Alpha Xander's Undoing Chasing my Unknown Mate Back novel Chapter 45

13:43 Tue, Sep 16 N

Chapter 45

Chapter 45

*Rory*

…

(46)

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With everything going on with the prophecies, dreams, papers and freaking gifts, this was not something that I wanted to do today.

It felt like a punishment disguised as diplomacy.

Varra didn’t even flinch when she handed down the assignment–just stood in the middle of the her office with her arms crossed and that glint in her eye that made me want to snap my teeth.

“You’ll be attending the summit with Xander,” she said flatly. “The two of you will pose as a bonded pair from a neutral territory. An aristocratic alliance is being forged, and we need eyes inside.”

“I’m sorry, what?” I said, louder than I should’ve, every head on the field snapping toward us.

Varra raised an eyebrow. “You heard me.”

Xander said nothing. Typical. Not even a glance in my direction. Just that silent posture he always used when he didn’t want to admit he agreed with her.

“And why me?” I ground out, stepping forward. “There are other mated pairs in the program. Hell, Juliet and

Kian-”

“Because you’re actually married and the future Alpha and Luna,” Varra cut in, her tone as sharp as her stare. “And because your presence will raise eyebrows–which is exactly what we want.”

“And because,” she added without blinking, “Xander’s father is hosting the event.”

My heart dropped.

Xander’s head finally turned.

He didn’t speak. But the tension in his jaw said everything.

Varra continued, her voice softening only slightly. “This isn’t a request, Aurora. It’s a necessity. You’re not just students anymore. You’re weapons in training. And sometimes weapons are best sharpened in enemy territory. I’m sure you’ve heard what’s been going on over the Six Packlands.”

She stepped closer. “Look, I’m on the side of the gifted-”

“I’m not gifted,” I cut in a bit too quickly. She threw a knowing glance at Xander as if I wasn’t even there, then met my eyes again. “Right. Well, this might just be a strategy to get close to the academy after the rumors. So I need the best.” She was the back to the stern Varra everyone knew and feared. “And you are the best.”

I clenched my fists, trying not to scream. Not because I didn’t understand the mission. But because I hated how easily they decided my proximity to Xander was tactical leverage.

We weren’t weapons. We were wolves. People. And I was sick of pretending the mate bond didn’t complicate

13:43 Tue, Sep 16 N

Chapter 45

everything.

***

46

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The car ride to the estate was long and silent.

posture

I kept my eyes on the blurred treeline, arms folded tight across my chest. Xander sat opposite me, his perfect, gaze unreadable. We hadn’t spoken since the assignment was given. I didn’t know if it was anger, discomfort, or something else entirely. Maybe even regret.

I understood. With everything going on–the fear, the threats… the uncertainty. I would have been uneasy

too.

Hell, I was uneasy.

The closer we got, the colder I felt. Not from fear. But from the creeping certainty that this wouldn’t just be a mission.

It would be exposure.

And exposure meant weakness.

The estate loomed as the trees thinned–stone towers and marble spires rising like teeth from the mountain’s edge. Highborn. Old money. Ancestral pride you could smell in the polished stone and perfect hedges.

And inside, awaiting us, was the man who had shaped Xander into the creature who always stood just out of reach.

“Welcome home, son,” the man said as we entered the great hall.

He looked nothing like Xander.

Xander had edge. Quiet rage hidden behind polish. His father was all ice–sharp, brittle, brittle smiles and colder eyes. Everything about him said aristocrat, right down to the silver ring he twisted slowly on his gloved finger.

Xander inclined his head. “Father.”

His father’s eyes flicked to me, scanning from head to toe with such precision I felt like prey.

“And this must be the… mate.”

There was a beat.

I didn’t move. Didn’t flinch.

“Rory,” I said firmly,

He arched an eyebrow. “Of course, Rory. The wild girl from the neighbor pack. They say your wolf blood is…

unrefined.”

Chapter 45

I bared my teeth. “Only to those who don’t know how to survive outside polished walls.”

A silence stretched between us.

And then–an unexpected sound.

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Xander, clearing his throat. “She’s at the top of her class. She’s powerful and will be a great Luna. You chose not to be at the wedding, but she’s worthy. She’s earned her place.”

The elder Grayson’s eyes narrowed just slightly. But he didn’t respond. Just turned and waved a hand dismissively.

“Your room is ready. Try not to embarrass us.”

I didn’t realize I was shaking until we were alone.

The bedroom was massive. One bed.

Of course.

“I’ll take the floor,” Xander said gruffly, already pulling off his jacket.

“Don’t bother,” I muttered. “I’ll sleep on the balcony.”

“You’ll freeze.”

“Better than pretending we’re fine.”

That shut him up.

I walked to the glass doors and shoved them open. The cold hit like a slap, but I welcomed it. At least it was

honest.

Below, the estate was bustling with guests–wolves from noble lines, emissaries from allied packs, the occasional fae ambassador cloaked in illusion. All of them gathering for one thing: to forge unity against a war they barely understood.

But none of them were watching the horizon.

None of them felt the shadow creeping beneath the soil.

I did.

And I wasn’t the only one.

***

By the time dinner was called, my stomach was in knots.

I dressed quickly–black silk embroidered with subtle silver thread. Not overly noble. Not plain. Just enough to look like I belonged. I tied my hair back, braided tight against my head.

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Chapter 45

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Xander looked at me for the first time as I stepped out of the washroom. Not long. Just a flicker of something unreadable before he turned away.

“You look like you’re going to war,” he said.

“I am.”

The dining hall glowed with candlelight and tension. Every table sparkled with crystal and gold. Conversations buzzed with forced laughter and veiled threats. This wasn’t just a summit.

It was a hunt.

And the wolves wore pearls.

I felt eyes on me the second we entered.

Some were curious. Some disgusted. Others… interested. My name didn’t mean prestige here. It meant scandal. The second–choice girl from the back beside us, just so Xander could rule both packs.

And standing beside Xander only made it worse.

He walked tall. Confident. Like he’d never had to fight for his place. But I knew better. I saw the tightness in his shoulders. The twitch in his jaw when his father looked over and raised a glass.

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