Chapter 14....Stopping Xavier

Ana knew there was only one way to stop this. She had to save Xander, no matter what.

She stepped forward, her voice breaking as she shouted, "If you kill Xander, I will kill myself! You will never have a mate, Xavier!"

Xavier's body froze. His heart pounded violently in his chest as her words sank in, cutting through his rage like a blade. With a hiss of frustration, he uncoiled Xander and hurled him away. Xander's body crashed into the castle wall before slumping to the ground, unmoving.

Before Ana could react, Xavier's thick tail wrapped around her, firm but careful, pulling her toward him. His beastly form shifted, his upper body taking on his half-human appearance so she could see his face—see the torment in his eyes. He held her close, his breath heavy with emotion.

"Do you really love him that much?" His voice was raw, filled with disbelief and agony. "Would you really die for him? Does he mean that much to you?" His grip trembled slightly. "Do you hate me so much that you tried to sever our bond?"

Tears streamed down Ana's face as she met his tortured gaze. "I don't love Xander, Xavier," she whispered, her voice shaking. "But I could never be happy knowing I let you kill someone. Even if it was a stranger, I would have done the same." She swallowed hard. "I never wanted to feel the guilt of watching someone die…" Her voice wavered, but she pushed through. "And I never tried to sever our bond. It was the tiger clan. They thought you were torturing me and tried to free me."

Xavier's entire body tensed. His expression darkened, golden eyes flashing with fury. "They thought I would hurt my own mate?" His voice was deathly calm, yet the air around him crackled with restrained rage. His gaze locked onto the tiger clan leader standing nearby. "They dared to believe I wouldn't protect what's mine?"

In an instant, Xavier released Ana and lunged toward the clan leader, fury radiating from his powerful form. But just as he was about to strike, Ana grabbed his arm with all her strength.

"Xavier, no! Stop this!" she pleaded.

His chest heaved, his entire body rigid with anger. But the desperation in Ana's eyes—her touch—held him back. He stood frozen, breathing heavily, his mind warring between vengeance and the only person he ever cared about.

Ana stepped closer to Xavier, her eyes pleading. "Xavier, please… can you forgive them? For me?" Her voice was soft, yet firm. "You said you'd do anything to make me happy. Then let this go. Let's leave this place and go back to our home—forget everything that happened here. Let's just live our lives together, peacefully."

At the word "home," something flickered in Xavier's golden eyes. A strange warmth spread through his chest. Home. For the first time in his life, the word didn't feel foreign. It didn't feel like an empty place—because she was in it. But that warmth was quickly buried under his anger.

His jaw clenched, and he exhaled sharply, forcing himself to let go of his rage. "Fine," he muttered, though the fire in his gaze promised that this wasn't over. "We leave now."

Just as they turned to go, the tiger clan leader and Liana stepped forward, blocking their path.

Xavier's patience snapped. His tail twitched dangerously as he growled, "Step aside before I lose what little mercy I have left."

Ana quickly grabbed his arm. "Xavier, let me talk to them."

Liana looked at Ana with concern. "Stay, child. The tiger clan will protect you."

Xavier's golden eyes burned with fury. "Don't think being a female will save you. I have no interest in touching other females, but if you try to take mine from me—if you so much as stand in my way again—I will not hesitate to kill you." His voice was cold, dangerous. "I've already shown more restraint than any Feral would. If you truly wish to die, then keep speaking."

Ana felt a wave of awkwardness but quickly stepped in. "Xavier, please." She turned to Liana, her voice gentle yet firm. "I know you're worried about me, but you don't need to be. I trust him. He will never hurt me like those other females you showed me. And honestly… it's better if we leave. You've seen how he is—he doesn't belong in a place like this. His temper is short, and keeping him near the castle will only create more problems." She took a deep breath. "But no matter how angry he gets, he listens to me. He will take care of me."

Xavier remained silent, watching her intently. His rage hadn't faded, but the way Ana defended him stirred something deep inside him.