Page 17 of Falling for My Shifter Enemy

My chest tightens at her words, the simple logic of her response cutting through my anger like a knife. But I can't shake the image of finding her too late, of losing her the way I lost my mother. The fear sits heavy in my chest, choking me, fueling my frustration. "You could have been in danger, Chloé!" My voice cracks with desperation. "You shouldn't be out here, not alone."

Something flashes in her eyes—a deep hurt that makes the mate bond constrict painfully—but she doesn't back down. "I'm not weak, Theo." Her words tremble with emotion. "I don't need you to constantly protect me. I'm capable of making decisions for myself."

My wolf snarls internally, the mate bond pulling at me with a force that makes it hard to think clearly. I step closer, drawn by an instinct I can't fight. Her scent fills my lungs, making my head spin. My voice comes out low and rough. "You don't understand. If something happened to you—"

"What, Theo?" She cuts me off, her voice rising with frustration even as her lower lip trembles. "If something happened to me, what? You'd lose your mate? You'd lose control?" She takes a shaky breath. "I'm not just some fragile thing you can lock away for your own peace of mind!"

I flinch at her words, the truth in them cutting deeper than any physical wound. She's right. My need to protect her has been driven by fear—fear of losing her, fear of losing control, fear offeeling the same crushing grief I felt when I lost my mother. But in trying to keep myself safe, I've been pushing her away.

She takes a deep breath, and when she speaks again, her voice is softer but no less firm. Moonlight catches the unshed tears in her eyes, making them sparkle. "I deserve to be appreciated for who I am, Theo—strengths and weaknesses and all."

Before I can respond, movement catches my eye. Ryan emerges from the shadows, his face tight with barely contained anger. The rival Alpha's presence hits me like a physical blow, especially when he steps between Chloé and me, deliberately breaking our eye contact.

"I think that's enough," Ryan says, his voice cold and measured. His eyes lock with mine, a clear challenge in their depths. The protective way he positions himself makes my wolf snarl, but I force down the urge to react.

My fists clench as Ryan wraps an arm around Chloé's shoulders, the casual familiarity of the gesture making the mate bond writhe in protest. She looks small next to him, vulnerable in a way that makes my chest ache, but she doesn't resist when he starts guiding her away.

"Let's go home," Ryan tells her softly, but his eyes stay fixed on me, daring me to object. The gentleness in his voice – so different from the hostility he's directing at me – feels like salt on an open wound.

The night air seems to freeze, and I realize that in trying so hard not to lose her, I might have just pushed her away for good.

Chapter 9

Chloé

The Whispering Pines pack house looms before me, its windows glowing with warm light that feels anything but welcoming tonight. My hands tremble as I smooth down my simple black dress – the most formal thing I own – and try to calm my racing heart. Through the mate bond, I can feel Theo's presence inside, his energy a mix of determination and anxiety that only heightens my own nerves. My wolf paces restlessly within me.

I clutch my notebook tighter, knowing the research inside could change everything. Tonight isn't just any meeting – it's the first time both packs have gathered under one roof in decades. I suspect the topic of the meeting will be about the humans encroaching on Moonlit Ridge.

The formal meeting room falls silent as I enter. Bodies pack the space, wolves from both packs standing rigid and alert, their postures screaming dominance. The air is thick with tension and competing scents – pine and earth from my pack mixing with the wilder, more dangerous scent of the Howling Pines wolves. Waves of dominance roll off the gathered Alphas and Betas, making my submissive wolf whimper and curl deeper inside me. I force myself to stand straighter, refusing to bow under the pressure.

Then I see him. Theo sits at the far end of the long oak table, his presence commanding attention without effort. His dark eyes find mine instantly, and the mate bond flares between us, hot and urgent. He's wearing a black button-down shirt that stretches across his broad shoulders, looking every inch the powerful Alpha he is. A muscle ticks in his jaw – a tell I've come to recognize when he's fighting for control. Through our connection, I feel waves of nervous energy radiating from him, tinged with something that feels like... hope?

Ryan occupies the opposite end, his familiar presence usually comforting, but tonight his carefully neutral expression sends a chill down my spine. His fingers tap an irregular rhythm on the polished wood, betraying the tension he's trying to hide. Something's brewing beneath the surface of this meeting, something bigger than territory disputes or human threats.

"Chloé," Ryan calls, gesturing to an empty chair near the middle of the table. His voice carries a note of strain I've never heard before. "Please join us."

I slide into the seat, hyper-aware of the eyes following my movement. As a submissive wolf who can't shift, I've spent my life trying to fade into the background, but tonight there's nowhere to hide. The mate bond pulses stronger now that I'm closer to Theo, his emotions bleeding into mine – anticipation, fear, and something else that feels like desperate longing.

The meeting begins with careful diplomacy. Ryan discusses the growing human presence near Moonlit Ridge, his voice steady as he outlines the threat to both packs. Words like "encroachment" and "territory rights" float around the room, but they feel hollow, like a smokescreen for something larger brewing beneath the surface. I try to focus, but Theo's anxiety bleeds through our bond more intensely with each passing minute. Hisfingers drum against the table, drawing my attention again and again.

Derek, standing behind Theo like a silent sentinel, catches my eye. His expression is unusually soft, almost sympathetic, and something about it makes my wolf stir uneasily. The room feels smaller suddenly, the weight of centuries of tradition and rivalry pressing down on my shoulders. I notice Liam lurking near the back, his face twisted with barely concealed disgust as he looks between Theo and me.

The discussion continues, voices rising and falling around me in a cacophony of dominance displays and political maneuvering. Through the mate bond, Theo's emotions surge stronger – determination, fear, love, all tangled together in a knot that makes my chest tight. My wolf recognizes what's coming before my human mind catches up. I can feel it in the air, in the way the wolves around us shift restlessly, in the way Ryan's eyes keep darting between Theo and me.

Then Theo rises from his chair.

The scrape of wood against wood silences every voice in the room. Every wolf freezes in place as he moves around the table with deliberate steps. My heart pounds so hard I'm sure everyone can hear it. He approaches slowly, his eyes never leaving mine, and the mate bond thrums between us, electric and alive. Years of pack politics, centuries of tradition, and generations of rivalry hang in the balance of this moment.

What happens next sends shock waves through the room.

Theo, Alpha of the Howling Pines Pack, drops to his knees before me. My breath catches as he tilts his head, exposing his throat in the ultimate display of submission. The gesture hits me like a physical blow – an Alpha, kneeling before a non-shifting wolf,offering his vulnerability for all to see. The mate bond explodes with emotion, nearly overwhelming me with its intensity.

"What is he doing?" someone whispers harshly. The room erupts in murmurs, some outraged, others shocked. I catch fragments of heated whispers: "An Alpha can't—" "—disgrace to his position—" "—she can't even shift—" Liam's voice rises above the others, sharp with disgust: "This is what becomes of our kind when we let the weak infiltrate our ranks."

But I can't look away from Theo. In his eyes, I see everything he's trying to say. This isn't just about romance or even the mate bond. This is about breaking centuries of tradition, about choosing love over pride, about redefining what strength really means. My wolf rises within me, stronger than ever, even without the ability to shift.

Tears blur my vision as years of feeling inadequate crash over me. How many times had I been told I wasn't enough? How many pitying looks had I endured? How many wolves had dismissed me because I couldn't shift? Yet here kneels the most powerful Alpha I know, offering his submission not despite my perceived weakness, but because of who I am – all of me.

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