BOUND BY FIRE

 The night felt heavier after Edmund's departure, as if his presence had left a lingering shadow over Evermere. The festival carried on, but for Xander, the music had turned into background noise, the warmth of the lanterns dimmed by the storm raging inside him.

He had known this day would come. He just hadn't expected it to come so soon.

And yet, here she was - Ella, standing beside him, unwavering. She had seen the danger, felt the weight of his past, yet she hadn't recoiled. She had chosen to stay.

Xander wasn't sure if that made him selfish or just utterly doomed.

The Escape to Solitude

He didn't want to talk. Not here. Not with the watchful eyes of the village, the curious glances of those who had sensed something amiss. He needed to be alone.

No. He needed her.

"Come with me," he murmured.

Ella didn't hesitate.

He took her hand, weaving through the festival crowd until they reached the outskirts of the village. The air was colder here, the distant sounds of laughter fading behind them. He led her down a familiar path, through the trees, past the river, until they reached the small hunting cabin he sometimes used for solitude.

It was dark inside, save for the moonlight spilling through the window. The space was simple a wooden table, a few chairs, a stone fireplace that had long since gone cold.

But the moment he turned to face Ella, the room felt smaller.

A Reckless Need

She watched him carefully, her gaze searching his. "Xander…"

He stepped closer, brushing his knuckles against her cheek. "Tell me you still trust me."

Ella exhaled, her lips parting slightly. "I do."

That was all it took. The control he had clung to all night snapped.

His mouth found hers, claiming her with a hunger that had been building since the night they first met. She gasped against him, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she melted into him, her arms circling his neck as he pressed her back against the wooden wall.

She tasted of mulled wine and something dangerously sweet, something that threatened to unravel him entirely.

Xander groaned, his hands gripping her waist, pulling her closer as if he could mold her to him, erase the space between them.

Ella moaned softly as he kissed along her jaw, down the curve of her neck. "Xander…"

He lifted her effortlessly, carrying her toward the table, setting her down as his lips never left hers. He had been careful with her before, so damn careful, but now? Now he needed her.

He needed to feel something other than the rage, the fear and the ghosts of his past.

And Ella?

She gave herself to him without hesitation.

The Breaking Point

Somewhere between the feverish kisses and whispered names, the walls he had spent years building began to crumble.She saw him. All of him.

Not just the man seeking revenge. Not just the boy who had been betrayed.

She saw Xander, the man who for the first time in years, wasn't fighting for power or wealth.

He was fighting for her.

And that terrified him more than Edmund ever could.

As the night stretched on, as they lost themselves in each other, one undeniable truth settled in Xander's chest.

Ella wasn't just another moment of pleasure. She was his salvation and that made her his greatest weakness.