The Bind

He Knows

ALEXI POV

The song crescendoed to a finish in a flurry of movement. Claire was spun into a dip so deep she was nearly to the floor. Heart thundering.As soon as she was righted a flock of harpies descended, hands extended, hopeful for a dance. She laughed and pointed to the balcony to cool down. Ben followed her out.

The world seemed darker without her lighting up the room.

"Who knows what little one?" My mouth was dry. Did Xavier send his Smiling Assassin of a sister to deal with me?

Part of the reason I threw that link in your face was to see if she was listening in.

Claire has been almost constantly linked with Xavier. Every few hours he gets a full link from her, emotions, pictures, sounds, everything. It didn't take long for him to realise that the communication was one way. Well. Mostly one way.

It's a mystery how much power it took for her linkages to even get through the barrier.

Anyway.

He has been watching you in the shadows of her mind. He has seen you following and watching over her when she is unaware. Yet staying away. Publically making a point of opposing her.

He knows you have an unsealed bond that hasn't been rejected.

"The night on the balcony was a turning point in his attitude towards you." Xanrda took my hand and spoke softly so that the words could not be intercepted.

I stood so still I could have been carved out of stone. He had seen it all? I was going to lose my best friend and my mate in one cruel twist of fate's knife. This was it.

I was panicking, it was suddenly hard to breathe, my vision zeroing in on insignificant details. Like the motes of dust flying through shafts of light emanating from the chandelier. The distorted sound of warped music as time seemed to slow.

"He knows everything Alexi, and he didn't trust anyone else to come here to deal with you." Her voice was sweet, calm and understanding. But I knew the psycho underneath.

I waited for the drop of the guillotine. Had I been poisoned? My hands and feet felt tingly, numb.

"Ali, Xavier doesn't want to hold your chance at happiness hostage through some misguided attempt at loyalty."

The breath I didn't know I had been holding whooshed out of me all at once. Xandra explained the rest in a rush.

"I have no idea how you resisted a direct order from a mate when she ordered you to join her on the balcony. When you only showed up in her mind instead of physically, that must have been impossible.

Seeing that and seeing the restraint you have shown made Xavier feel valued and respected beyond measure. He is also righteously pissed at you for your asinine behaviour undermining her." Xandra slapped me over the back of my head, and I went right ahead and let her get away with it.

"He is enough of a man to get over his own possessive and jealous feelings. Enough to send me in before you two do something stupid like reject the bond. At the end of the day he understands that your relationship with Claire is just that, your relationship. It's not up to him to dictate the details. You are already going to have a hard enough time given how much of an ass you have been to her..." She trailed off, a look of pure affection softening her features.

I looked at Alexandra in wonder. A genuine smile cracked through her political mask.

"Go get her wolfy."