LOGINXAVIERI didn’t expect him to answer. Really, I thought he was going to end the whole thing.“It’s not her I don't trust. I don’t trust what I don’t understand.” He started walking again. “But I trust you. If you say she’s not a threat, I believe you.”Something in my chest loosened. I swallowed thickly and nodded.“Thank you.” My voice came out thick with emotion. I cleared my throat and tried to speak normally. “What do we do now?”“We keep her here and make sure she is safe and under watch.” He glanced at me. “That won’t be enough. She should know how to defend herself so she needs to be trained.”“Train her?”“Whatever power she has, she needs to control it. Otherwise she’s vulnerable to Silas and anyone who wants to use her.”He was right. But she didn’t even know what she truly is and neither do we. How can we train something we don’t know?“And if she doesn’t want to?”“Then you convince her.” My father stopped. “Because the alternative is her getting taken again. And next time
XAVIERNeither of us said anything during the ride. When we pulled up to the pack house, my father was already waiting on the porch. His expression was grim.I helped a trembling Mia out of the car. Her hands tightened on mine as we walked up the porch.My father’s eyes moved between us. He barely acknowledged her before addressing me. “Meet me in my office.”I got Mia a glance, whose grip had become even more firm after he spoke. “Okay, but give me a minute—”“Now, Xavier.”I looked at Mia whose eyes were pleading with me. I gave her hand a small squeeze. “Go inside with Falcon. I’ll be right there.”She hesitated, studying my features before she slowly nodded. “Xavier—”“I’ll be right there,” I repeated, squeezing back. “Falcon will stay with you.”Falcon stepped forward with a gentle smile. “Come on. Let’s get you something warm, I'm sure you’ll want to rest.”Mia let Falcon lead her inside, but she kept looking back at me until the door closed.My father waited until they were gon
MIASilas escaped.The words echoed in my head. Over and over. Getting louder each time until his name was all I could hear.My chest felt tight and my heart was heavy. Like someone had wrapped a band around my ribs and was pulling it tighter and tighter.I opened my mouth, to breathe, to speak? I wasn’t sure. Nothing came out.“Mia?” Xavier’s voice sounded far away. “Mia, look at me.”I couldn’t. I couldn’t bring myself to so much as blink. All I could see was Silas standing in that doorway, his cold eyes pinned on me with that twisted smile on his lips.‘What I want is you. As my wife. Obedient. Compliant. The way you should have been from the beginning.’His hand grabbing my chin and forcing me to look at him.‘When he comes, I’ll kill him. And then you’ll have no one left to run to.’My breathing came faster. Each breath felt like I was trying to suck air through a straw.He has escaped. He’s going to come back for me.“Mia!” Xavier’s hands were on my face now. “Baby, you need to
MIA“Did you have to learn to do everything yourself?” I asked. “After your mom died?”“Pretty much. My dad wasn’t exactly the nurturing type.” He dried a plate. “Falcon helped though.”“You’re close with her.”“She’s the closest I have to family–” He shrugged. “She’s been there for every important moment of my life.”“That’s nice. Having someone like that.”He turned to look at me. “You have that now too. With me.”My breath caught.He dried his hands and walked over. Pulled out the chair beside me and sat down.He was so close I could see the gold flecks of his irises very clearly now.“Can I ask you something?” he said.I nodded, unable to form words with him so close.“When you ran from Silas. What made you finally do it? You were with him for years.”I looked down at my hands. “I was in that hall, listening to everyone talk about how we looked good together. How I was lucky to be marrying into their family,” I felt the urge to gag but I held it back, “I couldn’t breathe. Like the
CHAPTER 52: AlmostMIAI woke up warm. That was the first thing I noticed, even before my eyes fluttered open. Not the ache in my body or the dull throb in my wrists. Just warmth and the steady rise and fall of a chest beneath my cheek.We’d fallen asleep on the couch. I was curled against his side, my head on his chest. His arm was wrapped around me, holding me close.I lifted my head slowly, careful not to wake him. But his eyes opened anyway. Alert and locked on mine.“Hey,” he said softly. His voice was rough with sleep. It made my stomach flutter and a flush that had nothing to do with his warm chest spread from my chest to my face.“Hey.” I replied, my voice sounding soft.We stared at each other for a moment, not speaking but somehow communicating. Our hearts were beating in sync, I could feel it.The way we fit, it was too perfect. Simple logic didn’t explain the connection I felt to him. It made me want to learn about the mate bond thing.Xavier moved, pulling me from my thou
MIAI sat in the backseat of the SUV, wrapped in a blanket someone had given me. Xavier sat beside me, so close our thighs touched.He hadn’t let go of my hand since we got in the car. His thumb traced small circles on my palm. Like he needed to keep touching me to make sure I was real.I understood the feeling.My body ached. My wrists burned where the ropes had cut into my skin. The bruise on my cheek throbbed. But we are together now.I glanced at Xavier. His jaw was tight. His eyes fixed straight ahead.He hadn’t said much since we left the field, he only held my hand and stayed close.Falcon was driving. Xavier’s father sat in the passenger seat. Neither of them spoke either.The silence felt heavy, even a little suffocating.I wanted to ask questions, to know what happened to Silas and understand what he meant about my father. But I was too tired and overwhelmed to do so much as speak.After what felt like hours but was probably only thirty minutes, we pulled up to a house.“Whe







