Xavier’s POV Her eyes were still locked on mine, wide and unblinking, like a creature caught in the snare of its own making. My fingers remained under her chin, the pad of my thumb brushing the soft line of her jaw with just enough pressure to remind her who held the reins. Astrid. So fragile in appearance, yet there was steel beneath that porcelain skin—steel I had tested myself. She was beautiful in a way that clawed at the edges of my control, all delicate angles and quiet defiance. Her lips parted slightly, and I found myself tracing the faint flush creeping across her cheeks, the way her pulse fluttered visibly at the base of her throat. Mine to protect. Mine to command. The thought surged through me, dark and possessive, laced with something sharper I couldn’t name. No one had touched her while she was gone. If they had… the rage that flickered at the mere idea coiled low in my gut, hot and unfamiliar. Why did the thought of another’s hands on her ignite such fury? I owed her n
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