"You guys did what?" Raven asked in astonishment.I had decided to visit her with Rosalina, since she’d been asking to see me. She was currently holding Rosalina and playing with her while I told her what had happened earlier."So he just left?" she asked, blinking in disbelief."Well... he said, ‘They say the ones you love the most, you hurt the worst’—and then he just walked out," I said.I was still confused by Xavier’s words and actions, but they resonated deeply. They meant something to me, even if I wasn’t sure what yet.“Damn... I want your mate,” Raven muttered under her breath."Speaking of mates—have you talked to Chris?" I asked, narrowing my eyes."Does yelling at him and calling him a f*cking idiot count as talking?""No. Why would that even be a question?""Then no, I haven’t talked to him," she said coldly."Raven, why are you being so immature?" I asked impatiently."Yup, that’s me," she snapped, throwing her hands in the air. "Raven, the immature little sh*thead who w
I truly felt sorry for Xavier—but I still didn’t forgive him.I knew his story wasn’t meant to gain pity, but I couldn’t help the resentment.All of this was his fault.If he hadn't said that one sentence, we wouldn't be in this mess.“Are you ashamed?” I asked as I stepped closer to him.His tall figure towered over mine, and with each step I took, the space between us shrank until our bodies were almost touching.“I’m never ashamed of my actions... except for when I rejected you,” he said. “That—I’m ashamed of. But I can still try to make things right.”My hand gently made contact with his arm, and I slowly dragged it upward. I felt him flinch slightly from the sudden jolt of electricity between us, but I ignored it.Reaching up, I brushed my fingers across the scar on his right bicep, caressing it tenderly.“I never meant for you to hurt yourself over my absence,” I whispered, standing on my tiptoes so my lips were near his ear. I trailed my fingers along his jawline, and he shiver
I woke up to the sound of Rosalina’s squeals.Immediately, I rushed out of bed to the side of the crib.“What do you want, you little troublemaker?” I asked playfully.She looked up at me with a confused expression.“Is Mama’s girl ready for food?” I cooed, picking her up and tossing her gently into the air. She gave me a toothless grin as I spun her around lightly.I sat on the bed with her in my lap and started undoing my shirt. I held her close as she latched on, humming a soft lullaby while stroking the back of her tiny head.“You’re a beautiful mother, you know that, right?” a husky voice called from the door.I jumped slightly, startled to see Xavier standing there. He was wearing a plain white shirt and dark blue jeans, yet somehow he still looked irresistible.“What the hell, Xavier? How long have you been standing there?” I asked quietly, not wanting to disturb Rose.“Ever since you woke up,” he replied. “I came in earlier to check on you while you were sleeping. You know you
I walked over to Rosalina’s crib and looked down at her.My wolf didn’t really like Rosalina, but I had to keep reminding him—it wasn’t her fault. It was Gabriel’s.Rosalina had blonde hair like her father, but striking blue eyes like her mother. I noticed a heart-shaped birthmark on her arm.“I want to talk to you in your office,”my father mind-linked me.I sighed and glanced over at Anais.“I’ll make this all better. I swear,” I whispered, then stepped out of the room.I climbed to the third floor and entered my office, where my father was already seated on my desk.“What is it now?” I asked flatly.“Were you just with her?” he asked, standing up.He was a tall man with light brown hair and average brown eyes, but his face always wore that cold, stern expression.“Why does that matter?” I growled.He walked over and stood in front of me, towering slightly.“Do you not understand that she killed your brother? She doesn’t care about you,” he said harshly.“Do you even hear yourself?”
Xavier’s POVI watched as she cuddled into Daniel’s chest on the couch, his arm wrapped around her waist—knowing that she belonged to me, not him. That smile, that love-struck face—it should’ve been mine to cause, not his. I took a deep breath and stepped into the living area.Anais noticed me walk in and immediately jumped up to give me a hug.“Hey, Xavier! Where have you been? I thought you forgot about me,” she pouted, then smiled.I loved it when she smiled. Her whole face lit up, and it could bring a smile to anyone's face. Her baby blue eyes shimmered with joy, dimples soft in her cheeks, long curly black hair cascading down to her waist. But she wasn’t mine. Not yet.“I could never forget about you now, could I?” I grinned down at her.I looked over at Daniel, who was frowning at me.“Actually, I came down here to talk to Daniel,” I said, my tone turning serious.He got up from the couch, pulled Anais close, and kissed her on the cheek. I balled my hands into fists, trying to h
"Felicity, you don’t understand pain the way I’m feeling it right now!" Raven screamed, clutching her head in agony and squirming on the hospital bed.It had taken us twenty minutes to calm her down, and now she was starting up again."Raven, please... calm down. I can’t watch you like this," I pleaded.She looked like she was in unbearable pain, and it hurt me to see her like this."Felicity, an Alpha’s connection with their pack is strong. I could feel them in my mind—their screams, their pain, their agony. It was horrible. I had the worst headache imaginable. It was pain beyond pain, and I just couldn’t deal with it. He killed them all," Raven sobbed.I felt terrible. She had only wanted to make her pack better, to free them from Gabriel’s rule—and now they were all dead. She had been crying ever since she woke up and healed, never telling me exactly why. I assumed it was because her pack members were gone."Give me the child while you take care of your friend," Xavier whispered in