The cabin was quiet again, but not in a comforting way.
Camilla stood by the fireplace, wrapping her arms around herself. Outside, the snow fell in silent sheets, covering the tracks of the men who had come for her.
Xavier had moved to the table, cleaning the blood from his knife with deliberate, measured strokes. It was the calm of a predator who knew the hunt wasn't over.
"We can't stay here," he said without looking up.
She frowned. "We just fought them off. They won't come back right away."
"They will," he replied. "And next time, they won't send amateurs."
Something in his tone made her pulse quicken. "You sound like you know exactly who's coming."
He didn't answer right away. That pause — too long, too heavy — was all the warning she got before the floor beneath her seemed to tilt.
"They're not after me," he said quietly. "They're after you."
Her breath caught. "Me?"
"Yes." His gaze lifted to hers, and there was something raw in his eyes, something that made her stomach twist. "You were never just a contestant, Camilla. You were a target from the start."
She shook her head slowly. "That makes no sense. Why—"
"Because of me."
The room seemed colder all at once. "What are you talking about?"
Xavier stood, the chair legs scraping against the floor. "Before the contest, I… made a deal. Someone wanted leverage against the Mansons. I never thought they'd use you for it."
Her heartbeat was too loud in her ears. "You knew I could be in danger?"
"I didn't know they'd come for you like this." His voice cracked slightly. "I thought I could keep you out of it. I thought I could protect you without you ever finding out."
Her throat felt tight, the burn of betrayal coiling in her chest. "So you put me in danger, and didn't think I deserved to know?"
"I didn't want to lose you," he said, stepping closer.
She backed away. "You should have given me the choice, Xavier."
His jaw clenched, and for a long moment, neither of them spoke. The only sound was the fire popping in the hearth.
Finally, he said, "If you walk away now, they'll find you. And I won't be there next time."
Camilla's heart warred with her mind. She wanted to run — to put as much distance between them as possible. But she could still feel the heat of his kiss from earlier, still hear the way his voice had broken when he promised to protect her.
She didn't know whether to hate him or to cling to him.
Outside, somewhere in the darkness, a branch snapped.
Xavier's eyes locked on the door. "They're here again."