All Chapters of MOONBOUND THE ALPHA'S FLAME : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

FANGS AND FEAR.The scent of iron and ash clung to the air like a second skin.Bodies of rogues torn, burned, dismembered littered the forest clearing, their blackened blood soaking into the cracked earth. Overhead, the moon hung low and heavy, veiled partially by drifting clouds. It was the kind of night that stained a man’s soul, no matter how many wars he’d survived before.Alpha Xavier stood at the edge of the battlefield, a smear of blood running from his temple to his jaw, his chest rising and falling in slow, measured breaths. His dark armor was scorched in places, clawed in others. He stared out over the fallen with unreadable eyes that once gleamed with fire and command, now shadowed by something deeper. Something colder.A voice broke through the silence behind him.“They’re retreating south. We’ve cleared the entire north quadrant.”Kemmer, his Beta, approached with a slight limp, a gash on his thigh half-healed and his face streaked with soot. He carried the scent o

A ROOM NOT HER OWNOctavia’s eyes fluttered open to the gentle crackle of a dying fire, the faint scent of herbs and fresh linens swirling around her. Her body lay heavy beneath the thick covers, every muscle weighed down like she’d been dragged through a storm and left to rest beneath the cold earth.Slowly, the edges of the room sharpened in her vision, the rough stone walls and sterile, cramped healer’s chamber had vanished. Now, she was enveloped in warmth and grandeur. Towering ceilings with dark wooden beams loomed overhead, and rich velvet curtains framed the window, pulling back to reveal the waning light of the forest beyond. The bed beneath her was massive, four-posted and draped in deep crimson fabric.The air carried a strange mix of scents pine and leather, but beneath that something darker, wilder. Something that made her chest tighten with unease.A dull, burning ache throbbed through her side, pulling a sharp grimace across her face. She tried to move, but pai

DESIRES AND FEARMorning light filtered through the thick curtains like golden smoke, painting the edges of the room in a muted, honeyed glow.Octavia stirred beneath the heavy furs, her body sore but slightly less fragile than it had been the night before. Every muscle protested as she moved, her breaths catching softly in her throat. She blinked against the dim light, eyelashes fluttering.Then her heart stumbled.He was there.Alpha Xavier.Seated in the same deep, weathered leather chair beside the low-burning hearth. Still. Silent. A dark sentinel in the morning hush.He hadn't changed still dressed in those severe, black clothes that fit his powerful frame with effortless precision. His silver eyes cut through the dimness with terrifying clarity. They were fixed on her. Watching. Measuring.Octavia clutched the thick blanket higher around herself, as if it could shield her from that piercing gaze. Her throat went dry.She should speak. Say something. Anything.But silence wrapp

DARK ECHOES “Astra” His voice cracked like thunder down the stone corridor, sharp enough to make the sconces tremble.The older she-wolf appeared almost immediately, her posture low in a deferential bow. “My Alpha.”Xavier's silver eyes burned beneath his furrowed brow. “Where is she?”Astra hesitated only a heartbeat as she realized Octavia lied about the alpha permitting her to go back to her chambers, His gaze narrowed.“She requested to return to her former chambers, Alpha. Said she would sleep better there.”The muscle in Xavier’s jaw twitched. His hands curled into fists at his sides.The stubborn little thing.He had been very clear. Those quarters were no longer hers. They were memories. Shadows. Not sanctuary.Without another word, Xavier marched on his heel and stormed down the corridor. His boots echoed through the silence like war drums.He didn’t knock.The door flung open with a jolt, the old wood groaning under his strength.The room inside was dark, except for a thin

VEIL OF PREPARATION The day had unfolded like a relentless storm.The sun hung low on the horizon, Octavia stood by the window, when she heard a knock at her door.She turned slowly from the window "come in"The door creaked open, and Astra stepped inside. She carried a small tray, upon which rested a delicate cup of herbal tea. Her blue eyes shimmered with something Octavia hadn’t seen before: quiet guilt.“Lady Octavia,” Astra said, voice barely above a whisper, as she bowed her head with uncommon humility.Octavia’s brow furrowed in surprise“I have failed you,” Astra admitted, voice trembling. “I should have been there when you needed me most. I should have trained with you.”Octavia’s throat tightened painfully. Her fingers twitched, unsure whether to reach out or retreat.“Astra, please,” Octavia whispered, stepping closer, her voice fragile but earnest. “ You’re the only one who makes me feel safe in this madness.”Astra’s gaze lifted, a fragile relief breaking through her wo