Chapter 5 Good News And Bad News

• **
• For as long as we stayed out of trouble, we were allowed to work with the maids in the kitchen. We did the sweeping and mopping of the floor while the maids do the washing of the dishes and also cleaned every other thing in the kitchen. Helen was the one who do the cooking with little or no help from others. She made so little food I wondered if the rest in the packhouse cook their meals themselves. I soon find out from one of the maids that she cooks for the Alpha and she has been the only one doing that. Alora her second in command, makes the food for the rest of the packhouse members including the Alpha's mom and the Beta's family. I became curious to know why no one else can cook for the Alpha and decided to ask her, though I doubted if she will tell me why.
• "Helen, why are you the only one cooking for the Alpha?" I asked with little hope.
• "He is very sensitive," she answered and I furrowed my brows.
• "Sensitive about what?"
• She dropped the plate in her hand and turned to face me. "About everything?". I stared at her still confused. "He is very sensitive about everything. The way the food is being prepared. Even the environment"
• I shrugged. "Is there no one else that can..."
• She smiled. "No. Most youngsters nowadays are not very careful about what they do. And the old ones are so afraid of him that they make mistakes"
• "You are not afraid of him?"
• She nodded. "I have been the one taking care of him since the day he was born. Why should I be afraid of him?"
• I sighed. Though it sounded like a good reason not to be afraid of him, I still felt that is not the only reason she doesn't fear him.
• "Is there anything else you want to know?"
• I shook my head. "No. I think I am ok with this"
• She smiled and picked up the plate on the table. "You should go back to your room. I need to finish this up quickly"
• I nodded and left the kitchen. On my way back to the building where we stay, I passed through the training ground and peeped into it to see if he was in. I had not seen him since the last incident between us. There was nobody there so I sigh in disappointment.
• "Who are you looking for?" someone said and I turned quickly. "Oh, it's you" he muttered. "What are you doing here?"
• He was the same man training with the Alpha the other day. I stared at him for a while before speaking up.
• "I-i was just passing by". He gave me a dangerous look and moved back a bit. "I should get going" I muttered. I turned quickly to leave but a hand held me back. "W-what?"
• "Who are you?" he asked and I furrowed my brows.
• "Xavia?"
• "I am not asking for your name. I want to know your real identity. So tell me who the hell are you?!"
• I blinked rapidly. What is he talking about?
• "W-what identity are you talking about? I am just a mere human"
• He scoffed. "A mere human?" he tightened his grip on my hand and I groaned.
• "You are hurting me"
• "Who are you? Tell me who the hell are you?" he asked ignoring my pain.
• "I-i don't know what you are talking about"
• "Why do you have the aura of a..."
• "Nathan?" someone called and he turned, releasing his grip on me. I held my bruised hand and groaned slightly.
• "Jason?" he cooed.
• "What is going on here?" Jason asked. He stared at me. "Xavia? What are you doing here? What happened to your hand?"
• "I-i...". Nathan gave me a dreadful look and I sighed. "I was running and I fell. I hurt my hand in the process"
• "Where were you heading to?"
• "I got tired of staying in the building, so I decided to take a stroll"
• He sighed. "You should be careful next time" I nodded. "And where is your friend?"
• "She was asleep when I left the room"
• He sighed. "You should go back. I will ask the nurse to come over"
• I nodded. "Thanks" I muttered before leaving.
• I returned to the room and sat down on the couch. Alaila was still asleep. My mind drifted back to what Nathan had said and I sighed.
• Why does he think I am hiding my identity? I wondered.
• Alaila moved and I looked up quickly.
• "You are not sleeping?" she asked.
• "No"
• She nodded and lay down to sleep. I sighed and started at my bruised hand.
• Is there something he knows that I do not know?
• **
• When Jason showed up at our door, I knew the Alpha might have sent him to deliver a message. Alaila was the one who opened the door for him to come in.
• "There might be good news soon," he told us and I furrowed my brows.
• Could they have found our families?
• "Did you find them?" I asked.
• "We have found your friend's family but your mom, we haven't found her yet"
• I sighed. It's good news that Alaila's family has been found and sad news that my mom is still missing.
• "That's good news" I muttered and Alaila held my hand.
• "They will find your mother soon" she assured me and I smiled wearily.
• "Where did you find them? I mean Alaila's family"
• "At a new territory. I guess those that survived that day, ran away and build up a new territory" Jason answered.
• "Is it far from here?" Alaila asked. "I mean..."
• "It's a bit far from this place. And a safe place away from the Ice pack Alpha"
• I sighed. Alaila might be leaving soon and I might have to remain here until they find my mother. Or I will need to go find her myself.
• "Do you know how difficult that might be?" my subconscious mind asked and I sighed.
• I know it might be a difficult task, considering how difficult it is for the Lycan Alpha to find her but I can't sit back and keep waiting for them to find her when I can join in the search.
• "Is there anything else you want to know?"
• I nodded. "How can we get there?"
• "The Alpha will take care of that after your mom is found"
• "What if we want to leave now?"
• "What are you talking about?" Alaila asked.
• Jason furrowed his brows. "You want to leave?"
• I nodded. "We made a promise to leave if our families are found. I think we should fulfill our promise now"
• "But they haven't found your mom yet," Alaila said and I sighed.
• "I don't know how long more we will have to wait and I can't keep you here because my mom has..."
• "I am not complaining. Yes, my family has been found and they are in good condition. Yes, I will love to go home but what about you? We both know that my family will not accept you. Especially my mom. If we don't find your mom, where are you going to stay? How will you survive?"
• I smiled. "I can take care of myself, Alaila. You should reunite with your family. I will find my mother with the help of Jason, I know that"
• She shook her head. "I am not leaving. We are not leaving. We will not leave until they find your mom. Then we can go back together"
• "Alaila..."
• "I won't change my mind. Please don't try to make me change it"
• I sighed. I wanted her to reunite with her family. Why is she insisting on staying here with me?
• "You will find her mom, right?" she asked Jason and he sighed.
• "We will try our best to find her mom," Jason said with assurance and that got me to smile.
• "Thanks, Jason"
• He patted my shoulder. "You don't have to worry"
• I nodded and he stood up. "I will get going"
• We waved at him as he walked to the door. "Jason" I cooed and he turned. "Can you tell the Alpha we appreciate his effort over us?"
• He nodded. "I will tell him that"
• Jason left and Alaila smiled at me. "They will find your mom, ok?"
• I nodded and smile too. "I hope they do so quickly"
• She stood up. "Enough of the sulking. Let's go have some fun"
• I shook my head. "I don't think I want to do anything"
• "I am not taking a no as an answer". She pulled me up. "We have about an hour before we join them in the kitchen. Why don't we go to the garden"
• I furrowed my brows. "What garden?"
• She chuckled. "Jason told me there is a garden with a lot of fruits and flowers behind this building and we can go there to plug some fruit if we want"
• "When did he tell you that?"
• "A few days ago"
• "Why did he not tell you?"
• She shrugged. "Because you are always not in? Or because the Alpha asked him not to?"
• I blinked. "He did?"
• She stared at me and busted into laughter. "Of course not. I was only joking about that. Actually, I was the one who asked him if there is any place we can go to aside from the kitchen and this building. And he told me about the garden behind this building and the one behind the packhouse"
• "There is a garden behind the packhouse?"
• She nodded. "Yes, but only the Alpha goes there. So Xavia, do not go there"
• I scoffed. Like I will want to go there.
• "You definitely will," my unconscious mind said and I groaned.
• Why will I want to do that?
• "Have you never thought about why you hardly get to see him? And why he tends to cover his face most of the time?" my subconscious mind asked and I nodded.
• Of course, I have always been curious since I came here why he is so strange and I have wanted to ask about it. But I was worried no one might want to tell me about it.
• "Then you will get curious about his garden and end up going there"
• I scoffed.
• "I won't do that"
• "You won't do what?" Alaila asked and I chuckled.
• "Did I say that out loud?" she nodded. "It was just a thought"
• "Can you stop having weird thoughts and let us go get some fruits"
• I nodded. "I guess I need that right now"
• **
• I was laying on the bed and I felt a hand touch me. I opened my eyes and saw my mom smiling at me.
• "Mom? You are back" I cooed happily. "I thought I was never going to see you"
• She placed her hand on my hair, caressing it. "Will I leave without seeing my beautiful daughter?"
• I furrowed my brows. "Are you leaving"
• She nodded. "Xavia, I am going on a very far journey and I won't be returning anytime soon. You have to take care of yourself and be strong, ok?"
• I nodded. "I will but do you have to go?"
• "I have to. I have finished up my work here. I need to return. Promise me you will take good care of yourself"
• "I will, mother"
• She smiled and stood up. She waved at me. "Bye, Xavia"
• She began to walk to the door and it opened up. I could see the sea through the door and that got me curious. I stood up from bed and followed her. She was walking into the sea.
• "Mom?! Mom?!! Mother?!!!" I cooed but she kept walking into the sea.
• I ran after her, calling after her. The sea had swallowed her up to her waist.
• "Mother!" I cooed and she turned.
• She gave me a genuine smile. "Don't try to come with me, Xavia. It's not your time yet. I love you, Xavia" She said as the sea swallowed her completely.
• "Mother!!!" I screamed and flung my eyes open.
• It was a dream, a terrible one. I was breathing heavily.
• Alaila walked into the room. "Xavia?" she cooed moving closer to me.
• She suddenly pulled me into a hug. "What is going on?" I asked.
• "Your mom" she cooed.
• I could tell her voice was shaking. I pulled away from the hug and stared at her. She was in tears and I could only think of one thing. It's bad news just like my dream.
• "N-no" I muttered, my eyes getting heavy with tears. "N-no... It-it can't be. S-she... S-she is not dead right?"
• "I am sorry, Xavia," Alaila said pulling me into a hug for the second time.
• I broke down in tears. This is not the news I had expected to hear. A piece of good news for Alaila and a bad one for me is not what I dreamed of. What I want is good news for both of us.
• Why do I get bad news? Why!!!