[Xavier’s POV] The elders were gathered in the throne room and I sat on the throne, overseeing the meeting. It was like everyday since I had become the Alpha of the Pack about two months ago, we usually held meetings and I had no idea why because there was nothing for us to even discuss at times. Was it that they just liked seeing my face or what? I knew they were having a conversation, but it was unimportant and mostly dad jokes which no one except their generation found funny. I let my mind wander away from their conversation, and let it settle on the one thing that was troubling me. Why had Layla just requested to move out of my chambers just like that? I knew when something was wrong with her, and I could tell that something was definitely going on. How was it possible for us to spend such a passionate night together only for her to wake up in the morning and say she didn’t want to be around me anymore? I know that wasn’t what she said, but it felt like what she had meant. Had

[Xavier’s POV]The meeting was done and over with, and I had finished all that I had to do for today. All that was on my mind was just to head to my chambers and have a conversation with Layla, so that we could talk about what she had been talking about earlier in the morning.The guards paid homage by greeting me when I approached the door, then opened it for me. The smile on my face dried up on getting inside the room and seeing no trace of Layla in the bedroom.“Layla,” I called, opening the bathroom door.No, she wasn’t there.“Layla,” I called again, going into the closet, but no one was there. None of her belongings were even in sight, and I became really worried.Where had she ran off to? I opened the door immediately, and faced the guards stationed at her door in order to find out why she wasn’t in my chambers.“Where is Layla?” I asked in a furious tone.“I thought it was your order, Alpha Xavier. She suddenly left with her belongings,” one of them responded.“Left to where?”

[Xavier’s POV]“Listen up, I heard that you would do anything for money. If you ask around, people will tell you that I am a very lenient and merciful King. If you tell me the name of the person who sent you, as well as where the rest of these artefacts and precious stones are, not only would I let you go scot-free, I will also give you enough money to live a better life,” I told him.“Alpha Xavier, what are you saying?” an elder roared angrily.“When I said he isn’t fit to be the Alpha, I wasn’t wrong,” Beta Emmet said.I ignored their comments, and focused solely on the shabby man, who seemed eager to accept my offer and looked like he believed me.“It’s okay. You can speak freely to me, and I will let you go. I am a man of my word,” I said.“I will tell you the whole truth,” he quickly said.A smirk played around my lips, and I gave him the go-ahead to start speaking.“The truth is that these are all the items I was given, and I was stealing a boat at the seaport because I wanted t

[Xavier’s POV]I hadn’t been able to sleep all day, owing to the anxiety I had. No one had seen Jeffrey yet, and he hadn’t showed up either. It was as if he was aware that we were searching everywhere for him, and he had already escaped.I really wanted the rogue’s confession to be all a lie, I really wanted to keep having trust in my best friend, I really wanted to make sure he wasn’t hurt in any way, but the circumstances made it way too difficult for me to have any kind of faith in him.His father had been devastated after his house was searched and the rest of the artefacts were found there, along with a lot of money which he didn’t know his son had been hiding. He pleaded with me to spare his life and to give him a chance to explain himself, but how could I give him a chance and believe him when he was on the run instead of succumbing to being arrested?It was with pains that I had disclosed where Evan and Koss were being held hostage to Roman, but Jeffrey hadn’t been found there

[Layla’s POV]As soon as he had uttered those words, my heart felt like it had shattered into pieces. He couldn’t be serious, could he? No way.“Xavier, please, give me a chance to explain,” I pleaded with him.“There’s nothing you can say to me now. I saw everything I needed to see for myself. Thank you for making me make a fool out of myself, you did exceedingly well,” he said.“I didn’t do anything wrong. Please, you have to believe me. Didn’t you say you know when someone is telling a lie? Look at me. Do I look like I’m lying to you?” I inquired.He stared at me for a while, then looked away as he moistened his lips. “I don’t know what to believe anymore. I can’t trust my heart, but my head and my head tells me that you are lying to me,” Xavier said.“I am not, I swear on my life!” I screamed out loud as tears continued flowing freely from my eyes.“Of course, you’d swear with something as worthless as your life!” he retorted.“What? My life is worthless?” I asked, taken aback by