The Alpha’s Claim

The courtyard fell into a silence so deep it felt unnatural.

Even the wind seemed to hesitate.

Every wolf present had heard Tristan’s words.

Pregnant.

The word hung in the air like a blade waiting to fall.

Xander’s golden eyes slowly lifted toward the tower window again, locking onto the faint silhouette behind the bars.

My silhouette.

For a moment the terrifying Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack did not look angry.

He looked stunned.

Then his expression hardened into something far more dangerous.

Possession.

His wolf surged so violently beneath his skin that the air around him trembled.

“You’re lying,” Xander said quietly.

But his voice lacked conviction.

Tristan stood in the middle of the ruined courtyard like a man who had already decided he was ready to die tonight.

His dark coat was torn. Blood stained his hands and sleeves, though it wasn’t clear whose blood it was.

His gaze remained fixed on the tower.

On me.

“Ask your pack doctor,” Tristan replied calmly. “Or better yet, smell her yourself.”

Xander’s nostrils flared.

The courtyard waited.

And then it happened.

The Alpha of Blood Moon stiffened.

The change in his scent was immediate.

Shock.

Then rage.

Then something far more primal.

Mine.

The growl that tore from his throat sounded less human than wolf.

Jack stepped slightly closer to him, tension filling his body.

“Alpha…”

But Xander didn’t respond.

His eyes were still locked on the tower.

On the faint scent drifting down from the window.

His child.

The realization spread across his face like a crack in stone.

When he finally looked back at Tristan, there was nothing controlled about him anymore.

“You touched her,” Xander said softly.

The softness was worse than shouting.

“You marked her.”

Tristan didn’t move.

“Yes.”

The simple answer made the courtyard erupt with murmurs.

Blood Moon wolves bristled.

Shadow Pack warriors shifted into defensive positions.

The air between the two Alphas vibrated with killing intent.

Xander stepped forward slowly.

Each step seemed to shake the ground.

“You thought you could steal from me?” he asked.

Tristan’s mouth curved slightly.

“You threw her away.”

A ripple of tension spread through the crowd.

Xander’s claws slid from his fingers with a metallic sound.

“I rejected her as Luna.”

“And she rejected your cruelty as fate.”

The words hit harder than any punch.

Xander lunged.

The movement was so fast several warriors barely saw it.

One second he was standing.

The next he was in front of Tristan, claws slashing for his throat.

Tristan blocked the strike with brutal force.

The impact cracked like thunder.

Both Alphas staggered back before immediately attacking again.

Claws collided.

Fists struck bone.

The courtyard exploded into chaos as warriors from both packs surged forward.

Through the small tower window I watched the fight unfold like a nightmare.

Every movement between them was lethal.

Tristan fought like a predator.

Xander fought like a storm.

Their wolves were close to the surface now, muscles distorting beneath skin as their instincts demanded blood.

A Shadow Pack warrior tackled Sancho near the courtyard steps.

Another Blood Moon wolf slammed into Tristan’s side.

But Tristan barely slowed.

His attention never left Xander.

“You’re losing control,” Tristan taunted.

“You started this.”

Xander’s answer was a vicious blow that split Tristan’s lip.

Blood sprayed across the stone.

But Tristan only smiled wider.

“You should thank me.”

The words froze Xander mid strike.

“For what?” he snarled.

“For saving her from dying in a bar while your pack celebrated.”

The silence that followed was brief.

Then Xander attacked with renewed fury.

Their bodies collided again, claws ripping through fabric and flesh.

Neither Alpha held back.

Neither intended to stop.

Above them in the tower I pressed my shaking hands against my stomach.

Pregnant.

The word echoed through my mind.

The doctor’s voice.

The way Tristan had said it.

Could it be true?

My stomach twisted violently.

Another wave of nausea rolled through me.

Below, the battle intensified.

Jack finally stepped between them, shoving several warriors away.

“Stop!”

No one listened.

The two Alphas were locked together in a brutal grapple now.

Xander slammed Tristan against the courtyard wall hard enough to crack stone.

“You think marking her makes her yours?”

Tristan drove his knee into Xander’s ribs.

“No,” he said coldly.

“I know it doesn’t.”

That seemed to confuse Xander for half a second.

Just long enough for Tristan to shove him backward.

“She isn’t property,” Tristan continued.

“She’s a person.”

Xander laughed harshly.

“You kidnapped my mate.”

“You rejected her.”

“I rejected a title,” Xander snapped.

“Not the bond.”

The words spread through the courtyard like wildfire.

Even Tristan went still.

Xander’s chest rose and fell heavily as he glared at him.

“She carries my heir,” he said.

“And you think I’ll let you walk away with her?”

Tristan wiped blood from his mouth.

“Try stopping me.”

Before Xander could move again, a sharp cry cut through the chaos.

I collapsed against the tower wall.

The pain in my neck had suddenly exploded into a burning inferno.

Both marks flared violently.

It felt like two fires igniting beneath my skin.

My scream echoed across the courtyard.

Every wolf froze.

Below me, both Alphas looked up at the same time.

Their expressions changed instantly.

This wasn’t anger anymore.

This was fear.

Tristan spoke first.

“The marks.”

Xander’s eyes widened as my scent shifted.

Pain.

Blood.

And something new.

The faint, unmistakable scent of an unborn wolf.

Without another word, both Alphas ran for the tower.

Enemies forgotten.

War paused.

Because the woman between them was dying.

And if she died…

So did the future of both their bloodlines.