Chapter 46 – Unfinished Business

Pain and exhaustion hung in the air like smoke. The battlefield—if one could even call it that—was littered with broken bodies, pools of blood soaking into the dirt. The metallic scent of it burned Raine’s nose as she slowly pushed herself up from the ground. Her head pounded, her limbs aching from the sheer strain of the fight.

Everything had happened too fast. One moment, they were standing on the outskirts of the city, waiting for Kade and his men to make their move. The next, chaos had erupted, bodies crashing, blood spilling, bones snapping under the weight of raw power.

And now?

Now, the silence was worse than the battle itself.

Xavier stood in the center of it all, his bare chest glistening with sweat and blood—some his, most of it not. His golden eyes burned as he stared at the spot where Kade had disappeared into the darkness.

"He got away," Reed muttered, breaking the silence. His voice was rough, heavy with frustration. He wiped a hand down his bloodstained face, wincing slightly at the cut on his cheek.

Ivy let out a breath and dropped onto a nearby rock, pulling a dagger from her thigh holster. "I hate when they run. Makes it feel like unfinished business."

Sebastian scoffed. "That’s because it is unfinished business." He spat blood onto the ground and rolled his shoulders. "Kade wasn’t here to win. He was here to send a message."

Raine swallowed hard. "A warning," she said, voice barely above a whisper.

Sebastian nodded grimly. "Yeah. And if Kade’s the messenger, then the ones sending him…" He trailed off, but they all knew who he meant.

The Elders.

The secret rulers of the werewolf world. The ones who saw Raine as a threat. The ones who wanted her dead.

Her stomach twisted.

It wasn’t over. It was just beginning.

Back at the Estate

By the time they returned to Xavier’s estate, the adrenaline had worn off, leaving behind exhaustion and injuries that demanded attention.

Ivy was the first to drag herself into the sitting room, collapsing onto the couch with a dramatic groan. "I swear, if someone doesn’t pour me a drink, I’m stabbing something."

Reed chuckled, though it was strained. "You say that like you don’t stab things for fun."

Sebastian disappeared toward the bar, rummaging through bottles until he found a dark amber liquid. He poured a generous amount into a glass and slid it toward Ivy. "Here. Now shut up."

She accepted it without argument, downing half of it in one go.

Raine, on the other hand, stood frozen near the doorway, staring at the blood smeared across her hands. It wasn’t hers, but it didn’t matter. It was a reminder. A warning.

Xavier’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "You should sit."

She turned, finding him leaning against the wall, his gaze sharp despite the exhaustion settling into his features.

She shook her head. "I’m fine."

Xavier pushed off the wall and walked toward her. "You’re shaking."

She looked down at her hands. Damn it.

Before she could argue, Xavier reached out, his fingers brushing against hers. His touch was warm, grounding. Unnerving.

"Let me clean that up," he said, voice softer now.

Raine hesitated but eventually nodded.

Xavier led her to the bathroom, grabbing a wet cloth before motioning for her to sit on the counter. She obeyed, watching as he knelt in front of her, carefully wiping the blood from her hands.

His touch was surprisingly gentle, his movements slow and precise.

Too intimate.

Her throat tightened. "You’re good at this."

Xavier smirked, not looking up. "I’ve had practice."

Raine didn’t doubt it. He was a fighter. A killer. A man who had probably cleaned blood from his hands more times than he could count.

And yet… this felt different.

As he worked, she studied him. The sharp angles of his face, the way his golden eyes flickered with something unreadable, the tension that still lingered in his jaw.

He wasn’t just tending to her wounds. He was thinking. Calculating.

Worried.

"Kade will come back," she murmured.

Xavier’s hands stilled for a fraction of a second before he continued. "I know."

"And the Elders—"

"I know."

Silence stretched between them.

Then, Xavier exhaled sharply. "You should rest, Raine."

She almost laughed. "And you?"

His smirk returned, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "I don’t rest."

Something about the way he said it sent a shiver down her spine.

She didn’t push him further. Instead, she let him finish cleaning her hands before slipping off the counter.

As she walked toward the door, she hesitated. "Xavier."

He looked up.

She met his gaze, her expression unreadable. "Thank you."

For a second, something flickered in his eyes—something she couldn’t quite name.

Then, just as quickly, it was gone.

"Don’t get used to it."

Raine smirked. "Too late."

And with that, she left.

A Meeting in the Shadows

While the rest of the house settled into uneasy silence, deep in the heart of the city, in a hidden chamber beneath an old cathedral, Kade knelt before the Elders.

His body bore the marks of battle—deep gashes, bruises that hadn’t yet healed—but he didn’t waver.

In front of him, cloaked figures sat in a half-circle, their faces hidden in the dim candlelight.

One of them—**a woman with silver hair and eyes like frost—**leaned forward. "You failed."

Kade clenched his jaw. "I wasn’t there to win. I was there to test them."

Another Elder scoffed. "And?"

Kade exhaled slowly. "Xavier is stronger than we anticipated. Raine…" He hesitated. "She’s awakening."

A ripple of interest passed through the room.

"Then it’s time," the silver-haired woman murmured. "Time to remind them of their place."

Kade’s fists clenched. "What are your orders?"

The Elder’s lips curved into a slow, wicked smile.

"We burn them out."

The words were a death sentence.

Kade didn’t flinch.

Instead, he bowed his head. "As you wish."

And just like that—war was coming.

The Calm Before the Storm

Back at the estate, Xavier stood alone on the balcony, staring out at the city skyline.

He could feel it.

The shift. The coming storm.

Kade’s warning wasn’t just a threat. It was a promise.

And for the first time in a long time, Xavier felt something he hadn’t allowed himself to feel in years.

A thrill. A challenge. A fight worth having.

A slow, sharp smile spread across his lips.

Let them come.