**Xavier**
“I want you, Xavier…” she said.
Those words.
For f**k sake.
They did something to me. Like I’d been waiting, craving, needing to hear them.
I tried to understand her, gave her time to come clean, to tell me why she was hiding behind the mask.
It had to be Elena. Even if I was wrong, Bila wouldn’t mistake his mate. I wouldn't have felt that jolt of electricity in me every single time we got close. Too close.
But there was always one thing that messed with my head—her scent. It was different. Off. And yet, for the first time, I didn’t care.
I finally wanted to be close to her without pulling away.
I wanted her.
I missed her.
I ached her.
“Why do you keep doing this to me, Elena?” I whispered, brushing my fingers gently across her lips. “You’re f*****g killing me.”
“Y
