Beta''s Runaway Bride: 6 - Dual POV


    Xiomara


    I don’t know what I expected from this Luna, but her pure kindness isn’t something I banked on. She


    could have easily let me be and not tried to make nice or whatever, but instead, she sent her literal


    protection away so she can talk to me.


    And what did I do? I was aplete bitch to her.


    “Why don’t we sit down?” She says with a small smile. “Preferably before Maximes back here and


    says our hour together is up.”


    That actually makes me give her a small smile. We walk over to the sofas and sit down; me with my


    hands sped tightly in front of me and her lookingfortable, wearing that smile still on her face.


    I wonder if she’s ever suffered, or worked a day in her life. How easy things must be for her as a Luna;


    I wish I had the same options, and yet I am nothing but a sold bride.


    “Let me start by saying that you are not a prisoner here; if you wish to leave, the door is right there,”


    she says, surprising me. Could this be true? Can I just leave here and no one would stop me?


    As if she can see the question on my face, she offers a thin smile. “However, remember that with that


    decisiones something else - the lives of your old pack members. Going back on an arranged


    marriage to one of the biggest packs in the country could mean their exile.”


    Just as freedom gets given to me, it’s snatched away.


    “So, what is this?” I ask, scoffing. “You tell me I’m free to leave but then threaten me with the lives of


    my old pack members? What kind of Luna are you?”


    “The type who doesn’t lie,” she says clearly, but her eyes shine with apology. “This can’t be easy for


    you, Xiomara, but I promise you Maxim isn’t as terrible as his reputation.”


    I shake my head. “It’s not his reputation that bothers me, it''s the fact that I am being given away like


    prized cattle. You might have been fine with being sold-”


    “Do you know who Giovanni Cotroni is?” she interjects, her lips a thin line.


    The name sends a sick shiver down my spine and a sliver of anger slips into my heart. “Yes, I know


    who that bastard is; he’s the reason my Mamma is dead.” I bite out and can see the pity in her eyes.


    “I’m his illegitimate daughter whose body he used to sweeten deals with other packs,” she says,


    flooring me with her honesty. “The reason I’m here is because I escaped from the hands of the man he


    sold me to; Niko found me.”


    My breath hitches in my throat when she says this and my heart stills; she’s Giovanni Cotroni’s


    daughter. The man who had my mother killed, the asshole who sits at the very top. How?


    “The man he sold me to treated me worse than my father ever could. I was strung up, raped, whipped,


    branded - all for his sick amusement. When I finally gathered the strength to run away, I literally ran into


    Niko’s arms and…well, the rest is history,” she says, actually smiling. “But I won’t lie and say our


    happily ever after came easy, because it didn’t.”


    I move away from her and get to my feet; my heart hammering loudly in my chest at her words. Within


    the space of ten minutes, I assumed so much about this woman, that she was fine with being sold and


    fine with being a sex ve when she didn’t even have a choice in the matter.


    “I…I…”


    She follows me. “It’s okay; and don’t even think of apologizing, because your reactions are normal for


    someone who has been forced into doing something they don’t want to do,” she says and attempts to


    put her hand on my arm, only to pull away. “I understand why you would assume we’re bad people;


    Niko did ept you as a bride for one of his trusted men.”


    I scoff. “That’s no excuse for assuming you’re a bad person,” I say, shaking my head. “Sometimes I


    wish I thought about things before I just spoke them.”


    This makes herugh. “Then you’re more simr to Maxim than you think! Although…he terrified me


    when we first met,” she says just as a pensive look quickly crosses her face and was gone before I can


    even ask why she looked like that.


    I cross my arms and breathe out a long sigh. “How…what kind of person is Maxim, if I may ask?”


    “Maxim is…” she trails off before gesturing for me to sit down again. “He’s extremely loyal to Niko;


    they’re best friends before they became Alpha and Beta. But he’s fiercely protective over his family,


    pack and what’s his. But that being said, he’s also a private person. I’ve been here for over a year and I


    still don’t know hisst name!”


    My eyes widen at this. “And the rumors? He’s jealous of his Alpha?”


    Luna Mia chuckles. “Oh, that! Let’s just say that’s one of the pack’s well-kept secrets!”


    I don’t know what to say to this because now I feel like I’ve been left out of a joke. Is he jealous of his


    Alpha or not? Is there infighting? I have a feeling I won’t find out anything about this pack unless I’m


    trusted.


    Then she sighs and offers me that smile again. “I can’t promise it will be easy, Xiomara. The rest of the


    brides are struggling toe to terms with their predicament as well. But as daughters of Alphas, we


    knew what would be expected of us one day, knew that our lives would be bartered in a deal. If you’d


    like, I can introduce you to them?”


    I met them on the drive over before escaping and the way they took to being sold made me feel sick.


    Do I really want to listen to their sob stories and know how bad they have it? I suppose it can’t hurt…


    “Sure… I’d like that,” I answer before I can even think it over and her bright smile just knocked the


    apprehension from my thoughts. Why is she so easy to talk to and why do I hate it so much? “I have


    met them before, but only briefly.”


    “Oh, that’s good news! I’ll introduce you to Gianna first, I think you two will get along quite well,” she


    says with a wistful smile on her face just as the front door opens and ms shut.


    Maxim walks in with a scowl on his face and looks from Luna Mia to me. “Are you two done?” he asks


    and she gets to her feet to walk towards him.


    “We are, thank you, Maxim,” she says and squeezes his upper arms. “Do you mind walking me back to


    the packhouse? There’s something I wish to discuss with you.”


    His eyes are still on me when he answers, “Sure,” and walks her out.


    Luna Mia turns back to me with a smile. “I’lle to visit tomorrow again if you’d like?”


    “Thank you,” I say while finally returning her smile with one of my own. I don’t know, but I feel like I can


    trust her. It’s weird though, isn’t it? Being able to trust my captor’s wife.


    Sighing, I walk back to my bedroom so I can straighten my thoughts.


    ****


    Maxim


    I’m pacing Niko’s office and I can tell by the scowl on his face that he’s not happy with me right now.


    “She insulted Mia?” he growls.


    “She did, but I sorted it out,” I bit out with my fists clenched. “Please tell me you have another bride


    lined up or heard something from her father because there’s no way I can survive with that woman for


    another day.”


    Niko grits his teeth. “Her father is in his home country for the next month; something about a mourning


    period for his dead wife. As for a bride, yes I may have found one to your liking, but I will only call for


    her once your ties with Xiomara are cut.”


    I stop short and look at him. As much as this is good fucking news for me, my stomach clenches


    knowing I’ll be saying goodbye to that vixen soon. What the fuck is wrong with me? I want this, so why


    do I feel so fucked up about it.


    “Good; that’s the best fucking news I’ve heard all day,” I say with a huff and fall into the chair opposite


    him. “I don’t know how you’re fine with living with a woman.”


    This actually makes him snort. “Mia is not just any woman; she’s the love of my fucking life, the mother


    of my child, and the reason I’m bing a better man,” he says with such pride it makes my heart


    ache. “You know how I feared being touched and touching someone else; well Mia is even helping me


    ovee that. The right woman changes everything, Maxim-”


    I wave my hand dismissively. “Yeah, yeah, I get it. You don’t have to exin the whole loving sob story


    to me,” I say and he smirks. “But sometimes that’s just not made for certain people, Niko. I’m certain


    people and I’m not going to fight for it.”


    Yeah, I know I’m being stubborn right now but there’s no way I’ll ever ept someone like Xiomara as


    the one for me. She fucking insulted Mia, for fucksakes.


    /“So did you,”/ my wolf reminds me and I can do nothing but growl in return.


    I pinch the bridge of my nose and let out a strained sigh. “The next one will be a keeper, I promise. I


    won’t fuck it up as long as she’s not defiant and keeps out of my way,” I say while sounding like a


    Niko shoots me a look I don’t want to decipher and shakes his head. “So I am assuming this means


    you have zero ns of ying nice with Xiomara for the time being?” he asks.


    “None whatsoever,” I say before standing up again. “I’ll go collect your wife; hopefully Xiomara hasn’t


    killed her yet.” Niko chuckles at this and shakes his head.


    “Mia got me to crack and open up to her, I don’t think Xiomara will be a problem,” he says while looking


    fucking amused, so I walk out of there before I can feel even more annoyed than before.


    While taking the long walk to my home, thoughts of Xiomara gue me again. Why does she get on


    myst nerve so much? It’s like she enjoys annoying the fuck out of me; especially herments while


    we ate dinnerst night.


    What was with that anyway? Making a delicious as fuck dinner for a man you supposedly hate; is she


    trying to confuse me? Because fuck if it’s not working.


    Then I had to catch her when she nearly dropped those tes. The way she looked at me wasn’t the


    way you’re supposed to look at the person you supposedly hate. My cock thickened right there and


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    then when I caught the way she looked at me.


    Pupils blown the fuck out, as if she was turned on.


    I growl and punch the nearest tree. If aggravation had a scent it would be a sweet mixture ofvender


    and jasmine, it would have a body built for sin and dark hair I just want to wrap my fist around.


    “Fucking Bambi,” I grit out and try to push her more out of my thoughts the closer I got to my home. A


    home that now smells like her and not of my stifled loneliness.


    Throwing open the front door, I see them both still sitting in the living room and Mia asks me to walk her


    back to the packhouse. What the fuck; it’s better than being here with this woman.


    Mia’s wearing a grin simr to Niko’s and I roll my eyes. “Are you gonna tell me or do I have to guess?”


    I droll and it only makes her chuckle.


    “I like her; she has fire,” Mia says, making me stop short and she slips her arm into mine to urge me on.


    “I know what you’re going to say and I am not here to convince you otherwise. But I do think Xiomara


    has a reason for apprehensiveness.”


    “She’s not a caged bird,” I find myself saying, and immediately regret it. “She wants her freedom back


    and I might be giving it to her.”


    The look on Mia’s face made me wish I didn’t say a thing. “What? What’s that supposed to mean?”


    I shrug. “I asked for a different bride and Niko is making it happen so Xiomara will be leaving sooner


    than expected.”


    Mia stops walking and gives me a horrified look. “You didn’t!” she exims and I just shrug again.


    “Why make something work if we both hate each other? I’m sure she’ll be just as happy to be free of


    this arrangement,” I say, and that seems to be the thing that finally shuts her up and stops her before


    she can even think of ying matchmaker.


    I walk Mia up the steps to the packhouse and say goodbye before turning back to walk home. This time


    my thoughts are quiet as I make my way home. There’s nothing left for me to do today, so I hole myself


    up in the gym again.


    Usually, it helps me calm down but the more I sweat, the angrier I get until I bend a steel pull-up bar


    and toss it against the wall. I need to either fuck or kill to get rid of this frustration and right now neither


    of those options are avable.


    Deciding against my better judgment, I finally give up on calming down with a workout and head


    upstairs to freshen up. The smellsing from the kitchen tell me Xiomara is ying house again and


    I grit my teeth walking past that particr room so I don’t have to look at her.


    The shower is over faster than expected and I throw on a pair of gray sweats and a tank top before


    heading barefoot downstairs. As much as I want to avoid her, I am fucking starving and whatever she’s


    whipping up smells delicious.


    She looks up when she hears me approaching and smiles, knocking the wind out of me. I don’t miss


    the way her eyes slowly rake over my body as she clears her throat.


    “Just in time; I hope you like seafood,” she says before picking the tes up and walking over to the


    kitchen ind where we’ve been having our meals together.


    Seafood pae; gods, it smells even better up close.


    “Two for two; what’s the special asion?” I ask as I pick up my cutlery. “You must be reallying to


    terms with your captivity.”


    She visibly winces at my words and I feel like an asshole again. We remain quiet for a while, the


    atmosphere fraught with tension as we both pretend to enjoy the food with the anxiety making it difficult


    to breathe.


    “I deserved that,” she says as she pushes her food around her te. “I’m…just tired of fighting with


    you, Maxim, and going to sleep with my stomach in knots only to wake up and repeat the cycle.”


    My eyes find her and I see the sincerity in them. Now would be a good time to tell her that she doesn’t


    need to y nice because Niko is sending her back to her father and getting me a new bride.


    So why can’t I say the words?