Page 16 of Rebel for Claws
Another knock interrupted his spiral, lighter this time. Logan's voice carried through the door with the kind of careful neutrality that suggested he knew exactly what had happened outside.
"Take your time, Alpha. But when you're ready, we need to discuss security protocols. Things just got a lot more complicated."
Alaric closed his eyes and tried to summon the iron control that had seen him through three decades of leadership. But every time he attempted to lock down his emotions, the matebond flared to life, reminding him that the most dangerous and beautiful woman he'd ever encountered was his destined other half.
My fated mate doesn't trust me. The Council wants her dead. And I'm the only thing standing between her and Thorne getting his way.
The bathroom suddenly felt too small and too confining for the magnitude of what he was facing. But the alternative—walking back into that living room and pretending that touching Vivian hadn't fundamentally shifted the trajectory of his entire existence—seemed equally daunting.
I am Alpha of the Silvercrest pack. I have survived thirty years of Thorne's manipulation, five months of captivity and experimentation, and the loss of everyone I've ever loved aside from my sons. I will not be brought to my knees by a pair of violet eyes and a destiny I never asked for.
But even as he tried to convince himself, Alaric knew that everything had changed the moment he'd looked into Vivian's eyes in that clearing and seen his future staring back at him.
Alaric straightened his shoulders and finally pulled open the bathroom door, his Alpha authority settling around him like armor. The mate bond hummed beneath his skin with every step toward the living room, but he forced his expression into neutral lines.
The living room fell silent as he entered. Kieran and Maya sat close together on the leather couch, their hands intertwined in a display of unity that sent an unexpected pang through Alaric's chest. Logan leaned against the stone fireplace with his arms crossed, his green eyes holding the kind of knowing assessment that confirmed Alaric's suspicions—his new Beta had recognized exactly what had transpired in that clearing.
And Vivian. She stood near the large windows overlooking Logan's property, her pale blonde hair catching the last rays ofDecember sunlight. Her posture radiated defiance and barely contained energy. She hadn't looked at him since he'd entered the room, but he could feel the mate bond pulling taut between them.
She felt it too. The recognition. The inevitability. And she's just as terrified by it as I am.
"Vivian needs to come with us to my estate immediately." The words came out with more force than he'd intended, his Alpha voice brooking no argument. "She'll be better protected there under my direct supervision."
Vivian's head snapped toward him, her violet eyes flashing with indignation. "Excuse me?"
Alaric met her glare steadily, ignoring the way her anger made something primal in his chest tighten with possessive satisfaction. "As you're well aware, being the last descendant of the original ancient shapeshifter bloodline puts you in grave danger from Thorne and the High Council. He most certainly has Council operatives tracking you right now with orders to eliminate you permanently."
"I can protect myself here?—"
"No offense to Logan's protection capabilities or his reinforced cabin," Alaric continued, cutting through her protest. "But as my new Beta, he has other responsibilities right now. I am the only one who can provide the level of security you require at this critical juncture."
Logan's eyebrows rose slightly, but he remained silent. Kieran shifted forward on the couch, his eyes moving between his father and Vivian with obvious confusion about the sudden tension crackling through the room.
My son knows something happened out there. The question is how much he understands.
"I don't want to keep being locked up in these places like some helpless victim," Vivian said with steel in her voice. "I'vebeen protecting myself for thirty-five years, and I've done a damn good job so far."
Alaric felt his wolf's approval at her defiance even as his logical mind cataloged the very real threats she faced. "You are formidable and dangerous—our challenge outside convinced me of that. But Thorne and his operatives are equally lethal, and returning to your rebel base in Shadow pack territory would be suicide at this point."
The admission that he found her formidable slipped out before he could stop it, and he saw surprise flicker across her features before the mask of hostility slammed back into place.
Careful. Don't let her see how much she affects you. Don't let anyone see.
"So I'm supposed to just... sit in another home and wait for other people to handle everything?" Vivian's hands clenched at her sides, and Alaric caught the subtle scent of her frustration mixing with something else—something that made his pulse quicken despite his efforts to remain detached.
"You're supposed to stay alive long enough for us to neutralize the threat," he replied, though something in her expression made him add more gently, "Your survival is the priority right now. Everything else is secondary."
Maya leaned forward, her green eyes thoughtful. "The estate does have better security protocols than Logan's cabin. And if Thorne is actively hunting..."
"He is," Alaric confirmed grimly. "My five months in captivity gave me insight into his methods and resources. He won't stop until Vivian is eliminated because she represents everything he's been trying to destroy for three centuries."
Vivian's violet eyes studied his face with a piercing intensity that made the mate bond pulse between them. "And why should I trust that you won't hand me over to him the moment it becomes convenient?"
The question hit him like a physical blow, though he supposed he deserved it. His reputation as a rigid traditionalist had been carefully cultivated to protect his true agenda, but seeing the genuine distrust and concern in his fated mate's eyes in that moment was agony.
She thinks I'm the enemy. She has no idea that finding her changes everything now.
"Because," he said quietly, his eyes holding hers steadily, "I give you my word as Alpha of the Silvercrest pack that no harm will come to you under my protection. Whatever you've heard about my past methods and whatever reputation precedes me, I will not allow Thorne or his operatives to lay a hand on you."
