Page 17 of Rebel for Claws
Something shifted in Vivian's expression, a flicker of surprise at the sincerity in his voice. But she masked it quickly, crossing her arms over her chest in a defensive gesture that drew his attention to the graceful line of her collarbone.
"Fine," she said finally, though her tone suggested the decision was made under protest. "But I'm not going to sit idle while everyone else risks their lives. If I'm staying at your estate, I want to be involved in the planning and strategy sessions."
Alaric felt his Alpha instincts bristle at the demand, but underneath that reaction was something else—respect for her refusal to be sidelined despite the danger. "We'll discuss your level of involvement once you're secure."
It wasn't agreement, and they both knew it. But Vivian nodded curtly, apparently accepting it as the best compromise she was likely to get.
Kieran stood up from the couch, Maya rising beside him with fluid grace. "We should leave now if we're moving her tonight. The longer we wait, the more time we give any surveillance teams to track our movements."
"Agreed." Alaric turned toward Logan, who pushed off from the fireplace with predatory efficiency. "Keep me informed ofany developments with the ancient texts. And increase security protocols around Zoe, Maya, and Elena—if they're hunting hybrid bloodlines, they're also at risk."
Logan's eyes held his steadily. "Understood, Alpha."
The formal address carried weight—an acknowledgment of Alaric's reinstated authority and a subtle promise that whatever Logan had witnessed in that clearing would remain between them for now.
As they prepared to leave Logan's cabin, Alaric caught Vivian glancing in his direction when she thought he wasn't looking. There was something in her expression—curiosity mixed with wariness, as if she was trying to reconcile the man standing before her with the stories she'd heard about his reputation.
I will protect her. I will keep her safe from Thorne and the Council and every threat in this territory. And somehow, I will find a way to prove to her that the man she thinks I am doesn't exist—that the real me is someone worthy of her trust.
Once they headed toward the SUV, Alaric silently vowed that he would no longer maintain the rigid traditionalist facade that had protected his true agenda for so long. Whatever it cost him politically, Vivian deserved to see who he really was beneath the carefully constructed mask.
SEVEN
VIVIAN
The confined space of the SUV magnified every sensation—the subtle scent of Alaric's cologne mixing with leather seats, the tension radiating from his broad shoulders in the passenger seat, and the electric current that seemed to pulse between them with each mile that passed. Vivian pressed herself against the window in the back seat, trying to create distance from the infuriating pull she felt toward the man who'd just upended her entire existence.
This is ridiculous. I'm being treated like a helpless damsel who needs constant protection and supervision.
"I can protect myself you know," she said, breaking the silence that had settled over them since leaving Logan's cabin. Her voice carried an edge that made Kieran glance at her in the rearview mirror. "I've been doing it successfully my whole life."
Alaric's hands flexed against his thighs, and she caught the subtle movement from her peripheral vision. "The fact that you've survived this long doesn't mean you can handle what's coming now that the High Council knows you exist."
"You don't know what I can handle." The mate bond hummed between them like a live wire, making her skin feel too tight and her pulse quicken despite her irritation. "Everyonekeeps acting like I'm made of glass. Like I'm some fragile flower who needs to be locked away while the real fighters handle things."
Maya turned in the back seat, her green eyes sympathetic. "It's not about thinking you're fragile. It's about recognizing that you're the biggest target in the territory right now. If Thorne captures you?—"
"Then I'll kill him myself." The words came out flat and deadly serious, and Vivian felt a flicker of satisfaction when Alaric's shoulders tensed. "I'm not helpless. I'm a warrior. I've been training for this my entire life."
"Training for what, exactly?" Alaric's voice held a note of genuine curiosity that surprised her. "What did your family tell you about your heritage?"
Vivian hesitated, torn between her instinctive secrecy and the strange compulsion to share with this man who represented everything she should despise. The mate bond made lying feel wrong somehow, as if dishonesty would cause her physical pain.
He did acknowledge that I was formidable. Maybe he does actually see me as an equal.
"My grandfather told me I was different. That I carried the bloodline of the first shapeshifters who could take multiple forms and who had magic beyond anything the modern packs retained." She met Alaric's eyes when he turned his head, noting how they'd shifted to that molten gold that seemed to indicate strong emotion. "He trained me to fight, to survive, and to lead. But he never told me I was part of some ancient prophecy or that the Council had been hunting my bloodline for centuries."
"Your grandfather sounds like a wise man," Kieran said quietly. "Keeping you hidden until you were strong enough to handle the truth."
"Strong enough?" Vivian's laugh held no humor. "I've been strong enough since I was eighteen. And I've been fighting forreform for the past ten years and leading my own rebel group for the past year. I don't need to be locked away in another place while everyone else takes the risks."
The December moon had risen fully now, casting silver light across the snow-covered landscape rushing past their windows. Vivian felt its pull in her bones, the ancient magic in her blood responding to the lunar energy in ways that modern shifters couldn't understand.
"You'll have a role in what's coming," Alaric said, his Alpha voice carrying a note of finality. "But first, you need to understand the full scope of what we're facing. Thorne isn't just hunting you—he's trying to eliminate any and every trace of the ancient bloodlines to maintain his power."
"Then let me help eliminate him." Vivian leaned forward, her violet eyes flashing with determination. "I stole those ancient texts for a reason. I know things about the Severance and about the original magic that could be crucial to taking him down."
Maya's expression grew thoughtful. "Lena mentioned that you could read the extinct shapeshifter language. That's incredibly rare knowledge."
