“Yeah,” he says lightly, voice steady but not quite meeting my gaze for more than a second. “Couldn’t sleep. Figured I’d get a head start on the day.”
I frown, the fog in my head clearing slower than I’d like. The room smells like him—warm amber and faint soap from last night’s shower. It usually comforts me, but right now as I watch his mechanical movements, it just heightens the wrongness. The past few days rush through my mind, and I search for something I’ve done that might’ve upset him, but I come up blank.
“Why are you in uniform?” I ask carefully, knowing how much he hates wearing it. “What’s going on? Shift doesn’t start for hours.”
“Just… routine stuff. Aeliphis asked me to take care of a few things.”
He shrugs one shoulder in that casual way he does when he’s deflecting, and my heart hammers faster.
Xeni walks over, the leather creaking softly with each step, and leans down to kiss me. It’s soft at first, his lips warm and familiar, but then it deepens. His hand cups the back of my neck, fingers threading through my hair like he’s holding on for dear life.
I melt into it, my arms wrapping around his shoulders to pull him closer. His taste floods my senses. Mint from his toothpaste, and the underlying bite of coffee from the empty mug on the table.
For a moment, I forget the unease.
When he pulls back, his forehead rests against mine, breaths mingling in the small space between us. His fingers linger in my hair, thumb brushing my temple in slow circles.
“I love you,” he whispers, and the words are rough around the edges, like they’re being dragged out of him.
“I love you too,” I murmur, cupping his face.
His skin is warm under my palms, but there’s a faint tremor in his touch that I can’t ignore.
“Xeni, you’re scaring me, princess. What’s wrong? Talk to me.”
He closes his eyes, just for a second, and my heart sinks further. When they open, the smile is back, but it doesn’t reach them like it should.
“I’m fine,” he says, voice unnaturally smooth now. “Get dressed, okay? We’ve got a long day ahead of us.”
I search his face, looking for the crack—the tell that something’s breaking him. But he’s good at hiding behind that calm mask when he needs to. I’ve seen it before, on bad dayswhen the things we’re forced to do here weigh too heavily, but never like this.
Never directed at me.
“Okay,” I say finally, though my gut twists.
I swing my legs over the side of the bed, reaching for the clothes I left on the chair last night. My hands feel clumsy, fingers fumbling with the buttons as I pull on my shirt. The fabric is cool against my skin, a stark contrast to his warmth that lingers where we touched.
Xeni watches from the dresser, arms crossed. His posture is too straight, too controlled, and he tracks every movement I make. Zipping my pants, tying my shoes, grabbing my lab coat and shrugging it over my shoulders.
He never looks away.
The air in the room feels heavy, like the pressure before a storm. Nerves churn in my gut until bile rises in my throat, and when I can’t take it anymore, I turn to him.
“Xeni, seriously, what—”
The knock comes sharp and sudden.
Three hard raps that echo like gunshots in the quiet.
Xeni doesn’t flinch. He walks over and opens the door in fluid movements that feel almost rehearsed.
Guards stand in the hall. Four of them, looming in the doorway like shadows come to life. It’s a tiny base, so we all know each other, but right now, they feel like strangers. They’re wearing full tactical gear, and the familiar faces are cold as ice.
The lead one, Ranveer, steps forward.
“Sebastian Hale,” he orders. “You need to come with us.”
My blood freezes as I look between the faces all staring at me. “What?” I finally manage.
