Chapter Thirty Eight

A moment of silence stretched through the clearing, thick with expectation. The wolves stood still, their eyes darting between Briar and Kade, waiting, measuring. Some accepted Kade’s words without question, their heads bowed in deference. Others hesitated, their instincts slow to bend to change. The weight of leadership was not one given freely—it had to be earned.

Briar felt the scrutiny, but she did not shrink beneath it. Instead, she raised her chin, letting the moonlight catch the fierce determination in her eyes. She had come too far to falter now.

Then, from the gathered wolves, a lone figure stepped forward. A broad-shouldered man, his presence radiating authority, though it was clear he was not Kade’s equal. His piercing gaze locked onto Briar, testing.

“I trust you, Alpha,” he said to Kade first, his voice gravelly with age and experience. “But we follow strength. We follow those who prove themselves.” His sharp eyes turned to Briar. “Can she?”

The challenge hung in the air, unspoken yet understood. It was not an outright rejection—no, that would have been foolish—but a demand for proof.

Kade remained quiet, his stance relaxed but unreadable. This was Briar’s moment.

Briar took a slow step forward, letting the space between her and the pack leader lessen. “You’ve watched me fight,” she said evenly, her voice clear in the night air. “You’ve seen that I do not back down. I’ve bled for this pack already.” She let her gaze sweep over the assembled wolves, each one meeting her stare. “I do not expect blind loyalty. I do not ask for faith without reason.” She took another step, the confidence in her movements undeniable. “But I will show you. I will prove to you that I am worthy.”

The man’s lips quirked slightly, a glimmer of approval flashing in his dark eyes before he gave a slow nod. “Then show us, Luna.”

A murmur rippled through the pack—some in anticipation, others in agreement. This was their way. Words only went so far. Briar had expected this.

Kade shifted beside her, his hand brushing the small of her back, a silent signal that he was with her. He would step in if she needed him, but he trusted her to stand on her own.

Briar inhaled deeply, her senses sharp. “Name your challenge.”

The pack leader’s smile widened. “A hunt.”

A surge of energy spread through the gathered wolves, their postures shifting with excitement. This was tradition. A test of strength, speed, and instinct.

Briar’s lips curled into a smirk. “Then let’s hunt.”

Kade’s deep chuckle rumbled beside her, low and approving. She had taken their test and made it hers.

As the pack moved, the tension transformed into anticipation. The night was young, and the chase was about to begin.

Briar would not fail.

The pack had dispersed into the woods, leaving the clearing bathed in moonlight, but Briar and Kade remained. The hunt could wait—this moment, however, could not.

Briar’s heart was still racing, not from nerves but from the intensity of Kade’s gaze. He was watching her like she was the only thing in the world that mattered. The weight of it sent a thrill down her spine.

She had always been strong, independent—but with Kade, she felt something more. Not just power, but belonging.

He reached for her again, fingers brushing against her bare arm, the warmth of his touch spreading through her like wildfire.

“Come with me,” he said, his voice a quiet command, but there was something gentle beneath it, a request as much as an order.

She let him lead her away from the clearing, deeper into the forest where the trees stood tall, their branches arching overhead like a cathedral. The moonlight filtered through, casting silver streaks against his skin.

He turned to face her, and before she could speak, he pulled her against him, arms wrapping around her as if he couldn’t stand the space between them a second longer.

“You’re incredible,” he murmured against her hair.

Briar let herself sink into him, resting her hands against his chest, feeling the steady, reassuring beat of his heart beneath her palm. “I don’t know if I feel incredible,” she admitted. “I feel like I’m constantly trying to catch up. Like I have to prove myself over and over.”

Kade leaned back, tilting her chin up so she had no choice but to meet his eyes. “You don’t. Not to me. Not to them.” His thumb brushed along her jawline. “You’ve already proven yourself, Briar. They’re just too blind to see it yet.”

She exhaled softly, leaning into his touch. “And what about you?” she asked, voice barely above a whisper.

His lips twitched into something softer than a smirk but just as dangerous. “I saw it the moment I met you.”

Heat unfurled in her chest, sinking lower, making her pulse hammer.

Before she could second-guess herself, she lifted onto her toes and pressed her lips to his.

Kade groaned against her mouth, the sound low and needy, like he had been waiting for this. His hands gripped her waist, pulling her even closer until there was no space between them.

The kiss was slow at first, a careful exploration, but it didn’t stay that way for long. Kade wasn’t the type to hold back, and neither was she. His fingers tightened in her hair, angling her head to deepen the kiss, and she gasped at the intensity of it.

She felt his need, his hunger—not just for her body, but for everything she was.

His lips moved to her jaw, then her neck, pressing open-mouthed kisses along her pulse. “Mine,” he growled against her skin.

The word sent a shiver through her, but she wasn’t weak beneath it. She wasn’t just his.

She slid her fingers into his hair, tugging just hard enough to make him groan. “Yours,” she whispered, her breath uneven. “But you’re mine, too.”

His grip tightened on her, and when he kissed her again, it was rougher, more desperate. Like he needed her to know, needed her to feel it in every inch of her body.

They weren’t just lovers. They weren’t just mates.

They were equals.

And they were just getting started.