The air shifted.
The murmurs died instantly. A presence, dark and overpowering, filled the space. The warriors stilled. The elders turned, stiffening as if they had sensed a predator in their midst.
Sloane barely had the strength to lift her head, but when she did, the world seemed to pause.
A man stood at the edge of the crowd, his stance rigid, his face unreadable.
His eyes were a shade of cold silver, like the reflection of the moon on a blade. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and moved with a quiet power. His eyes never left her. Cold silver, piercing straight into her soul.
Then he spoke, his voice low and icy.
His gaze locked onto her, piercing through the haze of exhaustion clouding her mind. For a moment, she forgot everything. The betrayal. The pain. The exile.
Then he spoke. His voice was deep, calm, and commanding.
"On whose authority do you exile my mate?"
Silence.
The words rang through the square like a death sentence. The crowd stiffened. The warriors at Sloane's sides quickly let go of her, releasing her so suddenly she nearly fell. Her knees buckled, but she barely registered it.
Sloane swayed, nearly falling, but she barely noticed.
Mate?
The word slammed into her like a punch to the chest.
No. That couldn't be right. That couldn't be right. And yet, she felt it. A connection so sudden, so intense, it nearly knocked the breath from her lungs.
The moment he said it, something shifted inside her. A pull. A connection. A force so strong it made her breath hitch.
Her wolf, silent and weak for days, stirred.
Alexander.
She knew his name. She had heard it whispered before, spoken in the halls of the packhouse quietly.
The lost heir. The true Alpha. The brother Ryland could never compare to.
He had been gone for five years.
And now, he was here. Claiming her.
Sloane opened her mouth, but no words came out.
Ryland was the first to snap out of the shock. His face twisted with rage, his fingers curling into fists as he stepped forward.
"What the hell are you talking about?" he spat. "She is not your mate. She—"
"My mate," Alexander repeated. He took a step forward, and the warriors stepped back. "And I'll ask again. On whose authority do you exile her?"
The elders looked at each other, uncertain for the first time. "She—she betrayed her mate," one of them said. "She cheated."
Alexander's gaze darkened. "Is that so?" His voice was calm, his gaze shifted to Sloane and she shrunk into herself even more. This had to be it. He would reject her too.
"And who decided this?" Alexander asked.
"The evidence is undeniable," Ryland snapped, regaining some of his arrogance. "She was caught in bed with another man. She's a whore!" He spat out.
The impact came before anyone could react. Alexander moved in faster than the eye could track, his palm connecting with Ryland's face in a single, thunderous slap.
The slap echoed through the square, a collective gasp coursed through the crowd.
Ryland staggered back, his eyes blown wide with shock. His head snapped to the side, his jaw clenched as he swallowed his rage. His fingers curled into fists. "Alexander!
"Watch your mouth, Ryland. That's my mate you speak of." Alexander snapped and everyone went silent.
Sloane struggled to understand what was happening, her mind was a haze and blur of different things. How could she be his mate? Did the goddess really give her a second mate and that too it had to be Ryland's older brother?
Sloane barely had the strength to stand, barely had the strength to breathe. Her body trembled, her mind struggling to keep up with everything happening around her. This was too much.
Alexander.
Her second chance mate.
It wasn't possible, and yet—
She tried to speak, to say something, anything—but the world suddenly tilted, dark spots appearing in her vision.
Her body gave out.
The last thing she saw was silver eyes watching her.
Then everything went black.
But before she hit the ground, strong arms caught her.
Fast. Too fast.
Alexander held her in his arms, his jaw clenched tight, she weighed nothing more than a small bag of rice. Alexander's eyes swept over Sloane's pale face, her bloodstained dress, the dark circles beneath her eyes, and the faint rise and fall of her chest.
She looked like she could disappear if he held her too tightly. Something flickered in his expression, gone so quickly it was impossible to name.
Without a word, Alexander adjusted her in his arms, cradling her closer and carefully like he was holding something far more delicate than a disgraced mate.
He turned to leave.
But Ryland stepped into his way, eyes red with anger.
"Put her down," he barked, stepping forward.
Alexander didn't even glance at him. "Move," he ordered, his voice like ice.
Ryland's jaw clenched. "She is my mate. You have no right—"
Alexander finally looked at him, silver eyes glinting with something dark. "She was your mate." He says calmly. "Not anymore."
Ryland's face twisted, his breathing quickening. He squared his shoulders, trying to stand taller. Trying to look like the Alpha he would never truly be.
"You have no right to take her," Ryland snapped, blocking Alexander's way. "This is my pack—"
Alexander's eyes narrowed, "Move."
Ryland clenched his fists. "I'm still Alpha here."
Alexander shifted Sloane slightly in his arms, like she weighed nothing. His next words were colder than death.
"Not anymore."
The square fell deathly silent.
Alexander then looked around, "I, Alexander Black of Vaeloria have returned to take my rightful position as Pack Alpha. I'm sorry to have left you in the hands of my incapable brother but I have returned to retire the pack in its former glory and take it up to even greater heights. I ask for your support while I do this."
Ryland's face paled, but his pride pushed him forward. He stood his ground, shoulders squared. "How dare you? You left this pack and now you think you can stroll back in here and take what's mine? This is my—"
Without a word, Alexander shoved Ryland aside roughly.
Ryland stumbled, nearly falling to his knees as the crowd watched in silence. No one spoke. No one dared to interfere.
"You only held the fort for me, brother. Make no mistake. Vaeloria is mine." Alexander walked away, carrying Sloane in his arms like she was the only thing that mattered.