SOLOMON

CHAPTER 14

AYLA

I admit, walking in the Forest was very therapeutic. I walk with my bare feet and press them on the forest grounds. I look up and see the leaves and branches twirling and dancing among with the wind, saying their hellos to me.

I knew that once this war was over, I was going to leave again. I'm not staying here and seeing everyone have such good lives while I'm treading water here.

No. I'm going to to take Milo and travel somewhere amazing. Maybe find a pack. Maybe even find a guy I like and actually have a proper family.

I see a log near a little stream. I decided to stop and sit down. Looking at the beautiful green land. I felt my wolf inside have this urge to shift. I haven't shifted in five years. Kendrick forbid it coz he knew my wolf would challenge him. But because of that...it will probably be painful to shift. It will be like my first time all over again.

A snap of a twig has me instantly on my feet and looking for a threat. My heartbeat going zero to a hundred in a matter of seconds. My hands were shaking, expecting to have to defend myself. Another twig snapped behind me. I spin around and see nothing.

I feel dizzy from breathing too fast, "Who's there! Come out!" I screamed

A bush was rustling as a big man came out. My eyes widen, "Kendrick." I whispered quietly.

He stood there tall...and he was angry. 
"You shouldn't have left, precious. Now this whole pack's blood will be on your hands. I will kill every last one of them for the cost of you leaving me."

I took a step back, petrified with fear. I stumble on the log and I fell. Kendrick walked towards me and I frantically crawled backward.
"Leave me alone!" I screamed.

I whimpered as he doesn't stop but continue to come near me.

I scream in fear as he is so close now. But suddenly a hand is pressed on my mouth to stop my voice. I look up and see Xander. Xander?

I pushed his hands away, "Xander?"

He looked at me in concern, "What's wrong? Why were you crawling away from me?"

"Because of..." But my sentence trailed off when I looked around and there was no sign of Kendrick anywhere. Was I hallucinating?

I look back at Xander and he was still watching me.
I shook my head and rubbed my forehead, "Sorry...I thought you were someone else."

I stood up on my shaky legs. I was very weirded out when Xander held my arms to try and help me up.  He guided me softly to the log and sat me down. I eyed him as he sat next to me

We sat in silence for a moment until he broke it, "You thought I was Kendrick...didn't you." It wasn't really a question, it was more of a statement

I nodded my head.

"How long has this been happening?" Xander asked.

I shrugged my shoulders, "A while."

In the corner of my eye, I saw Xander's brows deepened into each other, "Why have you not said anything to anyone?"

"Because I don't want to."

Xander sighs harshly, "You will suffer if you don't talk about what's going, Ayla. They might get worse if you don't release everything."

I scowled at him, "Why do you CARE! Last time I saw you, you told me it was my fault that Solomon was going out of control. You blamed ME! You made everything just that much worse for me! So why does it matter to you if I am being tormented or not!" I growled harshly.

I stand up straight, "You were to blame for Solomon! You CHANGED him! You were his world and when you came back he thought you were going to be his big brother again.  But you weren't.  You treated him like shit! You didn't think of Solomon as your little brother. You corrupted him more than he already was. I know I'm not innocent in that situation, but neither were you! You made him treat me the way he did. You put lies in his head that made him blame me! His pregnant MATE! So why do you care about what happens to me now!"

Xander was not affected by my outburst of anger. He just stared at me calmly. He leaned forward, "You're right."

All my anger dissipated instantly and replaced with confusion, "What?"

Xander sighed, "You're right. I was an asshole. I didn't treat Solomon right. I didn't make him better, I made him worse," He stood up to his giant height and looked at me, "I helped with your suffering. I made it worse for you. I pretty much was one of the hands that pushed you right into Kendrick's arms...and the guilt it eating at me."

I released a shocked breath. I never thought the day would come when Xander would...feel.

His eyes held sorrow and guilt. He was telling the truth.
He clenched his jaw and said, "I wasn't a good man back then. I was evil. I didn't care about anyone or anything. I'm not saying I'm a good man now, but I am trying to be. You are right about everything about me. Everything I did was wrong." Xander took a step forward. His eyes were slightly glossy as he gulped and said, "But I am sorry, Ayla. I'm sorry for treating you like shit when I should have been treating you like a sister. I'm sorry for poisoning Solomon. I'm sorry for everything. I don't expect you to forgive me at all. But I expect you to know that I am not the same man. I am trying to right my wrongs."

He stepped forward, "If you want to hate me forever, then okay. I deserve every bit of your hate. But know that from now on, I will try to be the big brother I should have been to you as payment for the sin committed against you by me."

I was in complete shock. Impossible. It can't be. Xander is so....emotional. Something I never thought he would be. EVER. and hearing him apologize...it affected me more than I thought. I was still angry with him, but I couldn't help but feel my heart become just a tiny bit lighter.

When he saw I wasn't saying anything.  He nodded his head and turned around to walk away.

"What happened to you?" I asked him.

He stopped and turned around towards me.

"You were horrible. You were dark and angry and emotionless. You didn't care about ANYTHING. So what happened? How could someone like you, a wolf known to be one of the evilest and cruelest, change."

Xander smirked and his eyes soften, "I met Izzy." His mate, "I treated her like shit at first...but her light outshined my darkness."

I scoffed, "Must be a pretty damn bright light."

Xander chuckles, "It's bright. And she didn't give up on me. She...taught me how to be good. She showed me what it means to be a good man, just by being herself."

I laughed without humor, "Does she know all of your evil deeds? All of your sick and twisted doings? All of the unforgivable sins you've committed."
Surely she doesn't know who she's truly mated to.

"Every single one."

This took me back. She knew EVERYTHING?

"How did she know?"

Xander thought about it. I could see him thinking. And then his eyes hit up and his angry mouth tipped into a small smile, "I told her."

My eyes widen, "You TOLD her? Why?"

"Because I loved her enough to want her to know who I was. What I've done. Expose every single flaw I had."

I was quite breathless, "And then what did she do?"

Xander's eyes were consumed with love for his mate as he said, "She loved me...and that's how I changed."

Xander turned around and walked away without knowing that she totally shocked me.