9. Jaxon's and Xavier's morning

AT THE SAME TIME

XAVIER'S POINT OF VIEW:

The sun dipped below the canopy, casting long shadows across the forest floor. My back screamed in protest, muscles cramping from the weight of Jaxon leaning heavily against me, but I gritted my teeth and pressed on. There wasn't much farther to go.

"We're... almost there." I grunted, pushing aside a curtain of low hanging branches.

Jaxon didn't respond, but I could feel the tension in his body, every muscle locked tight. He'd been holding himself together with sheer stubbornness and adrenaline, but that only lasted so long. I ducked beneath an outcrop of stone, pulling him with me. The rock face stretched upwards, cracked and covered in moss, half-hidden by thickets of bramble. At the base, just barely visible, was a narrow opening. My hideout.

"You live in a hole?" Jaxon rasped, managing a weak smirk.

"It's not a hole." I snapped, pushing him forward. "It's hidden."

"Yeah... hidden in a hole." He wheezed, but I ignored him, shoving aside the layers of brush that kept it camouflaged. 

I ducked inside, pulling him with me, and we stumbled into the small space, the walls lined with dried herbs and makeshift shelves carved from stone.

Jaxon sank against the wall, hissing in pain as he slid down to the floor. I rushed to light the small lantern in the corner, its warm glow casting flickering light over the cramped quarters. Supplies were stacked neatly in the corner, cured meats, bundles of medicinal plants, and water skins. It wasn't much, but it was mine. Jaxon's eyes roamed the space, his expression guarded but... impressed? 

"Not bad for a hole." He muttered.

"Shut up." I tossed him a water skin and dug through my supplies, coming back with strips of clean cloth and a vial of antiseptic. "We need to fix that leg."

He eyed the supplies, brow raising. 

"You play doctor too?"He asked.

"No, but I'm good at not dying. That's enough." I knelt beside him, ignoring the way his scent curled through the space burned wood and something sharper, something I couldn't place.

It was stronger in the enclosed air, and I had to swallow hard to clear my head.

"Alright, this is going to hurt."I said.

His lips twitched. 

"I'd be disappointed if it didn't."Jaxon said.

I rolled my eyes, pressing my hand to his thigh to brace him. 

"Ready?"I asked.

He didn't respond, just clenched his jaw and nodded. I gripped his leg, feeling the swollen flesh beneath my fingers, and with one sharp twist, snapped it back into place. Jaxon growled, the sound tearing from his throat like an animal caught in a trap. His hands flew to the ground, clawing at the dirt, eyes squeezed shut.

"You good?" I asked cautiously.

He let out a ragged breath, nodding slowly. 

"Define... good."He groaned.

I almost smiled. Almost.

"You're alive, so I guess that's a start."I said

Jaxon cracked an eye open, smirking despite the sweat pouring down his face. 

"Barely."He said.

I busied myself with wrapping his leg, winding the clean cloth tightly to keep the bone stable. His gaze followed my movements, sharp and calculating, but he didn't speak. Not until I tied off the last strip of fabric.

"You didn't have to do this." He said quietly, voice rough around the edges.

"No, I didn't." I replied, cleaning my hands with the last bit of water. "But I did.".

He watched me carefully, eyes flickering with something I couldn't quite place. 

"That gonna be a problem?" I asked, meeting his gaze head on.

Jaxon's smile was slow, almost predatory. 

"Not for me."He said.

The air hung heavy between us, and I swallowed hard, pushing the tension aside. 

"Good." I muttered, standing up and brushing the dirt from my hands. "Get some rest. If you're still breathing in the morning, I'll find you something to eat."

He tilted his head back against the stone wall, eyes slipping shut. 

"Looking forward to it."He said.

I grabbed my spear and slid it back into its place beside the entrance, glancing back once more. He was already dozing off, tension draining from his frame as sleep pulled him under. For a moment, I just watched him. His chest rose and fell in steady rhythm, and without that sharp, assessing gaze, he almost looked... peaceful. I shook my head, stepping back towards the entrance. This was a mistake. I knew it. But I couldn't seem to help myself.

The morning light filtered in, soft and pale, casting long shadows across the hideout. I groaned, pushing myself into a sitting position. My body felt stiff from the hard floor, muscles aching, but it wasn't that that had my heart pounding. My heart wanted an alpha who, just hours before, I'd found injured in the forest. The one who, somehow, ended up in my hideout, and now... he

was here.

I blinked around the dimly lit space. Jaxon was still slouched against the wall, his leg bandaged and propped up carefully. He was awake, staring into the fire with that unreadable look in his eyes. It was like he was half lost in thought, half still the dangerous stranger I didn't trust.

"Morning." I muttered, rubbing my eyes and trying to shake off the fog of sleep.

Jaxon glanced over, his eyes flicking to me for a moment before he gave a slight nod. 

"Morning."He said.

His voice was rough, but there was an edge to it that hinted at something more. He'd been through hell, and I wasn't sure what that meant for either of us.

 My eyes tracked over to the fire where a rabbit was roasting. The scent of it filled the small space. 

"You cooked."I asked.

Jaxon smirked, but it didn't reach his eyes. 

"Had to do something. You were out cold."He said.

I eyed him cautiously. 

"What happened to your leg?"I asked.

"Ambush." He said flatly, eyes turning distant. "Not the first time."

The word ambush dropped like a stone between us. I stared at him, but he didn't look like he was about to say anything else.

"By who?" I asked, my voice tight.

Jaxon's eyes flickered briefly to me, the hint of something dangerous lurking beneath. 

"The Vanguard."He said.

My heart stuttered in my chest. The Vanguard, those alphas. The ones who controlled everything, who ruled with fear and domination. But Jaxon was different. He wasn't just another soldier or pawn. If he was telling the truth, he'd walked away from that life.

"Why?"I asked.

He didn't answer immediately. Instead, his gaze flickered to the bandages wrapped around his leg. 

"You don't just leave the Vanguard. Not alive."He said.

I frowned, leaning forward.

""So what? They left you to die?"I asked.

Jaxon's lips curled into a bitter smile. 

"Something like that."He said.

I shook my head, the weight of his words sinking in. I didn't want to feel sorry for him. I couldn't. But a part of me did. Then, just as I opened my mouth to say something, I heard that familiar chime inside my head the cold, emotionless voice of the system.

"System Update: New Relationship Percent: 20%"System said.

I froze, my breath hitching in my throat.

"No... way."I whispered.

Jaxon raised an eyebrow, eyes sharp.

"What's wrong with you?"He asked.

I swallowed, the words coming out shaky.

"You... you just got added to my system."I said.

His brows knitted together.

"Your what?"He asked.

Of course he never heard about it. He was just an NPC after all.

"My relationship percent." I clarified, barely keeping the edge of panic from my voice. "It tracks... connections. Bonds." I stared at him, my heart still pounding. "You're at 20%."

He let out a low whistle, leaning back against the wall like I'd just told him I won the lottery. 

"Didn't know I left that good of an impression."He said.

I scowled, moving to the stash of supplies to grab something to do with my hands. 

"It's not funny."I said.

"No?" He mused, a grin spreading across his lips. "Seems pretty funny to me."

I ignored him, pulling out dried meat, some herbs, and a small tin of vegetables I'd stashed away. My hands worked automatically, setting up the fire and dropping the meat into the pot to soften. I sprinkled in the herbs, keeping my focus there instead of on his smug expression. He watched me, eyes glittering with some kind of amusement. 

"Didn't know you were the cooking type." He said, stretching his arms over his head.

I stirred the pot harder than necessary. 

"I'm not. But I'm not gonna starve just because I'm stuck out here."I said.

Jaxon snorted, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, I'm not complaining."

The food was ready faster than I expected. I poured it into two mismatched bowls and handed one to him. He took it without a word, eyes flicking down to inspect it.

"Careful." I muttered. "Might taste good."

Jaxon smirked, taking a tentative sip. His eyes went wide for just a second before he masked it, swallowing and glancing back at me. 

"Not bad."He said.

I shrugged, blowing on my own spoonful.

"Don't get used to it."I said.

"Oh, I'm not." He said with a grin.

But he ate with more enthusiasm than I'd expected, scraping the bowl clean and even glancing back at the pot to see if there was any left. We ate in silence for a bit, the tension between us ebbing just enough to almost feel... normal. But that 20% was still ticking away in the back of my mind, like a shadow I couldn't shake off.

When he finished, Jaxon stretched again, wincing as he flexed his leg.

"Well, I guess I better get going." He said.

"You think you're ready to walk?"I asked.

He grinned, pushing himself to his feet with a hiss of pain but steady enough.

"I've walked off worse."He said.

I bit my lip, not quite sure why the idea of him leaving left a strange knot in my stomach. But I just nodded.

"Alright. Try not to get ambushed again."I said.

"I'll do my best." He took a step toward the door, then paused, turning back to me with that infuriating grin. "Thanks for the hospitality, 'princess.'"

I nearly choked.

"Excuse me?"I asked.

His grin widened, eyes glimmering with mischief.

"You heard me. I didn't realize you were such a good little homemaker. Should I expect hot meals next time I get dragged bleeding into your hideout?"Jaxon asked.

I scowled, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Next time, I'll leave you there."I groaned.

Jaxon just laughed, the sound surprisingly genuine.

"Sure you will." He tilted his head, still watching me with that insufferable grin. "Try not to miss me too much."

Before I could fire back, he turned and walked out, limping slightly but not enough to slow him down. I watched him go, the door creaking shut behind him, and the silence that followed felt heavier than I wanted to admit. I stared at the empty space where he'd been, my fists clenched tight at my sides.

"Princess?" I scoffed to myself, but the heat crawling up my cheeks betrayed me.

What the hell is wrong with me? I am straight! I shouldn't feel anything similair to it!