Chapter 9: Birthday Chaos, Alpha Style
Fiona’s POV
– Five Years Later –
People still ask me about the man who stormed into that hospital five years ago.
Yes, that was Albion-my uncle. Shocking, I know. I’d grown up believing I had no one. Just an orphan scraping by in a world where wolves like me were easy to forget.
But turns out, fate wasn’t forget with me yet.
Albion was my father’s brother. The Alpha’s brother. He’d been searching for me ever since my parents’ deaths, chasing whispers and tracking blood scents across territories, determined to bring me home. Not just to a house-but to my birthright.
When he found me, barely holding myself together in that hospital hallway, he didn’t just take me in. He handed me everything my father left behind-lands, titles, the Blood Moon Pack.
I’m not the broken girl Alpha Dorian cast aside. I’m the female Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack now. And believe me when I say, no one dares forget that anymore.
But today? Today, I was dealing with a different kind of chaos.
“Jamal! Hurry up! We’re already late!” I called up the grand staircase, my heels clicking a sharp rhythm against the marble.
My reflection in the hallway mirror caught my eye-waves of dark hair, deep crimson lips, my Alpha mark glowing faintly beneath my collarbone. The power humming beneath my skin was a quiet, constant thrum these days. It felt natural now.
I swept into Jamal’s room, already sensing the mess before I saw it. The scent of little-boy werewolf was everywhere-grass, sugar, and something vaguely like peanut butter.
There he was. My son. My everything.
He looked up at me with that serious little face of his, so much like mine it always stopped me short. Same dark curls. Same fierce eyes. The only part of Dorian he carried was the dimples-and even those, I’d claimed for myself.
“Let Mama help you with your belt,” I said, kneeling beside him.
“No, Mama! I’m a big boy!” he huffed, wriggling like a pup resisting a grooming.
I laughed, even as I tried to pin him still. “You’ll always be my baby wolf.”
He groaned dramatically while I straightened his shirt and smoothed his collar. “I know you’re big now, but we’re running late, and Daniel’s already crying because his best friend isn’t there yet.”
That got him.
Jamal’s eyes widened, and suddenly the room was a blur of frantic motion.
“Oh my God, Mummy! Why didn’t you say that earlier?! Let’s go!”
He was pulling on his shoes, hair flying. I guided him through the chaos with the skill of an Alpha who’d negotiated territory deals and toddler tantrums in the same breath.
We made it halfway down the stairs before he stopped short, lips pushed out in a pout.
“But Mummy,” he whined, arms crossed like a tiny warrior refusing to yield, “I thought we were going with Uncle Xavien! I’m not going if he’s not coming too!”
And just like that, the storm hit.
I rolled my eyes so hard I nearly saw the Moon Goddess herself.
“Jamal.” My voice dropped into full Alpha-Mom mode. “If you keep this up, I’ll lock you in your room and neither you nor your wolf will see a single piece of birthday cake. I am not joking.”
His lip trembled.
I was bracing for another protest when the doorbell rang, slicing the tension in two.
Saved by the bell.
I opened the door-and there he was.
Alpha Navien.
Tall, rugged, and smelling like pinewood, leather, and mint. His Alpha aura crackled through the room the second he stepped in, calm and commanding without even trying.
“Am I late to the standoff”?” he smirked.
Jamal lit up like a pup spotting his favorite chew toy. “Uncle Xavien!”
And just like that, the war was over. My tiny Alpha-in-training launched into Xavien’s arms, and I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
Raising a pup was no small task.
“Uncle Xavien is here!” Jamal’s voice rang out through the house.
Before I could respond, he was gone-bare feet pounding against the wooden floors as he launched himself toward Alpha Xavien’s waiting
arms.
Navien caught him with ease, his rich laugh echoing through the hallway as he spun Jamal in a tight hug.
“Hey, kiddo! Look at you, all dressed up like a little Alpha.” Xavien’s eyes sparkled with affection as he handed Jamal a large, bright box, wrapped in glittery gold paper.
Jamal let out a squeal as he tore into it. “Power Rangers?! No way!”
“Yup. The whole Alpha Squad,” Xavien said proudly.
“I love you, Uncle Xavien!” Jamal shouted before zooming out the door like a wild pup in his first moon run. “I gotta show Daniel!”
I stood in the entryway, watching my son disappear, a warm smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. No matter how stubborn Jamal got, moments like these reminded me that our lives had shifted so far from the chaos they used to be. We were finally safe. Loved.
Xavien was fussing with his tie, the knot slightly off. I crossed the room, brushing his hands away with a smirk. “You’re spoiling him, you know.” I teased, smoothing the silk knot and straightening the collar. “He’s going to start expecting a new toy every time he sees you.”
Xavien grinned, “Good. He deserves to be spoiled. And so do you.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny velvet box. My heart stuttered.
“Xavien.” I murmured, eyes flicking from the box to his face.
“It’s nothing big,” he said with that cocky half-smile of his. “Just a little something for my favorite she-wolf.”
I opened it-and sucked in a breath. Inside was a pair of moonstone earrings, delicately set in silver. They shimmered like starlight, catching the glow of the morning sun pouring through the windows.
“Oh, Xavien…” I breathed, fingers lightly tracing the cool surface. “They’re beautiful.”
“You’re beautiful,” he whispered, and before I could say another word, his lips brushed my cheek in a kiss that lingered a second too long.
“And this dress,” he muttered, voice dipping into that tone that sent hots dancing across my skin. “Fuck. You look like a goddess walking out of a fever dream. It hugs every curve like it was made for you.”
His hand slid to my waist, then-smack-a firm spank that made me gasp.
“Alpha Xavien!” I yelped, spinning to face him.
He only smirked, eyes darkening. “What? Just claiming what’s mine.”
Chapter 9: Birthday Cha…
+5 Bonus
My wolf stirred at the possessiveness in his voice, heat pooling low in my belly. Goddess, this man was trouble.
“You’re impossible,” I said, narrowing my eyes, though my voice came out more breathless than I wanted. “Don’t get me worked up. We’ve got a party to go to.”
“Trust me,” he murmured, leaning in so close I could feel the heat of his breath against my car, “tonight, I’ll really work you up. Just thinking about tasting every inch of you makes it hard to be patient.”
My knees nearly buckled, but I steadied myself with a well-placed glare. “Later,” I warned, trying to sound stern.
He chuckled softly, brushing a strand of hair behind my car. “Later,” he agreed.
By the time we got to the car, Jamal was already strapped in, buzzing with energy and humming some heroic werewolf theme song he’d made up last week. Xavien slid into the driver’s seat while I sat beside him, and for a moment, everything was still.
The low hum of the engine rumbled beneath us. I turned my head and watched the man beside me, my heart swelling with quiet gratitude.
How had I gotten here?
Xavien wasn’t just some wealthy Alpha with a charming smile. He was one of the most respected wolves in the country-my business partner, my rock, my son’s favorite person, and, somehow, mine.
He knew every scar I carried. Every mistake. He’d seen the ruin Alpha Dorian had left behind. And still, he chose me.
He loved me. He loved Jamal. Not for show, not for status-but in that deep, unwavering, pack-bound way that went beyond blood and bond. He was a constant presence. A quiet protector. A fire that never wavered.
And that love? It had changed everything.
I’d once been terrified to open my heart again. Scared that letting someone in would only lead to pain.
But Xavien had made me believe. Not just in love, but in something stronger. In healing. In joy. In a future that didn’t echo with heartbreak.
He didn’t just say he’d be there-he showed up.
Every damn day.
And that was worth more than anything.
The city lights blurred past us as we cruised down the boulevard, the soft thrum of the engine vibrating beneath my heels. Evening had settled like a hush over the territory, but in my chest, anticipation buzzed like a restless wolf waiting to be let loose.
Alpha Xavien drove with one hand on the wheel and the other… firmly on my thigh.
That hand wasn’t just resting there. It was moving.
Slowly. Teasingly. Possessively.
I swallowed hard, heat coiling low in my belly as his fingers inched higher, brushing the sensitive inner skin just above my knee. His scent- fresh pine, leather, mint and something undeniably male-wrapped around me like smoke. My breath hitched.
“Xavien,” I whispered, a warning tangled in want.
He didn’t answer with words-just a smirk and a quiet, knowing chuckle that rumbled in his chest like a low growl. My legs tensed as his fingertips danced dangerously close to where I was aching for more, and I let out a shaky exhale.
Then, just when my desire was starting to ignited, needy and wild, he withdrew.
I blinked, breathless and betrayed.
“Stop it.” I muttered, biting down a frustrated groan. My voice barely carried over the hum of the car. “You’re such a tease.”
He chuckled again, that damned arrogant sound vibrating through my bones. Then he leaned over and brushed a kiss to my cheek-sweet, infuriating, and so very not enough.
Before I could slap him playfully or drag him back in for more, a little voice from the backseat shattered the moment.
Jamal.
Our pup was grinning from ear to ear, completely oblivious to the tension that had been thick enough to chew through.
Navien twisted in his seat and reached over the back, pressing a warm kiss to Jamal’s chubby cheek. “There you go, little Alpha,” he said with a wink. “Your turn.”
Jamal beamed, utterly satisfied, and I couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up in my chest. Leave it to my son to break through the heat like a splash of cold water. He had no idea how many moments like these he saved me from.
Soon, we pulled into the parking lot of the territory’s largest amusement park and public pool.
As soon as Navien cut the engine. Jamal practically exploded from his seat, squirming and bouncing with unfiltered excitement.
“Mommy! Uncle Xavien! Look! The park is huge! I can’t wait!”
Xavien got out and stretched-his shirt rising just enough to show that maddeningly perfect strip of his abdomen-and walked around to help
me out.
His hand brushed against my lower back as I stepped from the car, that subtle, familiar pressure grounding me like a silent claim. My heart gave a little kick, just like it always did when he touched me like that.
But before I could say anything, Jamal was off like a bullet.
“Don’t run too fa-”
Too late.
His little feet slapped against the concrete path, his giggles filling the air. My eyes followed him instinctively, but then everything slowed.
He tripped.
I saw it before it happened. A loose stone caught the toe of his shoe. His arms flailed. His balance broke.
My heart stopped.
“Jamal! I screamed. The blood drained from my face as I bolted forward.
Xavien was already at my side, his own eyes wide with dread, moving fast-faster than any human ever could.
We were both running before we even processed it.
