Xander’s POVThe rhythmic tapping of my fingers on the mahogany desk was the only sound in the room. The office, bathed in the dim light of the overcast morning, felt stifling, suffocating almost. My mind, however, was far from quiet. It was a battlefield, torn between logic and emotion, between anger and something far more treacherous, doubt.Alison’s tear-streaked face haunted me, the crack in her voice as she pleaded for me to reject her echoing in my ears. But every time I thought of softening, the memory of that night came roaring back, like a slap to my face. Her tangled in the sheets with that... Damon the mailman. The image was seared into my mind, a brand that refused to fade no matter how hard I tried to erase it.The scent of her tears, the way her voice trembled as she accused me of giving up on her... it pulled at me, a gravitational force I couldn’t resist. But the betrayal lingered. Was it real? Or was I just a fool too blinded by my own pain to see the truth?A faint k
Alison’s POVThe cold night air clung to my skin, a chilling reminder that I was venturing into dangerous waters. The packs streets were dimly lit, the occasional flicker of streetlights casting long shadows against the cracked asphalt. I stood at the edge of the curb, clutching my small bag tightly, my fingers trembling slightly as I flagged down a cab.A yellow vehicle screeched to a halt in front of me, its driver leaning over to open the passenger door. “Where to?” he asked, his tone casual, unaware of the storm brewing inside me.“Forest Creek,” I replied, sliding into the seat and glancing nervously out the window. The driver nodded, and the car lurched forward.As we navigated the winding roads, my heart hammered in my chest. I replayed the decision over and over in my mind, leaving the pack, leaving Xander. It wasn’t about running away; it was about finding answers. Kendrick had promised me the truth about my heritage, something Xander could never give me. But was this worth t
Xander's POVThe night was unnaturally quiet. No crickets chirping. No rustle of leaves in the gentle breeze. It was as though the world was holding its breath, waiting for the first crack in the silence to shatter the stillness. My chest felt tight, an invisible weight pressing down with relentless force. I couldn’t explain it.. this gnawing unease clawing at the edges of my sanity.Then, it hit me. A searing pain ripped through my chest, and I staggered against the nearest wall, gasping for air. Cain, my wolf, howled in agony within me. "Mate…" he rasped, his voice heavy with desperation. The bond between Alison and me wasn’t just flickering... it was fading, dimming into an ominous void.“Xander?” Caitlyn’s voice snapped me out of my haze. She was draped across the couch in my office, looking concerned, her fingers twirling a strand of her perfectly styled hair. “You’ve been pacing for an hour. What’s gotten into you?”I ignored her, my jaw tightening. Every fiber of my being screa
Xander’s POVThe stillness in the room was suffocating, heavy with the weight of despair. Alison’s pale figure lay motionless on the bed, her breaths shallow and uneven, each rise and fall of her chest a fragile tether holding her to this world. Her once radiant glow was replaced by a ghostly pallor, her warmth stolen by the venom coursing through her veins. I sat beside her, gripping her icy hand, feeling the emptiness in her touch as if the life we once shared was slipping away.I closed my eyes, bowing my head, my voice barely a whisper."Moon Goddess," I began, my words trembling with desperation. "If you're listening, hear me now. Don’t take her from me. Don’t punish her for my failures. I know I let her down, I allowed this to befall us, but please... spare her. She’s too innocent, a light in my darkness. Take my strength, take my life if you must, but leave her to shine a little longer in this world."Cain, my wolf, howled within me, his grief a sharp blade in my chest. He want
Xander’s POVThe air felt heavier than usual as dawn broke through the castle windows. Each ray of light seemed to mock my mood, indifferent to the storm raging inside me. I stared at my reflection in the mirror, adjusting the thick leather belts and silver clasps of the Official Nightfang Alpha’s war attire. Every piece fit snugly, a second skin that promised dominance, but beneath it, I felt hollow.The face staring back at me was taut with fury and guilt. Alison. The one person I’d vowed to protect now lay in the infirmary, death circling her like a vulture. And I had failed her.A knock broke through my thoughts. Luke entered cautiously, bowing slightly before speaking. “The car’s ready, Alpha. The team awaits your command.”I nodded without looking at him. “Pick only 4 warriors to accompany us, Dismissed,” I said curtly. I needed a moment, one last goodbye before I plunged into chaos.My boots were heavy against the stone floor as I entered Alison’s room. The stillness here was s
Xander’s POVThe room was suffused with an eerie quiet, broken only by the shallow, uneven rhythm of Alison’s breathing. It was maddening, watching her cling to life, her chest barely rising, her skin icy beneath my trembling fingers. I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at her fragile form. Her golden hair, once vibrant, now fanned lifelessly across the pillow, her complexion drained of its natural glow. A hollow ache twisted in my chest. She wasn’t gone, not yet but she was slipping through my fingers, and I was powerless to stop it.Cain, my wolf, prowled beneath my skin, restless and wild. He growled, a low, guttural sound that echoed in my mind, urging me to lash out, to tear apart anyone who dared to cross us. I gritted my teeth, gripping the bedpost to ground myself. But even that was fleeting. Cain wasn’t just restless, he was furious, teetering on the edge of control. And I was starting to let him.A knock at the door shattered the fragile silence. Luke stepped in, his face
Xander’s POVThe study was suffocating, the air thick with frustration and desperation. For the first time in days, I sat at my desk, surrounded by towering piles of books, old scrolls, and scattered notes. The faint scent of aged parchment mixed with the bitter tang of desperation. My fingers tapped restlessly on the desk, a metronome to the chaos within me.I flipped through another ancient tome, its brittle pages threatening to crumble under my rough touch. Nothing. Page after page of useless lore and vague remedies, none of which offered even the slightest glimmer of hope. My jaw tightened, the frustration bubbling beneath the surface.Alison’s face flashed in my mind... pale, cold, and still as death itself. Yet, her wolf clung to life, faint but present, like a single ember in a pile of ash. The physician had called it a miracle, but I called it torment. She was here but slipping further away every moment.A knock at the door broke my concentration. I slammed the book shut, the
Xander’s POVThe night was too quiet, the kind of quiet that hums with anticipation, where even the wind seemed to hold its breath. I stood on the hill overlooking the Silver Moon Pack's borders, the faint glow of their territory bleeding into the darkness. Every muscle in my body was taut, my wolf clawing at the edges of my control, thirsting for retribution. Tonight, there would be no treaties, no negotiations.Tonight, blood would be spilled.The evidence was undeniable, and my patience had run dry. Alison's frail body haunted my every waking moment, her life hanging by a thread because of Kendrick's cowardice. My hands clenched at my sides as I turned to the warriors flanking me. My most loyal pack members, their faces grim and determined, waited for my command.“Alpha,” Luke whispered beside me, his voice low and cautious. “Are you sure about this? The council... ”“To hell with the council,” I snapped, my voice a growl that made his wolf shrink. “They can keep their treaties and
Alison’s POVThe cold night air bit into my skin as I stepped outside, the faint scent of pine lingering in the breeze. Each step felt heavier than the last, my body still drained, my muscles aching from the transformation. But none of that compared to the hollow ache in my chest.Xander stood a few feet away, his broad shoulders tense, the moonlight painting silver streaks across his dark hair. He didn’t move. Didn’t turn. Just stood there, staring at the sky as though it held all the answers he couldn’t find.I wanted to say something…anything but the words twisted in my throat.“Xander,” I finally managed, my voice soft and strained.No response.My heart thudded painfully. I took another shaky step forward, my bare feet brushing over the cool grass, and before I could overthink it, I slipped my arms around his waist from behind. His body stiffened under my touch, hard lines of tension locking into place.I laid my cheek against his back, my pulse thudding in my ears.“I’m sorry, m
Xander’s POV"You really think you can just… what? Nearly die and then brush it off like it’s nothing?"The words tear out of me before I can stop them, bouncing off the walls with more force than I intended. I don’t care.Alison’s lying in bed, her skin pale against the dark sheets, shadows clinging beneath her eyes. She looks fragile… too fragile. But even now, with barely enough strength to sit up, she’s staring at me like I’m the one being unreasonable.“Xander, please…” Her voice is soft, strained, but it still digs under my skin.I can’t sit. I can’t even stand still.Instead, I pace the room, each step heavy, the frustration clawing at me like wildfire. My hands are fists at my sides, knuckles white, the air thick with everything I want to say but can’t figure out how to.“Don’t please me, Alison,” I snap, stopping short of the bed. My heart’s racing too fast, chest tight like it’s about to crack open. “You almost died. Do you get that? Do you even realize what the hell you did
Alison’s POV "Don’t move, sweetheart! Just… just breathe." My mom’s voice cut through the heavy fog in my mind, soft but laced with panic. My eyelids fluttered open, and a sharp ache shot through my skull as the room’s dim light hit me. Every inch of my body felt heavy, like I’d been run over, twice. Then the flashbacks slammed into me with full force. The shift. The raw power tearing through my body. Bones snapping and reforming. Silver light. Kendrick’s face twisted in a sneer. The blood. The pain. A groan clawed its way out of my throat as I clutched my head. A wave of pain bloomed behind my eyes. “Maureen!” my mom cried out, her hands catching mine, pulling them gently away from my head. “Don’t move, baby. You’re safe now.” Her face swam into focus, she looked teary, worried, her features creased in panic. My mother. Standing right there. “Mom?” I rasped. My voice felt like it had been dragged across broken glass. “Oh, thank the goddess,” she whispered, cupping my cheek.
Xander’s POVThe acrid scent of blood and burning wood filled the air, a grim reminder of the battle we had just survived. The Ancient Rogue City lay behind us, its silence far more unsettling than the chaos that had erupted just moments ago. The weight of what had happened pressed against my chest, but there was no time to reflect. We had to leave now.Simone stepped forward, her hands glowing faintly as she conjured a shimmering veil of energy around us. “This should keep us hidden long enough to escape the rogue warriors hunting us down,” she murmured, her voice laced with exhaustion. Sweat clung to her brow, but she pushed forward without complaint.Alison, however, was another story. She was barely standing, her body trembling from the aftermath of her first shift. Her silver-white fur shimmered under the moonlight, a sight both mesmerizing and concerning. She had unlocked something ancient, something powerful but right now, she was weak, her strength flickering like a dying
Alison’s POV The world around me exploded in a flash of silver-white light, my senses sharpening to a degree I’d never experienced before. The smell of blood, sweat, and earth filled the air like a tidal wave crashing over me. The ground beneath my paws felt alive, pulsing with energy, every vibration humming through my body. My bones ached as they shifted, but the pain was nothing compared to the power that surged through me. I could feel everything. The weight of the air. The pressure in my lungs. The pulse of the earth beneath me. Every footstep, every breath of Kendrick, every heartbeat in the room, it was like the world had slowed, and I was the center of it all. "Impossible…" Kendrick's voice echoed around the room, laced with disbelief and anger. I didn’t need to look at him to feel the fury radiating from his every cell. He was terrified. But so was I, though I couldn’t fully comprehend why. The connection to Xander flared again.. warmth, light, his energy coursing thr
Xander’s POV"Don’t you dare fucking touch her!" I bellowed, my heart hammering against my chest as I tore through the throng of Kendrick’s warriors. Every step I took felt like a war between my body and my soul. Their stench, sweat, blood, and rogue filth clung to the air, but none of it mattered. Nothing mattered but her.Simone moved beside me, her magic flashing like brilliant streaks of light, incapacitating rogues as we cut a path toward Alison. "I’m holding them off, but we’re running out of time!" she shouted, her eyes flicking toward the throne where Kendrick stood, watching with an evil grin curling on his lips.The scent of her, Alison grew stronger as we moved closer, but it was marred with fear, agony. And something darker. I could feel it, feel her slipping away from me, piece by piece. My chest tightened, the bond between us stretching thinner with each agonizing step.No. No, no, no.I shoved through another rogue who dared to block my way, ignoring the sting of
Alison’s POVThe cold stone beneath my bare feet sent a shiver up my spine as I was dragged through the dimly lit corridors. My wrists ached from the tight grip of Kendrick’s men, their fingers like iron clamps around my skin. No matter how hard I struggled, how much I kicked and twisted, they didn’t loosen their hold."Let go of me, you bastards!" I hissed, my voice raw with defiance.One of them yanked me forward, making me stumble. "Save your energy, girl," he sneered. "You’ll need it for what’s coming."A sharp burst of fear tightened around my chest, but I refused to let it show. I lifted my chin, forcing steel into my voice. "If you think I’m going down without a fight, you don’t know me at all."The rogue to my left let out a low chuckle. "That’s what they all say before they break."They shoved me forward through a set of massive double doors, and my breath hitched as the throne room came into view.It was nothing like Xander’s grand hall, this was a place of nightmare
Xander’s POVDarkness swallowed us whole as we crept through the twisted alleys of the Ancient Rogue City. The air was thick with decay, the scent of blood and damp earth saturating my senses. Every shadow felt like a pair of watching eyes, every gust of wind like a whispered warning to turn back. But I wouldn't. I couldn’t.Alison was here. Alone. Trapped. And every second I wasted was a second closer to losing her.Simone moved beside me like a ghost, her footfalls silent against the uneven ground. She grabbed my arm, pulling me into the shadow of a crumbling wall as a group of rogue wolves passed by, their laughter guttural, their conversations laced with violence. I clenched my jaw, suppressing the growl building in my chest. I wanted to tear through them, rip apart anything that stood between me and Alison."Alpha, you need to keep your head straight," Simone whispered, her breath warm against my ear. "If you charge in blind, you're not saving Alison, you’re just getting you
Kendrick’s POVThe moment I stepped into the chamber, the air shifted.Tension clung to the walls like a thick, suffocating fog. The young maiden at Alison’s feet stiffened, her wide eyes darting toward me as if she had been caught whispering secrets she had no right to speak. But I barely paid her any mind.Because there she was.Alison.My breath caught for a fleeting second before desire took its place. Dressed in silk and gold, she was everything I had ever wanted.. everything I was about to own. Her long, dark hair cascaded down her back, her skin glowing under the candlelight. She looked like a goddess draped in mortal flesh, and fuck, if I didn’t want to rip that dress off her and mark every inch of her body.But I had to wait.The ritual to sever her bond with Xander was only hours away, and when it was done, she would be mine. The mere thought of it sent a wicked thrill down my spine. I could already imagine Xander writhing in agony, his soul ripped apart as their bon