Chapter 106 Chapter One Hundred Six

Chapter 106 Chapter One Hundred Six
Julian sat at the kitchen table, tension still visible in the tight line of his shoulders as Kaelani moved at the counter, finishing the last touches on their breakfast.

“I would have ripped his head clean off his shoulders,” he said quietly, though there was nothing casual about the way he said it.

Kaelani didn’t look at him at first. She carried the plate over and set it down in front of him with steady hands.

“And that,” she replied, “is exactly why I couldn’t have you there.”

His eyes lifted to hers.

“I needed to handle it on my own.”

Before she could step back, Julian reached for her and pulled her into his lap, one arm wrapping firmly around her waist, the other bracing at her back.

“I know you’re more than capable,” he said, his voice lower now. “I know you can handle yourself.”

His hold tightened slightly.

“But you need to understand something. You don’t have to do anything alone anymore.”

His thumb traced slowly along her side, grounding, possessive without being suffocating.

“We’re mates,” he said. “We’re a team. For life.”

Kaelani leaned toward him, her fingers slipping into his hair as her lips brushed softly against his.

“That may take some getting used to,” she murmured against his mouth.

Julian kissed her again, slower this time, his hands steady at her waist.

“Then let me help you ease into it,” he said quietly. “Let me show you that you can count on me to stand beside you, no matter what.”

She leaned back just enough to look at him, her fingers still threaded through his hair.

“So,” she said carefully, searching his expression, “you’re not upset about me claiming the Alpha title of Silveredge?”

Julian looked at her for a moment as if the answer should have been obvious.

“No,” the word came easily. “If it mattered to you to make sure that pack had an Alpha who actually cared about its people, then I respect that. I could never be upset with you for doing what you believed was right.”

His thumb brushed lightly against her side.

“We’ll work through the politics between our packs together.”

A smile warmed her expression, and she kissed him once more before rising from his lap. She took her plate from the counter and sat in the chair beside him.

As soon as she settled, he reached over, grabbed the side of her chair, and dragged it closer.

She glanced at him, and he met her stare unapologetically.

Kaelani laughed softly, shaking her head as she lifted her fork and began to eat. Julian followed suit, the tension that had shadowed him earlier finally easing.

Julian took his first bite of the eggs Benedict and paused, his eyes closing briefly as he savored it.

“That is delicious,” he said after swallowing. “How did I get so unbelievably lucky to have a mate who is the whole package?”

Kaelani smiled softly at him. “I’m glad you like it.”

“Like it?” He shook his head faintly. “I love it. Truly.”

His gaze held hers, warm and sincere.

“You’re amazing in every way.”

She held his gaze a moment longer than usual. The warmth in her expression lingered, but something thoughtful moved behind her eyes.

“I have to go back to the Fae Realm,” she said gently.

Julian stopped chewing and looked at her.

She continued before the silence could grow too heavy.

“I hope you understand. I mean, from what you just told me, I know you’ll support my decision.” She exhaled lightly. “It’s something I need to do.”

She hesitated.

“You don’t have to come with me.”

Julian finished chewing calmly, as if she’d just commented on the weather. He reached for his napkin and wiped his mouth before setting it back beside his plate.

“Okay,” he said. “But I am coming with you.”

Kaelani smiled at him.

“I knew you’d say that.”

Julian lifted a brow. “Did you?”

She nodded once.

He leaned back slightly in his chair, studying her with quiet satisfaction.

“Well,” he said, a hint of amusement in his tone, “I love that you knew that. You’re learning me already.”

A soft huff of laughter escaped her as she took another bite of her breakfast.

“I should probably take you home first,” she said after swallowing. “So you can tell your mother you’re alive and well.”

Her lips curved faintly.

“I may have abducted you.”

Julian’s mouth twitched.

“You may have,” he agreed. “Although I don’t remember protesting.”

His gaze warmed.

“But yes. Let’s stop by. I would prefer my mother not assume I’ve been kidnapped by Fae royalty.”

Kaelani shook her head, smiling, and nudged his knee lightly with her own.

“And the fact that you enjoyed every second of it.”

“I did,” he replied, a quiet smirk tugging at his mouth. “Feel free to kidnap me and have your way with me whenever you like.”

They finished breakfast slowly, talking in between bites, neither of them in a hurry.

The shower was meant to be quick.

It wasn’t.

Steam clung to the mirrors long after the water had shut off, and by the time they dressed, there was a lingering softness between them that hadn’t been there the night before.

When they returned to the Blackthorn packhouse, Julian expected to find his mother in one of her usual places—the sunroom overlooking the gardens, or the small sitting alcove near the east corridor where she liked to read.

She wasn’t there.

He checked the parlor.

The dining hall.

Nothing.

A faint unease stirred in his chest.

Still holding Kaelani’s hand, he made his way down the corridor toward his father’s study and pushed the door open.

His father sat behind his desk, a bottle of scotch resting near his elbow and a glass hanging loose in his hand.

Julian stilled.

It wasn’t even noon and his father was drinking.

He stepped fully into the study, keeping Kaelani close at his side, his hand still wrapped around hers.

“Where’s Mother?”

It was a simple question. The only one that mattered.

He did not ask why his father looked drawn or why a bottle of scotch sat open on the desk.

His father lifted his gaze to him slowly.

For a moment, he said nothing.

Then, without a word, he reached to the side of his desk, picked up a folded letter, and slid it across the polished wood toward Julian.

Julian frowned faintly, confusion tightening his brow. He released Kaelani’s hand and stepped forward, the quiet of the room pressing in around him.

Julian picked up the letter and unfolded it carefully.

His eyes moved across the page.

Kaelani watched him as he read, and something shifted in his expression almost immediately. It felt as though a dozen emotions moved through him in the span of seconds.

She stepped closer and placed her hand gently on his shoulder.

“Is everything alright?”

Julian lifted his eyes to hers.

There was shock there. Not loud. Not chaotic. Just stark.

He inhaled once before looking toward his father.

“She left.”

James rose slowly from his chair, the glass still in his hand as he crossed the room toward the window. He stood there for a moment, staring out at the grounds as though they might offer him an explanation.

“She’s been in contact with some man for weeks,” he said at last, his voice tight but controlled. “She told me she loved me, but that she couldn’t live a lie any longer.”

He took a slow drink, as if steadying something that threatened to surface.

“She severed our bond and ran off with him.”

The glass tightened slightly in his grip.

“Some beta,” he added, the title laced with contempt as he scoffed.

Julian lowered his gaze to the letter still in his hand.

He read the final lines again.

Then, to Kaelani’s surprise, a faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

A quiet huff of laughter escaped him.

“Her fated mate.”

James turned sharply from the window, his expression hardening as his gaze moved between Julian and Kaelani.

“This is all your fault,” he said, the accusation landing squarely on them both. “You filled her head with these ideas. All this talk of fate and choice and bonds.”

Julian let out a short laugh, though there was nothing amused about it.

“How dare you insult my mother like that,” he retorted. “As if she isn’t intelligent enough to think for herself. As if she isn’t capable of making her own decisions.”

He straightened slightly, the shift almost imperceptible, but the room felt it.

“No. This isn’t on us. It’s on you.”

James’s eyes darkened.

Julian held his gaze without flinching.

“And isn’t it ironic?” he continued, his tone calm but cutting. “You’ve spent your life rejecting fate whenever it didn’t serve you.”

A faint, humorless smile touched his mouth.

“And now fate has rejected you.”

Silence settled over the study, thick enough to press against the lungs, until the only sound left was the quiet crease of paper as Julian folded the letter and set it back on the desk.

“I will be leaving pack grounds shortly,” Julian said, his voice level and composed. “Mr. Romano will assume command in my absence.”

James’s head snapped up.

“The former Beta?” he demanded. “I am the former Alpha. In your absence—and Jace’s—I should be the one in charge.”

Julian’s expression did not change.

“I don’t believe you are mentally capable of running this pack right now.”

The words were not cruel. They were measured.

Julian continued, his tone firm and authoritative.

“Bond severance is not a minor event. It destabilizes the wolf. It affects judgment, impulse control, physiological regulation. I will have Dr. Aldric and his team conduct a full assessment to ensure you are not suffering from residual bond trauma.”

The implication was clear.

This was not punishment.

It was procedure.

James’s jaw tightened, but he did not speak.

Julian reached for Kaelani’s hand, lacing his fingers through hers without looking away from his father.

“See to it that you cooperate.”

Then he walked out of the study with Kaelani at his side.

And this time, he did not look back.