Chapter 15: Two Alphas

The evening fire crackled softly as Mira sat beside Rowan, both of them watching the flames dance in comfortable silence. The constant nausea of early pregnancy had finally begun to ease, and she'd grown to appreciate these quiet moments of peace.

"You've found your place here," Rowan observed, his silver eyes studying her profile.

"More than I expected," Mira admitted, her hand resting unconsciously on her still-flat stomach. "Your pack has been kind to me when they had every reason to turn me away."

"You've given us something in return," Rowan said quietly. "Hope. A sense of purpose we didn't know we were missing." He paused, seeming to weigh his words carefully. "Mira, I have something to ask you."

She turned to face him, sensing the gravity in his tone.

"Stay," he said simply. "Not just as a member of the pack, but as my Luna. Let me claim you and your child. Give us both the future we deserve."

Mira's breath caught. She had expected many things from this conversation, but not this. "Rowan, I—"

Suddenly, warmth flooded through her chest—overwhelming in its intensity. It was like sunlight breaking through storm clouds, like coming home after a long, cold journey. The hollow ache she'd carried since leaving Blackpine vanished, replaced by something she couldn't name but desperately wanted to hold onto.

"What's wrong?" Rowan asked, concern creasing his features as she pressed a hand to her heart.

"I don't know," Mira whispered, tears springing to her eyes. "Something just... changed. Like a weight I didn't know I was carrying just lifted." She looked at him with confusion and wonder. "I feel... complete."

Before Rowan could respond, the feeling intensified, and with it came an inexplicable certainty that pulled her attention toward the eastern borders.

"He's coming," she breathed.

Blackpine Territory - Same Night

The moment the false bond shattered and the true connection blazed to life, Lucian felt Mira's location like a beacon in his mind. The pull was so strong it nearly brought him to his knees, but Elder Moira's warnings echoed in his ears—other Alphas were hunting for her, and every moment of delay was dangerous.

He burst from the sacred grove, his voice carrying across the settlement. "Marcus! Sara! Thomas! To me, now!"

His most trusted wolves appeared within minutes, alert and ready despite the late hour.

"We leave immediately," Lucian commanded. "Twenty fighters, armed and ready to travel. We're going to Silverpine territory."

"Now, Alpha? In the dark?" Marcus asked, though he was already mentally selecting their force.

"Now. Mira's in danger, and we've wasted too much time already." Lucian's eyes blazed with urgency. "Gather the best—wolves who can fight and travel hard. We move within the hour."

The pack responded with military efficiency. Warriors emerged from their quarters, weapons in hand, travel packs hastily assembled. Elena coordinated supplies while Thomas organized the formation. Within minutes, twenty of Blackpine's finest stood ready.

"Alpha," Marcus said quietly, "Silverpine territory is two days' hard travel, even pushing through the night."

"Then we push harder," Lucian replied, the bond pulling at him like a physical force. "She needs us."

The Alpha Elder appeared, drawn by the commotion. "Son—"

"I have to go," Lucian said, already turning toward the forest. "She's in danger, and I'm the only one who can reach her in time."

The Alpha Elder nodded grimly. "Bring them both home."

Dawn—Silverpine Border

The autumn morning was crisp with frost when Lucian and his pack reached the edge of Silverpine territory. They had traveled through the night without rest, driven by the increasingly urgent pull he felt toward Mira.

Rowan's patrol was waiting at the river's edge—six wolves in formation with their Alpha at the center. The Silverpine leader stepped forward, his silver eyes assessing the travel-worn but determined Blackpine force.

"Lucian of Blackpine," Rowan called across the water. "You arrive with an army at my borders. Explain yourself."

"I've come for Mira," Lucian replied, stepping into the shallow water while his pack spread out behind him. "She belongs with her own pack."

"She chose to leave your pack," Rowan said, his voice carrying an edge of steel. "She found sanctuary here when you offered her exile."

The words hit their mark, and Lucian felt his jaw clench. "I made mistakes. I'm here to correct them."

"Some mistakes can't be corrected with force." Rowan moved to the water's edge, his own wolves flanking him. "She was carrying your child and alone because of your choices. I've watched her heal here, watched her find strength. I won't let you destroy her again."

"And I won't let another Alpha claim what's mine," Lucian snarled, his protective instincts flaring.

The challenge hung in the air between them, primal and unmistakable. Around them, both packs tensed, sensing the violence to come.

But before either Alpha could make the first move, a voice rang out across the clearing—clear, commanding, and filled with an authority that made every wolf present turn toward its source.

"Enough."

Mira emerged from the treeline, and Lucian's breath caught. She looked different—stronger, more assured, carrying herself with a confidence that made his chest tighten with both pride and longing.

"I speak for myself," she said, her gaze moving between the two Alphas. "And I'm tired of being discussed like property to be claimed."