Page 20 of Rebel for Claws
Her violet eyes sharpened with interest. "Logan's father?"
"Peter was going to tell me something important. Something worth killing him to keep secret." Alaric took a long sip of wine, letting the memories surface. "I suspected Thorne was behind it, but I needed proof. Playing the loyal traditionalist gave me access to Council meetings and Thorne's inner circle."
"That must have been torture," Vivian said quietly. "Living against your principles for so long."
The unexpected empathy in her voice made his chest tighten. "Every day. Especially when it affected my relationship with my sons. They thought I was the monster everyone believed me to be."
Vivian leaned forward, her expression intent. "But why the elaborate deception? Why not just challenge Thorne directly fifteen years ago?"
"Because I was naive enough to think evidence and proof mattered more than power," Alaric replied, meeting Vivian's gaze. "Then next thing I knew, two years after Peter's murder, my mate was killed. I believe Thorne had her killed to keep me in line. At that point, I couldn't risk him targeting Kieran and Malcolm."
"Thorne actually had your mate killed? Wow, that's heavy." The shock in her voice was genuine, and something protective flashed in her violet eyes that made his wolf rumble with satisfaction.
"Sarah and I had an arranged mating when I was eighteen and first became Alpha. She was not my fated mate," he clarified, watching Vivian's reaction carefully. "But she was the mother of my sons, and her death served Thorne's purposes perfectly.A grieving, angry Alpha with two vulnerable teenage sons was easier to manipulate and control."
Vivian's hands clenched around her wine glass. "That's monstrous."
"Well, it worked." Alaric set down his glass and leaned back, studying her face in the firelight. "Until five months ago, when I finally decided to stop playing his games and stand up for what I believed in."
"What changed?"
"My son found his fated mate. A hybrid," Alaric replied softly. "When I told Thorne I intended to accept Maya as part of our pack, he had me sedated and kidnapped that same night."
"What did they do to you in your captivity?" Vivian asked, her voice tight with anger on his behalf.
Alaric's jaw clenched as the memories surfaced—sterile rooms, needles, pain, and Thorne's mocking voice during his regular visits. "Experiments. Blood draws. Testing the limits of Alpha regeneration and psychological manipulation. Thorne would visit regularly to gloat about his progress with eliminating ancient bloodlines."
"That bastard." Vivian's eyes flashed with a golden glow that seemed to indicate her ancient magic was stirring beneath the surface. "How did you escape then?"
"I played along until four nights ago, earning their trust by pretending his psychological manipulation was working." Alaric's voice turned deadly quiet. "When the perfect opportunity presented itself, I attacked Thorne directly, fought through his guards after being thrown into a van, and then ran fifteen miles through winter terrain to reach Cade's rebel compound."
"Barefoot in medical garments?" Vivian's eyes widened with what looked suspiciously like admiration. "That should have killed you."
"Nearly did. But I refused to die before seeing my sons again." Alaric locked onto her gaze steadily. "And before completing what I should have finished fifteen years ago."
Vivian studied his face in the flickering light, and he could practically see her reassessing everything she thought she knew about him. "You're not the man I expected at all."
"What did you expect exactly?"
"A cold, calculating traditionalist who saw hybrids and humans as threats to be eliminated." Her smile held a hint of self-deprecation. "Not someone who's spent the last fifteen years secretly fighting the same battles I've been fighting."
If only you knew how much more we have in common.Alaric felt the mate bond pulse stronger between them, his wolf pushing against his control at her proximity and the growing trust in her voice.
"I regret not standing up to Thorne sooner," he admitted, vulnerability bleeding into his tone despite his efforts to maintain composure. "I thought I was protecting my family by playing the long game, but I see now that patience was just another form of cowardice."
"You protected your sons and gathered intelligence for fifteen years while living a lie that went against everything you believed in." Vivian's voice carried a warmth that made his chest tighten. "That's not cowardice—that's sacrifice."
The understanding in her violet eyes made him feel exposed in ways that both thrilled and terrified him. For thirty years, he'd maintained perfect control, never allowing anyone to see beneath the Alpha mask he wore. But this woman—his fated mate—seemed to see straight through his defenses with an ease that left him reeling.
"Well, now we have the momentum to take him down for good," he said, forcing himself to focus on strategy rather than the tantalizing curve of her lips. "With the ancient texts yourecovered, the testimony from my captivity, and the rebellion's growing strength coupled with the treaty, we can finally expose his corruption once and for all."
"We definitely need a comprehensive game plan for that," Vivian stated firmly. "So what do you say? Will you let me help you in this fight now?"
Alaric's eyes locked with hers, seeing his own hope reflected there in her violet depths. "Only if you'll have me as an ally in this fight, and not your enemy anymore."
Alaric watched as understanding dawned in Vivian's violet eyes, her posture shifting from defensive to something approaching acceptance. The firelight caught the silver undertones in her pale hair, and he had to resist the urge to reach out and touch the ethereal strands.
"Yes, I'll view you as my ally and not the enemy anymore," she said, setting down her wine glass with deliberate care. "I apologize for assuming your character before I got to really know you. That wasn't fair of me."
