Chapter 4
FOUR
THALRIC
The silence that followed was telling. Kaelen’s expression cycled through surprise, concern, and something that might’ve been disappointment before settling into careful neutrality.
“A strategic mating.” Kaelen’s tone was carefully flat. “That’s your solution?”
“It’s practical and necessary. A mated Alpha commands more respect, and provides better continuity. The pack has been unsettled since—” Thalric caught himself before he could say since Roman died, but the words hung unspoken between them.
“Since you started treating leadership like a performance instead of a calling,” Kaelen finished quietly.
The accusation hit like a slap, and Thalric’s control slipped enough for his eyes to flash with warning. “Careful, Kaelen.”
“Someone has to say it.” His Beta didn’t back down, meeting Thalric’s stare with steady determination. “Roman didn’t choose you because you could strategize your way through every problem. He chose you because you had heart and potential.”
“Heart and potential don’t win wars against fanatics who think we’re abominations.” Thalric’s voice carried the edge of a growl. “Heart and potential don’t keep trade routes open. Strategy does. Planning does. Making the hard choices that—”
The sharp trill of his communicator cut through his words, the device lighting up on his desk with an incoming call. His heart hammered against his ribs—a reaction he couldn’t quite suppress despite five years of practiced control.
Gerri Wilder.
The name sent a surge of anticipation through him that he hadn’t felt in years. This call might finally give him what Roman had always said was essential for lasting leadership.
Kaelen straightened in his chair, reading the shift in Thalric’s energy. Without a word, he rose from his seat, his dark eyes meeting Thalric’s briefly.
“Find me later.” He moved toward the door with efficient grace, pausing only to add, “Take your time, Alpha.”
The door closed with a soft click, leaving Thalric alone with the insistent trill of the communicator. He reached for it with hands that were steadier than they had any right to be, given the hammering of his pulse.
“Gerri.” His deep voice came out controlled and measured—the voice of an Alpha conducting business, not a man whose entire future might hinge on the next few minutes.
“Thalric, darling!” Gerri’s warm, knowing laugh filled the office like sunlight breaking through storm clouds. “I have the most delicious news for you. Are you sitting down?”
Despite himself, Thalric felt his mouth curve into something that might’ve been a smile. “Yes, actually. But maybe not for long.”
“Oh, you probably won’t be in a second.” There was something in her voice—a satisfaction so deep it practically purred through the connection. “I found her, Thalric. Your fated mate. And I must admit, she is perfect for you.”
The words hit him like a tidal wave, sudden and overwhelming. For a moment, his carefully constructed composure cracked, revealing something raw and desperate beneath. A hunger he’d been denying for longer than he cared to admit.
“You really found her?” The words came out rougher than intended, edged with an emotion he couldn’t quite name. “Where? When can I—”
“Earth,” Gerri interrupted. “And before you ask, yes, I’ve already made contact. She’s a former Olympic swimmer, Thalric. Can you imagine? A human who’s spent her entire life mastering water, who moves through it like she was born to it.”
Thalric’s sea wolf stirred beneath his skin, a rumble of approval that vibrated through his chest. A swimmer.
Someone who understood the pull of water, the way it could cradle and challenge in the same breath.
Someone who wouldn’t flinch at the sight of his pack’s true nature or the endless pink expanse of Nova Aurora’s seas.
“Olympic level?” His strategic mind was already spinning, cataloging the implications. Physical strength. Discipline. The kind of mental fortitude that came from competing at the highest levels.
“Multiple golds, from what I understand. But more than that—” Gerri’s voice took on that particular tone she used when she was about to reveal something she found especially delightful.
“She’s been coaching at the collegiate level.
Teaching, nurturing, building others up.
She has the heart of a leader, even if she doesn’t know it yet. ”
Perfect.
The word echoed in Thalric’s mind as he began to pace, his wolf’s restless energy finally finding an outlet. A mate who understood water, who possessed both physical capability and leadership instincts. Someone who could stand beside him not just as a partner, but as an asset to the pack.
“Her swimming skills—they’ll be invaluable here,” he said, his voice gaining strength as the strategic possibilities unfolded. “With Graven’s fleet operating underwater, having someone who can match our natural abilities in the water...”
“Oh, Thalric.” Gerri’s laugh was rich with affection and just a hint of mischief. “Always thinking three moves ahead, aren’t you? Yes, she’ll be an asset. But she’ll be so much more than that.”
Something in her tone made him pause mid-step, his hand tightening unconsciously on the communicator. “What do you mean?”
“You’ll see.” The satisfaction in her voice was almost tangible. “When can you be ready to receive her? I’m thinking tomorrow would be perfect timing.”
Tomorrow.
The word sent another jolt of anticipation through him.
“Tomorrow works.” His voice came out steadier than he felt. “I’ll have quarters prepared, arrange for—”
“Just be yourself, darling,” Gerri interrupted gently. “Not that polished Alpha mask you wear for everyone else.”
The observation hit too close to home, and Thalric found himself staring out the window at the pink waters that had always been his refuge.
“I’ll be ready,” he said finally.
“I know you will be. And Thalric?” Gerri’s voice softened, taking on the warm, maternal tone that somehow made her seem both ancient and ageless. “Thank you for trusting me with this. You deserve happiness, dear.”
The words settled into something deep and wounded inside his chest. Before he could respond, Gerri continued.
“I’ll bring her through tomorrow morning. Try to get some sleep tonight—you’ll want to be at your best.”
The connection ended with a click, leaving him alone with the overwhelming silence of his office again. For a long moment, he simply stood there, the communicator still in his hand, processing what had just happened.
His fated mate. Here. Tomorrow.
A slow smile spread across his face—not the careful, diplomatic expression he wore for pack meetings, but something genuine and fierce. Something that belonged entirely to the wolf stirring beneath his skin.
He set the communicator down and moved toward the door, his steps lighter than they’d been in months. Maybe years. The weight that had been pressing against his shoulders since Roman’s death seemed to lift, replaced by something he’d almost forgotten how to feel.
Hope.
Outside his office, the corridors of the estate felt different somehow—brighter, full of potential instead of burden. He made his way through the familiar halls and out onto the terrace that overlooked the pink waters.
The twin suns were beginning to set, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple that reflected off the ocean’s surface like scattered jewels.
Thalric breathed deeply, tasting salt and possibility on the evening breeze.
His wolf was no longer clawing for release.
Instead, it sat alert and eager, every instinct focused on tomorrow and the mate who would finally settle something that had been restless for far too long.
A swimmer. An Olympian. Someone who understood the water the way his pack did. The strategic advantages were obvious, but beneath that practical assessment lay something deeper—a recognition that felt inevitable.
Graven and his fanatical followers preached about false predators and corrupted evolution, but they were wrong. The sea wolves belonged to these waters, and had been shaped by them for generations. And now his mate would understand that belonging in a way few humans ever could.
Tomorrow, everything would change. The pack would see their Alpha had done something even Roman never managed—secured not just a mate, but a Luna who could stand with them through whatever storms lay ahead.