Love and Chaos Series
The Alpha King’s Ugly Bride Chapter 48

Xavier remembered being chained up in the temple at sixteen because he had spoken out of tone with his father. He stayed there chained and without food or water for many days and this triggered his premier shift. The guards heard the noises, but none came to his aid, not until his wolf emerged. A big, black, scary wolf with fur and glowing yellow eyes growled aloud in pain and anger.

The chains fell off him, and the door opened soon after. In came the High priest and three guards with silver spears in their hands, ready to attack. Xavier surged forward and killed them all before running out into the woods, and when he shifted back into his human form, his actions dawned on him. He knew his father would have him disgraced and punished and Xavier made plans to run away.

When Robb found out what had happened, he ordered a search for him, declaring he wanted throughout the entire kingdom for his atrocities. Just as expected, when he was found, he was thrown into the dungeon and duly punished for weeks without end with his father's consent. Robb knew Xavier had no control over himself that night, yet punished him anyway.

This intensified Xavier's hatred towards him.

Robb called him a stain and told him how unfit to sit on the throne he was, and it stuck. When he came out of prison, he became a different person to his brother. This event also caused a strain in his relationship with Queen Layla and the strain only lessened when she was on her deathbed.

She apologised and told him she should have done more for him, stood up for him with his father, and did things differently. She apologised for Robb's shortcomings and begged him to be a better ruler than him. Then she told him to control his anger or it would control him.

He missed his mother and wish she could have stayed around for much longer and answered a few of his questions. But he still had mixed feeling towards her. He did not understand why she never for once stood up to Robb in defence of him. Edward had always been true and only done things that were in his best interest and the only person he could trust in the entire kingdom. He should never have sent him away for so long. If he'd let Edward travel the way he wanted, he would have been back by now and he'd have someone to speak to.

So he deserved this lonely feeling.

The queen believed he sent him away because of her and she wasn't wrong. She contributed, but she wasn't the only reason why. He sent him away because he trusted him to deliver his message to Alpha Koz, an offer of power. Edward was a master at getting people to do his bidding and he needed his talent. Xavier saw the chance to kill three birds with one stone and he took it. A war was coming. He didn't know how or when, but he needed to get ready and surround himself with those he could trust.

He moved to the table where a bottle of wine sat and he picked it up and brought it to his lips, taking a long gulp of it before setting it down on the table.

"Edward, you bastard!" he cussed and sat down at the table beside him.

"I am not a bastard brother. I am a legitimate heir to the throne," Edward replied, and Xavier spun around to see Edward standing beside the window on his left side.

A smile came to his face and didn't leave. The sight of Edward had lightened his mood at a high rate.

"You will always be a bastard and a little devil to me."

He rolled his eyes but smiled. "I miss you too, idiot," he said. "Why did you call? I was voyaging peacefully with Alpha Koz when I heard your whiny little voice."

Xavier glared at him, a part of him wanting to grab him by the neck, but realised that first, he shouldn't and second, he couldn't. He wasn't really in his room; he was on his way back from Klean. This was his teleportation ability at play.

While Xavier spent his teens and youthful age with his father preparing to be alpha king someday and getting into trouble, Edward spent his time with their mother, learning magic and sorcery. He was great at his tricks and illusions as well, but he stop messing with Xavier when he threatened to rip his heart out.

Being brothers, they had a connection bond and could connect to each other's minds if they so wanted. Edward told him his mind was always open to Xavier if he needed it so, but Xavier's mind has always been shut until today.

"I needed someone to talk to," he admitted with a long sigh.

Edward crossed his arms over his chest, "Okay, then call your friends. Oh, I remember, you've got none."

He scowled at him. "You're not here to mock me, Edward. Life's already doing that."

His wounded tone and pain-filled reply took Edward back. He didn't expect it and this was a side he rarely showed.

"I'm sorry, brother." he apologised and asked, "Why am I here?"

Xavier took the bottle to his mouth again, gulping much of its content down his throat. "I found Zara with another man today." That really didn't hurt him as much as replaceing out she never loved him all these years, though. "Oh," he said, not sounding as surprised as Xavier wanted him to be.

"You knew? Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"I think everyone knew, except you. Also, you would never have believed me. People in love do that a lot. I had to believe the truth would reveal itself in its time."

"I guess you were right."

"What did you do to Zara then?" Edward asked with a careful tone.

"I banished her. I figured that was better than killing her like I first wanted."

Relief washed over his face, "I didn't think the day I'd say this would come so quick, but I'm proud of you."

He slumps onto the chair beside the table. "I am still a fool."

Edward gave him a pitiful look. "You are not a fool. You were in love."

"She never really loved me. That makes me a fool. Robb was right." he bit his lips and threw his head back and wagged it.

Edward frowned at his words and stormed towards him. "If you tell anyone this, I will deny it, but our father doesn't know everything. If he did, he would have done a better job with you. You fell in love, which takes bravery. I'm the master of magic and that's one thing I can't do. You gave your all and expected the same. It is a shame how things turned out."

"How come you never hated me?"

"Because I saw you. And all my life I watch you do your best to be seen by our father and he never did. It makes sense why you so easily fell for Zara. She made you feel wanted and seen."

This had to be the reason Mia was fond of his younger brother. His head wasn't just big for nothing, he had much wisdom stored in them. He knew the right words to say in every situation. Most times, his words didn't make him feel happy or comfortable, but they needed to be heard.

The thought of Mia made him happy, but knowing she was smitten with his brother to the point of rebellion made him a little unsure about her.

"I don't want to talk about Zara anymore."

"Great, let's talk about your queen, Mia." Edward grinned, wiggling his brow at him.

Xavier groaned and rose to his feet, taking the bottle with him. The thought of revealing yet another vulnerable side to his brother made him cringe.

"I don't want to talk about her either." he took the bottle to his mouth and this time he emptied the last drop in his throat.

He didn't want to talk about his wife or his attraction towards her. He didn't want to talk about his intimate moments with her or about kissing her and liking it.

"Why? Did you kill her? Have you harmed the hair on her head?" Edward's voice rose in alarm.

He dropped to the bed. "She's fine, and I didn't. I want to talk about something else."

"Like what?"

He pulled his legs onto the bed and rested his back against the pillow. "How many days do you have left on your journey?"

Edward's lips paused. He glanced up and places a hand to his chin in thought. "I don't know, I haven't calculated it. However, I think a few more days and we will be at the capital, so let's say about a week or two." When he turned his head to Xavier, he found his eyes closed. The idiot had already fallen asleep.