Chapter 5

Xander's POV:

The moonlight bathed the surroundings as I walked to the dungeon to find my mother. The guards bowed and welcomed me upon my arrival.

When I arrived at the cage room where my mother was locked up, she was chained around her wrists and ankles.

Her blue eyes fluttered awake. Her eyes narrowed with rage at me, not recognizing me as her son.

"Mom…" I tried calling her, but she was feral, pulling on the chains that bound her in place.

"Get lost!" She growled at me, not recognizing me as her son.

"Fine. I will go. But know that today is my 27th birthday. I chose Quincy as my chosen mate," I told her as I stood in front of the cage.

Mom looked away. Her white dress was dirty and hadn't been changed for the past two years. If the guards neared her, she would strangle them to death. The sedatives didn't work on calming her down either.

"I don't have any crazy son. I am childless! I am not the Luna! I am me!" She cried, and I knew she became worse whenever she saw me.

"Fine. You're childless," I said, and her blue eyes calmed down.

"You're not the Luna," I told her what she wanted to hear, and she nodded.

"Good. Now, leave. I don't care about you. I want to be alone. You're all crazy, and not me!" She violently pulled the chains, her wrists bleeding in the process, so I turned and left, knowing that the sight of me made her crazy.

"Alpha, what do we do? Your mother is getting worse and attempting to kill herself. The food medicine doesn't work on her," the head warden at the prison let me know.

"Hmm," I breathed heavily as my eyes landed on the emerald bracelet that Bailey had given me.

"I hope I find my real mate to stop Mom's madness, but how do I find her? Should I invite all the single girls to the palace? But Quincy will be sad," I said, feeling troubled that Quincy would be hurt.

"Alpha," the head warden lowered his head and said, "I am afraid that if we do not do something to help your mother, she could die."

Shutting my eyes as my fist clenched, I told him, "She will be fine. Continue with the food supplements. Ensure you add more psychiatric medicine to her food. I will find a way."

I walked away, shifted to my wolf, and went for a run as the night fell.

*****

Quincy's POV:

"Wake up, you slut!" I rushed into my sister's room as soon as I arrived home.

I had a deep feeling that she could be Xander's mate. He had sniffed my right hand, the same hand I used to slap my sister.

Aurora rubbed her sleepy eyes as she sat up on the bed and glared at me. She never used to glare at me; where did she get the audacity to do that?

"Quincy, what's going on? It's late, and you should rest," my mother said as she entered my sister's room.

How could I rest when the memory of how Xander sniffed my right palm flashed in my head? I had a marigold scent, but Aurora had a jasmine scent.

How could I prevent Alpha Xander from meeting Aurora? She would turn 18 next Saturday. How could I stop them?

"Quincy, I know you're mad at Aurora for stealing your jade earrings, but you can punish her tomorrow. Just let her sleep tonight, and you need rest too," my mother said as she walked up to me and pulled my arm.

"No, Mom. I want Aurora banished and sent away from this pack!" I growled, and my father and brother stepped into my sister's room, gasping.

"What?"

"Quincy, how dare you say that you want your sister banished?!" My father growled at me for the first time, and I looked at him sadly.

"Dad, Aurora must leave this house. She will bring more problems to us if we don't send her away!" I spat, unable to tell my father the truth. My body was trembling, and my lips were quivering.

However, my father surprised all of us as he walked up to me and landed a powerful, brain-resetting slap on my left cheek, shocking us all.

"Dad!" we gasped, because my father had never raised his hand to me before, let alone knowing that I was Alpha Xander's girlfriend.

"Dad, you slapped me because of this bastard!" I growled, pointing at Aurora, and my father raised his hand to slap me again as we all stood in Aurora's room.

"Dad!" Kaleb swiftly rushed up to stop Dad from smacking me again, as he was also shocked by Dad's behavior.

Aurora sat on the bed with wide-open eyes, watching us. I was sure that she was happy seeing me getting disciplined by our dad.

"The next time you suggest banishing or throwing out your sister, I will disown you and throw you out. Aurora may be a useless she-wolf or a lowborn Omega, but she is your sister and my daughter. Don't ever say that rubbish to me about throwing her out of this family!" My father growled at me, snatched his hand away from Kaleb's grip, and said, "All of you get out of Aurora's room. I don't want anyone bullying her again. Tomorrow, I will investigate who stole your earrings."

"Get out!" Dad pointed at the door, and we all looked shocked that he was defending Aurora.

Left with no other option, we exited Aurora's room. But I was heartbroken that my dad had slapped me.

"Quincy, you don't have to get angry at your dad. He's just concerned for Aurora. If we banish her and throw her out as you suggested, that will bring shame to us. Just forgive your sister," Mom said, trying to comfort me. But I smacked her hand away from touching me.

"No way. You all have to choose between me and Aurora. If you won't send her away, then I will leave!" I declared and ran back upstairs to my room.

"Quincy! Quincy!" My brother came knocking on my door, but I didn't want to see him.

"Leave me alone! All of you!" I cried in my room, sobbing on my bed.

"Calm down, Quincy. I think you should forgive Aurora. Dad and Mom are right. As much as we don't like Aurora, she's their child. They never prayed for her to be useless and without a wolf. Just calm down and try to understand that Aurora will always be a part of us," he said, but that wasn't my fear.

With a trembling voice, I asked Kaleb, "What if Aurora turns out to be Xander's real mate? She will be 18 soon. I fear she's up to something."

Kaleb's laughter reverberated at my door. "Haha! Get a hold of your insane thoughts, Quincy. Aurora cannot be Xander's mate. He doesn't like her to begin with."

"But she has a jasmine scent. You saw Xander sniff my hands. It's after I slapped Aurora; her scent was on my right hand, and he sniffed it deeply. She could be his mate…" I sobbed on the bed.

Kaleb was quiet. After a while, he said, "I didn't know about that. You're right. Aurora smells like jasmine. But she's a wolfless Omega. I do not think that Xander will choose her over you. Trust him; he will not dump you, and don't worry about Aurora."

"Alright. Thanks for your words," I said, and Kaleb said, "You're welcome, sister. Sleep well and goodnight."

The sound of my brother's footsteps leaving my door echoed in my ear. Going to the bathroom, I paused and looked at my cheek.

It was past midnight. My left cheek appeared red, and I knew Xander would be furious when he saw it. I sighed and went to relieve myself and take my night bath. After that, I donned a long white nightdress and moved over to the bed to sleep. My heart throbbed faster as anxiety coursed through my veins. After a while of worrying about my sister and boyfriend, I succumbed to sleep.