Xavier Knight's POV

I stepped into the private room and immediately spotted Avery standing by the door, her smile carefully crafted to charm.

There was something rehearsed about it—too polished, too precise. It bored me, but I wasn't fooled. She wasn't here for idle chit-chat.

Our families were entwined in a large-scale joint venture, and this meeting was meant to iron out some of the finer points.

Yet, I had my own agenda. I was here for one reason: to glean whatever I could about Sophia.

"Xavier, I'm so glad you came," Avery greeted, her eyes flickering with eager expectation.

I nodded, forcing a calm into my voice. "Avery, time's precious for both of us. Let's cut to the chase."

She smiled faintly, acknowledging the prompt, and began detailing the business partnership.

As the meeting neared its end, I asked, "I hear your children are quite accomplished."

At the mention of her daughter, Isabella, Avery's eyes brightened instantly. She launched into a glowing account of Isabella's intelligence, her beauty, and her elevated status within the Black Rose Pack.

Her words felt like a parade of empty praise, and I found my patience thinning.

Interrupting her, I said, "Your husband... doesn't he have another daughter?"

The question struck her like a blow. Her smile faltered, a flicker of surprise and discomfort crossing her face.

But Avery quickly masked it, the light in her eyes replaced by a guarded sharpness.

"Oh, you mean that... Sophia."

I nodded, silently urging her to continue.

Her expression darkened ever so slightly before she composed herself, her tone heavy with disdain.

"Sophia... she's a monster, Xavier. A murderer. A dangerous threat. At twelve, she was locked up for attempted murder—trying to kill her father, me, and my two children."

"She disappeared right after her release. If you ever see her, you must warn me—she's a menace."

I listened, my irritation simmering beneath the surface. Her venom-laced words reeked of prejudice, twisted truths carefully coated in accusation.

Inside me, Ethan—the wolf—seethed with rage.

"That bitch is slandering your mate."

"Damn it! Get her as far away as possible! Her scent is revolting."

Still, I let Avery speak, because Sophia was mine. I needed every fragment of truth, every whisper of rumor.

Then—like a thread of jasmine drifting on the air—I caught it.

Sophia's scent.

It wrapped around me, unmistakable and intoxicating.

My heart slammed in my chest. Ethan roared from the depths of my being, claws raking deep into my soul.

She's here. Right outside. Find her. Now.

I inhaled deeply, forcing myself to stay composed. I fixed Avery with a cold stare.

"That's enough for today. I have other matters to attend to."

Her surprise flashed briefly before she masked it with a practiced smile.

"Of course, Xavier. I'm always here if you need me."

I didn't respond. Rising, I walked straight out.

My eyes swept the corridor—and there she was: Sophia, standing hesitantly near the corner, uncertainty and unease etched across her face.

My heart hammered again. Ethan bellowed within me.

"Mark her! She's ours!"

I closed the distance in a single stride, grabbing her arm. She flinched, startled, but I held her firmly against the wall.

"Are you following me?" I asked, voice low and edged with frustration.

Truthfully, I wasn't angry at her. My fury was reserved for Ethan and myself—for the fierce hunger that clawed at us both.

Sophia's breath came quick and shallow. Her eyes darted with confusion and fear.

Ethan, by contrast, exulted, howling triumphantly: She's ours.

Her phone suddenly rang. She pulled it out, voice trembling but controlled.

"I'm outside. Can you bring me the keys?"

Ethan's rage simmered down to a low growl, but it never fully faded.

Seeing her distress, I forced myself to step back, retreating toward the parking lot.

I climbed into my car and took a slow, grounding breath.

Ethan paced restlessly beneath my skin, snarling and restless.

Then, as I glanced up—there she was again, standing a short distance away.

Ethan erupted once more: "Mark her! The Moon Goddess wills it!"

Those words ignited a fire through my veins, raw and impossible to resist.

My knuckles whitened on the steering wheel as I fought to steady my mind.

"Sophia. Get in."

She shot me a wary glance.

After a moment's hesitation, she slid open the passenger door and climbed inside.

Silence fell, broken only by the hum of the engine.

"What did you talk about with Avery?" she finally asked.

I held my silence, knowing any truth I offered would be met with suspicion or pain.

"None of your business," I said coolly.

Her face darkened instantly. Fury ignited like dry tinder.

"You're working with her, aren't you? With Lucas and Isabella too. What do you want from me?"

Her body trembled, voice rising with accusation and hurt.

I saw the torment behind her eyes—something raw and struggling to break free.

Ethan howled in my mind: Her wolf is close. She's shifting.

I felt it too—her barely tamed power swirling inside her, threatening to burst free.

Her breaths became ragged, her hands clenched tight.

She was on the edge.

I couldn't wait any longer.

I leaned in, cupping her face with both hands, and pressed my lips to hers.

Her body went rigid, as if struck by lightning, but I held firm.

She resisted at first, tense and desperate to pull away.

Then, gradually, her breath slowed, her muscles softened.

Her wolf calmed.

I broke the kiss gently, still holding her gaze.

Her eyes were clearer now, her breath more even.

She blinked, dazed, caught between confusion and relief.

Then Ethan whispered in my mind, low and urgent: "Her wolf is in pain, Xavier. Not anger—pain."

I felt it too—the agony buried deep within her spirit.

Her wolf wasn't merely furious. It was broken.

And neither I nor Ethan could ease that suffering.

That helplessness sent a fresh shudder through Ethan's roar—not rage, but mournful grief.