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
Xander’s POVFew months ago, my life felt untouchable, a tapestry woven with strength, power, and what seemed like an unshakeable bond with Alison. Now, it felt like that tapestry was unraveling, each thread pulling apart, leaving me with nothing but raw, exposed nerves.I sat in my office, the weight of the pack’s future now crushing down on me. Two summons from the Alpha Council lay on the desk before me, their bold, blood-red seals mocking my every decision. Ignoring them had been a calculated risk, but now, it was one I could no longer afford. The council demanded my presence, and every instinct I had told me it was a trap... They had heard what Kendrick did to my mate, but yet they had disregarded that just to honor some Treaty even my father before me wasn't in support of.A soft knock interrupted my thoughts. “Come in,” I said, my voice hoarse from days of barking orders and sleepless nights.Darius, the physician, stepped in, his face an unreadable mask of professionalism, th
Xander's POV The library was airy quiet, except for the faint scratching of my pen against paper. Even the air seemed heavy, pressing against my chest like an unseen weight. I had been here for hours, trying to steady my thoughts, rehearsing the defenses I might offer to the Alpha Council. A single misstep today could spell disaster.. not just for me but for my entire pack.The scent of leather-bound books and aged parchment mixed with my own unease. My wolf stirred, restless and irritable. The beast had been on edge ever since I received the third and final summon. Ignoring this one wasn’t an option.Suddenly, the faint creak of the library door interrupted my thoughts. I didn’t look up. I didn’t have to. His scent... clean, sharp, tinged with pine was unmistakable. Luke.“They’re ready,” his voice broke the silence, steady as ever, but carrying a subtle undertone of concern.I didn’t answer right away. Instead, I capped my pen and leaned back in the chair, exhaling slowly. My finge
Xander's POV The tension in the council chamber was palpable, a suffocating mix of suspicion and unease that clung to the air like smoke. My mind replayed the events of the hearing again and again, searching for any angle, any detail that could have predicted the interruption.And yet, there he was.. Alpha Gaius.He stood beside me now, a towering figure draped in the kind of authority that demanded attention without effort. He was a living legend, feared and respected in equal measure, yet an enigma. His return to the council was as unexpected as it was unsettling. Gaius had disappeared from these gatherings years ago, refusing to acknowledge the peace treaty. Rumors swirled, speculating that his discontent stemmed from personal loss, but no one had dared to question him directly.Until now.“I found her,” Gaius said, his voice low but steady.The words hung in the air, heavy with implication.I turned to face him fully, frowning. “Found who?”“My daughter, silly” he replied simply,
Xander’s POVThe room buzzed with tension, the weight of Lydia’s testimony hanging heavy in the air like an approaching storm. My pulse hammered in my chest, each beat echoing the disbelief coursing through my veins. Alison, an Alpha's blood? No, it couldn’t be. But she was lying lifeless in my room? My throat felt dry as sand paper, my mind a whirlwind of doubts and fragmented truths. The room was suffocating, a mix of aged wood, the faint tang of ink from council documents, and the oppressive energy of too many power-hungry alphas confined in one space.Alpha Gaius stood tall at the center, his voice slicing through the murmur of the council like a blade. “Do you still need more proof?” His eyes, sharp and unyielding, bored into the Head Alpha, daring him to counter his claim.The Head Alpha finally exhaled, a long, deliberate sigh that silenced the room. His gray eyes, clouded with years of judgment and authority, darted between Gaius and me. “This council deeply acknowledges your
Alison’s POV Darkness wasn’t just the absence of light; it was an endless void. It felt like being submerged in a deep, inky ocean, weightless but suffocating. I had no sense of time, no idea if hours or days had passed. Sometimes, I thought I could hear faint echoes of voices, distorted like sounds traveling through water. They were fragments, disjointed and fleeting, but enough to make me desperate to respond. My mind screamed for my body to move, for my lips to part, but nothing happened. I was trapped in this abyss, locked within myself. But today, something changed. A voice cut through the darkness, clear and firm, tethering me to the world I could no longer touch. “Alison,” it said, soft but laced with pain. It was familiar... Katherine, Xander’s mother. Her voice trembled as she continued, her words striking deep into my consciousness. “If you’re still alive in there, wake up. Please, wake up. Xander needs you… or let go. Let him move on. He’s a shadow of himself because of
Alison's POV The room was quiet except for the steady hum of the air conditioning and the faint chirping of birds outside the window. The atmosphere was warm, cozy even, but the tension in my chest was suffocating. Everything felt surreal, as though I was still caught in a strange dream. After I woke up from my short rest, my mind began to race trying to piece together the fragments of memories and the shocking revelations that Katherine had just been sharing with me. "You’ve missed so much," Katherine said, her voice soft but tinged with concern as she sat on the chair beside my bed. She folded her hands in her lap and tilted her head slightly, studying me. "You’ve been out for a month, Alison. Xander has... he’s not been himself." I shifted, propping myself up against the pillows. My muscles screamed in protest, reminding me just how frail I still was. "Not himself?" I managed to croak out, my voice hoarse from disuse. Katherine's lips twitched into a sad smile. "He’s bee
Alison’s POVThe garden had always been my little sanctuary.I sat beneath the shade of the old flowering tree, its blossoms heavy with color, the sweet fragrance dancing lazily in the evening breeze. The sun hung low in the sky, painting streaks of orange and gold across the heavens, while the soft rustle of leaves filled the silence.I let out a gentle sigh, one hand absently cradling my now-round stomach, the other bringing a snack to my lips. Little sweet biscuits.. my latest craving. The soft crunch was comforting, the simple pleasure grounding in a world that had been nothing but chaos and blood not too long ago.For a while, I just sat there, watching the blooms sway and the little insects that busied themselves among them. These were flowers I had nurtured myself… tiny, fragile things that somehow clung to life and bloomed despite the odds. A little like me, I thought with a small smile.But then…That feeling again.The prickling on the back of my neck.The weight of invisibl
Xander’s Point of ViewThe moment Alison’s body collapsed into my arms, my heart lurched violently inside my chest. “Alison!!” I shouted, the sound more a guttural, desperate growl than a word. I scooped her up without hesitation, her head lolling against my shoulder, her skin pale and cold.Panic gripped me like a vice.“Get the physician! Now!” I barked at one of the nearby omegas, my voice rough and sharp.I didn’t wait. I carried her up the stairs, my steps uneven thanks to my injured leg, but there was no force in this world that could keep me from her side. I laid her gently on our bed, brushing hair away from her face, my fingers trembling.“Alison, come on baby… open your eyes for me.” I spoke in a broken whisper.Within moments, the physician arrived, his scent familiar, his face lined with age and wisdom. Before he could even get close, I rounded on him.“What’s wrong with her? What's happening he suddenly collasped?!”“Xander,” my mother’s voice cut through the haze of my p
Alison's POVThe sky was blushing with shades of amber and gold as we reached the Nightfang border. The forest smelled different, cleaner, sweeter somehow. The war was over, and for the first time in what felt like forever, peace hung thick in the air. I felt Simone’s arms squeeze me in a final hug as we approached the edge of Crimson Pack territory.“I’ll be fine from here,” Simone promised, forcing a smile, though her eyes glistened. “You saved us, Ali… go home you need to rest.”I swallowed hard, nodding, my throat tight. “I’ll come see you soon.”“Promise?”“Promise. Tell my father I'd come by later”And with that, she turned and disappeared into the trees.By the time Xander and I made it to the Nightfang courtyard, dusk had started creeping in. The warm orange glow settled over the stone walls and the scent of the pack filled my lungs. Familiar… comforting… mine.Elders, pack members, and Xander’s mother, Katherine, were already gathered, their faces breaking into joy the second
Alison POV“Xander?”The name left my lips in a whisper, barely carried by the cold night air. I stood there, my white fur matted with blood and earth, my chest heaving after the final clash beneath the cursed red moon. The sky was clearing now… the eerie crimson glow fading back to its rightful silver. I should have felt victorious. I should have felt alive.But all I felt was dread.The world around me was too quiet. The earth no longer trembled, the cries of the damned had faded into suffocating silence. I lifted my head, my ears twitching, desperately searching for the familiar voices for them. For Xander. For Simone. But the forest was empty, and the only thing that brushed against me was the cold wind.Where are they?Mother Eliza had promised. Victory will spare them. That was her exact fucking promise. She said the evil witch’s curse would break with the witch’s fall. I had shattered the monster's heart with my own claws, I felt the magic unravel. So why… why wasn’t I hearing
Alison’s POV "I refuse to die like this… not today, not like this.” I thought it was the end. I braced myself, teeth clenched, heart hammering so loud I could hear it echo in my ears. The witch’s spell, an ominous swirl of darkness and crackling green light, shot toward me like a bullet from hell itself. I shut my eyes so tight they hurt, waiting for the searing pain to tear through me. But it never came. Everything around me… froze. I mean literally… frozen. The howling wind stopped mid-scream, the leaves hung motionless in the air like trapped confetti, and the cursed magic hovered right in front of me, suspended like some twisted work of art. My pulse thundered in my ears as I cracked open one eye, then the other, slowly taking in this eerie, impossible sight. “What the…?” I gasped, my voice trembling and shaky. A sudden warmth, gentle but firm, filled the air around me. Then came a voice I hadn’t heard in what felt like forever… soft, familiar… maternal. “Alison, use your
Alison’s POV"I don’t have a goddamn choice, do I?"The words slipped from my lips like a broken prayer, hanging in the cold, cursed air around me. I stood at the ragged edge of that dark, twisted forest a place that reeked of death and old magic, where even the moonlight was too afraid to fall.Behind me, the world I knew was unraveling.I turned, my throat burning, and let my eyes fall on them. Xander, lying there, so pale it hurt to look at him. His chest barely rose, his lips bluish. And beside him, Simone… barely alive, a wisp of breath between her lips, her skin almost translucent in the fading light. My heart shattered, a million jagged pieces tearing at my insides.“I’m sorry Xander! Simone!,” I whispered, the words trembling as they left me. “I swear to you both… I’ll fix this. I’ll make it right… or I’ll die trying.”My chest heaved, but I forced my feet forward, into the cursed forest.Every step I took felt like walking deeper into a grave. The air grew thick, heavy with s
Alison’s POVAs time passed minute by minute I couldn’t hear anything anymore. Not the ticking of time, not Simone’s footsteps circling endlessly, not even my own heartbeat.All I could hear was silence… and the weight of failure.Xander’s head lay on my lap, his face pale, body limp, chest rising and falling in irregular shudders. His once steady heartbeat now thumped like a fading drum. I gently brushed the hair from his forehead, my hands trembling. How could he have done this for me? For all of us?I bowed over him, a tear splashing onto his cheek. “Please,” I whispered. “You can’t die, not now. Not like this.”I looked up, only to see Simone pacing like a trapped animal. Her eyes were wide, frantic, as she pressed her palms against the invisible barrier again and again, trying to push through. Nothing worked. The ancient spellbook… our only hope was lying just inches beyond the boundary. So close. Yet unreachable.Her voice cracked. “Dammit!” she screamed, slamming her fists agai
Alison's POV"No!"It was all I could scream. Just one word. One desperate, gut-wrenching, soul-tearing scream that tore from the deepest part of me. Because right in front of me, Xander had done the unthinkable. The unimaginable.He had thrown himself in front of the witch’s curse.One second, I was standing there, trying to gather my wits, watching the cursed energy coil around her fingers like smoke from hell and the next, Xander had shoved me back and taken the hit meant for me.The sound that came out of him wasn’t human. His body convulsed violently, jerking like a puppet with its strings slashed. The blast hit him dead in the chest, and he fell with a sickening thud onto the dirt-covered ground.“XANDER!” I screamed, dropping to my knees beside him. My voice cracked from the sheer agony tearing at my insides.His eyes were wide open, but they were... blank. Hollow. Like the spark of him had been pulled from his soul. His body trembled, every inch of it twitching in jerks that m
Xander’s POV“She’s breathing… right? Tell me she’s breathing.”I could barely move, my limbs were trembling, my chest tight with exhaustion and panic, but I didn’t care. I dragged myself forward, forcing every muscle in my body to function as if my very existence depended on it, because it did. Alison lay there, still as death, her chest unmoving, her skin pale, and it felt like my world was being ripped apart right in front of me.“Alison,” I whispered, crawling to her. “Baby… come on, wake up. Please.”Her head was tilted to the side, her lips parted slightly, her face bruised from the force of her fall. My heart cracked open. My voice cracked harder.I didn't even realize I was crying until a tear slid down her cheek… no, my tear… my agony transferred onto her skin.Simone appeared at my side, blood dripping from her nose and the edges of her mouth. She looked just as wrecked as I felt, maybe even more. Her hands trembled as she rummaged through her pack. She pulled out a small gr