16 WE DID IT!

Hours ago...

"Okay, if you want to know how to stop being a tight ass then..."

"I'm listening," Xavier grumbled.

"Go ask Madeline out."

"Excuse me...?"

"To a round of archery, what else did you think I possibly could have meant, Xay?"

"Unless..."

"You're not that... stained, are you?"

Adrian gasped dramatically, teasing his friend.

"Adrian, you forget I'm still the alpha."

"Hmph, now you're using your title against me," Adrian crossed his arms.

Xavier facepalmed - Adrian had always been a drama king.

"Quit stalling and tell me what to do."

"Why are you so insistent on not being a tight ass? You never concerned yourself with my opinion when it came to personal matters… so why now?"

Xavier glared at him.

"Stop glaring at me and do something."

"You want me to ask her out?"

"If you want to put it that way, sure."

"You should," Adrian patted Xavier on the shoulder.

"You aren't joking?"

"Why would you reckon I was joking?"

Xavier pondered over it.

"I still have work."

"I'll handle it," Adrian volunteered, stepping up to the plate to handle all of Xavier's matters.

"You… will?"

"Xay, are you doubting me?"

"Maybe I should," Xavier sighed.

"Tsk. Just go already, I'll handle everything. I am trained to take care of Eudora," Adrian showed his friend a toothy grin.

(Author's Note: Eudora is where the pack resides. Consider it a small land where werewolves reside.)

"How could I ask her?"

"First of all, you need to put your ego aside."

"I do not have an ego."

"Nonsense, everyone has one."

"I am not everyone."

"Just go already."

And that was what brought Xavier to where he was now, standing across from Madeline asking her to have a round of archery together.

Madeline - poor girl that she was - hadn't any idea what Xavier was doing.

Was he asking her out? Or was he volunteering to teach her archery?

Concluding worrying and fussing over this would get her nowhere, Maddie sighed in exasperation. She tied her silky coral hair up in a french braid ponytail so her stray hairs wouldn't get in the way during anything, and wore clothes that fitted the occasion - that of which was a round of archery with Xavier.

Dressed in a bluish-silver jacket that hid a plain white shirt, as well as silvery camo pants and combat boots, Madeline deemed herself ready - for archery, not spending time with Xavier. She found that notion terrifying but reasoned why shouldn't she just give it a shot. That was why she'd agreed to it after some deliberation.

She looked at herself in the mirror.

"I can do this," she cheered herself on.

"It's a round of archery."

'Worst case scenario, I mess up and prove to be horrible at it.'

'Best case scenario, you prove to be quite the archeress and impress Xavier.'

She made sure to lock her door before leaving to meet Xavier in their designated meeting spot, the shooting range.

Of course, Madeline had only a faint clue as to where the shooting range was since Adrian had shown her said location during their tour - along with all the other facilities Eudora provided.

It was a miracle she'd arrived in one piece.

"I'm here," Madeline announced, knowing Xavier likely knew she was already to arrive.

"Good," Xavier nodded, acknowledging her.

"Are you ready?" He questioned, peering at her before looking over at the equipment already prepared for the both of them.

Madeline nodded in an instant, "Yep, I'm ready!"

"Alright then."

He handed her protective gear.

"Why do I need to use all this protective gear?" Madeline frowned exasperatedly.

"Well, it's your decision."

"Do you want to get injured while learning how to archer?"

"Who said I'm not an expert at archery already?" Madeline retorted.

"Oh, so you're an expert," Xavier mused, not a hint of sincerity or faith in his tone.

"An expert that doesn't need protective gear."

"Well, if that's the case it is you that needs to show me how it's done."

Madeline froze.

"Come on, show me," Xavier prompted, a serious look on his face.

Sighing, Madeline came to the conclusion that this would go nowhere.

"Okay okay, I'll put on the protective gear," she placed a pouty look on her face as she slipped on a glove on one hand.

Once she had a chest guard on, she told Xavier, "Alright, we can begin."

When she'd spoken those words, what she'd expected was for Xavier to instruct her on what to do next. And he did, up until one point.

"You don't hold the bow like that," he spoke, taking a step towards her until he was in close proximity with her.

Madeline found the fact that they were dangerously overwhelming. The delectable scent of his cologne, the way he assisted her with aiming the bow and arrow right at the bullseye and how his veins popped out from his arm when he noticed she was daydreaming and unfocused.

"Miss Delcour?" He called.

She snapped out of her dazed-like trance.

"So, I aim it like this?" She questioned, blinking.

"Exactly," Xavier nodded.

"Alright," Madeline said as she closed one eye to get a better view of the bullseye.

She fired one shot after the other, constantly missing shots despite Xavier's corrections and instructions.

"You're not supposed to aim it that way, you have to do it this--"

"Uh, whoops," Madeline winced when she had accidentally shot an arrow at a couple of passersby.

"Sorry!" She apologized, watching them rush to leave in fright and terror.

Xavier couldn't help but facepalm at the scene.

'Archery's much harder than I thought,' Madeline mumbled under her breath as she aimed just as Xavier had told her to.

"That's it," Xavier spoke.

Was that… a hint of hope in his voice?

"Just like that," Xavier nodded.

Madeline aimed, hoping this would be it.

'This is it. This is the one,' she convinced herself, before she fired.

Time slowed, the trees temporarily stopped swaying to the wind as the arrow hurled towards the target.

Madeline's heart thumped loudly in her chest - she couldn't get herself to calm down.

"Thunk!" Went the arrow when it hit the target, exactly at the bullseye.

Madeline couldn't believe it, her eyes widened from shock and she pounded her fist in the air.

"WE DID IT!" She yelled in celebration, not paying any attention to Xavier - who actually looked impressed.

That, and the small smile that had made its way to his features.