Chapter 152 Northern Ridge - Riven's POV

Chapter 152 Northern Ridge - Riven's POV
I stood. Raze was watching me from the ground with an expression I had never seen on his face before. It wasn’t the complicated grief of losing a father who had done what Ronan had done, nor the relief of the demon's quieting. This was ‌simpler than both of those things.

Pride.

"Go," he said. "I'll be here."

I turned to Callista. She was already looking at me with a solemn grin, trying to put on a brave face.

“Go on, Alpha King,” she whispered. “They need you.”

Her eyes were steady and warm. The bond between us blazed, and I knew what I had to do.

So, I went.

The three tribunal observers were where Carson had indicated. The senior woman, who was silver-haired and sharp-eyed looked up when I approached. Her gaze moved over me once, taking in the blanket, the blood, and the mark on my shoulder, then returned to my face without commentary.

"Riven Blackwood," she said sharply.

"I prefer Riven Nightshade.”

"The Alpha King is dead."

"Yes."

"You are his acknowledged heir," she said firmly. "You were publicly declared at Silver Moon Academy and on record with this tribunal through the challenge proceedings filed against your bond claim." She paused. "By pack law, succession passes to the acknowledged heir at the moment of the previous Alpha King's death. There is no ceremony required and no waiting period, though this is…a little unprecedented. You are only seventeen.”

She let that sit for a moment.

"You are the Alpha King," she said simply. “Do you have the Alpha King’s command?”

The clearing was very quiet.

"I'm aware," I sighed. “And yes.”

Something in her expression shifted slightly. "There will need to be a formal tribunal proceeding to address what occurred tonight. You four displayed symptoms that appeared to be something we haven’t seen in decades. Then the death of the Alpha King.” She folded her hands and shook her head. “Three days is acceptable, but I want your word that you will not leave the area during this time.”

"You have it," I said plainly.

"And the other three," she added. "Your brother and the Voss sons."

"They'll be present," I confirmed.

"Then we agreed." She looked at me for a moment longer and I almost thought she might reject me right here. "Alpha King."

The title sat differently in her mouth than it had in anyone else's. 

I nodded once and turned back. No one in the wolf history’s long line had ever been the Alpha King at seventeen.

Raze was on his feet by the time I returned. Callista was beside him with her arms crossed and a straight expression. Carson looked back at the Voss brothers.

I stopped in front of them.

"It's official," I said firmly. “I’m the Alpha King and we have a meeting in three days with the tribunal to discuss what happened.”

Raze looked at me for a moment. Then he did something I hadn't been expecting. He dropped his head in the brief, deliberate way that was the oldest form of pack acknowledgment, the way wolves had been acknowledging Alpha Kings since before any of the modern formalities existed.

My brother bowed to me.

"Don't," I said immediately.

He looked up. "It's proper—"

"You're my brother," I murmured. "Don't."

Something moved across his expression. Then he straightened and just looked at me, which was better.

"I need Alric and Dorian to agree to appear voluntarily. Can you get to them tonight?" I asked Carson.

"Already moving," Carson said, and turned away.

I looked at Callista. She was watching me again and sighed.

"Raze's mate," I mentioned. “That’s the only piece we’re missing.”

"Northern Ridge," Carson called back over his shoulder, still moving. "I'll have a location by morning."

"Make it tonight," I called back.

He didn't break stride. "Tonight, then."

I turned back to Callista and Raze. The clearing had gone almost entirely quiet around us, which was its own kind of strange after everything that had happened in it. The tribunal observers were dispersing. The last of the crowd was gone. It was just the three of us and the torn ground. The night air came in cold from the tree line.

Raze was looking at the spot where they had taken Ronan.

I watched him look at it for a moment, because he deserved that moment without me filling it with something.

Then he turned away. "Where does she think I've been?" He said quietly. "All this time. What does she know?"

“You were dead to everyone,” Callista mentioned. “Your father kept you hid enough that she may not know.”

Raze's jaw tightened. "So she's been waiting and probably not understanding why it doesn’t feel like death.”

"Yes," Callista said simply.

He nodded once, the way he nodded when he had accepted something he didn't like and wasn't going to argue with.

"Then we go tonight," he said.

“It’s late," I murmured

"I don't care," he complained. “I’m ready.”

I looked at him, at the particular set of his jaw that I recognized because I had worn it myself every time someone had suggested waiting when waiting was the one thing I couldn't do.

"Tonight, then," I mumbled.

Callista didn't argue. She just pulled out her phone and typed something. A moment later it buzzed back.

“Kalley has a dorm building and a room number,” she whispered. “It looks like Northern Ridge is two hours away.”

"Then we should go now," Raze said, already moving toward the car.

I caught his arm. 

"Raze." I waited until he looked at me properly. "She doesn't know any of this. Not what's been happening, not what tonight was, not that the demon is weakened." I held his gaze. "She's going to open her door in the middle of the night and find you. Give her a moment before you give her everything."

He looked at me for a long second.

"I know," he whispered. "I know how to do this."

"I know you do," I said. "I'm just—"

"Being my brother," he mused, one brow arching.

"Yes."

He exhaled, then nodded. "Come on, then."