Chapter 58

Alexander

The cool night air burned in my lungs as I ran, my legs pounding against the forest floor. The distant snarls and shouts carried on the wind, growing louder with each step. My blood boiled, anger simmering just below the surface.

A fight within the pack. Again.

I thought our last meeting had settled their rage at least for a couple more days. Fools.

“Stay with the kids,” I had told Lauren before bolting out the door. Her wide-eyed protest was cut short by the urgency in my tone, and I didn’t wait for her response. This wasn’t a situation she could fix.

Even worse? This ridiculous fight cut into my moment with her. She was finally letting me in, even if it was just and inch, any now…now…

My blood boiled, claws itching to pop.

The clearing came into view, and chaos greeted me. Wolves of all sizes clashed in the moonlight, fur and limbs tangling as growls and snarls echoed through the trees. Some pack members remained in their human forms, fists flying and shouts ringing out, while others had already transformed, massive wolves snapping and lunging at one another.

I charged down the hill into the fray, my presence cutting through the madness like a blade. A few wolves broke apart at the sight of me, their ears flattening in submission, but others were too deep in their frenzy to notice.

I let out a low growl as the transformation took over. It had been months since I’d last shifted completely, but if my pack thought they could throw a tantrum, I’d put them in their place without hesitation.

Lauren

Of course, I followed him again.

And I didn’t miss his transformation from the tree's edge where I hid. My eyes widened. It had been a long…long time since I’ve seem him like this, or most of the pack.

But with the blood speckling the ground in the moonlight, it was serious.

Alexander’s muscles tensed, bones cracking and reshaping as black fur erupted across his skin. The transformation looked second nature now like the pain was almost comforting in its familiarity.

His wolf form was massive, towering over most of the others, his black fur blending with the shadows of the forest. Only the white ear, a stark contrast, gave him away in the moonlight.

He let out a thunderous snarl, turned howl— the sound silencing the chaos. Wolves stopped mid-fight, some retreating a few steps, their tails tucking low. The human pack members froze, their breaths coming in ragged gasps as they turned to face me.

“What the hell is going on here?” Alexanders voice was a growl even in human form, but now it rumbled through the clearing like a storm.

Liam, standing in his human form with his chest heaving, stepped forward. My breath hitched slightly.

His white wolf had been fighting moments ago, but now his human eyes met Alexander’s, defiant and unyielding.

“Those venison breaths,” he spat, his voice dripping with venom, pointing at the other side of the clearing to some wolves. “Started to talk crap about Lauren! You! The pack! We had to teach them a lesson!”

Alexander took a step closer, his massive claws sinking into the dirt. “Care to explain?”

“God, you are so dense! They said you’ve lost sight of what it means to lead,” he said, his voice rising. “You’re too distracted—your kids, your so-called Luna. Despite being unable to choose. You’ve turned this pack into a joke! All of us, on the outside our of own pack!”

A low growl rippled through the gathered wolves, some snapping their jaws in Liam’s direction. Others looked uncertain, their eyes darting between him and me.

“My ‘so-called Luna,’” I repeated, my voice dangerously calm. “She is my Luna. Alive and well. You should be celebrating her return.”

“But what of her blood?” Grabriel’s voice popped up, though a large, brown wolf stalked into the clearing. “Some low born as our Luna, you’re wife? We were better off with Sophia, at least she—”

“You’re questioning me because I’m protecting what’s mine?” Alexander snapped.

“It’s not just me,” Gabriel shot back, gesturing to the wolves behind him. “They’re thinking it too, Alexander. You’ve been soft, and distracted. This pack deserves better.”

Alexander’s lip curled, his head slowly moving back, standing tall. “Do I need to remind you, all of you, why I am Alpha tonight?”

The pack fell silent, the weight of his challenge pressing down on them like a physical force. Gabriel hesitated, his bravado faltering for a moment, but he recovered quickly.

“I think we need a leader who isn’t torn between his pack and his personal life,” Gabriel said, his voice rising with the sharp edge of a challenge. “Someone who isn’t making decisions based on emotions. Someone who actually shares what’s going on with the pack. Or are we not one anymore? And those children—” he sneered, “are they you and Sophia’s? Or Lauren’s?”

The air grew electric, every wolf around us stiffening at the audacity of his words. My claws dug into the earth as I felt my control snap.

Gabriel opened his mouth to say more, but I didn’t let him.

With a snarl that echoed through the clearing, I lunged. My massive form collided with his, sending him sprawling onto the dirt. The force of the impact shook the ground beneath us, and the wolves surrounding us scattered to give space.

Gabriel scrambled to his feet, his wolf form smaller than mine but quick and lithe. His fur gleamed under the moonlight, a deep brown streaked with gray, his hackles raised and teeth bared. He held his ground, his tail lifted in defiance.

“You’re out of line,” I growled, my voice guttural, more wolf than man.

“And you’re unfit to lead!” Gabriel snapped back, circling me with his shoulders low and tense. His words cut like a blade, and my blood boiled hotter with each syllable.

Without warning, I lunged again, a black blur against the moonlit clearing. Gabriel darted to the side this time, narrowly avoiding my jaws, and snapped at my flank. His teeth grazed my fur, but I spun faster than he expected, slamming my shoulder into his side with bone-jarring force. He yelped as he hit the ground, tumbling across the dirt, but quickly regained his footing.

The pack watched in stunned silence, their eyes wide as the fight escalated. Some looked eager, others nervous, but no one dared to intervene.

“You think you can lead better than me?” I growled, circling him now, my muscles coiled and ready.

“I think the pack deserves better than a leader who can’t even figure out his own mate!” Gabriel spat, his voice dripping with venom. He lunged at me this time, his teeth aiming for my throat.

I met him mid-air, our bodies colliding with a sickening thud. His claws raked at my side, drawing blood, but I barely felt it. My jaws snapped inches from his face as I drove him back, my sheer size and strength overpowering him.

He hit the ground hard, but instead of submitting, he twisted beneath me, kicking out with his hind legs. I staggered back, and he leaped to his feet, blood dripping from a shallow cut on his shoulder.

“You’re weak,” he snarled, his voice filled with a desperate rage.

“Right. And you’re reckless,” I shot back, my voice low and dangerous. “Do you think this pack will follow someone who picks fights instead of solving problems?”

The words seemed to hit him, but he didn’t back down. He lunged again, and I met him with equal ferocity. We clashed in a blur of teeth and claws, each of us landing blows that would have crippled a lesser wolf.

He was lucky I was going easy on the Beta. At the end of the day… he was family.

The fight should have ended long ago. Any wolf with sense would have submitted by now, recognizing the strength of an Alpha. But Gabriel wasn’t just any wolf. He was Beta, but held high respect in the pack, and he wasn’t going to give up without a fight.

With a growl that shook the air, I slammed him to the ground, pinning him beneath me. My jaws snapped inches from his throat, and he snarled and twisted, his claws raking at my sides.

“Enough!” I roared, my voice carrying across the clearing like thunder.

For a moment, he stilled. His eyes met mine, anger blazing in them, but there was something else too—fear, maybe, or regret. The pack around us watched with bated breath, waiting for him to yield.

But then, just as I thought it was over, a new sound broke through the tension.

“Alexander, stop!”