(Xavier's POV)
Xavier told himself it was nothing.
The sight of Liana in the courtyard, head bent toward Rafe, voice soft as she spoke, shouldn't have mattered. Not to him. Not when he'd spent weeks convincing himself she was just a passing distraction, a thorn he could ignore until it fell away.
But it mattered.
The way Rafe stood beside her, his usual aloofness softened just slightly, his dark gaze fixed on her as if he was… listening. Really listening.
Xavier's jaw tightened.
"She's talking to him now?" Adrien muttered from beside him, noticing where his eyes had drifted.
Xavier's silence was answer enough.
"Guess the ice king finally found someone worth thawing for," Adrien added with a smirk. "Didn't think it'd be her."
Xavier didn't reply. He couldn't. The words pressed too hard against his chest, sharp and suffocating.
When Rafe said something that made Liana's lips curve into the smallest smile, Xavier moved before he could think.
He cut across the courtyard, his presence slicing through the air. Students glanced up, whispers igniting instantly. The Vipers didn't move without notice, and Xavier always commanded the loudest kind of silence.
Liana stiffened as he stopped in front of her, his shadow falling over both her and Rafe.
"Didn't know you liked strays, Sterling," Xavier drawled, voice low, taunting. His eyes flicked to Liana, cool and cutting. "Careful. They bite."
Liana's cheeks burned. "I'm not a stray."
"Could've fooled me," he said smoothly. "One minute you're clawing your way into our spotlight, the next you're cozying up to Rafe. What's next? Stealing his jacket, too?"
The cruel smirk on his lips didn't match the heat burning behind his eyes.
Liana's chest tightened. "Why do you even care?"
That question landed harder than she realized. Xavier's smirk faltered for a fraction of a second before he masked it. "I don't," he said. "But Regal Heights eats girls like you alive. Don't expect Sterling here to save you when it happens."
Rafe's voice, quiet but firm, cut through the tension. "That's enough."
Xavier's head snapped toward him, disbelief flickering across his features. "Excuse me?"
"She's not your target practice," Rafe said evenly, stepping closer. "So back off."
The air between them thickened instantly. Students had stopped pretending not to watch. Whispers buzzed like electricity as the two Vipers squared off.
Liana's pulse raced. She could see it now...the storm gathering behind Xavier's eyes, the sharp edge in Rafe's. Two wolves circling, one reckless, one controlled, both dangerous.
"You think you can tell me what to do?" Xavier asked, his voice dangerously calm.
"I think someone should," Rafe replied.
Xavier's hand twitched at his side, as if restraining himself from grabbing Rafe's collar right there. For once, the infamous control he carried so easily seemed fragile, seconds from breaking.
Before either could take another step, Adrien and Zayn appeared, sliding smoothly between them like practiced referees.
"Woah, woah," Adrien said, raising his hands. "Easy, boys. No need to put on a show."
Zayn clapped a hand on Xavier's shoulder. "Not here." His tone was deceptively light, but his grip was iron.
Rafe's gaze lingered on Xavier a moment longer before he stepped back, his expression unreadable.
Xavier didn't move. His eyes locked on Liana, something raw flickering in them before he tore his gaze away.
The courtyard exhaled as the tension broke, students scattering with hurried whispers.
Liana stood frozen, heart pounding, unsure if she should thank Rafe or run.
She didn't notice the figure in the shadows of the archway, watching.
Bianca's lips curved into a slow smile, her eyes glittering with satisfaction.
This was what she wanted.
The cracks were widening....between the Vipers, between Xavier and Liana, between Liana and herself. Chaos was blooming, and Bianca didn't need to lift a finger.
All she had to do was wait.