Reckless Souls (Saints Academy, #1)(64)

ending the call and tossing my phone down on the bed.

The knocking on the door seems to stop, giving me the false sense of relief that whoever has been

being an obnoxious asshole has left. Closing my eyes, I scrub my hands down my face trying to digest

the two words Harmonia said.

Sealed souls.

“Rhea, come the fuck out, it’s urgent.” Khaos. Huh, not at all who I was expecting. Maybe that’s

why they sent him because he didn’t really look at me in utter shock. “I can knock all day if you like,

but we really fucking need your help right now.”

Nibbling on my bottom lip, I consider my options, my mind wanting to stay exactly where I am,

but it’s like my body has a mind of its own, moving with the same unexplainable pull as earlier until I

wrap my hand around the door handle and swing it open.

Khaos’ hair is mostly swept back off his face with a few strands still dropping over his eyes, like

he’s been stressfully raking his fingers through it repeatedly.

Welcome to the fucking club.

Standing tall, his eyes squint as he stares at me, my red eyes clearly confusing him, but he doesn’t

utter another word as he takes a step back and indicates with his hand for me to follow him.

He doesn’t keep a slow pace, leaving me to chase after him in bare feet, my damp hair falling

down my back as I slow to a stop outside of Xander’s room.

Khaos himself pauses too, looking back over his shoulder at me, a hint of concern and uncertainty

flashing in his emerald green eyes, before he seems to push it down, focusing on the situation at hand.

I want to ask what’s wrong before I step inside, but it literally feels like my soul is magnetized to

something on the other side of the wall, and before I can acknowledge Khaos’ emotions, I’m pushing

past him through the already open door and moving inside. Any concern about feeling uncomfortable

being back here so soon is nonexistent. Not with what visual comes into view.

“What the fuck?” My mouth falls open, gaping at the scene before me. I can sense Adonis and Zen

over by Xander’s bed, trying not to startle the animal pacing and growling on the other side of the

room.

Not just any animal; a wolf.

And if I’m correct, it’s not just any wolf either. It’s Xander.

What the hell happened here?

I remain frozen in place, rooted to the spot with surprise and concern as I look him over. His fur

is pure black, from head to tail, except for a red mark on his right side, but I can’t get a good view of

it yet. When I focus on his eyes, shining the same amber as earlier, I know I’m right. He’s fucking

beautiful.

As soon as his gaze hits mine full on, he freezes, and in the next second, the growling stops too.

“Oh my gods,” I whisper, shock still running through my veins as I take a step forward, only to

have a hand grip my forearm to stop me. I don’t turn. I don’t look away from the pleading in Xander’s

eyes as I speak to whoever has a hold on me. “Let go of me. Now.”

My voice has dropped again, my anger clear as the hand immediately drops, followed by a scoff,

which tells me it was Adonis, but I don’t turn to clarify. Instead, I take another two steps toward

Xander, before dropping to my knees in front of him. My back is ramrod straight as I try to remain

calm yet strong before Xander.

In the same breath, it’s like I have no idea what I’m doing, yet I do, all at once. It’s confusing as

fuck so I just let my soul take the lead. But I know he’s confused and needs me, so here I am.

“Hey,” I whisper lamely, not really sure what else to say, but needing him to hear my voice, and

it’s thankfully not deep and dangerous like it was moments ago. If anything, it sounds softer, gentler.

The wolf takes one cautious step toward me, then another, and I reach my hand out, letting him

sniff my palm as I wait with bated breath for his next move. His soft fur glides over the tips of my

fingers as he leans into my touch, a whine falling from his lips before he moves closer.

I shift to my butt, crossing my legs as silence continues to fall heavily over the room, letting him

explore me in this form. Once he’s walked around me twice, rubbing against my side as he captures

my scent, he comes to a stop right in front of me, so close our noses could touch. Out of nowhere, his

tongue whips out, gliding across my cheek, once, twice, three times, before I manage to lean back.

“Don’t fucking push it,” I say with a chuckle, shivering at the wetness on my cheek, and to my

surprise the fucking wolf’s tail wags.

A hum of laughter filters from behind me, telling me the other Elites caught our exchange too. A

calmness washes over the room and through my body, and as Xander paws at his eyes, he quickly lies

down flat on his belly, but I jump with shock as I move to stroke him, only to connect with skin.

“Oh, shit,” I gasp as a naked Xander fills my vision, a lucid smile on his face as exhaustion seems

to trickle through his body.

“Thank Gods,” Zen mutters as someone throws a pair of boxers over my head for Xander, but he