All Chapters of Alpha Xavier: Chapter 21 - Chapter 28

Valerie:“You lost it,” Maxine said before I’d even closed the door as I entered her office. “You have completely lost it if you chose to take that path, Valerie.”I blinked. “Good morning to you too. I believe that there is something that's bothering you.”“Don’t ‘good morning’ me.” She motioned for me to sit. “I heard about your little announcement yesterday. You never even told me that you were starting your own firm. You did not tell me anything about it and you just went ahead and challenged the alpha in front of everyone. Have you lost your mind? What if it had backfired against you? What if it had turned against you in front of the council? What would you have done?”I sank into the chair. “That was fast. I didn't expect the news to go around.”“Fast?” Maxine raised a brow. “Valerie, that was a bomb. You stood up in front of three regional councils and told them you’re opening an independent firm, claiming you had Alpha Xavier’s approval. Do you know what that sounded like? Do

Valerie:The restaurant Xavier chose wasn’t loud or extravagant.It was quiet. Private. The kind of place meant for whispered conversations and hidden truths.A single candle flickered between us, its flame swaying in the still air. The soft clink of silverware and muted jazz in the background were the only sounds that filled the silence neither of us wanted to break.I traced my thumb along the edge of my glass, pretending not to feel his eyes on me.He’d been watching me since we sat down, silent, unreadable, his wolf buried beneath that unnerving calm he wore like armor.When the waiter left, he leaned back in his chair, his tone deceptively soft.“You’ve been quiet all evening. And I know for a fact that you have a lot to say.”“I didn’t know we were here to talk,” I said. “And I never really knew that you cared about anything that I said. Lately, it's been nothing more than a challenge.”He smirked faintly. “You assume too much. And you choose to forget that we had our good days.

Valerie:The light was soft when I woke.Not sharp enough to hurt, just enough to remind me I was still here. Still breathing.For a moment, I didn’t know where I was. My cheek rested against warmth, the slow rhythm of a heartbeat beneath me. My hand was sprawled over a chest. The chest was rising and falling peacefully…Xavier.Memory came back in pieces, the kiss, his hands, the words he whispered when we both stopped pretending that we hated each other.I froze.The scent of him was all around me, earth, smoke, and something darker, something that always felt like danger and safety tangled together. I should’ve pulled away, but my body refused to move. It remembered what my mind wanted to forget.My heart skipped a beat, and for a short moment, it felt like fire was poured into my chest.He stirred, just enough to shift the arm draped around me. His hand brushed my waist, not possessive, just steady. Natural. Like this was something we’d done every day of our lives.For one foolish

Valerie:“You look tired.” Maxine said, and I ran my fingers through my hair. She caught sight of the love bite on my neck, and she shook her head. “I can see why.”“I don’t plan for them. I don’t even want to go with them, but I find myself giving in whenever he kisses me.” I said, looking away from her. “I try to forget. I try to allow myself to think that I am his only one. But I am know that I am not. And it is not easy. It is not easy to love someone who doesn’t love you back, to look at him and know that he is thinking of her or would be with her.”“You confronted him too early at the time.” She said, walking towards me.“I had no other option. She played me for a fool. He was playing me for a fool. They took advantage of me being naïve… I tried to stay calm, but he went ahead and crossed all the lines.” I said, taking a deep breath. “I don’t know how to handle things anymore.”“You handle them the way a Luna should.” She said, putting her finger under my chin to force me to loo