The scene before Kaden got under his skin more than it should have. It left a bad taste in his mood. Yuki always had a talent for ruining his ti.
Xavier knelt there with Yuki’s leg in his hands applying sothing to her ankle like it was the most natural thing in the world. The mall noise buzzed around them with shoppers chatting and the faint scent of fresh bread drifting from nearby stalls but none of it distracted him from how close the other guy leaned in.
Her hair still looked ssy from their earlier run on the field and her face had a faint blush on her cheeks which kind of made it worse.
Yet here she sat letting another man fuss over her without protest. He clicked his tongue. So much for her claiming she would rather pick a rogue. The mory of her sharp words from the track made him smirk. She had called him a bad kisser and an arrogant bastard only hours ago. Now this.
So this was the better candidate. He almost laughed, not that he cared.
Eloise paused at his side, her steps faltering for the briefest mont. Her smile dipped then smoothed back into place as her gaze flicked between Xavier crouched near Yuki and Kaden.
Sothing in the air felt off to her but she tucked the observation away quickly. "Xavier what are you doing here?" she asked, her voice light and curious. "I thought you had training scheduled for this evening."
Xavier glanced up, surprise flashing across his face for a second before he masked it with his usual calm. He did not stop tending to the injury, instead pressing the healing potion into the wound with steady fingers. "Decided to take a break," he replied evenly.
Yuki felt Kaden’s gaze on her. Her stomach churned but she tried to ignore him.
Kaden snorted. "Taking breaks now? Your father must be proud of that level of discipline if you plan on succeeding him." The sarcasm wasn’t hard to miss.
Xavier finished with the potion and placed a small cat-shaped bandage over the spot before rising to his full height. "I could say the sa," he returned smoothly. "Aren’t future alphas ant to lead by example?" The words carried respect on the surface yet carried a hidden taunt.
Yuki sat frozen on the bench, her eyes wide as she watched the exchange. She clearly could not believe anyone would speak to Kaden that way.
Kaden’s jaw tightened. He had trained with Xavier enough tis to know the guy often skipped the deference most wolves showed to superior bloodlines. It was annoying every single ti.
Xavier noticed the shift in his expression but said nothing more. Instead, he handed the paper bag of takeout to Yuki. She grabbed a burger imdiately and took large hungry bites barely registering the thick tension crackling around her. The rich sll of grilled at and sauce filled the space between them while mall music played faintly in the background.
Eloise stepped forward sensing the need to ease the mont. "Co on, there is no need to be hostile. We all know each other after all." She offered Xavier a bright smile. "I understand training can be draining but I never expected to see you two together. Did not expect Yuki to have a boyfriend so soon."
Yuki stopped mid-chew, her cheeks puffed out as surprise crossed her face. She wondered what ga Eloise played with that comnt. Xavier arched an eyebrow but kept his tone respectful knowing her position in the pack. "We are just friends. I was showing her around the city. Do not mind us and go ahead with your day."
Eloise studied them both noting the clear lack of welco in the air. She gave a polished diplomatic smile. "Of course. I was just doing so shopping for Saturday. You are coming aren’t you?"
Confusion flickered over Xavier’s face. Eloise laughed softly and added "It is my birthday this weekend don’t tell you forgot."
Xavier hesitated. "I do not think..." he was about to turn her down.
"I am sure your father would hate for you to miss the beta’s daughter’s eighteenth birthday celebration," Eloise cut in her smile too sweet to argue with. She glanced at Yuki then. "Sa as you of course."
She linked her arm through Kaden’s without waiting for answers. "I will be expecting both of you. Bye." With that, she tugged him along through the crowd and her grip was firm.
Throughout the exchange, Yuki and Kaden avoided each other’s eyes completely. Facing him after the kiss felt impossible for her, the mory of his mouth and the confusing heat was still too fresh. She watched his broad back disappear into the mall flow and so of the weight finally eased from her chest.
Xavier turned back to her once they were gone. "You do not like her," he said suddenly.
She took another bite of the burger chewing fast. "I am not allowed to," she bit back around the food.
"You have the freedom to whom you want," he replied, his voice growing more serious. "But it should not be the future luna of Ravencourt. Eloise is not just a mate. She is tied to the future of this pack."
Yuki swallowed her bite with difficulty. The burger suddenly sat more heavily in her stomach. "What do you an?" Sothing in his tone felt wrong like he carried secrets she did not want to hear.
Xavier squatted down in front of her again bringing his brown eyes level with hers. He leaned forward, closing the distance between them.
The mall crowd moved on around them oblivious. His gaze darted around as if to make sure no one was listening to them. "You know the Ravencourt curse right? The heirs can only be born by a fated mate."
Yuki nodded. "Yeah. That is why they are all over her." She did not like how the words tasted.
"That is only half the story." He glanced around quickly to ensure no one lingered nearby then lowered his voice. "The heirs are triplets but it is not certain they are all mated to Eloise. Succession can turn brutal even with Killian as the eldest. So the top officials made a rule for cases with multiple heirs."
Yuki’s stomach churned. She leaned in slightly to hear him better. "The first heir to find his fated mate takes the throne if they are not all mated to the sa one."
Her eyes widened. "What if it is two of them?"
Xavier shook his head. "There has never been a case like that. It is either one or all." The aning settled over her heavily. Eloise was not simply the future Luna. She served as the guarantee that kept the triplets’ claim to power stable.
From across the mall Eloise caught sight of them crouched so close their faces nearly touched. It looked far more intimate than reality. She tugged harder on Kaden’s arm, her voice carrying an obvious smug contempt tone. "She is really like her mother. Looking for a rich heir to target and she has barely been here a week."
Kaden’s gaze shifted at the sight. From this distance, it almost looked like they were about to kiss. His jaw tightened before he could stop the reaction. Annoyance flared sharp and ugly inside him. Ridiculous. He did not care who she sat with or what she did. He wanted to dismiss the whole thing. It would be easier than thinking about what had happened on the field earlier.
"Do not bother about random people," he scoffed, clicking his tongue as he pulled Eloise along. Yet the irritation lingered, refusing to fade completely.
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