Chapter 82 - Xavier Doesn’t Go On Dates

"SHE DID WHAT?" Briar asked as Adrian told her the news. 

She grabbed his collar and shook him back and forth. 

"Tell me everything." 

She ordered, "From the beginning. Tell me."

"I think you should remember your place," Adrian reminded her. 

Briar froze in her spot. 

"Uh, right," she said, releasing him and dusting off invisible dirt off of Adrian's collar. 

"Sorry about that."

"Instinct," Briar added.

"I'll let it slide just this once," Adrian said to her. 

"Now, do you want me to tell you what happened or would you rather leave and wait to find out?" 

Briar took a seat on one of the empty chairs in Adrian's office.

"First."

Adrian grumbled, "I haven't even finished work yet."

"Oh well." 

"So, starting with what happened with Madeline and Indiana..." 

Adrian told her the summarized version of what happened between the two girls, before finally telling her the punishment Xavier had given her after Briar had made a huge fuss about Indiana deserving hell. 

"How dare she!" Briar exclaimed.

"I'm going to rip her head open."

She looked at Adrian, realizing she was still in the presence of Eudora's beta. 

"I meant it in a nice way," she said, hoping it'd do something and help things in some way. 

Adrian shrugged, "Nice way or not, after what she did your reaction is more than understandable." 

"There's a reason why Xavier demoted her and forbade her to join the hunt." 

Briar heaved a sigh of relief. 

"Yeah."

"Speaking of which, Alpha Xavier wants you to stay behind."

"Eh? Did I do something wrong?"

Adrian shook his head, "He simply reckoned someone had to stay back and accompany Ms Madeline."

"Ahhh," Briar said, understanding evident in her tone. 

So she could skip the hunt all because Xavier figured Madeline would get lonely. How cute!

It was a win win anyway.

"Of course, if you refuse and want to join the hunt then we could find someone else to accompany her."

Briar shook her head, "It's alright."

"I don't mind staying back to accompany her."

She hid a smile.

'Oh thank the moon goddess, I'm excused from the hunt.'

"Does Madeline know I'm staying back?" 

Adrian pursed his lips, "Probably."

He said to her without thinking, "We'll miss you at the hunt."

Adrian blinked, looking at Briar to find her staring at him unblinkingly. 

What the hell had he just told her? 

Had he gone insane? What was wrong with him? 

"Since this will be the first time you're missing the hunt, that is," Adrian added, trying to save him some humiliation and embarrassment he had already caused himself. 

'Why did I say that to her? Is the stress getting to me?'

'Who am I kidding, it's not stress. It's my carelessness. What is she thinking right now? Is she wondering why I told her that? Why am I thinking about this all of a sudden? Gah!' 

'What is happening to me?'

Briar stuttered, "H-haha, yeah, it is."

"Didn't realize that."

"I'll miss the hunt, but I've got to stick with my friend," Briar said to him, before turning deadly quiet. 

She hoped he wouldn't see right through her facade. Was it strange that she didn't want to attend the hunt? 

She hoped not. 

Then, there was the other thing. 

He had said that everyone would miss her. 

Adrian must've known that she was a loner. 

Before Madeline came, she had no one else.

Not because she was hated, it was simply because she never fitted in with everyone else. 

Briar wondered if she should announce that she'd leave now, since Adrian had important work to do that didn't involve her bothering him.

Madeline was with Xavier right now, she presumed. 

And she doubted he'd do anything. 

Were they having dinner together? Now that was something she was curious to know. 

Briar had to stop herself from gasping.

'Are they on a dinner date?'

She asked Adrian, who was now writing something down. 

"Say, you wouldn't know whether or not Madeline and Xavier are on a dinner date now, would you?" Briar questioned. 

Adrian looked confused as to what she was talking about.

"Dinner date?"

He returned to his work, answering confidently, "Of course not."

"Alpha Xavier doesn't go on dates."

Briar wondered if he was sure about that. It seemed like there was a lot of personal pride riding on this. 

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes," Adrian nodded. 

Briar made a mental note to ask Madeline what she was up to with Xavier. That is, if she really was with Xavier.

Maybe she was back in her quarters, curled up reading a book. 

Or doing anything else. 

Briar couldn't simply assume she was with Xavier. 

Funnily enough, Xavier hadn't told Adrian a thing about his plans with Madeline that evening.

Adrian would have to eat his words the minute he heard about the truth about what Xavier and Madeline were up to.

Now, returning to Xavier and Madeline, they were finishing up dinner. 

Xavier had gathered up the courage to tell her, "I had a great time at dinner."

"You did? That's great!" 

"Me too," Madeline said, letting out a giggle. 

"We should do this again sometime."

"Without the barging in your office, of course. Sorry about that again."

He placed his hand on her shoulder, startling her a bit, before she relaxed. 

She had to look up to meet his gaze. 

'Why does he have to be so so so tall?' 

'Not only him, why is everyone here so tall?' 

'Does being a werewolf make you taller or something?'

Madeline then remembered that technically, she had werewolf blood coursing in her veins. 

She had never gotten an answer as to what powers she inherited as Emilio and Cornelia's daughter.

However, she had a feeling that no one knew as well, so she kept that one question to herself. 

'Who knows? Maybe over time I'll find the answer to it myself.' 

'It'd be cool though, having powers. I wonder what powers I'd have if I did have them.' 

"We should probably leave now," Xavier began.