Chapter 28: Xavier

There was so much I wanted to say about her little, optimistic view of this world. Hell, if it had been anyone else who said that to me, I would have stomped all over it, but I couldn't even begin to bring myself to do that, not to her. The way she looked up at me with so much hope shining in those big, bright, innocent blue eyes had me shutting my mouth for once. I just couldn't bring myself to burst her little bubble and tell her the truths I've learned about this cold, unforgiving world. 

'Welcome to the life. You should start preparing yourself for far worse than this.' Bane's deep rumble broke through my thoughts, and I glanced down at where he was shamelessly pressed up against the backs of Ari's legs as Nova was all but tangled together with him. 

'I didn't ask for your opinion, asshole.' I responded, and he just laughed at me, but I ignored him, instead I just turned my attention back to Ari. She had closed those pretty eyes now as she curled in as close as she could possibly get to me. Her long, auburn hair was splayed out behind her, and I wanted to run my fingers through the long strands as they shone like silk in the moonlight. She was so damn beautiful. Her soft, pink lips parted slightly as her breathing deepened and she fully relaxed into me.

She was far too damn sweet and innocent for this place. She may enjoy playing tough, but she wasn't anything of the sort, not yet, at least. Slowly, I trailed my hand over her side, gently tracing over the curve of her waist as she sighed in her sleep, and I couldn't help the smile that tipped my lips. It still felt a little foreign, though, considering that before she came along, the last time I had actually had something to smile about felt like it had been lifetimes ago.

'I told you.' Bane's deep voice cut through my thoughts once more, and I shot him a glare. 'What? Can't just accept the fact that I was right from the start? You're the one who thought it would be a good idea to try to fight the mate bond. I told you that it would only end one way, and that's this right here. A mate bond isn't something you can deny, and it will only get stronger if you try.' He laid his head up on top of Ari's thigh as he met my glare with one of his own. I flipped him off, and he snapped his teeth at me. 

'You don't have to rub it in. I got that part already, or did you miss the whole part of me openly admitting that she can and has brought me to my knees?' 

'Oh, I didn't miss it. I just enjoy making you repeat it. Simply because you didn't think this fiery little girl could, and now look at you. Big, bad Xavier curled up with a fiery little girl after turning in a life debt owed to you just to help her.' 

'What else was I supposed to do? She's taken everything I had to throw at her in stride and barely even questioned it, Bane. What else was I supposed to do when she came to me for help?'

'I'm not saying you were wrong to do it. Hell, I think it's one of the best decisions your dumbass has ever made. I just wish you had actually taken my advice rather than being a dumbass and trying to avoid the inevitable. At least then you would be out of this little honeymoon phase already, and be able to think about anything other than how silky smooth her hair is or how soft her skin is.' He mocked, and I wanted to growl at him, but swallowed it down. The last thing I wanted was to wake her right now, especially like that. 'You're only proving my point further.' 

'It would do you well to remember who feeds and takes care of your surly ass.' I warned, glaring down at his stretched out form, but he just laughed at me. 

'At this point, all I'd have to do is tell Ari that you're being a dick, and she'd take over that role.' I took a breath before ignoring him as I lay back, this time I blocked him entirely from my mind. I didn't need him mocking me anymore tonight.

The next morning, I woke up at my normal time, about two hours before anyone else in this place started to even think about stirring. Thanks to years of needing to shift before anyone else was up, my body worked like its own alarm clock, but unlike most mornings, when I was all but running to get out of this prison and into the open sky, I wasn't in a hurry. I couldn't be. Not when it felt far better than any flight to have her small frame pressed in against me. 

She was curled in as close as she could possibly get to me without literally climbing on top of me, and I took a breath, attempting to calm my body's heated reaction to the soft, warm press of her against me. Although it was proving to be a far harder task now than it had been last night, considering that my shirt had ridden dangerously high up her sides, to the point that my fingers were brushing over the soft, smooth skin of her hip, and her bare thigh was pressed against the rock hard proof of exactly how much I wanted her to be doing far more than just practically laying on top of me. Every single breath I took held her soft, sweet scent, and I was so fucked if I stayed here even a moment longer, but I knew it would take every ounce of willpower I had to pull myself away from her. 

Taking one more deep breath, I slowly eased out from under her. She let out a soft whimper in her sleep as I very carefully replaced my chest with a pillow and tucked the blanket back around her before heading to the bathroom. Quietly shutting the door behind me, I turned the shower on as cold as it would go. 

Bane was openly laughing at me as I stepped under the icy spray, cursing at the hard jolt to my system this early in the morning. 'Fuck off, asshole.' I shot down our bond, but still got nothing but laughter in return. While unpleasant, it helped, instantly cooling the inferno she had created in my body, and slowly I turned the temperature up before pulling at the tape holding the now soaked bandage on my shoulder. The second the water touched the deep puncture wounds, pain shot down my arm, causing me to wince, but either way, it still needed to be washed off. 

The image that pain brought to my mind, though, still sent shivers down my spine. He had been so close to killing her, far too close for comfort. It had been a harsh reminder of exactly what I stood to lose at this place, but it had also been a test, and I had failed it miserably. They were testing to see just how far I would go for her, and they found what I would be willing to give them anything they wanted for. I could preach all I wanted to them that it was for the bond that Bane held with Nova, but in their eyes, no sane person would sacrifice their life for their familiar's. Familiars would be reborn eventually; people wouldn't. 

I leaned back against the wall. I knew it was only a matter of time before they would hold her over my head as an ultimatum, but I could only hope that we could figure a way out of this place before then. I couldn't keep her here for much longer now that we both stopped fighting this bond. It was only going to grow stronger, and the longer she was here, the more danger we were both in. I've already gone to extremes for her, and it would only get worse once we're fully mated. 

Taking a breath, I calmed my thoughts before reaching to shut off the shower. Taking my towel from the hook on the wall, I made quick work of drying off before busying myself with replacing the bandage I had ripped off with a new one and pulling on one of my uniforms.