Xander's POV
The words tasted like ash in my mouth. I had never admitted weakness before. Never bowed to anyone. Not my father. Not the council. Not even the alphas who tried to challenge me when I was young and unproven. Submission was for omegas. For wolves without strength. For the broken and the defeated.
But lying there in the blood soaked dirt with my own reflection standing over me I realized something that made my chest ache. Submission was not about weakness. It was about trust. About choosing to let someone else lead because you believed in them more than you believed in yourself.
"I submit." The words came out clearer this time. Stronger. "Not because I am weak. But because she is worth it. Because loving her means trusting her. Even when my instincts scream to fight. Even wh
