Chapter 14 Chapter 14
KADE
Jax was waiting in my office with Marcus Stone on video call.
"Update," I said without preamble.
Marcus's face filled the screen. He looked pleased with himself. "Good news and bad news. Good news: Alpha Cornelius received the evidence about Derek's deal with Damien. He's furious. The engagement is off."
"And the bad news?"
"Derek knows we're behind it. Someone tipped him off."
I swore. "Who?"
"Still investigating. But Derek's moving fast. He's meeting with other Alphas, trying to form an alliance against you. Claims you're harboring his mate illegally, that you orchestrated the rogue attack to frame him."
"That's insane."
"Is it? To an outsider, it could look suspicious. You fight off rogues, Derek's engagement falls apart, and suddenly you're the hero protecting the innocent wolfless woman." Marcus leaned back. "Derek's smart. He's spinning this to make you look like the villain."
Jax spoke up. "How many Alphas are listening to him?"
"Three so far. Small packs, but influential. If he gets them on his side, he could bring this to the pack council formally. Demand an investigation."
This was getting out of hand. "Can we counter his narrative?"
"Already working on it. I've got people spreading the truth—that Derek tried to sell Mira, that the video evidence is irrefutable. But it's slow going. People believe what they want to believe."
"Then we need something bigger. Something that proves Derek's guilt beyond any doubt."
Marcus smiled. "Funny you should mention that. I may have found something. Derek's been embezzling from his own pack. Small amounts over several years, but it adds up. About three hundred thousand dollars."
Jax whistled. "That's enough to destroy him."
"If we can prove it," I said. "Can we?"
"I'm working on getting the actual financial records. Should have them in a few days. Once I do, we leak them to his pack members. Let them see what their Alpha's been doing with their money."
It was perfect. Even if Derek convinced other Alphas to back him, his own pack would turn against him once they saw the evidence.
"Do it," I said. "Fast as you can."
"Consider it done. I'll be in touch."
The call ended.
Jax and I looked at each other.
"This is escalating," Jax said. "If Derek successfully rallies support, we could be looking at a coalition against us."
"Let them come. We've faced worse."
"Have we? A coalition of packs is different from a rogue army. It's political. Messy. And it puts Mira right in the center of it all."
He was right. This wasn't just about Derek anymore. It was becoming a political crisis that could affect the entire region.
"What do you suggest?" I asked.
"Complete the mate bond with Mira. Officially. That gives her unquestionable status as your Luna. Derek loses all claims, legal or otherwise."
"She's not ready for that."
"Then make her ready. Time's running out, Kade. Derek's forcing your hand."
I wanted to argue, but Jax had a point. As long as Mira was just a protected pack member, Derek could claim she was still tied to him somehow. But if she was my Luna, my official mate, he had no ground to stand on.
"I'll think about it," I said.
"Think fast. Derek's not going to wait."
After Jax left, I sat alone, weighing my options.
Bond with Mira now, before she was ready, and potentially ruin any chance of a real relationship with her.
Or wait, and risk Derek's political maneuvering destroying everything.
My phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number.
You took what was mine. Now I'll take what's yours.
Derek. He'd managed to get my personal number.
I texted back: She was never yours. You rejected her, remember?
His response was immediate: A technicality. The bond existed first. That gives me rights.
Not anymore. The bond is broken. Officially.
We'll see what the pack council says about that. I've filed a formal complaint. They'll be contacting you soon.
Damn it. He'd actually done it. Brought this to the council.
The pack council was supposed to be neutral, arbitrating disputes between packs. But they were also political, easily swayed by influence and connections.
And Derek had been working those connections.
File whatever complaints you want, I texted back. It won't change anything.
Won't it? By the time I'm done, your pack will see you as a tyrant who steals other Alphas' mates. Your allies will distance themselves. And Mira will realize she backed the wrong horse.
She's not a horse to be backed. She's a person. Something you never understood.
She's a tool. One I would have used differently than you, but a tool nonetheless. You're just too blinded by whatever you feel for her to see it.
I wanted to throw my phone across the room. Instead, I forced myself to stay calm.
If you come near her again, I will kill you. Not as an Alpha. Not in self-defense. I will hunt you down and end you. That's a promise, not a threat.
Such passion. I almost admire it. But passion makes you reckless, Kade. And reckless Alphas make mistakes.
We'll see.
I blocked his number and tried to calm down. But Derek's words kept echoing.
Reckless Alphas make mistakes.
Was I being reckless? Was my feeling for Mira clouding my judgment?
No. I was protecting someone who needed protection. That wasn't reckless. That was right.
But the doubt lingered.
I needed to talk to someone. Someone who would be honest with me, even if the truth hurt.
I called my mother.
"Kade," she answered. "I was wondering when you'd call."
"You spoke to Mira."
"I did. She's got spirit. I'll give her that."
"She also thinks you threatened her."
"I did threaten her. Had to see how she'd react under pressure." Eleanor's voice was matter-of-fact. "She passed. Barely, but she passed."
"This isn't a test."
"Everything is a test when you're dealing with Alphas. You know that."
I rubbed my temples. "I need advice."
"I'm listening."
"Derek's filed a formal complaint with the pack council. Claims I'm harboring his mate illegally. He's trying to build a coalition against me."
"And you're worried he might succeed."
"It's possible. He's been making connections, spreading lies. If enough Alphas believe him—"
"Then you need to delegitimize him first. Show the council and everyone else that Derek is untrustworthy. That his claims have no merit."
"I'm working on that. But in the meantime, Jax thinks I should complete the mate bond with Mira. Make her my official Luna."
Eleanor was quiet for a moment. "Do you want to?"
"Yes. But she's not ready. She just broke her bond with Derek. Pushing her into another mate bond so soon could backfire."
"Then don't push. Court her. Show her what life with you could be like. Let her come to the decision on her own."
"I don't have time for that. Derek's moving too fast."
"So make time. Because if you force this, if you pressure Mira into a bond she's not ready for, you'll lose her anyway. She'll resent you. Maybe even hate you."
I knew she was right. But it didn't make the situation any easier.
"What would Dad have done?" I asked quietly.
Eleanor's voice softened. "Your father would have followed his heart. He always did, even when it was the harder path."
"And look where that got him. Dead at forty-five."
"He died protecting his pack. There's no shame in that."
"There's also no glory in leaving his family behind."
"Kade..." She sighed. "You're still angry at him. After all these years."
"He chose the pack over us. Over you."
"He chose duty. Just like you do every day. Don't pretend you're any different."
The words hit harder than I expected. Was I like my father? Choosing duty over personal happiness? Putting the pack above everything else?
Maybe. But at least I was trying to change. Trying to let Mira in.
"Thanks for the advice," I said.
"Anytime. And Kade? Be careful. Derek is desperate, and desperate wolves are dangerous."
"I know."
After we hung up, I sat in the dark office, thinking.
My mother was right. Forcing Mira into a mate bond would be a mistake. But I also couldn't leave her vulnerable to Derek's machinations.
So I needed a middle ground. Something that protected her legally without pressuring her emotionally.
An idea formed. It was unconventional, possibly unprecedented. But it might work.
I picked up my phone and called Jax.
"I've got a plan," I said when he answered. "Get me the pack lawyer. I need to know if what I'm thinking is even legal."
"What are you thinking?"
"I'm going to make Mira my Luna. Officially. But without the mate bond."
Silence. Then: "Is that even possible?"
"That's what I need to find out."
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