Hunter

Chapter Thirty

Ximena's POV

"Xerxes is Melaine's mate. You can't tell Lucian yet." Kenji says to me the last sentence directed to Adonis.

"Kenji..." Adonis starts.

"I need to confirm where he stands in all this. I need to confirm if my theory is correct before Mel or Luc know. Especially Mel."

"He's not going to like this." Adonis sighs.

"So he really did lose his memory?" I ask.

"I think so. I hope so. I just need to confirm what's going on. See for myself." Kenji says.

"Okay. We'll try and see if we can get any answers relating to Xander at the base. Maybe see what Alistair's plans for him are." Adonis tells him, "Don't worry Kenji. Even if what you're suspecting is true, even if he has forgotten, we're going to help him."

"Yeah, yeah." Kenji nods.

"Come on, let's go"

I snap out of that memory as I watch Lucian and Adonis now. We were one day into this mission and Adonis had already broken his promise, or he was about to. I wasn't going to involve myself. Whatever was happening between this group of people, Xerxes being alive, I had no business getting involved or giving my opinion.

"Lucian I need you to sit down." Adonis started. He appeared more serious than before. And he was already a serious guy.

"What's going on?" Lucian asks.

"Right now I'm going to tell you something. And you're going to listen. You're not going to interrupt me. I need you to not act like yourself for two minutes."

"What's going on?" Lucian asks confused.

"Alexander is alive." Adonis says slowly. Lucian blinks at him before shaking his head.

"What?" He whispers

"It wasn't Carlton that followed Titus, it wasn't him that's been living as Ximena's brother, or working with Alistair. Carlton Is still very much dead, Alexander however is alive."

"Wait..."

"The brother I call Alfafa, his name is Xerxes. Or at least that's what he told us his name was. Titus' story to you and your sister was the version Kenji told him to tell you. He told me and Adonis the truth before we came here."

"Why would he..? I don't...understand. Why would..."

"I'm going to tell you everything that Kenji has told me. Everything they've found out."

I listen attentively with Lucian as he tells us about Dardanos' plan. How Alistair really is just a pawn in his game. As he tells us about the mate bond, a part of me weeps for Xerxes whose true bond got severed. For him and Mel who have lost so much from this senseless war. More than the rest of us. He tells us Xerxes is at the bunker. How the wolf remembers but the human part of him doesn't. And when he's done we both watch Lucian, who has tears running down his face.

I'm unsure who they're for. If they are for his sister, his best friend, or for himself. Adonis surprises the both of us when he gets up and gives his master a hug. When his arms wrap around Lucian, the phoenix breaks down completely and weeps. I stand next to them and watch silently.

This war isn't just physical anymore. This group of people. This family. As they try to save the world they lose pieces of themselves. Is this the curse of being a hero? That aside from the weight of the world being on your shoulders, you lose the people you love most, sometimes in ways worse than death. You lose parts of yourself but are expected to move on. Not having a chance to grieve or mourn. Not having a minute to breathe. Because humanity is counting on you.