Chapter 69: He knew
Xavier’s eyes narrowed at her words. He drew in a sharp breath and stumbled a pace back, clearly caught off guard.
Kieran, still hidden in the darkness, felt his eyes flash with something lethal. Every inch of his body screamed at him to move, to charge forward and rip Xavier away from her. Yet he did not. He gathered every ounce of his self-control to remain hidden among the shadows.
The air grew thick between Xavier and Yuki. He felt his cock twitch subconsciously. This was not right. It did not feel right. Yet a small part of him desperately wanted it to continue.
No, he snapped inwardly, shoving the dangerous thought deep down. He tried to stay calm.
"Do you know what you are saying, Yuki?" he asked in a low, raspy voice. He slowly crouched before her, trying his best to keep his gaze on her face while an absolute goddess sat naked in front of him.
Yuki’s beauty was one fact no one could talk down. It was also the main root of Eloise’s insecurities. But he guessed that to the Ravencourt brothers, beauty was not everything. They probably even hated her for it. The same lethal beauty that had already begun to destroy parts of their family.
Yuki’s face instantly burned at his question. Her fingers curled against the ground. "I know what I am saying," she whispered in a low, shy voice that made Xavier subconsciously smile. His eyes crinkled at the corners as he saw her bashful expression. It was kind of cute, the way her ears turned red.
"Are you sure?" he drawled. The breeze blew gently through his hair while the soft chirping of crickets filled the night. Yuki nodded, and her face grew even hotter. Her heart picked up speed. Xavier’s sharp hearing caught every frantic beat perfectly.
"Then have you done this before?" he asked. He lowered his gaze slowly, glancing at her chest, which she firmly covered with crossed arms. He could feel the tension in her body, the way she subconsciously retreated under his stare. "Have you served a man before or crossed that line?" he asked, and she could not control her reaction.
She subconsciously glanced away, still firmly curling up to hide her nipples and the intimate area between her clenched legs. "I have," she replied.
Xavier suddenly closed the distance between them. His breath was hot against her skin. She could feel the heat radiating from his body.
Kieran watched every single detail from the shadows. A sharp pain twisted violently in his chest. What was he doing? Before he completely lost control, he used the last of his willpower and sprinted away.
The bond was fucking messing with him. He remembered that clumsy kiss in the car, the way she had kissed like someone who had never done it before. Was it all an act? How many had she served before? And most importantly, what did any of it have to do with him?
This bond was being a real pain in the ass.
Back in the clearing, the moonlight continued to filter through the thick canopy. Xavier’s clean, exciting masculine scent — a blend of crisp citrus, warm sandalwood, and a hint of fresh rain — filled her nostrils as his breaths fanned against her skin. He did not touch her, but his presence was too strong to ignore.
If anything, he had one of the strongest warrior presences she had ever come across. "Why are you lying?" Xavier whispered, and her head snapped toward him. Her eyes went wide before she could stop the reaction.
"How did..." Her lips clamped shut. "What makes you think a seductress like me does not have experience?" she teased instead, trying to force confidence into her voice.
Xavier’s hand touched her thigh, slowly attempting to move upward. She instinctively flinched, pulling away from his touch. He laughed softly. "That is the evidence, Yuki. You have never crossed the line before," he stated. He slowly added, meeting her gaze, "You are a virgin."
"I am not a virgin. That means nothing. I flinched because you are not my mate," she argued in a serious tone, but Xavier only looked more amused.
"Those are excuses," Xavier said firmly. "You flinched because you are not comfortable."
He sighed deeply. "You do not have to do this. Save your first time to be important and do not waste it on petty jealousy."
Her eyes flew open. "What do you mean?" she whispered. Xavier chuckled.
"One of the triplets was here, was he not? Although he stayed hidden, I could sense the hostility," Xavier explained. He had not sensed Kieran’s exact presence, but his heightened training had picked up the hostility and the gut feeling of being watched.
Yuki, on the other hand, had sensed Kieran’s hidden presence due to the mate bond. Although she did not know which exact triplet it was, she guiltily glanced away.
"Because you want to push them away does not mean you have to be careless," Xavier said calmly. "I admit it. I am attracted to you. But I do not want to be a rebound in your complicated relationships. Do not let them dictate your life."
Her expression hardened. "They do not dictate my life. I do not fucking care about them," she spat.
Xavier’s expression remained calm. "You care, Yuki. More than you want to admit." Her heart squeezed painfully. He smiled, but the expression did not reach his eyes. "You probably started developing feelings before the festival. It is impossible to feel nothing when you live under the same roof and they are painfully your fated mates."
"I do not like them," Yuki denied. "I will never love anyone who treats me that way," she said, struggling with the words. She remembered the cold looks, especially Kaden’s icy gaze.
"Let us pretend attraction ever follows the rules," Xavier chuckled. He then stood up. "As tempting as this would be, it would not be right when your emotions are a complete mess."
He turned around. "Head back before a search party is sent." With that, he shifted into his brown wolf and disappeared into the woods.
Yuki’s fingers dug into the ground. She did not love them. The reason she had offered herself to Xavier had partly to do with sensing one of the triplets watching, but she had also wanted to prove something to herself.
She wanted to prove she was not affected by them. Yet she could not even stand Xavier’s touch without feeling conflicted.
The night had fallen quiet by the time Yuki emerged from the forest. She was already dressed in the clothes she had hidden at the forest boundary. From the back entrance, she could hear the clear, haunting sounds of a piano. She was confused about who was playing this late.
She wondered if it was one of the triplets. She made her way toward the grand stairs. The music grew closer. The melody was beautiful yet deeply sorrowful.
Close to the stairs, she finally saw the silhouette of the person playing. Moonlight streamed in through the tall windows. His back was turned to her, but she recognised that clean floral scent mixed with herbs. Kieran.
She stopped and simply stared at him, but he acted as if she were not there. The awkwardness stretched between them until she turned to leave. That was when his voice stopped her.
"You knew I was close by, did you not?" he asked. She froze. How could he tell? His next words were sharper. "Tricks like that do not work on me, MiYuki Donovan." He called her full name in a condescending tone.
