Alpha Xander's Undoing Chasing my Unknown Mate Back novel Chapter 11

*Rory*

The night stretched on, endless and suffocating.

The only sounds were our ragged breaths and the crunch of leaves beneath our feet as we walked through the dense forest.

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Xander’s grip on my wrist was tight, almost bruising, but I didn’t complain–I needed it. My legs were aching, my lungs burning, and every now and then I felt like I was about to pass out. And yet, fear propelled me forward.

Because I could feel it. Something was still watching us. Watching me.

Xander didn’t stop until we reached a clearing, a small break in the trees where the moonlight barely peeked through. He finally let go of me, running a hand through his already tousled hair, his jaw ticking in frustration.

I bent over, bracing my hands on my knees, trying to regulate my breath. “Xander-”

“You’re getting worse,” he snapped, his voice rough as though it was my fault. “How long until-?”

“I–I don’t know.” I swallowed thickly, pressing a trembling hand to my temple. “My medicine was supposed to last until morning, but-” I gestured to myself, my clothes soaked with sweat, my entire body overheating despite the cold. “I think it’s wearing off faster.”

Xander muttered a curse under his breath, pacing in a tight circle. He was restless. Antsy. And for once, I didn’t think it was just me annoying him.

I knew it was for more of his alliance and less of me, but something strange in me fluttered thinking that Xander was scared for me. I tried to imagine a reality where he wasn’t cruel and hated my guts, and where his worry was genuinely for me and nothing more.

But alas, this was real life, and there was a very real chance of me dying out here tonight if we didn’t get to that academy now.

Technically, we were supposed to stay through the night. That was the whole point of the ‘survival activity‘ anyway.

But they wouldn’t penalize for returning early. In fact, there was a prize for any pair who did so: sleeping in their own beds.

The activity, after all, was designed to teach us how to navigate a wilderness and get back home.

But this ‘wilderness‘ felt a bit too… wild,

Something was off. Why hadn’t we still seen any other students? And where the hell were we? If there were rogues, it meant we weren’t anywhere near the academy border, nor Snow or Emerald Pack. Rogues were only in the Deserted Lands. Which meant we were in the Deserted Lands. Xander’s heightened irritation proved that he realized too. He knew what direction the academy was, but something in his stance and in his eyes told me that he knew we wouldn’t make it in time.

Was Headmistress that pissed at the failed drill that she’d sent us to die? Well, not Xandet. Me.

I shivered, despite the way my skin burned it wasn’t just the sweat of the medicine leaving my system. It was something primal, something lurking beneath my skin, stirring just out of reach.

I couldn’t feel Zerina–not completely but the emptiness wasn’t as hollow as before. It was as if she was just beneath the surface.

“We need to keep moving,” Xander mumbled, and I sensed that he was more agitated too, and it had nothing to do with the academy. If Zerina woke up completely and my scent changed, he’d know I’d kept our matebond a secret

He’ll know we’re mates.

“Wait–just-“I grabbed his wrist before he could take off again. His skin was scalding, and it hit me then.

He wasn’t even wearing a shirt after shifting earlier. The cold didn’t seem to bother him.

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11:09 Sun, 31 Aug

Chapter 11

I frowned. “You must be freezing.”

He glanced down at my hand on his wrist, his lips twitching as if he was going to smirk, but his expression remained unreadable.

“I can regulate my temperature,” he said flatly. “My wolf keeps me warm.”

“Well, isn’t that convenient,” I muttered, letting go, feeling the loss immediately.

“You should be more worried about your medicine running out than my temperature, Rory.”

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose, ignoring the fact that this was the first time he called me ‘Rory‘ to my face and not Aurora.

“I am worried. But maybe, just for one second, we could pretend this isn’t a life–or–death situation? I need to breathe.”

Xander scoffed, shaking his head. “It is a life–or–death situation. Let’s go.”

His eyes flickered down the length of my body briefly, as if assessing if carrying me would be faster.

No way was I allowing that, so I avoided the ache in my feet and stepped ahead of him.

We started moving again, the forest darker and more foreboding.

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My mind reeled over the rogue’s words, trying to make sense of them. Who the hell did I smell like and what exactly did I smell like? According to Mona, I

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