Xavier stared up at Ava, where just moments before, she’d been slaking the firestorm raging in his blood. Their bond had deepened, giving Ava glimpses of himself that weren’t meant for anyone’s eyes but his own.
He’d balked at the pity in her eyes – at the fact that after all that she’d gone through, she still had it in her spirit to find sympathy for the likes of those who caused her pain.
That was something Xavier couldn’t reconcile. The idea of mercy had become so foreign to him, that he still struggled with the idea of forgiving Ava amidst the well of doubt. Vengeance and retribution had become his bread and wine, and the knowledge that Ava could just…move past her own, floored him. Agitated him.
So, he pushed her. Because that was what he did. His need to punish Ava had sub
