CHAPTER 8: The Pack's Wrath
1100 Words
The moon hung high in the sky, casting a silver glow over the dense forest as Selene followed Xander through the undergrowth. The night was quieter than before, but a new tension crackled in the air. A storm was coming—one she couldn’t outrun.
Xander moved with a natural, commanding grace, his presence both protective and daunting. Selene couldn’t help but glance at him from the corner of her eye, her heart hammering in her chest. The way he carried himself, the sheer power in his stride—it was unlike anything she had seen before. He wasn’t just an Alpha. He was something more. Something lethal.
The warmth of his presence sent shivers along her skin, but she forced herself to focus. There were more pressing matters than the unnerving attraction pulling her toward him. She had felt Killian’s wolves closing in before Xander had appeared. Even now, her instincts screamed that danger was near.
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” she asked, breaking the silence between them.
Xander didn’t look back. “Somewhere safe.”
She frowned. “You expect me to trust you just like that?”
A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. “I don’t expect anything from you, little wolf. But I did just save your life.”
Selene exhaled sharply, hugging herself. He had a point. But trust? That was something she couldn’t afford to give so easily.
They walked in silence for a while, weaving through the thick trees. The night air carried the distant howls of wolves—Killian’s enforcers were still searching for her. The thought sent a shudder through her body.
Xander’s hand brushed against hers, an accidental touch that sent a jolt of electricity through her. She pulled away quickly, but he caught her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. His touch was firm yet surprisingly gentle.
“What—”
“Shh.” His gaze sharpened as his head tilted slightly, listening. Then she heard it too—footsteps. Close.
Fear surged through her, but Xander’s grip tightened reassuringly. He leaned in, his breath warm against her ear. “Stay behind me.”
The footsteps grew louder, twigs snapping beneath heavy boots. Then a low growl rumbled through the trees.
Selene’s stomach clenched as shadows moved between the trees. Killian’s enforcers.
A pair of glowing amber eyes emerged first, followed by the towering form of a wolf in human form. His scent was unmistakable—one of Killian’s best hunters.
“Well, well,” the wolf sneered. “Alpha Killian was right. You are alive.”
Selene stiffened, forcing herself to meet his gaze. “And what exactly does he want now? He rejected me, or has he suddenly changed his mind?”
The enforcer chuckled darkly. “That’s none of your concern. You belong to him.”
A deep growl vibrated from Xander’s chest. “She belongs to no one.”
The enforcer’s gaze flickered to Xander, his expression shifting from amusement to unease. He could sense it—the raw, unrelenting power radiating from Xander. But like any loyal dog, he still bared his teeth. “Stay out of this, stranger. This is pack business.”
Xander took a step forward, his expression unreadable. “She’s under my protection now.”
The enforcer hesitated, but then his lips curled into a snarl. “You don’t understand who you’re crossing.”
Xander’s silver eyes gleamed under the moonlight. “No, you don’t.”
Before the enforcer could react, Xander moved. It was inhumanly fast—a blur of motion. A heartbeat later, the enforcer was on the ground, his face pressed into the dirt, Xander’s foot against his throat.
The remaining wolves hesitated, shifting nervously.
“Go back to your Alpha,” Xander commanded. “Tell him that if he wants her, he’ll have to come himself.”
A beat of silence, then the wolves turned and ran, their footsteps fading into the night.
Xander removed his foot and turned back to Selene, his gaze unreadable. “Let’s keep moving.”
Selene’s heart pounded as she followed, her mind racing. Xander had defeated Killian’s enforcer effortlessly, as if it were nothing. Just who was he?
They walked in silence again, deeper into the forest, until they reached a secluded clearing where the trees thinned, revealing a cabin nestled beneath the shadows of the mountain.
Xander led her inside, closing the door behind them. The air was warmer here, the scent of burning wood lingering in the space. Selene took a shaky breath, exhaustion settling over her like a heavy weight.
She turned to face him. “Why are you helping me?”
Xander’s gaze met hers, intense and unrelenting. “Because I know what it’s like to be hunted.”
A lump formed in her throat. She wanted to ask more, to dig into whatever past had shaped him, but something in his expression warned her not to push.
Instead, he stepped closer, lifting a hand to brush a stray strand of hair from her face. His touch was warm, lingering just a second longer than necessary. Her breath caught.
“You should rest,” he murmured.
Her body ached with exhaustion, but her mind was still spinning. Still, she nodded. “Okay.”
He turned to leave, but she caught his wrist. “Xander?”
He paused, looking down at her hand on his skin. The moment stretched between them, heavy with something unspoken.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
A flicker of something softened his expression, but he simply nodded and pulled away, disappearing into the shadows of the cabin.
Selene lay down, staring at the ceiling, her heart pounding for reasons she didn’t want to name.
Outside, the wind howled, carrying the distant echo of a wolf’s cry. Killian was coming.
And this time, he wouldn’t let her go so easily.
Selene exhaled sharply, hugging herself against the creeping chill of the night. “Killian isn’t going to let this go,” she murmured, more to herself than to Xander. “He doesn’t handle defiance well.”
Xander glanced at her, his expression unreadable. “That’s his problem, not yours.”
She let out a bitter laugh. “You don’t understand. He won’t just stop at sending enforcers. He’ll burn down everything in his path to get what he wants.”
Xander stepped closer, his warmth chasing away the cold seeping into her bones. “Then let him come,” he said, voice steady, unwavering. “He’ll find that I don’t break so easily.”
- Writer
