Chapter 70 - A Big No-no

'Where do Madeline and I stand?' Xavier wondered.

Ah yes, him and Madeline. 

He wondered what it was about her that made him feel all tingly and warm.

Was one supposed to feel this way whenever he was with his mate? 

Xavier never grasped the concept of love. He never thought he needed someone to make him feel whole, he was satisfied enough on his own.

Why would people be led to believe they needed someone? Why would they be inclined to spend their entire lives pining for a person who would either…. One, didn't exist in the first place. Two, be uninterested in them and not reciprocate any of their feelings, or three, not know they exist. 

Xavier would never understand what it was about love that was so appealing to the eyes of humans, his fellow werewolves too, but he also never decided to question their choice.

'It's their choice, not mine. Whatever they choose to do I can't prevent.' 

'But what is it about love that's so captivating?' 

He reckoned Adrian was just as clueless as he was when it came to this. 

All his life he had been so focused on work, and work and work, as well as being an alpha that he never so much as tried to give himself a break. 

He didn't feel tired, or bored of his job… All he felt was confusion. 

Crushes… Did he have any crushes in the past?

He didn't think so. As he said before, he always stood his ground when it came to anything about love. 

Everything fitted into one summary, it was a big no-no in his eyes. 

So now, on to where he and Madeline stood. 

To him, they were friends. Just that. 

There was nothing more to their relationship. 

Not a relationship actually, he stood corrected. 

Their friendship was what it was supposed to be. 

A knock came from the door. 

"Tch, who is it?" Xavier demanded. 

He rushed to the door, opening it. 

"Right, you're still here," Xavier said annoyedly. 

"People found out she's your daughter, happy now?"

Emilio stared at him, "What are you talking about?" 

Xavier shook his head, "Never mind that."

"Fun's over Emilio, we're bringing you back to the cave, and  this time we're putting an even more powerful spell." 

"But you said the spell cast was already the most powerful one possible, no?" 

"I'll find one," Xavier insisted. 

"So long as you're trapped there."

"And if you can't find one?" Emilio questioned, beginning to regret having stayed on his best behaviour all this time. 

If he wanted to escape, he could have. 

And anyway, why didn't he escape in the first place? 

He could have, he could have made a run for it. It would've bought him more time although it didn't exclude him from the possibility of death completely. 

Knowing his friend, Emilio knew Xavier would hunt him down himself, not stopping till he successfully found him and brought him back to Eudora - if he was considerate enough. 

If he wasn't? Emilio was dead to him, literally.

Xavier would return victorious, basking in the glory of having killed the ex-alpha. He'd be successful, and Emilio had no doubts the other werewolves would hold even more respect for him. 

Some still found him weak - the small minorities that still supported Emilio. However, they weren't foolish enough to be unable to realize the mistakes to their ways if Emilio was no longer there. 

Emilio used to be treated as though he was some sort of god, and now? He was treated like he was filthy scum, and even Emilio couldn't deny he didn't deserve to be treated this way. 

"You die," Xavier said. 

"And yet, I'm still here," Emilio reasoned.

'Yes, that's the big question,' Xavier thought to himself. 

Can't Emilio have left already? 

He had to make a decision… When it wasn't his to make. 

As much as he needed to make a decision, it was Madeline's. 

Emilio wasn't his father. 

'Thank god he isn't,' Xavier said to himself quietly. 

However, he was Madeline's. 

Xavier had to take her into consideration, and that made things a whole lot more complicated. 

Did she want him to stay? 

Did she want Emilio to leave and to never see him again? 

It'd be unfair if Xavier made a decision on her behalf and caused her to lose the opportunity to get to know her biological father. 

Then again, as he recalled, she had mentioned she never wanted to get to know her real parents, that was why she never tried finding out who they really were. 

But now that she finally got to meet her father, would she change her mind, or would she remain the same? 

Madeline slapping Emilio didn't do much to reassure Xavier when it came to what she wanted. It only made him even more divided. 

It was his duty as alpha to decide what happened to Emilio.

But it was his duty as a friend to ask Madeline for her answer. 

Which would win at the very end?

Adrian listened into their entire conversation, not saying a single word. 

Honestly, what happened next was in Xavier's hands entirely.

Would he let Emilio off the hook and decide something else for him?

Or would he let this be the last Emilio ever got to see of Eudora and kill him on the spot?

"Why are you still here?" Xavier inquired.

"You're right, you could've left ages ago but you're still here. You could've gone on the run but you chose to stay here even after your daughter clearly doesn't want you here."

Emilio took a deep breath. 

"Am I going to be killed either way?" 

"I can't answer that question," Xavier said to him. 

Pursing his lips, Emlio answered Xavier's question.

"Because I feel like I should get to know her since we've already lost plenty of time, and there's how I never knew I had a daughter until today and…" 

"Now I have something to stay here for." 

Xavier was conflicted as to whether or not to believe Emilio, since Emilio had shown Xavier all the reasons why he shouldn't trust him, and yet here he was… Considering letting Emilio off the hook until he found a proper solution to this. 

'No, I mustn't let him roam free. Just because he has a daughter doesn't mean he's suddenly not guilty,' Xavier reminded himself. 

Emilio nodded, "And I know that just because I have a daughter now that doesn't get me completely off the hook."

Xavier glared at him. 

"You're right, you aren't off the hook," he said sternly. 

"Let's get things clear, you are definitely not off the hook."

"You will return to that cave you were trapped in previously, and if not that you will receive the punishment you deserved to face from the start." 

"I may have lent you mercy that one time but I won't repeat my previous mistake." 

"But what about Madeline?"

"You know you can't use her like some shield," Xavier snarled.

"She knows exactly the type of person you are, you told her yourself," he added to his argument. 

"I am not using her as some shield, what's so wrong with a father wanting to get to know his long lost daughter?"

"Had she not been your daughter you would've killed her already," Xavier said, sounding enraged.

"And I'm sorry for that. I thought she was a regular human that happened to stroll in my cave by accident."

But, it was what Emilio said next that really struck Xavier. 

"But tell me, if the girl in this situation wasn't Madeline, would you be reacting the same way you are now? And would I still be alive?" Emilio asked. 

Xavier shook his head. He was many things, but he didn't want to be a liar. 

Had this been a human, even Xavier knew he wouldn't have put this much thought into it. He'd proceed as though this was typical and move on with his life. 

"It only proves how special my daughter is," Emilio said, his voice radiating pride. 

Xavier couldn't believe him. 

Seriously? He used this situation to be prideful over Madeline?

'Are you listening to this?' Xavier asked Adrian, wanting his opinion on the matter. 

Thankfully, Adrian was there, so he didn't have to explain everything that happened before he got any feedback, etc. 

'Mhm,' Adrian responded. 

'But, you know, Xavier… Emilio's onto something,' Adrian admitted.

'You can't possibly agree with him.' 

'I don't agree with letting him free, but what I do agree with is when he says Madeline is special,' Adrian snickered quietly. 

'If she wasn't, then he wouldn't even be here. And also, you wouldn't have asked her to stay."

"What are you trying to insinuate?" Xavier asked Adrian aloud, grabbing Emilio's attention. 

'Keep it down,' Adrian said to him.

'Right,' Xavier said, feeling a pair of eyes staring at him. 

Emilio must've been wondering what the hell the both of them were up to. 

'Right, so as I was saying,' Adrian began. 

'What I'm trying to insinuate is…'