Alpha Xander's Undoing Chasing my Unknown Mate Back novel Chapter 140

Chapter 140

Mary

The morning light filtered softly through the tall windows of Vallin’s newly renovated study, casting warm hues across the room. I leaned against the balcony railing, fingers intertwined and resting lightly between my hands, as the scents of cinnamon and clove rose gently from the steaming tea below. Terra, the proud wolf of the Sky pack, lifted his impressive size with a quiet dignity while others from the Sky pack formed a protective tunnel, guiding him through the exercise with practiced precision.

Xander stepped up beside me, his presence as steady and assured as ever. Without hesitation, he wrapped an arm around my waist, his touch familiar and grounding, seeping through the fabric of my clothes like a steady flame. I leaned into him, allowing my head to rest against his shoulder, feeling the comforting weight of him there.

“They’re improving,” he murmured, eyes fixed on the students as they shaped sparks, summoned gusts, and moved through their drills with a newfound steadiness—a balance we had fought so hard to achieve.

“Because they’ve stopped being afraid,” I whispered back. “Because now they know they have the right to be exactly who they are.”

His thumb traced slow, lazy circles over my hip, a small unconscious gesture that filled my chest with warmth and an ache of belonging. “You made that happen,” he said quietly.

“We did,” I corrected softly, nudging him with a smile.

He returned my smile with that gentle expression reserved for moments when the world seemed to pause, allowing tenderness to settle safely between us.

The Academy had transformed, and so had we.

Vallin’s push for a Gifted Council had surprisingly united every packland Alpha, with only one near fistfight—a feat he proudly claimed was better than usual. The Council now gathered monthly, addressing conflicts that once ignited wars. Dhara represented the Earth pack, Castor the Sky, and their partnership was infuriatingly adorable. They had announced their engagement just last night, and Dhara’s joy was so radiant it seemed capable of uprooting the entire courtyard.

Mona and Matt had officially become a team—partners on missions and in everything else. Isaac, though still marked by scars, stood taller each time he stepped into the sunlight. He laughed more often now, though his laughter carried the tentative wonder of someone discovering lightness for the first time.

As for me, my focus was on finishing the codex.

Vallin insisted that knowledge was as vital as legacy, so many late nights found us hunched over pages, debating the essence of Balance until exhaustion claimed us both. The Codex of Equilibrium was nearly complete—pages filled with the truths of gifted wolves, the hidden history the realm had tried to erase, and Zerina’s own words woven through each chapter.

Sometimes, when I touched those pages, I could still feel her warmth, subtle and comforting, like a hand smoothing the wrinkles from a cherished cloth.

Though Zerina was gone, she remained with me—in the quiet spaces between breaths, in the steadiness I carried into every day.

Xander pressed a soft kiss to the crown of my head. “You’re overthinking again.”

Chapter 110

“That’s my specialty,” I teased, a smile tugging at my lips.

“And mine is stopping you before your thoughts spiral so far they start their own council,” he replied with a chuckle.

I laughed, leaning closer. “You love when I spiral.”

“I love every part of you,” he said simply. “Even the parts you think are messy. Especially those.”

His words wrapped around my heart like a warm blanket, their quiet certainty soothing the old fears—the fear of breaking, losing control, hurting those I loved. Now those fears felt smaller, manageable, balanced.

Below us, two young students broke into a sprint, laughter ringing out as one sent a ribbon of wind hurtling toward the other, who countered with a shimmering shield of heat. They collapsed into the grass, breathless and bright-eyed.

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