Xander’s POV
The 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 a careful mask of neutrality. Bowing slightly, he avoided my gaze, but the tension in his posture was clear. “Alpha, the elders request your presence in the council chamber.”
“What for?” My voice was low, rough, like gravel scraping against stone.
“I… I’m not sure Alpha,” Luke replied hesitantly, his eyes flickering to Alison.
I turned back to her, brushing my thumb across her cold knuckles. “I’ll be back my love ,” I murmured, though the words felt empty. She didn’t stir, didn’t flinch. It was like speaking to a ghost.
As I followed Luke down the hall, my body burned with suppressed rage. Every step felt like a betrayal, like I was abandoning her for the politics and bureaucracy that meant nothing compared to her life. The moment I entered the council chamber, the weight of judgment pressed down on me.
The five elders sat at the long, ornate table, their faces grim. My mother stood near the window, regal as ever, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. Caitlyn was there too, seated primly beside her, her wide eyes flickering with calculated concern.
I didn’t bother with formalities. I strode to my chair and sank into it, slouching as I let my cold glare settle on each of them. “What is this about?”
Arthur, the head elder, leaned forward, his expression stern. “We have received reports that you attacked Silver Moon Pack. Two warriors were killed, and Alpha Kendrick was injured. Is this true?”
I didn’t flinch. “Yes. And?”
Arthur’s fist slammed onto the table, his voice rising. “And? Do you understand what you have done? You have just jeopardized the peace treaty upheld by the Alpha Council. Do you want to start an unending war?”
“I don’t care about their damn treaty!” I snarled, the heat in my chest flaring. Cain roared within me, feeding my fury. “If war is what it takes to bring Alison the justice she deserves, then so be it. I’ll burn the entire pack to the ground if I have to.”
The room erupted into chaos. Voices overlapped, accusations and warnings hurled like daggers. My fists clenched, the veins in my arms taut with the effort to keep Cain at bay.
“You’re acting like a madman, Xander!” Arthur bellowed, his face red with frustration. “Think about your pack. They’re terrified of what you are turning into because of this Alison girl! Your instability is tearing this pack apart”
“My instability?” I shot to my feet, the chair scraping harshly against the floor. “You dare speak to me about instability while my mate is lying at the brink of death in there…” My voice cracked, but I pushed through. “while she lies there dying because of someone’s cowardly attack?”
Arthur stood too, his body trembling with the effort to control his wolf. The air between us crackled with tension, a heartbeat away from violence.
“Enough of this, we are not here to fight amongst ourselves” My mother’s voice cut through the storm like a whip. She stepped between us, placing a hand on my chest. Her touch was light, but it burned like acid.
“Xander,” she said softly, her tone laced with an edge of pity that made my skin crawl. “I know you love Alison, but she’s already gone. Darius said her chances of survival were zero and clinging to this will only destroy you and this pack.”
I recoiled as though she’d struck me, her words slicing deep.
“Move on,” she continued, her voice steady but cold. “Lay her to rest first and take Caitlyn as your Luna. The pack needs stability more than anything else, not a broken Alpha consumed by vengeance.”
Her hand pressed harder against my chest, but I shoved it away, my breathing ragged. “Over my dead body,” I growled. “I can still feel her wolf, faint but alive. She’s not gone. And until she is, I won’t stop fighting for her.”
Arthur interjected, his voice firm but weary. “This vendetta of yours will be the end of us all. If you attack Silver Moon again, the Alpha Council will retaliate. Think of the consequences, Xander. We may be the strongest Wolf pack in the entire states but not when the entire packs come together to fight us”
I turned to him, my vision blurring with rage. “If I find out Kendrick had anything to do with this, I’ll end him and his entire pack. Let the council come for me if they dare, we will fight to the death.”
With that, I stormed out of the room, Luke trailing behind me. My chest heaved with every breath, my nails digging into my palms as I fought the urge to shift. Cain growled incessantly, his bloodlust threatening to take over.
When I reached my quarters, the sight of Alison’s fragile form drained the fire from me, leaving only a hollow ache. I collapsed onto the bed beside her, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
Luke cleared his throat awkwardly, standing near the door. “Alpha,” he began cautiously, “the pack women are protesting outside the gates. They want peace with Silver Moon… and for you to consider Caitlyn as your mate.”
“Get out,” I said through gritted teeth, my eyes never leaving Alison’s face.
“But…”
“I said, GET OUT!” My voice cracked like a whip, reverberating through the room.
Luke flinched but bowed his head. “As you wish, Alpha.”
As the door clicked shut, I leaned closer to Alison, my fingers tracing the outline of her face. Her lips were pale, her breaths so faint they were almost imperceptible.
“I’ll make them pay for this,” I whispered, my voice shaking. “Whoever did this to you… I’ll make them suffer. Even if it costs me everything, Alison, I swear… I will avenge you.”