The Jealous Alpha

The banquet hall was suffocating.

Xavier stood in the shadows near the back, a glass of whiskey in his hand that he hadn't touched all evening. His eyes—gold-rimmed, his wolf pushing at the surface—were fixed on one person and one person only.

Luna.

She sat at the head table beside Damian, her silver-blonde hair cascading down her back like a waterfall of moonlight. She was laughing at something Damian had whispered in her ear, her pale grey eyes crinkling at the corners, her lips curved in a genuine smile.

Xavier's grip tightened on his glass. The crystal creaked dangerously.

She never smiled at you like that.

He knew. Kael knew. The whole damn world knew.

Three years ago, Luna had been desperate for his attention. She'd followed him around like a lost puppy, her eyes full of hope every time he looked her way. She'd whispered his name like a prayer, believing he was her salvation.

And he'd crushed her.

You rejected her, Kael snarled. You called her worthless. You broke her.

"I know," Xavier muttered under his breath.

She's ours. And now she's with him.

Xavier's jaw tightened until his teeth ached. Damian's hand rested on Luna's lower back, a casual, possessive gesture that made Xavier's blood boil. The golden-haired Alpha leaned in again, murmuring something that made Luna laugh once more.

Stop it.

But Xavier couldn't stop watching. Couldn't stop the rage building in his chest, the jealous fury that burned through his veins like wildfire.

He'd had three years to accept that Luna was gone. Three years to mourn the mate he'd thrown away. Three years to convince himself that he'd made the right choice—that the pack needed a strong Luna, not a wolfless omega.

But seeing her now, radiant and powerful and happy with another man—it shattered every lie he'd told himself.

She wasn't just surviving. She was thriving.

Without him.

"Xavier."

Marcus appeared beside him, his expression carefully neutral. "You've been staring at her for the last two hours."

"Your point?"

"My point is that you're not being subtle. The whole pack is watching."

Xavier didn't care. Let them watch. Let them see the Alpha's torment, the consequence of his cruelty. Let them understand that the woman they'd mocked and pitied was now the most powerful wolf in the room—and she wanted nothing to do with any of them.

"Maybe you should talk to her," Marcus suggested. "Privately. Apologize—"

"I already tried. She told me to stay away from her son. From her mate. From her."

"And you're going to listen?"

Xavier's eyes flashed gold. "No."

Marcus sighed. "Then what are you going to do?"

Xavier didn't answer. He set down his untouched whiskey and straightened his jacket, his gaze still fixed on Luna.

He was going to watch. Wait. Find an opening.

And then he was going to prove to her that she was wrong about him.

---

The music changed—a slow, sultry melody that filled the hall with warmth and intimacy. Couples moved to the dance floor, drawn by the irresistible pull of romance.

Xavier watched as Damian rose, offering Luna his hand. She took it with a smile, letting him lead her to the center of the room.

The moment they began to dance, Xavier saw red.

Damian's arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her close. Luna melted into him, her body molding against his like they were made for each other. Her hands rested on his chest, her fingers playing with the collar of his shirt.

Xavier's wolf howled.

Ours. She's ours. Take her. Claim her. Kill the one who dares to touch her.

His breathing quickened. His hands curled into fists. The claws of his wolf pushed at his fingertips, desperate to emerge.

Mine.

He took a step forward.

Marcus caught his arm. "Xavier. Don't."

But it was too late.

The music slowed. Damian dipped Luna in a dramatic flourish, and when he pulled her back up, he kissed her.

A slow, tender kiss that made something inside Xavier snap.

Before he knew what he was doing, he was moving. Pushing through the crowd, ignoring the startled gasps, his vision tunneled to one thing and one thing only.

Luna.

Damian saw him coming. His amber eyes widened, then hardened. He stepped in front of Luna, shielding her with his body.

"Xavier," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "Stand down."

But Xavier wasn't listening. He wasn't thinking. He was all instinct now—a jealous, possessive wolf who had seen his mate in the arms of another.

"She's mine," he snarled.

"She's not."

"She's mine."

He lunged.

But before he could reach Damian, before he could tear the other Alpha apart with his bare hands, a burst of silver light exploded between them.

Luna.

She stood with her arms outstretched, palms facing Xavier, silver-white fire dancing in her hands. Her eyes blazed with power, her expression cold and furious.

"Stop."

Xavier froze. The fire was mesmerizing—beautiful and terrifying in equal measure. It crackled and hissed, promising pain to anyone who dared cross her.

"Luna," he breathed.

"Don't." Her voice was ice. "Don't you dare take another step."

The room was dead silent. Every wolf in the pack was watching—shocked, awed, terrified.

Xavier's wolf, Kael, whined and retreated. Even he was cowed by the sight of Luna's Moonfire.

"This ends now," Luna said. "You do not get to claim me. You do not get to fight for me. You gave up that right three years ago when you rejected me in front of everyone."

Xavier's chest ached. "I know. I know what I did—"

"You don't know anything." She stepped closer, the fire still blazing in her palms. "You don't know what it's like to lose your mate, to feel your soul tear apart, to have the one person the Goddess chose for you look at you with disgust and call you worthless."

He flinched.

"You don't know what it's like to raise a child alone, to wonder if you'll ever be enough, to build a life from nothing while the memory of your rejection haunts every waking moment."

Tears glistened in her eyes, but she didn't let them fall.

"I loved you," she whispered. "I loved you so much it consumed me. And you threw me away like I was nothing."

"I was wrong—"

"You were cruel." Her voice cracked. "You were heartless. You destroyed me, Xavier. And now you want me back?"

He couldn't speak. Couldn't breathe. The weight of her words crushed him.

"The answer is no," she said. "It will always be no. You don't get to have me. You don't get to have our son. You don't get to have any part of the life you threw away."

She lowered her hands, the fire fading. The room was still silent, still watching, still judging.

"Stay away from my family," she said. "Or I'll show you exactly what happens when someone threatens what's mine."

She turned her back on him, walking to where Damian stood with Leo in his arms. The boy—their son—peered at Xavier over Damian's shoulder, his grey eyes confused and wary.

Xavier stood frozen, the echo of Luna's words ringing in his ears.

The answer is no.

He watched as Luna, Damian, and Leo walked out of the banquet hall together, a perfect family united against him.

And for the first time in three years, Xavier realized the true depth of his mistake.

He hadn't just rejected a wolfless omega.

He'd rejected the most powerful woman in the world.

And she would never, ever forgive him.