Leave, At Once!

"Madeline," Briar called.

"Hmm?"

"Why didn't you tell me Xavier asked you out to a round of archery?" Briar inquired.

Imagine her shock and surprise when she'd been informed that her friend was currently spending time with her pack's alpha, having a round of archery together! She was left appalled and confused as to why Madeline hadn't told her before and was left to wonder if that was the only thing Madeline was hiding from her.

"It took me by surprise, it wasn't long after he asked me that we had to meet, there was no time to tell you," Madeline admitted, drying her hair with a fluffy towel.

"Ah," Briar spoke, a hint of understanding in her voice.

Madeline couldn't just leave Xavier waiting anyway, that'd be completely wrong.

"So, now that we've got that part settled," Briar began.

She pulled a chair towards Madeline.

"Tell. Me. Everything."

"Spill," she coaxed.

Madeline refused to say anything about it, claiming nothing happened and everything went well - nothing more.

Of course, knowing Madeline, either things really did go that way - or she was hiding something.

"You're hiding something, aren't you?"

"I am not," Madeline denied in an instant.

"You're being defensive," Briar noticed.

"Nothing happened, Bri," Madeline answered, sounding truthful.

"Yeah, that's not going to do it."

"What, did he sweep you off your feet?"

"BRIAR!"

"Whaaaaaat? I'm only curious. After all, he is the illustrious alpha, anyone would kill to go out with him - or even better, be taught by him how to use a bow and arrow properly."

Madeline didn't seem to break, continuing doing what she was doing before.

"Please?" Briar pleaded.

"Nothing happened, either you believe it or don't," Madeline insisted.

"Tsk."

"I did land a bullseye though," Madeline smiled triumphantly.

Briar patted Madeline on the back, praising her, "Now that is impressive."

"Care to elaborate?"

"I'm not telling you anything else."

Briar groaned in exasperation. This was getting her nowhere.

"Fine, fine, I'll stop," she gave up.

Meanwhile, with the alpha and the beta of the pack…

"Word's been spread around Eudora."

"Had a pleasant time with Madeline?"

"Do I have to answer your question?"

"I'd appreciate it if you did," Adrian admitted.

"No comment," Xavier replied with.

He reminisced on the moment she'd landed a bullseye. How she'd jumped and squealed in excitement, and that… smile that happened to make its way to his face.

The alpha rarely smiled, he was a serious man majority of the time. Some would say they'd never even seen him smile in the first place, so this was a… rather strange case.

"Give me more than 'no comment' please," Adrian reasoned, hoping Xavier would let him in on more tidbits of their time together.

"Why would you want to know?"

"Xavier, you're my friend, and you rarely ever spend time around women. For all the time I've known you, you've never spoken to a woman for anything other than work, and that's depressing."

"Huhuhu you've got to talk to girls more often," Adrian suggested helpfully.

"Talk… to girls more frequently?"

"Whyever would I see the need to do that? It doesn't have any relevance to the matter at hand."

Xavier looked out the window, noticing that the sun was beginning to set. He was instantly reminded of something. Something that - if he hadn't remembered in the nick of time - would've put Madeline in grave danger. It was coming early this month, how coincidental.

He and Adrian exchanged looks. Adrian seemed genuinely worried - something he'd never felt for a human in a long time, but this was Madeline they were fretting over.

"What are you going to do? Send her away?"

"You're not considering letting her stay now are you? It'd be far too dangerous! Especially at a time like this," Adrian reasoned.

"Do you think I haven't yet considered it?" Xavier let out a low growl, displeased by Adrian's mannerisms.

"We've never experienced a human residing amongst us werewolves, there wasn't any book or scripture written regarding what to do in ever the case a mortal happened to be with us when we…"

Xavier paused, exhaling deeply.

"I'll tell her to leave," he decided.

"For the time being, or…?" Adrian questioned.

Despite only knowing Madeline for a few days, she was a delightful girl - someone Xavier would benefit from being around. Adrian knew with full certainty that this wouldn't be the last he saw of Madeline, but for now it seemed like she really had to go.

This night was a dangerous one - for all werewolves.

No human was brave enough to ever stay in a vicinity where something this... feral was taking place. They'd have to be insane to want to stay.

"I'll figure things out," Xavier nodded.

"I always do," he uttered under his breath before he left, off to tell Madeline off the news he had to share with her. Time was ticking, after all.

__

"Do you think he was annoyed of me?" Madeline questioned, laying beside Briar on her bed.

"Why would he be?"

"I kept failing my shots and had poor aim," her friend answered almost instantly, as though she knew Briar would ask this question.

"Oh come on. Xavier's many things but he's… fair," Madeline noticed the hint of hesitation in Briar's voice.

So imagine her surprise when minutes later, Madeline found herself standing across Xavier, who apparently had something to tell her.

'I swear, whenever someone says his name he shows out of nowhere,' she thought as her mind buzzed with possible answers as to his sudden call.

"Ms Delcour," Xavier began.

Those two words imprinted themselves in Madeline's brain. It sounded unnatural to put it frankly. Ms Delcour? What happened to the previous nickname he had for her?

"You have unfortunate news," Madeline noticed the look in his eyes, knowing this wouldn't be good. No one that bore good news looked that way - unless she was soulmates with an emotionless person, that is.

He cleared his throat, "I'm going to have to ask you to leave Eudora."