Chapter 6
ALARA
Riven found us just as Caelan and I reached the corridor that led toward the guest room where Booker was being held. His movements were stiff in the way that meant something had thrown him off balance.
“We have visitors.”
My brother stilled. “What kind of visitors?”
“Alphas. Two of them.”
Caelan’s brows drew together, his lynx flashing in his eyes. “Impossible. No alpha would breach our borders without contacting me first.”
“They said they’re here because of Booker Redmond,” Riven explained.
I couldn’t stop the jolt of satisfaction that shot through me. My clever mate. Even while locked away, he’d made sure he wasn’t standing alone.
My lynx purred, smug and entirely unrepentant.
Caelan noticed my satisfaction, and he glared at me. “This complicates things.”
“For you, maybe,” I murmured before I could stop myself.
His nostrils flared, and he jerked his gaze back to Riven. “Rally the chain. We’ll meet in the central courtyard. Bring Booker.”
Riven nodded once and jogged off, leaving Caelan and me to descend the stone steps that opened into the courtyard carved directly into the cliffside. Lynx shifters gathered in a loose semicircle, their expressions tense and curious.
I stood beside my brother because that’s where I was expected to be, but my pulse quickened the moment Booker neared. I felt him like a second heartbeat inside my chest, tugging me toward him, and it was impossible to ignore.
Two guards appeared first, escorting him out from one of the side doors. Even surrounded by sentries, he moved with deliberate confidence.
Then the outer gates opened.
“Two alphas approaching,” a guard announced.
The bigger of the two moved to stand directly beside Booker, his eyes sweeping the area once with an assessing look. The other followed a half step behind, coming to a stop slightly behind Booker.
My mate didn’t even glance at the alphas who’d come all this way for him. His attention was solely on me, gold glinting at the edges of his irises.
My lynx purred in my mind, and almost as though he could hear her, Booker’s lips curved into a smirk. Then he mouthed a single word, “Mine.”
Heat pooled low in my belly, and I had to bite my bottom lip to stop from grinning back at him. But my brother knew me too well, and the way he stiffened told me he sensed my reaction.
As more of our chain members joined us, his chin lifted. “I am Caelan Nightbriar, alpha of the Nightbriar Chain.”
The man at Booker’s side dipped his head. “Keane Vetle, alpha of the Wilderness Pack.”
The shifter slightly at his back stepped forward to meet my brother’s gaze. “And I’m Kace Lowell, alpha of the Timber Ridge Pack.”
The weight of having two unknown alphas within our borders made several members of the chain murmur uneasily.
Lynx didn’t fear much, but we respected power, and there was no doubting these two shifters were formidable.
And Booker stood between them, not overshadowed in the slightest. He held Caelan’s stare head-on, his posture relaxed but undeniably strong.
My lynx purred so loudly I had to swallow to hide it. The mate bond tugged at me again, impossible to ignore.
“I had intended to have a private, supervised meeting between my sister and your wolf before you arrived.” He shot a hard look at my fated mate. “However, your presence has escalated this matter into something broader than I anticipated.”
A muscle ticked in Booker’s jaw. He didn’t speak, but determination shone from his blue eyes.
Caelan clasped his hands behind his back. “Since multiple alphas are now involved, we will proceed with mating negotiations instead.”
A ripple of surprised murmurs passed through the chain. He made it sound so formal, like something from our great-great-grandparents' era, but at least he wasn’t outright denying the truth humming between Booker and me.
The courtyard fell quiet around us, every lynx in earshot suddenly alert as Caelan switched his attention fully onto Booker.
“We do not reject fate.” His voice carried across the crowd. “But neither do we accept an outsider blindly.”
The words weren’t unexpected, but hearing them spoken out loud made everything feel painfully real. I wasn’t sure what would happen if my brother didn’t accept the man fate had chosen for me. Rejecting Booker wasn’t an option, but walking away from the only family I had left would break my heart.
Booker didn’t flinch. He held my brother’s gaze with the kind of confidence that soothed my frayed nerves.
Caelan continued, “If you want to claim a place at my sister’s side, you must prove three things.”
A ripple of tension spread through the gathered lynx as they realized he was going to invoke an ancient tradition that our chain hadn’t used in more than a century.
“Tracking.” His eyes narrowed slightly. “You will be tasked with finding symbolic tokens hidden across the mountain.”
Booker’s shoulders squared, and even from across the courtyard, I sensed his resolve.
“To prove your endurance, you will need to navigate hazardous rock terrain for hours on end,” Caelan added.
Booker dipped his head in acknowledgment.
“And finally, if I’m to trust you with my sister, then you must prove you will guard her well.” Caelan’s chin lifted a fraction. “To prove this, you will need to protect a sacred item from being taken.”
Booker didn’t look intimidated. If anything, he looked like he’d been waiting for Caelan to stop talking so he could answer.
“This is not a dominance challenge,” Caelan clarified, sweeping his gaze over the assembled shifters. “We don’t pit ourselves against fate. These trials will demonstrate your willingness to integrate into our chain as my sister’s mate.”
“I’ll earn my place.” Booker’s tone was threaded with steely determination. “Whatever it takes.”
Caelan studied Booker for a long, heavy moment, then gave a single nod. It wasn’t acceptance, but this was the first real step toward it. And my heart swelled with hope.
People began to drift into smaller clusters, speculating about how difficult the trials would be.
I stood rooted in place. Booker hadn’t even begun, and I was already worried about him getting hurt. We hadn’t even gotten the chance to have a real conversation, and my brother was already putting him to the test.
My lynx paced restlessly inside me, torn between pride in the strength radiating from my mate and irritation with Caelan.
Booker’s gaze found mine through the crowd, and his expression gentled in a way that made my breath catch.
Heat climbed up my neck, and I had to look away before my brother noticed how undone I was becoming.
“Preparations begin immediately. The trials will commence at first light,” Caelan announced.
The finality in his tone made the bottom of my stomach drop.
As the last of the chain members dispersed, I turned toward him. “The ancient trials? Really?”
He shrugged. “I had to come up with a new plan on the fly, and it was the first tradition that fit.”
I shook my head with a sigh. “How will having two other alphas here affect the trials? Will they be allowed to help him?”
Caelan considered my question before answering, “They will be allowed to assist him to a limited degree, provided they do not compromise the integrity of the tradition.”
A rough sound came from behind us. “They’re here for her just as much as me.”
Caelan stiffened but turned to give Booker a curt nod, motioning toward him. “If you want to speak with my sister briefly before the trials begin, do it now.”
Booker stepped forward and nodded toward the alphas flanking him. “Keane’s a grizzly. He’s my current alpha. The Wilderness Pack is small and remote. It suits me.”
Keane chuckled. “We’re not quite as off the beaten path as here.”
“And Kace?” I asked softly.
“I grew up in Timber Ridge,” Booker explained. “My parents are still there, so I visit often.”
I loved that Booker had two different worlds at his back.
Caelan cleared his throat sharply. “That’s enough.”
Booker didn’t even look at him. His attention stayed on me, like he was memorizing every breath I took before being pulled away again.
Riven stepped in to escort him toward the guest wing. I remained frozen long after he disappeared around the corner.
Everything changed tomorrow, and I could only hope my brother knew what he was doing.