Alpha Xander's Undoing Chasing my Unknown Mate Back novel Chapter 61

Chapter 61

Chapter 61

*Rory*

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We were there for another hour, trying to figure out the entirety of this ritual, when Dhara slipped in through the door before closing it again.

“The earth’s cranky,” she announced. “Every root along the field twitched when the speakers came on. She doesn’t like it when men behind desks upset her children.”

“Oh great, make it a party,” Xander drawled sarcastically, still flipping through his book for what seemed like the third time.

Mona shot him a glare. “Dharra can be trusted. I texted her our location. She’s just as affected with this as Rory is, you know?”

“Except Rory can be taken, tortured and killed.”

“Gee thanks for making this less nerve-wracking,” I huffed.

He finally looked up, meeting my eyes with a sly smirk. “You know I’d never let them do anything to you, baby.”

“Ugh… get a room,” Mona groaned.

I ignored them both and turned back to Dharra.

“The earth is upset?”

She nodded. “Myself along with the other Terra wolves at this school that I didn’t know excited feels like we’re being stripped of our rights to keep our gifts secret. There’s no need for this ceremony.”

Guilt tore at my chest. “You’re right. There is no need. They want me, and every gifted wolf in the school, including you, will be affected by this ritual just because they want me. Maybe I should just turn myself—”

“No!”

“Absolutely not!”

“Over my and this entire fucking academy’s dead bodies.”

That last one was from Xander, of course. But I couldn’t help but feel it was the right thing to do.

“Look at it guys. Word might soon get out to the Venatorum that this ritual is going to be held. Sure Varra might try to keep it hush like our other deadly assignments, but there are wolves here who are against gifted wolves. They could very well tell the Venatorum what will happen here and put all gifted lives in danger. Including one of my best friends.”

“Touched, but no,” Dharra said bluntly.

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Chapter 61

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“It’s not fair to risk so many lives for one, when I might end this entire world in destruction either way. Maybe there’s a reason Chaos wolves don’t live.”

‘You will not yield!’ Zerina bellowed in my mind, positively giving me a headache.

“The answer is no.” It wasn’t up for discussion from Xander. The thing is, I promised him that I’d stop going against his back to do reckless things. I promised him that we’d do things together from now on, like today. I had to admit, it was refreshing working with him, and easy too. Having access to certain things had its perks.

But there was no way on earth Xander would allow me to turn myself in. But I couldn’t risk so many lives just for mine. It wasn’t fair.

“If I have to lock you in my room and assign a personal bodyguard when I’m not able to be with you, then so be it,” he added, and he was serious.

“Who Matt?” I asked, because he didn’t trust anyone else. Hell, he barely trusted Matt.

“The answer is no.”

That was the end of it. He didn’t even wait for a response. Just went right back into the book.

I sighed.

“As much as I hate to, I have to agree with Mr. Grumpy-Pants on this, Rory,” Mona added. “Your life is just as precious as everyone else, Rory.

“You think your destiny is destruction because that is what was always written. Rewrite the story. See what your Aether really is,” Dharra added in that voice she always used when speaking in her parables.

We all looked at her, including Xander.

“Is there something you know that you’re not telling us?” Mona asked.

Dharra shrugged. “The Moon would not create something that destroys… More like something that balances.”

“But every Chaos wolf died because they caused destruction, or was killed due to fear of them doing it.”

Dharra shrugged again, but didn’t add more.

Great. That meant that’s where her parable ends for today regarding this matter, and it did nothing to help.

“Maybe Matt would see my view as valid,” I said hopelessly, knowing Matt wouldn’t.

“He won’t,” they all said in unison. Of course.

“Where is Matt, anyway?” I asked. “Dharra and Mona are here. Might as well he knows too.”

“Oh he does. I texted him when I texted Dharra. He’s in the hall,” Mona said. “He’s distracting a hall monitor who thinks she just got the attention of the future Beta of Emerald Pack, and has no reason to actually do her job and check the rooms to ensure there are no wandering students.”

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Chapter 61

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“Wise,” Xander muttered.

Mona’s gaze slid to our joined hands and softened for a breath. Then she cleared it.

“Okay. Homework. Turing you in is not an option. So what are we planning?”

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“Control,” Xander said, and outlined the plan: study the circle’s hunger, then feed it enough to look satisfied.

Fashion something ordinary and defensible without triggering the truth runes, like heightened senses, maybe a minor instinctual from Zerina to nudge a natural flame. Something any regular wolf could do. Nothing that hummed with the wrong kind of power. Nothing that would make the ring flare white and the witnesses whisper.

“Bland is your friend,” Mona agreed. “Tragic, but true.”

“I can be bland,” I said, trying the idea on like a coat that didn’t fit but could keep me warm.

Zerina stretched lazily in my mind. ‘We can pretend to be small for long enough to make the circle bored.

I bit back a laugh. “That’s the spirit.

“We’ll need a space, to practice” Dhara said, pushing off the case. “Somewhere the walls won’t eavesdrop. There are far too many runes in this place.”

Xander tapped the page. “There’s an old training studio ground behind the west gym. No one used it anymore. We can rig a faux circle-chalk and runes in the right places. Practice stepping in and out with a single intention.”

Mona had already slipped her phone from her pocket. “I’ll do a sweep. If anyone comes sniffing, you’ll get a warning.”

“We’ll need a subtle entrance. Somewhere that wont draw too many head wondering why we’re headed in that direction,” Dhara added.

I stood and watched them plan with my heart growing. Though I knew Mona must’ve had things she wanted to do with some random guy a year or two older than us, and Dharra at the brink of exposure, and Xander, though he was my mate, still had every reason in the world to fear me… they were here, planning, scheming, hoping with me.

Just to keep me alive,

“I love you guys,” I said with tears in my eyes. I was met with three different reactions, as expected, but I

meant it.

“You’re lucky we love you too,” Mona said, already moving. “We either get you through this alive.” She met my eyes. “Or go

“Or go down burning with you.”

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