Chapter 299 Book 2 ~ Chapter 64

Chapter 299 Book 2 ~ Chapter 64
Alaric’s POV

Everyone in this room is waiting for the Phoenix Pack alphas to arrive. Not that anyone would openly admit it, because heaven forbid they ask for help from the pack that everyone said was weak and would fail. 

My brother and I are waiting for them just as eagerly, but for an entirely different reason. A reason we decided was best to keep to ourselves for the time being. It’s evident that our mate is highly protected by the pack, and if we start asking questions about her, they may shut us out. 

That wouldn’t stop us, though. She’s ours. We have every right to stake our claim that was blessed by the Moon Goddess herself, but with our reputation as the wild cards, we’d decided that a soft approach might be for the best. 

Bastian leans casually against the wall, pretending he’s not phased, but I know better, I can feel the pent-up tension in him and the way he assesses every person that walks through the door. 

I track Alpha Josh as he makes his way around the room, shaking hands and making small talk with them. He's pretty calm for an alpha with so many powerful wolves in his territory. He approaches us next, and I plaster a grin on my face, trying my best to look as relaxed as he does. 

“I’m glad you could make it,” he says, offering me his hand.

I grip it without hesitation, well aware everyone in the room is watching and judging our every action. 

“We couldn’t miss such a monumental event,” I gesture to the rest of the room. “You’ve got to have some balls to pull something like this off; you have my respect.” 

“Like we could refuse,” Bastian mutters under his breath.

We both ignore him. We’ve had enough web meetings for Josh to know my brother is only happy when he’s complaining. 

“Still no beta?” he asks, glancing between us.

“Nah, we have no need for titles. Our pack works well just as it is,” I shrug, not wanting to admit the truth. 

Our pack does work well without a beta, but not because we chose to run it that way. We have many loyal wolves that share the role, but no single one has the dominance or desire to take the official title.

“You two have never been the type to follow the rules,” Josh snorts a laugh, shaking his head. “Maybe once you’re mated, you’ll appoint one to share the burden of leadership whilst you’re otherwise occupied.”

“Maybe you’re right,” I smile. “But I actually wanted to talk to you about that.” 

That gets his full attention, and he turns to fully face me now. 

“We’ve decided to wait a little longer. With the current threat and so much pack intermingling, we thought it safer to hold off.”

Josh doesn’t respond right away. Instead, he looks deep in thought. Then, finally, he sighs and nods.

“You’re right. Being distracted by a new mate at such uncertain times would be of no benefit to anyone, and as you said, with this much inter-pack movement, she may just find her fated mate, or…”

The lodge doors open before he can finish, and every wolf in the room instinctively looks toward the entrance. Three men step inside.

The Phoenix Pack’s alphas. I recognise Ryder and Callen immediately from the web meetings; the identical dark hair and matching lethal expressions are impossible to mistake, but it’s the third man that grabs my attention. 

Not because I know him, but because the second he steps into the room, my wolf surges so violently beneath my skin it almost knocks the breath from my lungs.

Mine.

The scent hits me a heartbeat later, but it’s not him; it’s her. Cool night air and a metallic tang mixed with lightning. Everything inside me goes still. My mate.

Bastian straightens beside me so subtly no one else would notice, but the sharp pulse through our mind link tells me he caught it too.

“That’s her.” His voice in my head sounds rougher than normal. 

I force myself not to react outwardly as the unfamiliar wolf scans the room with cold, assessing eyes. He’s fairly tall with broad shoulders. He’s not an Alpha, but powerful enough that weaker wolves think he is. And he’s absolutely covered in our mate’s scent. Interesting.

“That’s not one of the Beta twins,” Bastian adds in a much calmer tone than I expect.

He’s right. We’ve seen Phoenix Pack’s Betas enough during online meetings to recognise them immediately. Which means he is either an enforcer… or something far more dangerous.

The stranger stops in his tracks as he looks in our direction, his wolf clearly picking up on our attention. His shoulders square and his jaw tightens, the protective instinct rolling off him so strongly it almost makes me smile.

Oh, this is getting complicated.

Josh clears his throat awkwardly beside us, probably sensing the sudden tension thickening the room.

“Ryder, Callen, Leo,” he greets.

Leo… So that’s the wolf carrying our mate’s scent like a second skin.

“Our mate’s been getting awfully close to her protectors.” Bastian’s amusement brushes against my mind, and a grin threatens to pull at my mouth.

“Can you blame her?” I respond. “Hell, if I was into guys, I’d probably climb him too.”

Bastian almost chokes on his own laugh beside me, quickly disguising it as clearing his throat.

Leo’s eyes snap toward us suspiciously.

“I hope he’s not too attached, because I don’t plan on sharing.” Bastian grumbles, but there’s no real anger behind it. 

I don’t respond because something about this feels far more complicated than simple attraction. This wolf wears our mate’s scent all over him, enough that mine should be snarling and looking for a reason to put him through the nearest wall.

Instead, my wolf watches him carefully, curious and strangely calm. There’s no possessive fury over another male carrying what belongs to us. Which means one of two things. Either my wolf has finally lost his damn mind… or whatever this male is to her, he matters. The thought should bother me more than it does.

Beside me, Bastian remains unnervingly relaxed too, which honestly unsettles me more than if he’d started growling. My brother doesn’t willingly engage with people. He tolerates them at best. 

Most wolves are lucky to get a grunt out of him before he walks away entirely. But now?… He’s watching Leo with open interest. Teasing him. Pushing at him just enough to study the reaction. And somehow, impossibly, he already seems comfortable with another male being close to something we both know is ours.

That alone tells me everything I need to know. Because Bastian trusts his instincts more than anyone I’ve ever met, and right now, every instinct he has is telling him this man is not our enemy. Which means mine are probably telling me the same thing.

Leo’s posture shifts subtly again, small enough that most people in the room wouldn’t notice, but I catch it immediately. His wolf backs down, not submitting, but no longer viewing us as an immediate threat either. Instincts don’t shift that quickly between dominant wolves, not ever.

My eyes narrow slightly as I study him. Because, for the first time in a very long time, my wolf looks at another dominant male, and even carrying our mate’s scent, he doesn’t want blood. He wants answers.