Philip's POV
He found Xavier standing by the window of his office, the air around him heavy and restless.
"Zav," he said quietly, shutting the door behind him. "You're losing control."
Xavier didn't turn. "Control is overrated."
"No," Philip said, stepping closer. "It's what keeps this pack alive. You think the wolves don't see what's happening? You train her harder every day, then you can't stand to watch her breathe near another man. You're bleeding into the thing you swore you'd never be."
Xavier's shoulders went rigid.
"I'm keeping her safe."
"You're pushing her away." Philip's voice softened. "If you want her safe, bring her in. Tell her something. You need her to understand what you're fighting, or she'll never stand beside you. And Zav—" he waited until the Alpha looked at him, silver eyes dimmed with exhaustion, "—you love her. Stop pretending you don't."
For a long time, Xavier said nothing. Then, quietly, "Love doesn't save people in this pack, Philip. It marks them."
---
Bella's POV
Training had become a battlefield of its own.
Kael's easy grin was still there, only now it carried an edge. He caught my wrist to steady my stance, corrected my footing, brushed too close. It made me flush—and it made Xavier's gaze turn to steel.
"Focus," Xavier barked, as Kael's hand lingered too long on my arm.
"I am focused," I snapped back, sick of being treated like a glass toy.
Xavier's nostrils flared; the field seemed to tighten around him. The other wolves looked anywhere but at us.
When Kael murmured something I couldn't catch, Xavier was suddenly there, tearing me away from him with a grip that burned.
"That's enough," he said, voice low and final. "You're done for the day."
Before I could argue, he was already leading me across the grounds, the look in his eyes daring anyone to speak. The door to his quarters slammed behind us.
---
Inside the Alpha's Quarters
I spun to face him. "What is wrong with you? You can't keep dragging me around like—"
"Like what?" His voice was rough. "Like someone I'm supposed to ignore while another wolf lays a hand on her?"
"I was training!"
He closed the distance between us, every word a growl. "You don't understand what you're playing with."
"Then make me understand!"
The silence that followed was thick enough to choke on. His eyes searched mine, not angry now, just raw — a storm that couldn't find a place to break. When he finally spoke, his voice had dropped to something I almost didn't recognize.
"You're mine, Bella. You don't have to accept it. You don't have to want it. But it's the truth. You belong here. To this pack. To me."
My breath hitched. "Why? Because of the goddess? Because of some bond I never asked for?"
"Because it's real," he said. "Because I can feel you in every breath I take."
I wanted to hate him for it, but the confession tore through the wall I'd built around myself. For a heartbeat we just stood there, the air between us humming. Then, before the moment could become something else, he turned away, palms pressed to the wall as if holding himself there was the only way to stop.
He spoke again, barely above a whisper.
"There are things you don't know yet. Things that would destroy you if you did. But you'll learn, soon. And when you do, you'll see why I can't let you go."
I opened my mouth, but the look he gave me stopped the words.
"I'm not asking for anything," he said. "Just… don't run."
Then he was gone, leaving me in the quiet, my heart racing with more questions than answers.