Chapter 24 Alpha Showdown
Aelira’s POV
The tension from the Neutral Grounds follows us, thick and unspoken, as Daelor’s sleek SUV glides through the dusky streets. The silence between us is heavy, layered with everything Elder Maelor assumed and everything Daelor did not say. I keep my eyes fixed on the blur of trees and streetlamps outside, my mind spinning.
Elder Maelor believed we were a couple. And Daelor. let him.
“What’s wrong?” Daelor’s voice, low and warm, cuts through my thoughts.
I glance over, startled by the faint, knowing smile curving his lips. “Are you upset?” he asks, his silver–gray eyes flicking to mine in the rearview mirror, then back to the road.
I shake my head too quickly. “No, I just… why didn’t you correct Elder Maelor? What if he tells the elders, or-
The words tumble out, tangled with anxiety. Daelor is unmated, after all, Alpha King–every unmated she–wolf’s fantasy. If word spreads that he’s planning a marking with me–a she–wolf not yet free of her mate bond–how many storms would it junleash?
Daelor just smiles, as if my worry is quaint. “If I’d argued, Maelor would have pressed for details. This way, we left cleanly.”
I exhale, tension unwinding a little. Of course. Practicality–Daelor always sees the straightest line through any tangle.
“What, are you embarrassed to be seen with me?” he teases, glancing at me sideways as the evening light slips like mercury through the windshield.
A strange flutter stirs inside me–my wolf, inexplicably drawn to the glint in his eyes. “How could I be embarrassed? I’m just.. I didn’t want to make trouble for you?
He only smiles, tapping the wheel with lazy confidence, as if none of this touches him at all.
I study him from the corner of my eye: the crisp shirt, the elegant cufflinks, the aura of gentle power. Alarion’s equal, yet so different–Daelor’s kindness is effortless, not a performance. Whoever one day becomes his Luna will be impossibly lucky.
“Here we are,” he says, pulling into my apartment complex. The building is plain, a world away from the grandeur I grew up
with. But it’s mine. It feels safe.
“You should invite me up for tea,” Daelor says, a note of playfulness in his voice. “You know, as a housewarming.”
I blink, caught off guard. “Oh. Yes, that… that would be nice.”
We walk to the elevator in companionable silence. As we wait, his phone rings. His posture shifts, focus sharpening as he
checks the screen.
“Quillon,” he says, voice turning formal. “What news?”
I watch as his jaw tightens, eyes hardening with each word. “I see. And his justification?”
Another pause, then a sidelong glance at me. “Keep me posted. We’ll talk next steps.” He ends the call just as the elevator
opens.
My heart thuds. “Was that.. about the severance?”
Daelor nods as we step inside. “Beryn Quillon. Alarion’s mobilized the entire Thunder Pack legal team. He’s going to fight this hard”
The news lands like a blow to the heart. “Why? He doesn’t even want me. He made that clear enough.”
Daelor’s hand finds my shoulder, steadying me. “He’s claiming you’re acting out of grief. That you need time to reconsider.”
I sag against the wall, dizzy with disbelief. My wolf whimpers, unsure, caught between rage and fear.
“It’s not grief,” I say, voice barely a whisper. “It’s survival.”
Daelor’s touch lingers, radiating warmth. “I promised I’d help you. I will. I have a plan–let’s talk inside, okay?”
11895,
<Chapter 24 Alpha Showdown
The elevator doors open. But the moment we step into the hallway, I freeze.
The air is thick with a scent I know too well: pine and earth, sharp and predatory. Alarion.
= Menu
He leans against my apartment door, arms crossed, presence filling the space like a storm on the horizon. His amber eyes lock onto us, burning with accusation,
“So it’s true,” he growls, every word a challenge. “You’ve found yourself another Alpha.”
The accusation stings–a twist of betrayal after twelve years of love, three years of mating, all the devotion I poured into him. Did he really think I’d betray him so easily? After everything?
“What are you doing here, Alarion?” I try to keep my voice steady, though my heart drums in my chest.
He ignores my question, stalking closer. “Is this why you’re ending our bond? For him?”
My wolf bristles, hackles rising. “That’s not-”
“Who got you Quillon?” Alarion demands, eyes locked on Daelor now. “He doesn’t take just any case. Someone with power set this up.
Daelor meets his gaze without blinking. “Aelira’s choices are her own.”
Alarion’s eyes blaze. “Was it you? Have you been manipulating my Luna behind my back?”
“I’m not your Luna anymore,” I snap, the words tasting like freedom and loss all at once. “After what you did? You lost that right.”
His attention snaps back to me, wounded pride and disbelief warring on his face. “So there is someone else,” he growls. “Who is it, Aelira? Who made you forget twelve years together?”
Before I can answer, Daelor steps closer, his arm sliding around my shoulders. The gesture is both shield and claim–his Alpha scent mingling with mine, soothing my wolf, making her go still.
“That would be me,” Daelor says, his voice calm, certain, unflinching.
I stare up at him, stunned.
Alarion lets out a sharp, disbelieving laugh. “You’re kidding. You and Aelira? Don’t insult me.”
“Am I?” Daelor’s silver eyes flash, unyielding. “Think back, Riven: Remember Silver Moon? You and Cyrinne.
Alarion’s bravado falters, suspicion flickering across his face.
“I told you about a mated she–wolf I was helping. The one seeking freedom from a bond. The one I couldn’t stop thinking about.” Daelor’s voice is steady, every word ringing with truth.
Recognition dawns in Alarion’s eyes–a slow, terrible understanding.
“I promised to introduce her to you, once her bond was severed,” Daelor finishes. “Even teased you about her charm,”
And then the final piece falls into place. Alarion’s face drains of color. His jaw clenches, eyes darting from Daelor to me and back again as the truth settles.
“That “mated she–wolf was Aelira, Daelor says, his arm still warm around me, his presence a silent promise.
Alarion’s world shifts behind his eyes. For the first time, I see real fear flicker across his face.
