Xavier’s POV
Kissing her forehead, I draw in a deep breath when Sloane slips her hand around my waist. The warmth of her touch lets me feel the steady beat of her pulse. Good. The mate bond is doing its job, keeping her grounded even through all this chaos.
Sorries mean nothing to her, and it makes me proud.
The way she remains tucked against me, without sparing him a single glance, seems to hit Kai harder than anything she could have said. His mouth tightens at one corner before he swallows, his eyes softening with an expression I recognize all too well.
Regret.
There was a time when her arms used to be around him.
A slight shift against me tells me Sloane may be trying to turn toward Kai, or perhaps she senses the tension building in my body. Maybe she needed air as I was already s
