Xavier's POV
Alexandria.
Gods, even the name felt like a ghost dragging its fingers across my spine.
Alexandria—the girl who used to follow me around when we were little, trailing behind my every step like sunshine refusing to leave my shadow. The girl who would sneak sweets into my pockets when she thought Tyler and Lucian weren't looking. She would cling to my sleeve with those tiny hands and offer me the treats she refused to give the others. Only me. Always me. I always thought it was special, something only I could have, something that made me feel like I mattered. We were close back then, before everything went to hell.
She used to smile at me—bright, warm, innocent smiles that glowed like she was her own damn universe. A smile that could calm my wolf better than any alpha command or any training ever could. A smile that kept me anchored when my own mind tried to drown me in shadows. She was the tether to my sanity, though she never knew.
