Chapter 23 – Their Path Crossed Again
Fiona’s POV
I pulled out of the school parking lot, heart still heavy from the conversation with Jamal, and tried to shake it off. Tried being the key word.
I had a big day ahead-Ice Snow Packhouse kind of big. A deal that had been in the works for months, one that could finally lock my pack into a long-term supply chain contract. If this went right, it would mean security, resources, and status. The kind of status my pack had been clawing toward for years.
I’d prepped every damn detail. Spreadsheet after spreadsheet, late-night strategy calls, even a mock presentation in front of Alpha Xavien, who -bless him-sat through the whole thing with zero complaints and three cups of extra-strong coffee.
But as I drove, my mind kept tugging back to Jamal. His voice at the kitchen table. That look in his eyes. The ache in my chest hadn’t let up.
Ten minutes into the drive, my car’s Bluetooth buzzed with an incoming call. Alpha Xavien’s name lit up on the screen.
For the first time all morning, I smiled.
I tapped the steering wheel. “Hey, babe.”
“Love,” he said, his voice rich and grounding, pouring through the speakers like warm velvet. “You on your way to the Packhouse?”
“Yup. Halfway there. Trying to keep my head in the game.”
“You’ve got this,” he said, firm and confident. “They’ll be lucky if you don’t walk out of there owning the whole damn building.”
I laughed, but it came out a little tight. I didn’t miss the pause on his end.
“Hectic morning?” he asked, already reading me like a book.
I hesitated. “Yeah… It’s Jamal.”
That got his full attention. I could hear the shift in his energy, the quiet bristle beneath his calm. “What happened?”
I exhaled slowly, gripping the wheel tighter as I spoke. “He told me some of the kids at school were bullying him last year. Said they made fun of him for not having a dad. And he just… he held it in. Never told me until this morning.”
Silence on the other end. But not the bad kind. The kind where I knew he was trying to keep from blowing his top.
“What kind of little shifters say that crap?” Xavien growled finally, his voice low and tight. “And where the hell were the teachers?”
My wolf stirred in response to his anger, not in fear, but in kinship. Navien wasn’t just angry for Jamal-he was protective. Fiercely, instinctively. Like a true Alpha should be.
“I talked to his teacher.” I said, trying to keep my voice level. “She knows I’m watching now. And I made it clear there won’t be a second warning.”
Xavien let out a sharp breath. “Good. Because I swear, Fiona, if one of those pups so much as breathes wrong near him again—”
“I know.” I cut in gently. “Believe me, I know.”
He was quiet again, and when he spoke, his voice had softened. “I just hate that he has to go through that. He’s such a good kid. Strong. Kind. He deserves better.”
My heart swelled at that. “He’s lucky to have you, you know.”
Xavien scoffed softly, but there was warmth in it. “Nah. I’m the lucky one.”
I hesitated for a beat, then said, “He asked for you.”
“What?”
For parent day. He wants you to come.”
The line went quiet again, but I felt the shift. His breath hitched just a little, and when he finally spoke, his voice was low. “He really said that?”
“He did,” I said, smiling despite everything. “He sees you, Xavien. As part of his world.”
Another pause. Then: “Tell me when and where. I’ll be there. No question.”
My chest tightened in the best way. Goddess, how did I get so lucky?
“Thank you,” I whispered. “Really.”
“You and Jamal are my world, Fiona,” he said simply. “I’ll do anything for you.”
We didn’t say anything for a few seconds. We didn’t have to.
“Alright.” I said eventually, voice lighter than before. “I’ve got to go charm the fur off a bunch of old alphas. I’ll call you after.”
“I’ll be waiting, love. Go knock them dead.”
I grinned, eyes flicking back to the road ahead. “Talk soon, Alpha Xavien.”
“Always.”
The call ended, and I let the silence fill the car again. But it wasn’t heavy anymore. My heart still ached for Jamal, but Xavien’s words had wrapped around me like armor.
We were going to be okay. All three of us.
And as I drove toward the Packhouse, I felt my wolf stir, stronger than before.
Ready.
I cut the engine and stared up at the Ice Snow Packhouse-sleek, glass-paneled, and unapologetically opulent. Even from the outside, it screamed legacy, wealth, and old-money arrogance. Which meant today wasn’t just a business deal.
It was a test.
A test of whether a she-wolf from a rising pack like mine-Blood Moon-could stand toe-to-toe with the heavyweights.
I smoothed my hair in the rearview mirror and adjusted my blazer, pushing my shoulders back as I stepped out of the car.
Inside, marble floors that clicked under my heels, and the subtle scent of sandalwood and dominance that marked a strong Alpha’s territory. My wolf stirred at the scent of it. Alert. Focused.
I approached the front desk.
“Good morning,” I said, locking eyes with the receptionist. “I have an appointment with Alpha Matthew.”
She barely looked up. “Name?”
“Fiona Morgan,” I replied. Then I let it sink in a second before adding, “Alpha of Blood Moon.”
That did the trick.
Her fingers froze mid-keystroke. Her head jerked up so fast I thought I heard her neck crack. Panic washed over her face.
“Oh-oh goddess, Alpha Fiona! I—I didn’t realize-it’s an honor-I mean, I’m so sorry—”
Water bottle, meet floor.
She scrambled to her feet, cheeks burning, eyes wide. “Alpha Matthew’s in the conference room. He’s been… um… waiting for you. For hours. actually.”
Hours? My brow arched just slightly. Well, someone was eager.
“No worries,” I said smoothly, brushing off her flustered state. “Just point me in the right direction.”
She practically tripped over herself gesturing toward the corridor. “Right this way, Alpha-uh-Fiona! Again, I’m terribly sorry for the mix-up.”
I followed her down the polished hall to a pair of oversized double doors, feeling the air shift as we got closer. The scent of power behind those doors was unmistakable.
“He’s just inside,” she said with a nervous glance, pushing them open.
I walked in.
Alpha Matthew stood at the far end of a long table. Tall. Broad. Impeccably dressed in a navy suit with silver cufflinks that screamed custom. His head snapped up the moment I stepped through.
“Alpha Fiona,” he said with a dazzling smile, striding over to meet me. “Thank you for coming. I’ve been looking forward to this.”
“Pleasure’s mine,” I replied, shaking his hand.
I slid into a chair at the head of the table. Set my briefcase down, opened it, and laid out the documents I’d spent weeks refining. Projections. Strategy. Infrastructure reports. All of it sharp and tight.
Alpha Matthew’s gaze never left me-not in a creepy way, just… intrigued.
“As we discussed,” I began, cool and composed, “I’ve brought projections and a market expansion model. My team’s already drafted logistics. projected regional rollouts, and scoped our initial targets. We’re ready to move as soon as the deal.”
I slid the packet toward him. “What you’re looking at is a multi-tiered plan focused on high-impact cities first. Once we lock those down, we roll into secondary regions. Full national presence in under eighteen months.”
His brow lifted as he skimmed the pages. “You’re not playing small, are you?”
“Never.” I said, giving him a knowing smile. “This isn’t just about expansion. It’s about dominance-strategic, sustainable, and loud.”
He leaned back, clearly impressed. “You’re proposing this entire thing on your pack’s infrastructure?”
I nodded. “Blood Moon’s already got claws in multiple territories. We’ve built quietly, but effectively. We’ve run beta tests on smaller markets, and the response was strong. Add your brand power and supply lines? We don’t just enter the market-we own it.”
He shook his head, still half in disbelief. “You really believe you can scale this that fast?”
I smiled, slow and certain. “Alpha Matthew. I’m a female Alpha who leads a wolf pack from nothing but instinct and grit. I know I can.”
He stared at me a beat longer, then exhaled. “This… this is better than I expected.”
I leaned forward slightly, voice dropping just a notch. “And I haven’t even told you about the exclusive rollout partnerships we’ve lined up with Crescent Ridge and Ash Vale. You want your name on every shelf from coast to coast? I can make that happen. Clean. Fast.”
There was a long pause.
Alpha Matthew leaned back in his chair. fingers steepled beneath his chin, and just stared at me.
I could smell his excitement before he said a word-his scent had shifted, spiked with adrenaline and opportunity. His wolf was practically pacing inside him.
Then he shot up from his chair. “You’re exactly what we need!” he boomed, pacing toward me, eyes wide and gleaming.
I thought he was going to hug me-for real. He stopped just short, laughing with pure, unfiltered awe. “Where have you been all this time, Alpha Fiona?”
I let out a soft laugh, cool and measured. “Building something worth noticing.”
He shook his head, still grinning. “No, seriously. Your clarity, your confidence, your vision-it’s rare. You’re not just another shewolf. You’re real Alpha, a strategist. A visionary. I’ve worked with a lot of packs, but this… this is different.”
I kept my gaze locked on his. “Because I don’t move for approval. I move for results.”
That seemed to energize him even more. He clapped his hands together, practically vibrating with excitement. “Alpha Fiona, this is beyond anything I hoped for. You’re the storm we needed. The whole wolf pack needs you.”
I stood, slow and steady, then extended my hand. “Then let’s make a little thunder, shall we?”
He gripped my hand firmly. “You’re a damn genius. Blood Moon raised a queen.”
I gathered my documents, sliding them neatly back into my briefcase, already planning the next steps in my head. Marketing, logistics, territory expansion… My wolf was calm now, tail curled in satisfaction. We’d hunted. We’d claimed.
But then Alpha Matthew’s voice cut through my thoughts.
“Oh-before you go, Fiona,” he said, still beaming, “there’s someone I want you to meet. You’ll be working closely with them on this rollout.”
I froze for half a second.
No one mentioned this. My instincts stirred.
I kept my tone even. “Is that so?” I straightened, hand still on the zipper of my case. “And who might they be?”
Alpha Matthew turned toward the door and waved someone in. “Been with us a long time. Solid strategist. You two together? Unstoppable.”
The door creaked open.
And my entire body went cold..
Every hair on my neck stood up. My breath caught halfway up my throat and refused to move.
Because standing in that doorway, casual as ever, was the last person I ever expected to see again.
