Chapter 23
Summer’s POV
My pupils dilated in shock as electricity seemed to surge through my entire body. I stood frozen in the doorway of the Blackwood Pack house, unable to process what I was seeing. Alpha Foster–my estranged mate, the Alpha who had betrayed me countless times–was standing in Alexander’s waiting area, looking at me like he owned me.
“Alpha Foster…” I breathed, my voice barely audible even to my own ears. “What are you doing here?”
He smiled at me that same calculated smile I’d seen countless times before when he was confident he held all the cards. His hand extended toward me, the gesture slow and assured.
“I’ve come to take you home, of course,” he said, his voice carrying that familiar authoritative tone. “Your pack misses you.” He paused meaningfully. “I miss you.”
I stared at his outstretched hand, feeling nauseous at the mere thought of touching him again. How many times had those same hands touched other women while I waited at home, loyal and ignorant?
“No,” I said quietly but firmly. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
Foster’s smile faltered, his eyes hardening. “Summer, don’t be ridiculous. You’re my mate, my Luna. This little rebellion has gone far enough.”
“Rebellion?” I echoed, disbelief coloring my voice. “Is that what you call it when someone finally stands up for themselves?”
I said, my voice gaining strength with each word. “I’ve filed for divorce. It’s over between us.”
Foster’s laugh was cold and dismissive. “Over? A mate bond doesn’t just end because you want it to, Summer. You belong with me, with your pack.”
Alexander moved then, stepping fully in front of me, his towering frame creating a protective barrier between Alpha Foster and myself. The tension between the two Alphas instantly electrified the air.
“She said no,” Alexander’s voice was deceptively calm, but I could feel the power vibrating beneath his words. “Summer is under my protection now.”
Foster’s lips curled into a snarl, his facade of civility crumbling. “Your protection? She’s MY mate. MY Luna. You have no right to interfere in pack business,Alpha Blackwood.”
“She was my best friend, came to me for help,” Alexander replied evenly. “As an Alpha and his friend,it’s my duty to provide sanctuary to those in need.” 1
“Your mate?” Alexander let out a low, mirthless laugh. “The one you cheated on? Humiliated? Left broken and bleeding for my
pack doctor to heal?”
“What happens between a mated pair is none of your business,” Alpha Foster snarled, taking a step forward. The air crackled with tension as two Alphas squared off, neither willing to back down.
“It became my business when she showed up on my territory, seeking sanctuary.” Alexander’s fingers splayed slightly wider across my back, a subtle claim that made Alpha Foster’s nostrils flare.
“Sanctuary?” Alpha Foster stepped forward, closing the distance between them until they were nearly chest to chest. “You’re harboring my mate! The mother of my son!”
“You don’t know anything about us, Thorn. About what it means to be mated. About what it takes to run a pack. Summer is MINE.”
“She is not a possession,” Alexander growled, his eyes beginning to glow with the golden light of his wolf. “She is a woman
1/2
Chapter 23
who deserves respect, loyalty, and love – none of which you’ve provided.”
+15 BONUS
Foster’s hands balled into fists at his sides. “You’ve always wanted her, haven’t you? Since we were young. I saw the way you looked at her. And now you think you can steal her?”
” I said She is not a possession!” Alexander retorted, his own hands flexing with barely controlled rage. “And I didn’t have to take her – you drove her away all on your own with your cruelty and betrayal.”
“Stop it! Both of you!” I shouted, pushing between them despite the danger. “I am not a prize to be fought over!”
Both men froze at my intervention, though neither backed down from their aggressive stance.
I turned to Alpha Foster, meeting his gaze directly. “I won’t go back with you, Alpha Foster. I, Summer Winster reject you, Alpha Foster Thorn, as my mate.”
Alpha Foster’s expression contorted with fury. He opened his mouth to reject my declaration, but Alexander cut him off, releasing a wave of Alpha command so powerful it seemed to compress the very air in the room.
