CHAPTER 19: A New Alpha Rises
1073 Words
Selene’s chest rose and fell in uneven breaths as she stared at Xander. The mark on her wrist still tingled, the warmth of it spreading through her veins like wildfire. She could feel it—him—woven into her very being now. And it terrified her.
She flexed her fingers, watching as the faint glow of the mark pulsed beneath the moonlight. "What... what does this mean?" Her voice came out barely above a whisper.
Xander, standing barely a foot away, ran a hand through his dark hair, his silver eyes locked on hers. “It means you’re mine,” he said, his voice rough, hesitant. “And I’m yours.”
Selene’s stomach flipped at the way he said it. No possessiveness, no demand—just fact. As if he was as caught in this as she was.
She swallowed hard. “I—I don’t even know what to do with that.”
Xander let out a breath, stepping closer. “You don’t have to do anything right now. Just tell me... do you regret it?”
Her heart pounded. Did she? It should have been an easy answer. But nothing about this was easy. Her entire life had been controlled, dictated. Even her mate's bond with Killian had been something she was supposed to accept without question. But this?
This felt different. Stronger.
Real.
She met his gaze, searching for something—maybe reassurance, maybe a way out—but all she found was quiet, patience. The kind she wasn’t used to.
“No,” she admitted, her voice steadier now. “I don’t.”
Xander’s whole body relaxed, just slightly. But there was still tension in his frame, like he was waiting for something else.
"Then don’t run from it," he said, softer this time.
Selene parted her lips to respond, but before she could, a deep, guttural growl tore through the night air.
Her spine stiffened. She knew that sound.
Killian.
Xander's expression darkened instantly, his body shifting slightly in front of her in a protective stance. "Of course," he muttered under his breath. "Bastard doesn’t know when to quit."
Selene’s pulse quickened as the sound of snapping branches filled the silence, followed by the distinct scent of wolves. Many of them.
“They’re coming,” Xander murmured, eyes scanning the trees.
She turned toward the darkness, her wolf stirring uneasily inside her. And then she saw them—figures moving between the trees, their golden eyes glowing like embers in the night. At the center of them stood Killian, his face twisted with rage, his chest rising and falling like he had run the entire way here.
Selene’s heart pounded.
This wasn’t just about claiming her anymore.
This was about blood.
Killian stepped forward, his shoulders rigid. “You marked her?” His voice was cold, deadly.
Xander didn’t flinch. “She chose me. Get over it.”
The wolves behind Killian snarled, their energy crackling like lightning in the air. Killian’s hands curled into fists, claws edging at his fingertips. “You think this is finished? That you can just take what’s mine?”
Selene moved beside Xander, her voice cutting through the tension. “I was never yours, Killian. Not really. You just never saw me.”
That struck a nerve. Killian’s jaw tensed, but he didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he took another step closer. “This isn’t how it ends. You think you’re safe with him? His mark means nothing compared to what we had.”
Xander’s lips curled into a sharp smile. “You’re wrong; the mark isn’t just a claim—it’s a bond, one you threw away the moment you rejected her.”
The silence that followed was suffocating. Every breath was drawn tight with anticipation.
Then Killian snapped.
With a roar, he surged forward, claws out, eyes blazing. But Xander was faster. He moved in a blur, intercepting Killian with bone-shattering force. The clash of Alpha powers exploded like thunder, sending shockwaves through the clearing.
Selene stumbled back as the two Alphas collided, their wolves battling for dominance. Xander’s strength was undeniable—fluid and precise—but Killian fought like a man possessed, desperation fueling his rage.
Their wolves surfaced, claws raking, teeth snapping. Blood sprayed across the forest floor as they tore into each other.
Selene’s breath caught as Killian managed to land a blow across Xander’s shoulder, but Xander retaliated with a brutal strike that sent Killian crashing into a tree.
Still, Killian rose, growling low in his throat. “I’ll kill you.”
Xander’s chest heaved, his silver eyes glowing with power. “You’ll try.”
Killian lunged again, but Xander dodged, sweeping his legs and pinning him to the ground. “Enough!” Xander growled, his voice deep and commanding.
The forest fell still.
Killian’s wolves hesitated, shifting nervously as they watched their Alpha struggle beneath Xander’s grip.
“I won’t let you hurt her,” Xander said, his voice low but firm. “Not again.”
Killian bared his teeth, but Selene stepped forward, her voice shaking. “This ends now, Killian. I’m not yours. I never will be.”
Her words echoed, final and unshakable.
Killian’s fury slowly faded into something hollow. Defeat. But not surrender. Never surrender.
He wrenched free from Xander’s hold, eyes locked on Selene. “You think this is over? It’s not. You’ve chosen the wrong Alpha.”
Then he turned and vanished into the trees, his wolves slinking after him.
The moment he disappeared, the tension broke like a snapped wire.
Xander let out a heavy breath, his body sagging with exhaustion. Selene ran to him, reaching for his bloodied arm.
“You’re hurt,” she whispered.
“I’ve been worse,” he said, but winced as she touched the gash.
She pressed her forehead to his chest, her voice tight. “You didn’t have to fight him.”
“Yes, I did,” Xander murmured.
“He needed to see he couldn’t take you back. That you’re not a prize to fight over. You’re mine, Selene—not because I claimed you, but because you let me in.”
The words sank into her, warm and terrifying.
She had let him in.
And that changed everything.
Far off in the forest, a cold wind stirred the trees. But for the first time in a long time, Selene didn’t feel afraid.
Not with Xander beside her.
Not anymore.
- Writer
