14: A Bond

Xavier's POV

"So, tell me again what it is you think Christopher has done?" Lesa is angry. The glare in her green eyes reminds me of Mom when she'd caught Jared and I smoking as teenagers. I know she's only defending her mate but my wolf is uneasy with her attitude. If she were anyone else I know he wouldn't tolerate it. My wolf is ultimately angry. Angry that we took someone in only to learn that they've harmed our mate. Celeste wasn't detailed about what happened. She's still struggling with full-fledged communication. I don't blame her, after years as a rogue I'd imagine trust is hard. It hurts. But I understand. 

"Him and Celeste came from the same pack. They were rogues together," I try to explain, "and at some point in those years, he hurt her."

"What do you mean by that? Christopher would never h-"

"You don't know that," I interrupt. "You didn't know him back then-"

"And you did? How do we know that Celeste is telling the truth?" I growl, she returns it. As my sister, she also carries the Alpha blood. The Alpha Pride. "You don't even know what you're accusing him of!"

"He hurt her, that much I know."

"Let me talk to her," she insists. "I'm sure it's not as bad as you make it out to be." Reluctantly, I nod. 

Knocking on Celete's door, my heart breaks. I don't want her to have to delve into any harsh memories. However, Lesa is right. I can't take any action against Christopher without knowing the details. I've never much liked Christopher, though I've always put it off as me just being protective of my little sister. Celeste opens her door, peeking her head out before going to stand in the doorway. "You need to know, right?" I nod, giving her my hand to lead her back downstairs. Lesa is chewing her fingernails nervously when we arrive. I lead Celeste to sit on the couch, Lesa is sitting in the chair in front of my desk. I sit beside Celeste. 

"Please Celeste, tell me this is a misunderstanding. Christopher couldn't - he wouldn't -"

"He would." Celeste looks at me, eyes uncertain. I nod, urging her to continue. My wolf paces. "Lesa, when I was a kid, I was picked on. The other kids would make fun of me, push me around a little." Lesa takes a deep breath when Celeste pauses. "Christopher was so much worse." Her lips wobbles and I offer her my hand. She hesitates before linking her fingers with mine. "He abused me." My other hand tightens into a fist as my wolf growls. "Physically and mentally. For years. He," she stops, taking in a harsh inhalation. "There was a time when he wanted more from me." I let go of Celeste's hand, standing up. I don't look at her, I can't. My wolf is on the verge of being released.

"No," Lesa interjects. 

"Yes," Celeste says firmly. "And he could have gotten his way if it weren't for a friend of mine." I look at her and she's watching me, tears in her eyes. And I go to her. Sitting back beside her, grabbing both of her hands before bringing them to my lips. I don't know who I'm reassuring. 

"I need to talk to Christopher," Lesa stands up. 

"Lesa, we'll need to hold him accountable." I don't care how long ago it was and I don't care that he's her mate, although that does complicate the situation. In all honesty, I want to kill him. I want him to suffer any pain he made Celeste go through and then I want him to die by my hands. But I can't do that to Lesa. She's bonded to him. She would have to suffer the pain of him dying and then who knows what would become of her, if she would become an empty shell or even be capable of still going at all. An unfortunate but possible fate of those who lose their bonded mates. 

"Not now, Xavier." She slams the door. I sigh, kissing Celeste's hands again in a comforting manner. She's safe here, with me. She'll never have to go through such a thing again. 

"I'm okay Xavier," she assures me. I look her in the eyes. She looks haunted right now, I don't know how she's the one assuring me. 

"You said you had a friend who helped you, where'd they go?" Her lips part, as if there's a memory on the tip of her tongue. But she doesn't speak. Instead she stares off for a minute or so.

"His name is Lycer," she said softly. My wolfs at the fact that he's a guy. I tell him to shove it and listen to Celeste. "He was my best, and only, friend." A little smile hits the corner of her lips. "After meeting him, he protected me from Christopher and he gave me hope?" She licks her lips, seemingly lost in her memories as she speaks. "Hope that it would all be okay. Hope that I wouldn't be alone. Have you ever heard of a Protection Bond?" I shake my head, unfamiliar with the term. "It's a link, not unlike a mate bond." A small growl leaves my lips and she giggles. "But it's not," she assures me. "It gives him access to my feelings, so he can pick up when I need help."

"This is a bond?" There's a gravely tone to my voice, my wolf unhappy with the idea of my mate holding the bond of another creature.

"Yes." Her response is honest and short.

"Where?"

"It's unseen, though when he first placed it we did my wrist. You can still see a bit of the scar the process left." She brings up her right wrist and grabs my hand. She rests my fingertips on the inside of her wrist where I can feel raised bumps going in a ring. "It's placed with a bite, like the mate bond, but doesn't leave a marking behind." 

"Can you feel his feelings?"

"No," she says sadly. "I would have had to mark him back but he said I shouldn't." I raise a brow, wondering the reason behind that. "There was a time when Christopher lost it, he beat the bloody shit out of me when my mom was on a patrol. No one stopped him until Lycer came."

"What did your mom do, when she got back?"

"She cried. But what could she do, no one liked me anyways. They didn't want to protect me any more than they already were by keeping me in the camp. Lycer scared my camp mates so when I got better they insisted he leave." 

"They let him hurt you?"

"What were they going to do, Xavier? Go against a wolf with Alpha blood? And for what? A runt they didn't want to deal with in the first place?" My heart continues to break for her. "Lycer has a large wolf form, so he remained shifted; protecting me until I was better. But ultimately he couldn't stay with us and I couldn't leave Mom." A tear escapes her eye, I'm quick to brush it away. She leans into my palm. 

"I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"It's okay," she takes my other hand, tracing my palm. "I'm safe now." That she is. Here with me. 

"Where is he now?" The question bothers her, that much is clear to see by the sadness that sweeps across her entire being. Her shoulders slouch, her eyes become watery, and her lip quivers. 

"I don't know." And the tears begin to fall. I asked the wrong question. "I don't know," she repeats, seemingly lost in her words and thoughts. "I don't know," her eyes meet mine and the tears begin to pour. I pull her to me as she begins to cry.