In the afternoon, Thea Gonzales entered the Alpha’s office, a stack of resource reports in hand. The room was imposing, as befitting the leader of the pack, with heavy oak furniture and the faint scent of pine lingering in the air. Xavier Ford, the Alpha, sat behind his desk, his broad frame commanding the space. He looked up as she approached, his dark eyes unreadable.

“Alpha,” Thea said, placing the documents in front of him. “These require your signature.”

Xavier took the papers, his fingers brushing hers briefly as he did so. He signed them with a swift, confident hand before handing them back to her. “Thea,” he began, his voice softer than usual, “about last night’s incident with the cake. Addilyn wasn’t thinking. Is Celine alright?”

Thea held the signed documents to her chest, her expression neutral. “She’s fine, Alpha. The healers took care of her.”

There was a pause, and Xavier’s gaze lingered on her. Since their separation, he had been less combative, as if the guilt of their fractured mate bond weighed on him. His eyes trailed over her figure, noticing the way the dress she wore accentuated her toned waist. “You’ve lost weight,” he remarked, his tone tinged with surprise. “That dress suits you.”

Thea had indeed been dedicating herself to training, her body transforming into something lean and strong. It was a stark contrast to Addilyn, whose pregnancy had softened her once-slender frame.

Xavier’s nostrils flared slightly, and his brow furrowed. “Have you changed your scent?” he asked, his voice low.

Thea tilted her head, her lips curving into a small smile. “Yes, a friend thought it suited me.”

Xavier’s eyes darkened, a flicker of something—curiosity, perhaps jealousy—crossing his face. “A male friend?” he pressed, his tone sharper now.

Thea didn’t answer. Instead, she turned on her heel, the fabric of her dress swishing softly as she walked away. Her smile lingered, a subtle challenge in her expression as she left the Alpha’s office.

Weekends were the days Xavier, the Alpha, had set aside to spend with his pup, Celine.

Celine, her tiny tail wagging with excitement, had slipped into her Elsa dress at dawn, her eyes sparkling at the thought of a day at the amusement park with her father. But then, Xavier’s call came, his deep Alpha tone laced with regret, explaining that something urgent had arisen within the pack—he couldn’t make it.

Celine’s ears drooped, her small frame trembling as she let out a whimper. By nightfall, she was burning up with fever.

Thea, her heart heavy but her resolve unwavering, carried Celine to the pack’s healing den. There, in the sterile glow of the den’s lights, she ran into Xavier.

He stood tall, his broad shoulders tense, his Alpha aura faintly flickering. “Addilyn wasn’t feeling well,” he explained, his voice low. “She’s here too.”

Thea’s jaw tightened, but she said nothing, focusing instead on Celine’s fragile form in her arms.

---

While Thea cradled a sleeping Celine, her fingers gently brushing through her daughter’s fur, Xavier approached. His presence was commanding, even in the quiet of the healing den.

For the first time since their separation, his voice softened, the Alpha tone replaced by something almost human. “Thea, I’m sorry. This must be hard for you.”

Thea’s gaze remained fixed on Celine, her voice steady despite the storm inside her. “It’s Celine you should apologize to. She’s been counting the moons to see you, and then you didn’t show.”

Xavier knelt beside them, his hand reaching out to brush Celine’s cheek. But as his fingers neared, she stirred, her small body instinctively curling closer to Thea.

His hand froze mid-air, then dropped to his side, defeated. “Have you eaten?” he asked, his tone softer now.

Thea shook her head, her eyes never leaving Celine.

Just then, Xavier’s phone buzzed—a call from Addilyn. Whatever she said made his expression darken, his Alpha aura flaring briefly before he reined it in.

“Just rest,” he said, his voice strained. “I’ll join you soon.”

Thea’s ears caught the gentleness in his tone, a stark contrast to the way he’d once spoken to her. There was a time when she’d called him, pleading for him to return to the den, only to be met with sharp words about pack duties.

After hanging up, Xavier glanced at Thea, his guilt palpable. “Addilyn wasn’t like this before. Maybe it’s the pregnancy making her more… demanding. Don’t take it personally. I’ll get you something to eat.”

“No need,” Thea replied, her voice calm but firm. “She’s carrying your pup; you should be with her. I can handle this.”

Her words, laced with quiet strength, left Xavier visibly conflicted, his fists clenching at his sides.

“Thea,” he said, his voice almost a whisper, “you’ve changed.”

She smiled, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “When you no longer have a mate to lean on, you learn to stand on your own.”

Xavier’s gaze dropped, his Alpha aura dimming as if weighed down by her words.

“Thea,” a voice called from behind him. Xavier turned to see Kian, the pack’s Healer, approaching. His white coat was spotless, and in his hands, he carried a takeout container.

Xavier’s eyes narrowed, his Alpha aura flickering dangerously, but Thea’s calm demeanor held him in place.

Kian’s presence was a quiet reassurance, his voice steady as he handed the food to Thea. “I thought you might need this.”

Thea’s smile this time was genuine. “Thank you, Kian.”

Xavier watched the exchange, his jaw tightening, but he said nothing. The weight of his guilt, his choices, and the bond that still lingered between him and Thea hung heavy in the air.

Kian Reynolds, a young Healer three years younger than Thea Gonzales, had recently returned to the pack after completing his training abroad. As pups, they had been neighbors, their dens just a short run apart in the sprawling pack territory. But Kian’s family had moved to another pack when he was still a young wolf, and their connection had faded—until three months ago, when he unexpectedly reached out to her.

Celine’s fever had persisted for days, and the pack’s healing den was overwhelmed with other cases. Thea, desperate to ease her pup’s suffering, had turned to Kian for help. Running into Xavier Ford there was unexpected, to say the least.

Xavier, the Alpha, stood with his arms crossed, his towering frame exuding an aura of authority. His sharp gaze flicked between Thea and Kian as the younger wolf approached, holding a steaming bowl of beef stew.

"I went to several dens to find this for you," Kian said, his voice warm with concern. "Eat it while it’s still hot."

Thea’s hands were full, cradling Celine against her chest, so Kian offered to feed her himself. Xavier’s jaw tightened, his alpha aura pulsing faintly as he asked, "Do you work here?"

Kian smiled casually, though his tone carried a hint of challenge. "You could say that. To be precise, my father is the pack’s lead Healer." It wasn’t an exaggeration; Kian’s family held significant influence within the healing ranks.

Xavier’s eyes narrowed as he looked between Thea and Kian. "And what’s the relationship between you two?"

With a mischievous grin, Kian raised an eyebrow. "Isn’t it obvious, Alpha?" The way he said it—casual, almost dismissive—made Xavier’s expression shift through a storm of emotions, his alpha aura flaring briefly.

Before Xavier could respond, Addilyn Freeman’s voice called out from the doorway, her presence immediately drawing his attention. He hesitated for a moment, his gaze lingering on Thea and Celine, before turning to leave with Addilyn.

Once he was gone, Thea let out a slow breath, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "Kian, please be a bit more subtle next time. You almost gave us away."

Kian chuckled, spooning another bite of stew for her. "Don’t worry; practice makes perfect. The more we do this, the better we’ll get at it."

Thea couldn’t help but smile, though her eyes flicked toward the doorway where Xavier had disappeared. Kian’s presence was a comfort, but the weight of the past still lingered, a shadow she couldn’t quite shake.