Chapter 64
Sébastian
I wake with a start , the air around me thick with something I can’t describe. My chest tightens, heart racing in a way it shouldn’t. A rush of terror hits me like a tidal wave, crashing over every part of me, seizing my breath. It’s cold, too cold, but I can feel it in my bones, in the very marrow. Rowan.
The bond snaps open wide, the connection between us flaring as though a switch has been flipped. Her fear is a sharp blade in my chest, a jagged, raw thing that cuts through the calm of sleep. She’s in trouble. I can feel it. The panic, the desperation. It claws at me. No.
I’m on my feet before I even register the movement, my body jolting into full awareness.
“Rowan!” I gasp; my voice rough with the panic flooding through me.
Cole groans beside me, shifting in the bed, his arm half-draped over Massimo’s chest. Massimo stirs too, a low sound of confusion escaping his lips, but I don’t have time for any of this.
“ She’s in trouble, ” I shout, the words urgent, jagged.
Both of them are awake now, their eyes wide, their faces snapping into focus as they sense the shift in me. They don’t question it. They know. Cole is the first to spring from the bed, his muscles taut with readiness. “Where is she?” His voice is already low, commanding.
Massimo pushes himself up as well, reaching for his discarded clothes. “What happened?” His gaze meets mine, concern furrowing his brow.
“She’s not home.” The realization hits me like a punch to the gut, and I can feel the panic surge again, only this time it’s not just hers. It’s mine, too.
We move fast, throwing on clothes in silence, the urgency of the moment burning through me. My mind is already scanning the bond, reaching out for her presence, trying to home in on her. But it’s hard. The connection is distorted by her fear, her chaos, and I can’t get a clear read. I don’t know where she is, but I know one thing. S he’s terrified.
We do a quick sweep of the house, checking every room, every corner, just to make sure she isn’t here, that she hasn’t returned without us knowing. My stomach sinks lower with each empty room. She’s not here.
My heart skips a beat. Where is she?
“We need to go,” I growl, my voice tight. “Now.”
The three of us rush toward the front door, my feet moving faster than my brain can process. I don’t know what’s happening, but every instinct in my body is screaming that she’s in danger.
Just as we reach the door, a car pulls up in front of the house, tires crunching on the gravel driveway. I freeze, every muscle tense. The bond pulses with a sudden clarity. A jolt of her presence fills me, faint but undeniable. It’s her, Rowan. She’s there.
I look at Massimo and Cole, and the urgency in their eyes matches my own. We don’t wait. We burst out of the door together, rushing toward the car. My heart is pounding in my ears.
As the car door opens, I can see her through the tinted windows, pale, shaky, and bruised in ways I can’t yet comprehend. My chest aches, the bond between us thrumming with her residual fear. She’s here. She’s safe. For now.
But I can feel her trembling from across the distance, and the terror racing down the bond tells me we’re only just getting started. I’m frozen for a moment, watching as the car pulls up, my mind still tangled in the bond between me and Rowan, the residual fear and confusion racing through her.
I watch as Xavier steps out of the car first, his movements sharp, purposeful. He doesn’t hesitate for a second. His eyes scan the car before locking onto Rowan, and I can see it, the protective instinct , he’s in full control, but there's an intensity in the way he looks at her that I can’t quite explain.
He extends his hand to her, but she hesitates for just a moment, her fingers shaking as they find his. Then, without warning, he scoops her into his arms, lifting her effortlessly as though she’s nothing more than a feather.
My chest tightens at the sight. It’s a beautiful, instinctive move, the kind of action that shows just how deeply he cares, how much he’s willing to protect her.
Xavier doesn’t even look back as he carries her, moving swiftly toward the front door. His eyes stay locked on Rowan, his focus sharp. She’s completely in his arms now, but I can feel the weight of the bond pulling at me, her fear still lingering even though he’s holding her.
I can’t help but follow behind, my feet moving with purpose, as if the very air shifts when she’s near. I’m not far behind them when Xavier enters the house, carrying her through the door with ease, her head resting against his chest. It’s a sight that stirs something deep inside me, a fierce protectiveness I can’t deny.
They’re safe. She’s safe now.
I stop just inside the door, my breath steadying, watching as Xavier gently sets Rowan down on the couch. I can’t help but watch the way his hands linger on her, as if he’s reassuring himself, she’s still here, still with him. I can see it in his eyes, he’s already vowed to protect her, and I can feel the weight of that vow too, even though my own bond with her is still so new, still raw.
"She's okay," I say, though the words feel strange in my mouth, almost unnecessary. But Xavier doesn’t need to hear it from me. He’s already shown her more than enough care and protection.
I take a deep breath, my eyes on Rowan as she begins to settle, the tremors in her body still visible. We’re all here now. And as much as my heart aches for her, I know she’s in the best hands.
The bond between us, still trembling and uncertain, is already pulling us closer. But for now, I stay back, watching them both, watching Xavier reassure Rowan, watching her find her grounding in him. And I know, with everything in me, that nothing’s going to pull us apart.