Ayden

2

Ayden

"Ayden, find something?" Xavier asked me, throwing the last box in the dustbin. We had been in Ayna's Café for an hour now.

"Yeah, just a stupid note," I said, trying to keep the worry out of my voice, but my heart clenched as I read what was written.

Knox and Caleb fell silent too.

Ayna walked over from the couch, where she and Xavier had been standing, to look at the note, now stained with rabbit blood. I tried to shield it from her, but Xavier came over as well.
"What is it?" he asked, concern clear in his voice.I hesitated for a moment but then decided not to hide it.
"Just tell us," she urged, so I flipped the note toward them.

Enough hiding, little rabbit.
Here I come.
Try your best to hide, but I'll have you by my side.

Xavier clenched his fists, and I turned my gaze back to her.Her long black hair was tied up with a bow, and she wore a pink sundress now stained with blood.
In any other situation, I might have appreciated how she looked, but the tension in her shoulders and the tight set of her jaw reminded me that this was no time for that.

"Have you ever received notes like this before?" I asked, doing my best to keep my voice steady.
              "No...," she replied, her voice trembling. "You saw the notes, Xavier. They were just weird, creepy compliments, but nothing like this." Hearing the fear in her voice made me want to drop everything just to keep her safe.

"Alright, here's the plan," Xavier said, pacing. "Tomorrow, we're checking the CCTV footage and finding out who did this.

I promise, Ayna, this will be the last time you ever feel this way." His fists remained clenched as he spoke.

Ayna nodded and reached for her bag, causing Xavier to stop and give her a puzzled look.
"What are you doing?" he asked, as if she were out of her mind.   "Going home. You should get some sleep too," she replied, turning to us.

Our eyes met again as she glanced down at me sitting on her couch. If it weren't for the dead rabbit beside us, I might've felt butterflies.

Stupid weirdo.

"No, you're not," I said before I could stop myself. I cursed internally for sounding controlling.

"It's not safe," I added, pulling off the gloves and tossing them into the trash. I walked toward her, towering over her. She barely reached my shoulders—just the right height for a forehead kiss.

I need to shut up.

Before she could respond, Xavier stepped in. "He's right. If you think I'm letting you be alone tonight after this, you're very wrong."

Ayna opened her mouth to argue, her brows furrowed, but then she seemed to understand and closed it.

"Okay, fine. What should I do, then?" she asked.

"I'd suggest coming to my place, but I've got my brother over. You can't come there either... this is a shitty situation," Xavier sighed.

"She can stay with me," I offered, looking at her. I expected discomfort or resistance, but instead, she gave me an apologetic look.

"No, I don't want to intrude," she replied.

"You wouldn't be. I have a guest bedroom, and I live alone. Plus, I've got some weaponry at home, so you'll be well protected."

I glanced at Xavier, momentarily forgetting he was still there.He was already watching me with a small smirk forming on his face.

He cleared his throat, returning his expression to normal.

"That sounds like a good idea. Are you okay with that, Ayna? You could also have him stay at your place if that's more comfortable," he offered.

"No, it's alright. There's no spare room at my place. Are you sure it's okay with you?" She looked at me again, fidgeting with her hands.

"Anything to keep you safe," I said softly, my eyes lost in hers.

A cough interrupted us, and I cleared my throat, noticing a blush rising on her cheeks, making her look even more adorable.

Another cough drew my attention back to Xavier. "Fine, then. Off you go. Bring her to the office with you tomorrow morning, okay?"

"You got it, Cross," I replied, giving him a nod as he smirked again, making me scowl.

I quickly softened my expression as I turned back to her. "Do you need to stop by your place first to pick up some things?"

"No, I've got an emergency overnight bag here," she replied. I nodded and turned back to the guys.

"We're heading out. You guys wrap things up," I said to Knox and Caleb, who both nodded with a smirk. Kade simply gave an emotionless nod.

"Take care of her, Ayden," Xavier said, giving her a hug as they said goodnight.

"With my life," I grumbled more to myself.

A/N

Two updates in one dayyyyy
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