Page 76 of Fated
“You both keep partially shifting,” Cian remarked.
“Exactly.” Kai’s voice carried a note of satisfaction. “Short bursts of letting our wolves take over to advance, deflect, or weaken the impact. A full shift mid-combat is risky because your opponent isn’t going to pause until it’s complete. Limiting the shift allows you to leverage your wolf’s strength, physical awareness, and speed as needed.”
Cian leaned forward, examining the frozen frame.
Kai gestured to the screen. “That second clip of me and Sven, I didn’t shift at all, and you saw how quickly I got my ass handed to me. In human form, Moonshadow’s warriors are unmatched,but in wolf form they’re slower and less sure of themselves. Holden and I did a few rounds yesterday, both in wolf form and then with only him shifted. He’s your best, and he went down each time.” Kai stabbed at the table, emphasizing his words. “With everything happening with the rogues, it might not be a bad idea to start building more skills fighting as wolves.”
The afternoon light shifted slightly, casting new shadows across Raelen’s thoughtful expression. “Is this something you can work with our warriors on? Maybe starting with the elite?”
“I could try.” Kai shrugged. “I’m a better student than teacher, though.”
“Do you think your dad might be open to having a few of our elites spend time training with your warriors?” Cian drummed his fingers against the table, clearly thinking it through. “Then they could come back here and teach our ranks.”
“That’s actually what I wanted to put out there.” Excitement bled into Kai’s voice as he spoke. “The Washington packs have a long history of hosting wolves from other territories to teach different skills. Ironclaw used to run a warrior intensive every summer. That’s where I learned.”
“I remember hearing about that when I was younger,” Raelen offered, coffee cup pausing halfway to his lips. “They don’t do it anymore?”
Kai snorted, shaking his head. “That’s because Alpha Thorne’s a dick, and he’ll do anything to make sure Ironclaw has an edge. He stopped running the intensive when his father stepped down a few years ago. The good thing for Bloodstone is that Gamma Talon attended every year since his first shift. Once our gamma-heir, Elias, shifted, he joined him. They’ve incorporated what they learned into our training curriculum.” He paused, meeting Cian’s gaze directly. “When my dad visits for your ceremony, I think you should consider putting the ask out there, but can I make a recommendation?”
“Sure.”
“If my dad agrees, prioritize getting the newly shifted wolves just starting training into the program. It’s easier to learn how to control the shift when you’re still building the muscle memory for it.” He leaned back, arms crossed over his chest. “I expect Lena and I will be back and forth between here and Bloodstone quite a bit until I take my oaths. I could see about having Elias join us on some visits to work with some of the older wolves and elites.”
The offer hung in the air like a declaration. Cian and Raelen stared at him for a moment without speaking. Kai felt his anxiety bubbling, worried that he’d overstepped, but then he played back what he’d said. He’d spoken as if Lena would be coming back to Bloodstone after the alpha ceremony—like it was a given, a natural progression. It was something that he hadn’t dared consider consciously, but now that the thought was out there, settling in the sun-warmed air of the study, he couldn’t imagine going back home without her.
“She belongs with us,”Orion rumbled in his chest, a warm certainty that resonated through Kai.“We belong with her.”
Cian’s voice broke through Kai’s rumination, a pleased grin spreading across his face. “Dad? What do you think?” He addressed his father but never took his eyes off Kai.
“I think it’s your call, son, but I recommend talking about it with Jace. If Darius agrees, it will be up to the two of you to make it happen.”
“And in the unlikely event that my father says no, I’ll be alpha come fall.” Kai lifted his chin, surprised by the conviction in his voice. For the first time, owning his birthright didn’t feel like accepting a prison sentence—it felt like claiming destiny. “I’d love for us to come to an arrangement that benefits both packs.”
Raelen’s features creased with genuine pleasure. He clapped Kai on the back. “I’m happy you decided to spend time inMoonshadow, Kai. It’s been wonderful to get to know you better, and it’s also been great to reconnect with Darius.”
Curiosity piqued, Kai straightened in his chair. “Did you and my dad have a falling out?”
“No.” Raelen’s brows shot up. “Why would you think that, son?”
“It’s just that you talked about him like you were old friends, but I’ve never been to Moonshadow before, and I don’t remember him ever mentioning coming here. I was just wondering why because...” Kai wasn’t sure how to finish that statement. How to ask his mate’s father why he’d been cheated out of getting to meet her sooner, getting to have known her longer. He wondered what their life would look like now if he had.
Would we have mated right away? How many pups would we already have?
He’d developed the biggest crush on Lena in such a short amount of time. Despite keeping himself busy, every day felt like a countdown to when he’d get to see her again, find some way to hold or touch her. He was certain, deep in his gut, that if they’d met as pups, Moonshadow visits would have been the highlight of his year because she was—
“Everything,”Orion finished the thought for him, the word resonating through his chest like a bell.
“Nothing like that,” Raelen explained. “It’s more about geography. Interstate alliances are rare. It’s easier to cultivate relationships with packs closer to you.”
His response made sense. The knowing glint in Raelen’s eye, however, suggested he understood why Kai really asked.
Raelen looked between the two heirs, expression thoughtful. “You’re both stepping into your birthrights this year. While there is a heavy burden of tradition to consider, the legacy of your reigns should be entirely your own. Kai, I think yourmating is proof that maybe our community has grown too siloed. That there’s cause to start thinking a bit differently about the connections we make.”
Cian nodded enthusiastically. “I’m planning to schedule visits with any pack willing to extend the invitation. My future luna is out there, and I don’t want to risk not finding her because I’ve kept too close to home. Having met Caleb, and now hearing what you’ve shared about the Washington packs, Kai, I think we need to get our people out into the region more. We function well for a pack of our size, but could we thrive if we had access to more skills and resources? What other connections are we missing because we’ve kept to our little corner of the region?”
Kai looked at Cian, realizing he’d missed out on more than just meeting Lena sooner—he’d missed the chance to know Cian too, to build the friendship that was forming between them now. That wasn’t something he could blame on Collective norms or pack politics, though. He and Cian had been attending summits together for a decade, yet Kai had spent most of them hiding behind his phone instead of making connections.
“I couldn’t agree more. I look forward to branching out with you, brother.”
