Chapter 48 Forty Seven

• Xander's Point Of View
• It had been an entire day since Avril returned to the clan, but I still couldn't fathom the reality of it. For years, I had believed she was dead, as did everyone else. The memory of that tragic incident, where my parents lost their lives, still haunted me. Avril, my true and only friend, had suffered too; orphaned at a tender age of five. Losing her on that same fateful day was a profound pain. She meant everything to me, a beacon of genuineness amidst a sea of fear and pretense.
• Caught in my thoughts, I felt Alexandra's gentle voice pulling me back to the present. She lay beside me, her eyes filled with adoration. We exchanged loving smiles, and she affectionately brushed aside the strands of hair falling over my forehead.