Chapter 4

XADEN

“Don’t tell me what to do.”

"Really?" I smirked to cover up the way my hands still shook from holding her.

"It was easy to get rid of that shitty husband of yours but you didn't"

Her face went blank, then anger surfaced as she pointed the gun to me.

Then I raised my hands up, teasingly.

"Where you sent to assassinate me? This was what I got from playing the good guy. Fuck that"

Silence.

"I thought of reconsidering" I added "Since you're too beautiful for the job"

She shot a bullet in the air, and I didn't cower.

"Xaden"

I hated my name, but the way she called it low and pissed sent something dangerous down my spine.

"Yes darling?" I smiled deviously.

Her eyes flashed with anger but my smile faded as I'd heard footsteps. Three of them, moving through the trees.

They weren't running but hunting.

I let out a whistle that sounded more like a seduction and immediately, she turned back-to-back with me.

The first masked man stepped out, gun raised.

Veralin fired first.

The shot went wide, but it was enough. The man ducked and I moved, caught him in the throat, and put him down.

The second came for me. I took him low, drove him into a tree.

The third went for her.

I saw it half a second too late.

He had a knife. She was reloading, shivering. She wouldn’t make it and my heart stopped.

Hastily I'd blocked it and the knife slid into my side instead of hers.

The pain hits like a burning flame. I caught the man’s wrist, broke it, and put him down with my fist.

When I looked up, Veralin was over me, sweat beading her forehead as she quaked.

“Xaden?"

I gritted my teeth and pressed a hand to my side. It came away wet.

Blood and I didn't want to believe what I was seeing in those eyes.

“Don’t look at me like that,” I muttered. “i'm fine"

“You’re bleeding!”

“I’ve had worse.” I snapped, mad at everything now.

But she scurried closer to me, helped me sit up. Veralin cursed at me under her breathe.

She placed her palm on mine, ripped a part of her dress to curb the bleeding.

While she did everything in a rush, only tingles flushed down my skin with every touch.

I actually hate her but ended up inhaling her hair with eyes closed.

“Why did you—? You could have died!” I snapped my eyes open, before she tilted her head to stare at me.

“Yeah,” I replied, void of emotions. “And you would have.”

She stared at me like I’d just slapped her.

"You're bleeding too..."

"Not as deep as yours" she mused. I'd almost given a response when another footstep set our gaze to the trees. A fourth, this time, the rogue appeared more confident.

“Leave the enforcer. The girl is the target.” he ordered.

My lips curved upward as she looked startled by my act.

"I guess you're stealing the spotlight now"

She took her hand off me and carried the gun, like she could save me.

How I want those hands to remain on me.

The rogue lunged towards her but she was swift to shift from me, causing him to land on me.

That was hard.

His claws accidentally dug into my flesh. I grunt. His brows furrowed as he realized it was his end and I dug my claws into his chest to pull out his heart.

Shit!

"You'd be the death of me veralin!"

I tossed the dead rogue off me, my claws morph back to normal fingers.

She returned, wiping her palms as she stretched her hand to grab me.

"But you didn't die" she responded, still petrified and beckoning me to be quick.

For half a second, I almost took it. My fingers twitched. Not because I wanted her help but because I wanted her.

Then I stood up on my own. Because taking her hand meant I was weak.

And if I was weak around her, I'd lose her again.

Just like last time.