Xavier Thorne stood at the foot of her bed… still, composed, but the storm in his eyes gave him away.
That cold, perfect control he always carried was fractured tonight. His gaze was sharp but… defeated, as if every emotion he'd locked away had finally caught up with him.
"Xavier…" her voice cracked, barely a whisper.
He didn't answer at first. Just looked at her… not like the Alpha he was, but like a man seeing something he'd never wanted to see.
Her fragile body against white sheets.
The IV in her arm.
The bruised veins.
Finally, he spoke… his voice low, restrained, but each word heavy. "So it's true."
Athena blinked, her head swimming. "W-what… what's true?"
His jaw tightened. "You were there, Athena. At that hideous place. With my brother."
She flinched at the edge in his tone… the disappointment beneath it hurt more than the accusation itself.
Xavier's eyes flicked briefly to the monitor beside her, then back to her face. "You should have told me."
