not to feel turned on from his touch. The way he passes his hands on my arms, my collarbone, chest, and stomach make me have goosebumps. I close my eyes, leaning my head on his chest. The proximity allows me to pick up on his beating heart quickening for me. A smile creeps onto my face because of it, but luckily he doesn't notice it.

I don't know for how long we stay in that tub, but by the time we're back onto the bed, the rays of the morning sun come through the blinds. I thought he'd try playing with me, my body was ready for it, but apparently, that thought didn't cross his mind. Although he took his sweet time to play with my breasts. 

"Xavier," I whisper out as I feel him pull the sheets up to my neck before spooning me. 

The lion simply hums in reply.

"Are you alright?" I ask. Perhaps even someone like him isn't immune to killing. He makes it look so easy I never considered he'd get affected by it. 

He doesn't answer straight away, but when he does, my heart sinks. "I will be," he says. 

I twist my body around, facing him. His eyes are closed, and I admire how long his eyelashes are. "You know you can tell me anything, right?" I quietly say. 

He nods his head. "I know, but we should really sleep before Alpha Denver shows up." 

I shake my head. "I'm sorry I let you kill the wolves. I should have—"

"No. If the roles were reversed, I'd be holding your corpse now." His eyes flutter open, making my heart skip a beat. "You would have hesitated to kill Dante, and he would have taken that as an opportunity to snap your neck," he explains.

"Go to sleep already!" my father yells from the other side.  

Xavier and I exchange a wide-eyed look before breaking into a fit of chuckles. "Sorry," we say at the same time. 

Damn werecats' hearing.

I lean forward, softly kissing him. "I love you," I whisper out.

He smiles, pulling me back into a breathless kiss. I love kissing him the most. He always takes his time when we do it, biting and sucking on my lower lip before letting his tongue meet mine in a slow dance. 

He's the first one to pull away. "Alexa," he softly calls, his arm lazily resting on my hips. 

I hum in reply.

"At the next new moon... Do you want to mate with me?" 

I'm sure my eyes must be glowing by how happy I can feel Foxy is. I bury my head into his chest, hiding the grin. I thought he'd never ask.

"I do."

Well it's done. I'm 1000 words away from The End. 

From the 11th of January  The Lion's Cat will be updated three times a week: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. 

On Valentine's Day, the third book of the series will be out.

Thank you for reading & don't forget to vote! AND HAPPY NEW YEAR! THE PANDEMIC BETTER EVAPORATE IN 2021 FIDHJOFID