Chapter Fifty-Six

XANDER POV

Nora’s mark is burning in a searing intensity, the distance between us so great that Ares and I can barely focus. The only solace I have is that the pain only exists in the mark, and not my entire body. I had witnessed the pain my mother endured at the hands of my father’s infidelities.

She used to hide it from me, but it eventually got to where she no longer could. The torment she endured at the hands of a man who was supposed to cherish her it still makes me cringe. Watching my mother whither away into nothing made me realize the fragileness of the mate bond. It was in that moment that I promised myself I would never be like him.

Turning the SUV onto the lane leading to New Moon’s gate, we nod to the warriors standing in the box. This is the last place I want to be. The airport is where I should be. Although, the possibility of Cain taking Nora to a public airport is slim. He was trained by our father, meaning he probably flew from a private hangar.

Exhaustion clings t