My Brother’s Forbidden Alpha

2. Blood and Bond

Chapter 2: Blood and Bond

Philip’s body was a wall of heat and steel against mine. His arm locked around my waist like he would sooner die than let go. The rogue’s blade whistled past my ear as Philip spun us deeper into the shadows of the pines. His growl vibrated through my chest and straight to my wolf. Chaos swallowed the ceremonial grounds. Screams and snarls mixed with the metallic tang of blood cutting through woodsmoke. Yet all I could focus on was him.

The mate bond thrummed like a live wire where his fingers dug into my hip. Every point of contact burned. His thigh pressed between mine for balance, the rapid thud of his heart hammered against my back, and that cedar storm scent was now laced with adrenaline and raw possession. My wolf clawed at my insides, demanding I bare my neck and demanding he mark me right here in the dirt.

It was dangerous. It was forbidden. It was mine.

"Stay behind me," Philip ordered. His voice was low and lethal.

He shoved me against a thick trunk, caging me with his massive frame as another rogue lunged from the underbrush. Silver flashed. Philip shifted one arm and his claws erupted as he met the attacker head on. The impact jarred us both. I felt the bond flare hotter, my instincts screaming to fight with him rather than hide.

Pack law echoed in my head. Alphas did not risk everything for a Beta’s sister. Not without consequences.

A howl tore from Philip’s throat as he tore out the rogue’s throat with brutal efficiency. Blood sprayed across the leaves and warm droplets hit my arm. He turned back to me instantly. His eyes were fully black now, his wolf riding him hard.

"You are hurt?" His free hand cupped my jaw, his thumb brushing my lower lip with a gentleness that contradicted the violence around us. The touch was electric. Pure instinct met unbearable tension. I leaned into it before I could stop myself, my lips parting on a shaky breath.

"I am fine," I whispered. "Philip, the bond. They will see."

"They won't see anything if you are dead," he growled. His forehead dropped to mine for one stolen second. Our breaths mingled and grew ragged. He was so close I could taste the salt on his skin. My hands fisted in his shirt, pulling him nearer despite the screams echoing closer. The tension of what we could never have, the feral instinct to claim and be claimed, and the interruption of war all crashed in at once.

His lips hovered a breath from mine. "Jessica, forget the law. One taste."

"Philip!" Marcus’s voice ripped through the night like a blade.

My brother burst through the trees, bloodied but furious. His eyes were wild as he took in the scene. He saw Philip’s body shielding mine, our stance, and the way neither of us pulled away fast enough.

Philip jerked back. I felt the ghost of his growl against my mouth. He positioned himself between me and Marcus, alpha authority radiating off him in waves.

"Rogues hit hard. Jessica was targeted. I handled it."

Marcus’s gaze flicked to me, then to Philip. Suspicion darkened his features. "You are both unmarked. Good. But the pack is taking losses. The elders are rallying at the main fire. Damon has been asking for her." He spat the name like it tasted sour, but his loyalty to the alliance was ironclad. He remained loyal to Philip as Alpha even more so. "We need you leading the counter, man. Not babysitting my sister."

The choice hung heavy in the air. Philip’s jaw tightened, his hand still brushing mine behind his back. It was hidden, desperate, and possessive. Saving the pack meant leaving me exposed. Staying meant risking everything for the bond pulling us under. I saw the war in his steel gray eyes when they met mine again. It was a devotion that could shatter empires.

"Go," I whispered. Fiery resolve cut through the vulnerability. "I can handle myself. But this," I touched my neck where the bond mark itched like a brand, "is not going away."

Philip’s eyes flashed with promise. "Neither am I."

Then he was gone. He shifted mid stride into his massive black wolf form, a howl summoning the pack’s warriors as he charged back into the fray.

Marcus grabbed my arm, hauling me toward safety. "What the hell was that back there, Jess? You two looked off."

"Nothing," I lied. My heart was still racing from Philip’s near-kiss and the feel of his claws and care all at once. But as we ran, I caught sight of something glinting on the ground where we had stood. A rogue’s amulet lay there, etched with a symbol that matched the strange birthmark on my shoulder. It was the one my parents never explained.

The bond was not the only secret unraveling tonight. If Marcus found out the truth about Philip and me, blood would spill far worse than any rogue’s.

By the time we reached the reinforced circle of warriors, the attack was dying down. But Philip’s gaze found mine across the battlefield, burning with unspoken claim. One wrong move, and our forbidden fire would consume the entire pack.

What if the next strike came from inside our own ranks?