Chapter 21
POV: Cain?
It’s been a week since I’ve been back at the pack house and my pack members seemed…tense from my absence.
And I knew sooner or later that I would have to tell them the truth. The truth about my mate. The truth about Kiera. My human mate.
And I’d be lying if I didn’t say it weighed on me.
Even Alpha’s got anxiety.
I slumped at my desk, eyes fixed on my phone and our conversation thread, every second stretching as I waited for her reply.
She was insufferable with texting. If only she knew how serious her safety was to me then maybe she’d learn to text me back quicker.
But as I waited for her response, a knock sounded on the door.
Xavier opened it halfway then entered. “The Elders would like a word.”
I sighed. “When do they not?”
“True that,” he laughed. “But this time they called a council meeting. You’ve been away for some time and I think they’re getting antsy about your mate.”
The words rang in my head on a constant loop—my mate.
My human fucking mate—which I had lied about and said was part of a pack.
I shot Xavier a look.
“They don’t know the truth—at least to my knowledge,” he said.
“I hope the fuck not,” I murmured under my breath.
“It’s just a council meeting,” he assured me.
As we walked toward the meeting, it felt like the weight of the world was pressing down on me, ready to crush everything at any moment.
The truth was, if they found out, all hell could break loose. Maybe not a full-blown civil war but a mess of problems I wasn’t ready to handle, and on top of that, I had a human mate who didn’t even know who I really was.
All eyes snapped to me the moment I stepped in, and I felt their gazes cut across the room as I swept my own across the elders’ faces. They didn’t look happy.
My eyes landed on Elder Vero’s stiff face and I gave him a small nod.
As soon as I sat down, Elder Vero raised his long finger to speak. “Alpha Cain.”
“Elder Vero.”
His eyes narrowed. “New information about your mate has been brought to our attention.”
Fuck.
This was it.
They found out, I felt it in my gut.
I cocked an eyebrow, trying to remain calm when I in fact was not. “About?”
“About her pack status,” he paused. “It seems you’ve lied to us about which pack she belongs to.”
“I did not.”
“Your mate is not part of the New Moon pack, Alpha Cain.”
My wolf was pacing inside, on edge, ready to pounce. Stop it, I told him.
I tapped my fingers along the table, keeping my gaze fixated on Elder Vero and his impudent face. I didn’t even bother looking at Xavier, I knew he would be freaking out. Right now I need to stay calm.
“Did you hear me, Alpha Cain?” A smug look spread across his face.
And I was dying to wipe it the fuck off.
“I heard you clearly.”
“Then what do you have to say for yourself?”
“It seems you’ve mistaken your role in this pack,” I said, as I leaned forward, glaring at Vero. “You are the council. You are not the Alpha. You do not lead. You do not demand. You guide. That’s all.”
His eyes narrowed on me. “Your mate is a concern of ours.”
“And that’s your first mistake. You do not have concerns.” I slammed down my hand, the sound of my fist striking the table echoed loudly.
“You have the duty to procreate and provide heirs,” he reminded me.
“Yes,” I laughed, shaking my head. “You and the council’s obsession with producing heirs! If that’s what you’re worried about, rest assured—I’ve been mating.”
“Then you shouldn’t have any trouble telling us who your mate is or when she plans to join the pack,” he said, his tone blunt.
I was livid. I was internally raging inside, ready to rip this fucking old fucks’ head off.
I pounded my fist down again, startling the council. “My mate is my business. She belongs to me—not to the pack, and when we fuck and when she is pregnant, that is my business too. She is fertile, that is all you should know. She is not a part of the New Moon pack, that you are right about but she will not be brought here until I deem necessary.”
Elder Vero’s gaze clouded with confusion. “But a Luna’s place is with her pack, Alpha.”
I shook from rage and pounded my fist down again, this time harder. I couldn’t control myself or my wolf.
And before I could stop them—the words left my mouth. “She is human!”
The entire room echoed with gasps and murmurs.
My eyes flashed golden as I bared my teeth, challenging them. “I will not bring her here until she’s ready!”
Elder Vero spoke up, though his voice was strained, “A human? It cannot be. You cannot mate with…”
“I can and I have and I will!” I snapped.
Elder Vero shot back in his seat, scared. “But Alpha—-your children—your heirs—”
I cut him off. “They will be Alpha’s. They will be strong.”
“They will be half breeds…”
I lost it—seeing black and jumping across the table at him, clawing and snarling.
Xavier grabbed me by my shoulders, trying to hold me back. “Calm down, Alpha.”
But all I saw was red as I pushed Xavier away and pinned Elder Vero against the wall. “You do not speak of my mate or our unborn children in that manner! If I hear you speak of her like that again then I will kill you. Do you understand me, Elder Vero?”
He nodded, fear clouding his eyes.
I released him, stepped back, and let my gaze sweep over the council member’s faces.
I was fucked. They’d tell everyone now. There would be no stopping them.
I would have to deal with their outrage and concern now as well as my own pack’s.
No one in our pack had ever mated with a human before, not even an Alpha. I knew exactly what they’d say, knew how they’d react but one thing I was certain of—no one, absolutely no one would ever take her from me.
She was mine, and she would never belong to anyone else.
I locked myself in my bedroom that night and when morning rolled around, Xavier knocked on my door.
I let him in, then slouched myself into my couch, looking at the last text Kiera sent, “Good morning :).”
Nothing was good about this morning, but I couldn’t tell her that.
Xavier let out a heavy sigh and crossed his arms.
“What are they saying?” I asked, still looking down at Kiera’s text.
“Not much.” He said.
But I knew it was a lie.
I gave him a look.
“Not anything good,” he sighed, running fingers through his hair. “It’s a weakness, even a liability, to have a human as a mate. It’s not a good look.”
“Ttraining yard?” I asked.
He nodded.
I got to my feet. “Then I’ll go there. I’ll speak to the pack.”
“I’m not sure that’s—”
I cut him off. “It’s the only way to keep them in line.”
Xavier understood as much.
When I entered the training yard, all eyes darted to me.
A few frowned. A few looked scared. A few even looked like they were waiting for their chance to become Alpha.
But they needed to know who ran this show, human mate or not.
I cleared my throat, standing in the center, scanning their faces—letting them know that I won’t allow this to go on any longer.
“You’ve heard by now about my mate. Yes, she’s a human,” I boomed.
Murmurs echoed through the yard.
“It’s not ideal but it’s what the goddess ordained and I have chosen to accept her match.”
More murmurs.
Xavier stood tall at my side.
“She will belong to this pack. She will be accepted as your Luna. She will be respected. She will provide me with strong, healthy heirs,” I announced.
A laugh echoed through the yard.
It came from one of the younger wolves—a nobody named Clark.
“What’s that?” I yelled.
Clark stepped forward, face stiff with disgust. “A human cannot be a Luna!”
“She can and she will,” I stepped forward, fists clenched.
Clark cowarded.
“I will not allow disrespect because of ignorance. Those that choose to behave in that manner will answer to me. She will prove to this pack she belongs, you will see.” I turned on my feet, nodding to Xavier to follow and left them with that thought.
But I worried, nevertheless.
I worried if Kiera would fight me tooth and nail about becoming Luna. I worried about her not accepting this pack…as much as they didn’t want to accept her. I worried about our children—if they would be suitable Alpha’s—if a half human, half werewolf Alpha would be strong enough to rule.
But even with all my doubts, I had to trust that Kiera would embrace her place and show them they were wrong.