Page 109 of Alpha Queen
"We're the same, you and I," Titan had told him one night. "Abandoned by those who should have protected us. But we'll make our own family. Our own pack."
Kane's wolf continued pacing. He couldn't tell if his wolf was irritated with him, with Titan, or with the Kings. Most likely, his wolf didn't want to die. Kane understood that. But if that's what it took to save the others, that's what he'd do. It was the least he could give them.
Kane shut his eyes. They had built something together. A refuge for the rejected, a home for those society had deemed unworthy. It hadn't always been about drugs and guns and revenge. Once, it had been about equality. But it had never been enough for Titan.
He remembered Deleah, Titan's mother, her elegance and kindness when she took Kane in. She had been a vision of grace, hosting dinners for other displaced wolves, creating a network of support for those with nowhere else to turn. But something had changed. The rejection by the king, the humiliation of being cast aside for another woman, had eaten away at her like battery acid, corroding her once-gentle heart.
"They think they can discard us," she would say, her voice growing harder with each passing year. "That we'll disappear into the shadows and accept our fate. But we will show them. We will take back what's ours."
Kane had watched as her obsession with revenge consumed her, transforming her. And Titan, desperate for his mother's approval, had absorbed her bitterness, letting it shape and harden him.
"First, we build our numbers," Deleah had told them over dinner one night. "Then, when the time is right, we strike."
The drugs had started as a means to an end. Funding for their growing community of outcasts. The weapons came later, as Deleah's plans grew more militant. And through it all, Kane had stood by Titan's side, convincing himself they were still fighting for the right cause.
But Deleah's death had changed everything. Without her tempering influence, however twisted it had become, Titan's obsession had grown unchecked. The focus shifted from building a sanctuary for rogues to punishing those who had wronged him personally. And when River entered the picture, Titan's fixation had become all-consuming.
Kane had tried to reason with him, to remind him of their original purpose. But like his mother before him, Titan had become fixated on a single goal: taking River as his mate, proving his superiority over the royal twins who had everything he believed should have been his.
And now it had come to this.
Kane pushed to his feet, preparing to face the rogues who had trusted them. To tell them their leader had failed. The man who had promised protection had endangered them with his obsession.
The main hall buzzed as Kane entered. Everyone gathered, their faces drawn with fear and uncertainty. Some in small groups, whispering to one another. Others alone, weapons clutched in white-knuckled grips. All eyes turned to Kane.
"Brothers and sisters," he began. "Our situation has changed."
He explained the deal he made with Ares, watching as expressions shifted from disbelief to anger to resignation. Some nodded in understanding. Others shouted accusations of betrayal.
"You can't do this!" a young wolf named Marius yelled, pushing to the front of the crowd. "Titan took us in when no one else would. We can't just hand him over!"
"Titan is the reason we're surrounded by Alphas ready to slaughter us all," Kane replied. "His obsession with the High Luna put everyone here at risk."
"So we fight!" another voice called out. "We've been fighting our whole lives!"
Kane shook his head. "This isn't one we can win. And it's not worth dying."
An older wolf came forward, her gray-streaked hair pulled back in a severe bun. "What happens to us?" she asked, her voice steady despite the fear in her eyes. "If we surrender?"
"The kings have agreed to evaluate each case individually," Kane explained. "Those not involved in the High Luna's kidnapping will get to plead their case for amnesty."
"And you believe them?" Marius demanded. "After everything the Alphas have done to us?"
Kane met his gaze steadily. "I believe in the High Luna. And she has convinced her mates to give us this chance. She gave me her word. And I gave her mine." He looked around the room, meeting the eyes of wolves he had fought alongside, trained, and protected. "It's the only choice we have."
“It’s true.” Austin stepped forward. “I know River Whitetail. We grew up in the same pack, and I spoke to her when she was here. If she says we will be okay, then we will. River doesn’t lie. It’s not in her nature.”
Outside, the sounds of the Alphas testing the perimeter had ceased. Ares had kept his word about the temporary stand-down. It was a start.
"What about you?" a voice called from the back. "What happens to you, Kane?"
He didn't hesitate. "I'll face whatever punishment comes. I was Titan's lieutenant. I helped build all of this." He gestured around them. "But I also didn't stop him when he took River and allowed Alphas and mates to die in the process."
"I'd rather die free than live at their mercy!" Marius shouted, pulling a gun from his waistband. Others followed suit, weapons appearing throughout the crowd. "After everything they've done to us, you want us to surrender?"
The room split almost instantly, those not wishing to fight backing toward Kane, while the more militant rogues clustered around Marius, their faces hardened with resolve.
"This isn't freedom, Marius," Kane argued, keeping his voice level despite the escalating tension. "It's suicide. The kings are offering us a chance-"
