Page 10 of Rebel for Claws
"Maya's waiting downstairs with Malcolm." Kieran's gaze swept over his father's formal attire with something approaching approval. "Elder Callum arrived fifteen minutes ago. The pack is gathering at the ceremonial site now."
"Good." Alaric straightened his cufflinks, the gesture buying him time to study Kieran's expression. "Are you ready for this transition?"
The question carried more weight than ceremony. For five months, Kieran had carried the burden of Alpha leadership during one of the most turbulent periods in their pack's history. He'd negotiated a treaty between moderate pack leaders and the rebellion leaders, implemented several reforms, and married the hybrid woman he loved—all while believing his father had abandoned him.
Kieran's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. "I've been ready to step down since the day you disappeared."
Not quite the truth, but close enough. He's been an excellent Alpha, better than I was at his age.
"That's not what I meant." Alaric moved closer, his alpha presence carefully modulated to convey authority without intimidation. "I'm asking if you're prepared to trust me with the reforms you and Maya have fought for. The treaty with the rebellion. The new hybrid mating and integration protocols."
The silence stretched between them, filled with unspoken fears and tentative hope. Kieran's blue eyes searched Alaric's face as if looking for traces of the man who'd publicly banished him five months ago.
"Maya's concerned you'll reverse everything we've accomplished." Kieran's honesty was refreshing after decades of careful political maneuvering. "The pack laws we've changed, the hybrid protection measures, and the ceasefire with the rebellion—it's all hanging by a thread."
My son's mate has excellent instincts. She should be worried—any traditional Alpha would undo their 'radical' changes immediately.
"Maya's concern is understandable." Alaric adjusted his suit jacket one final time, then met Kieran's gaze directly. "But she doesn't know what you're only beginning to understand. I've spent the past fifteen years working toward exactly the kind of reforms you've both implemented."
"Then why—" Kieran's frustration broke through his careful control. "Why did you make our pack fight for every small change? Why did you publicly oppose everything our pack and the rebellion were trying to accomplish?"
Because showing my true intentions would have gotten all of us killed. Because Thorne was watching every move I made.Because protecting you meant letting you believe I was your enemy.
The explanation would come eventually, but not now. Not when they had a ceremony to attend and a pack depending on smooth leadership transition.
"Because sometimes the only way to create lasting change is to let others lead the revolution while you clear the obstacles from the shadows." Alaric moved toward the door, then paused. "Your reforms stand, Kieran. Every single one of them. The treaty, the integration protocols, the freedom of mating choice—it all stays."
Relief flickered across Kieran's features before wariness reasserted itself. "What about the High Council? They won't accept?—"
"The High Council's days of controlling this pack through fear and manipulation are over." Alaric's voice carried the deadly quiet that had made him a legendary Alpha.
They descended the main staircase together, their footsteps echoing through the estate's grand foyer. Maya stood near the entrance, her copper-red hair catching the morning light as she reviewed what appeared to be ceremonial notes. Malcolm leaned against the doorframe, his casual posture not quite hiding the tension in his shoulders.
My family. Fractured but healing. United in purpose if not yet in trust.
"Ready for this, Luna?" Alaric's use of Maya's title was deliberate, an acknowledgment of her contributions during his absence.
Maya's green eyes studied him with the analytical precision that made her such an effective researcher. "Are you planning any surprises during the ceremony, Alpha?"
Smart woman. She's testing my intentions without directly challenging my authority.
"Only the surprise of keeping every reform you and Kieran have implemented." Alaric's slight smile held genuine warmth. "Your work these past five months has been extraordinary, Maya. Both of you have exceeded my expectations."
The admission seemed to catch both Kieran and Maya off-guard. Malcolm straightened from his casual pose, his blue eyes widening with something approaching shock.
"You're actually proud of what we accomplished?" Kieran's voice carried decades of doubt, the uncertainty of a son who'd never received his father's approval.
God, what kind of father was I? I was so focused on protecting them from Thorne that I forgot to let them know I loved them.
"Proud doesn't begin to cover it." Alaric's voice roughened with emotions he'd kept buried for too long. "You took impossible circumstances and turned them into meaningful change. You claimed your fated mate despite Council opposition. You negotiated a treaty that's already preventing civil war." He paused for a brief moment and took a steadying breath. "You've become the Alpha I always hoped you would be."
The silence that followed Alaric's honest admission was broken only by Maya's sharp intake of breath. Malcolm cleared his throat awkwardly, while Kieran stared at his father as if seeing him for the first time.
"We should go." Maya's practical nature reasserted itself, though her voice carried new warmth. "Elder Callum doesn't appreciate delays these days."
The black SUV waited in the circular drive, its engine running and windows tinted dark enough to provide privacy during the short journey to the ceremonial site. Alaric settled into the passenger seat while Kieran took the wheel, with Maya and Malcolm in the back.
Thirty years of rigid ceremony and protocol. Today marks the end of one era and the beginning of something entirely different.
