“Living room. Now.” Xavier cuts him off with a voice that brooks no argument.
I rise smoothly, touching Dominic’s arm to defuse his mounting anger. “Let’s hear him out.”
In the living room, Xavier positions himself so he can see all three of us. “I’ll be brief. Ms. Pike is now under my protection.”
“The fuck she is,” Dominic snarls. “We claimed her fair and square.”
Xavier’s smile doesn’t reach his eyes. “Let me clarify. You have your year, as tradition dictates. But if she sustains any harm—any bruise she doesn’t explicitly ask for—you answer to me personally.”
“We’re not amateurs,” I interject, fascinated by this unexpected development. “Cora’s pleasure and safety are paramount.”
Xavier’s gaze pins me. “See that it stays that way. This isn’t about the Hunt anymore. It’s a personal favor.”
“To whom?” Ryder asks.
“Someone who matters.” Xavier adjusts his cufflinks. “Remember what I said.”
I glance toward the hallway, catching a glimpse of Cora—just visible enough to hear everything while remaining hidden. Clever girl.
“You don’t get to dictate terms in my home,” Dominic growls.
Xavier steps closer to him. “I’m not dictating. I’m promising consequences.”
The air crackles between them, two apex predators sizing each other up.
I break the tension. “Message received.”
With a final assessing look, Xavier departs as abruptly as he arrived.
The front door closes with a decisive click. Dominic paces like a caged predator, jaw tight enough to crack teeth. “What the fuck was that?” he demands of no one in particular.
“That,” I say, “was an unexpected complication.” I turn toward the hallway. “You can come out now, Cora.”
She emerges slowly; chin lifted in that defiant way I’m starting to find endearing. “How did you know I was there?”
“You breathe loudly when you’re nervous.” I gesture toward the couch. “Join us.”
Ryder slides his hands into his pockets. “Anyone else curious why Xavier Blackwood suddenly appointed himself Cora’s guardian angel?”
Dominic stops pacing. “It has to be your father,” he tells Cora. “No one else has that kind of pull with the Blackwoods.”
I watch her expression. “Is that possible? Your father and Xavier?”
She shakes her head. “It’s Mira. The woman Xavier claimed. She must have asked him to check on me. She’s my best friend.”
“Mira?” Dominic scoffs, running a hand through his hair. “What does she have to do with this?”
I study Cora’s expression, the pieces clicking together in my mind. “She was Xavier’s prey during the Hunt,” I say. “And now she’s what... his girlfriend?”
“No way.” Ryder drops onto the couch. “Xavier doesn’t do relationships. He does conquests.”
Something tugs at my memory. “Wait. Didn’t Xavier claim her for a year, too?”
“Yeah,” says Ryder, surprise crossing his features. “First time he’s ever done that.”
Dominic stops pacing, his eyes widening. “Xavier’s never claimed anyone for a year before.”
“And now he’s making house calls to check on his prey’s best friend?” I can’t help but laugh. “The great Xavier Blackwood has caught feelings.”
