Chapter 258: Ring appointment 2

Yuki looked down at their joined hands and smiled. She could tell he was using "security" as a convenient excuse to hold her hand, but she chose not to call him out on it, allowing his warm fingers to anchor her.

Xavier cleared his throat, a subtle tension creeping into his voice as they walked down the wide corridor. "Can I ask you a random question, Yuki?"

"Sure," she replied, curious. "Fire away."

Xavier kept his eyes trained ahead, though his grip on her hand tightened slightly. "If you actually had to choose... did you ever really like Declan? Like, if you had to pick between me and him back then, who would it have been?"

Yuki stopped in her tracks, completely taken aback by the question. She looked at his profile, a slow, teasing grin spreading across her face. "Are you seriously jealous of Declan right now, Mr. Velmore?"

Xavier’s ears flushed a faint red, but he stubbornly refused to admit it, looking away with a quiet scoff. "Just answer the question."

Yuki’s lips parted to give him a witty comeback, but before a single word could leave her mouth, a heavy figure violently collided with her shoulder from behind.

The force of the impact knocked her off balance, shoving her hard against Xavier’s chest. In a split second, Xavier’s arm whipped around her waist, pulling her securely against his body.

A low, guttural growl erupted from deep within Xavier’s chest—a sound so violent and feral that it vibrated against Yuki’s ribs. For a terrifying fraction of a second, Yuki looked up and swore his clear honey-brown eyes flashed a brilliant, blinding gold as an immense, suffocating Alpha pressure flared around them, before settling back into a dangerous, dark red.

The stranger who had slammed into her didn’t even pause or apologize, continuing to push through the crowd as if fleeing from something.

Xavier’s muscles coiled, his red eyes tracking the man’s retreating back as he prepared to lunge after him. "That bastard—"

"Xavier, stop!" Yuki urged quickly, her hands pressing firmly against his chest to hold him back. "It’s fine! He was just rushing, it’s not worth making a scene!"

Xavier let out a harsh curse under his breath, forcing his coiling wolf to submit. He took a harsh, deep breath, his red eyes slowly bleeding back into their natural, clear honey-brown hue. Yuki released a long sigh of relief as his aura stabilized.

Xavier adjusted his jacket, gently taking her hand again and pulling her swiftly toward the double glass doors of a high-end jewelry boutique. "Let’s just get this done."

The moment they stepped over the threshold of the boutique, the quiet, opulent atmosphere wrapped around them. A senior sales clerk recognized Xavier instantly, bowing deferentially as he approached. "Lord Velmore, welcome! We have everything prepped for your private appointment."

They were escorted into a luxurious private viewing room furnished with plush velvet armchairs and silver refreshment trays. A detailed catalog of custom heirloom ring designs was placed on the table before them.

"Please feel free to browse our signature collections while our master jeweler gathers the sizing instruments," the clerk explained politely before bowing out of the room.

Yuki sat down, picking up the heavy catalog. She glanced up at Xavier, who was lounging in the armchair beside her. "Do you have any specific design in mind?"

Xavier leaned his head back against the cushion, offering her a soft smile. "I’ll go with whatever you pick, Yuki. You’re the one who has to wear it every day."

Yuki turned back to the catalog, flipping through pages of intricate platinum and diamond bands. After what felt like an eternity of comparing cuts and settings, her eyes locked onto a breathtaking pair of matching platinum rings featuring an intricate vine pattern wrapped around a deep, radiant purple center stone.

"What about this one?" she asked, turning the book toward him.

Xavier looked at the design, his eyes softening. "It’s perfect. The purple suits a Ravencourt."

Within minutes, the master jeweler arrived, taking their precise finger measurements and confirming the custom order details. Once the paperwork was finalized, the manager himself escorted them to the store’s exit, bowing repeatedly as he promised to have the bespoke pieces ready within three days. Yuki stared at the manager’s dramatic exit, inwardly wondering just how astronomical the price tag had been for the store to treat them like literal royalty.

Stepping back out into the bustling mall concourse, Xavier looked down at her with an amused smile. "Alright, Lady Miyuki. Where to first?"

Yuki’s face lit up instantly. "The famous artisanal ice cream parlor on the third floor!"

Xavier burst into a rich, genuine laugh. "Of course. How could I forget how much of a foodie you are?"

She folded her arms. "I am not that bad."

"You absolutely are," he replied, grinning.

They turned toward the central atrium, heading back toward the glass elevator bank. But just as they reached the edge of the mezzanine, a sound shattered the peaceful atmosphere of the mall.

A deafening, agonizing wolf growl echoed through the atrium—a raw, pain-filled sound that pierced directly through Yuki’s ears. The sheer frequency of the roar sent a shockwave of agony through her head, forcing her down onto her knees as her hands clutched her temples.

Panic erupted across the floor instantly. Hundreds of shoppers began screaming and running in every direction, creating a chaotic, stampeding crowd.

"Yuki!" Xavier shouted, snapping around and reaching out for her instantly.

But the sheer wave of the panicked crowd slammed between them, shoving Xavier backward and disorienting his footing for a single, crucial second. Before Xavier could recover, a heavy, blood-slicked arm whipped around Yuki’s chest, violently yanking her off the cold floor. A cold, razor-sharp steel blade pressed hard against the delicate skin of her throat.

Yuki gasped. The sickening metallic scent of fresh blood mixed with the distinct, bitter chocolate stench of a rogue wolf filled her nostrils. The man holding her was trembling, bleeding heavily from a severe torso wound, his chest heaving as he tightened his suffocating grip around her neck.

"Don’t take another fucking step!" the rogue roared at the top of his lungs, his voice echoing off the vaulted glass ceiling. "You take one step closer and I slice her throat wide open!"

The rogue’s terrified, bloodshot eyes were locked dead ahead on a single figure striding out of the shadows.

Yuki forced her eyes open through the pain, her breath catching in her throat as her gaze met a pair of cold, glowing, piercing sapphire eyes.

Standing ten feet away, covered in dark tactical armor and drenched in rogue blood, was Kaden.

Her pulse stuttered.

Kaden... What the hell is happening right now?!