chapter 160
Kyle's POV
The call from my parents came at the worst possible time, just when I was finally beginning to understand what true happiness felt like. I had been lying in bed with Lexa, her head resting on my chest as we talked quietly about our future together, when my phone rang with that distinctive tone I had assigned to my family's pack house.
"Kyle," my father's voice was stern and formal when I answered, carrying the weight of authority that had shaped my entire childhood. "You need to come home immediately. There are matters of succession that require your immediate attention."
I felt Lexa tense against me, her wolf instincts picking up on the tension in my voice even though she couldn't hear the other side of the conversation.
"What kind of matters?" I asked, though I had a sinking feeling I already knew what this was about.
"The council has decided it's time for you to be crowned as the next Alpha," he said without preamble. "Your training period is over, and the pack needs stable leadership. The ceremony has already been scheduled for next week."
The words hit me like a physical blow. I had known this day would come eventually, but I had hoped for more time—time to figure out how to integrate Lexa into my life as the future Alpha's mate, time to prepare her for the scrutiny and challenges that would come with that role.
"I understand," I said finally, my voice carefully controlled. "I'll be there tomorrow."
After I hung up, Lexa looked at me with those beautiful green eyes filled with concern and questions she was afraid to ask.
"I have to go back to my pack," I told her, pulling her closer against my chest. "My parents want me to come home for my coronation as Alpha."
I could see the fear flicker across her face—fear that I would leave and never come back, that this magical night we had shared would be nothing more than a beautiful memory.
"How long will you be gone?" she asked quietly.
Instead of answering immediately, I rolled over so that I was hovering above her, my hands framing her face as I looked down into her eyes. "I'm coming back for you," I said fiercely. "No matter what happens with my family, no matter what they say or demand, I'm coming back to take you with me."
Then I kissed her with all the desperation and passion I felt, pouring every emotion I couldn't put into words into that connection between us. She responded with equal intensity, her hands tangling in my hair as she pulled me closer.
We made out aggressively, both of us driven by the knowledge that we would be separated soon and the fear of what that separation might bring. I kissed her neck, her collarbone, every inch of skin I could reach, trying to memorize the taste and feel of her.
"You're mine," I growled against her throat. "No matter how far apart we are, no matter what anyone says, you belong to me and I belong to you."
"Always," she whispered back, her voice breaking slightly with emotion.
The journey back to my family's pack territory took most of the day, and with every mile that passed, I felt the weight of responsibility settling back onto my shoulders like a familiar but unwelcome burden. By the time I reached the pack house where I had grown up, I was already missing Lexa with an intensity that surprised me.
My mother was waiting for me in the kitchen when I arrived, just as she had done countless times throughout my childhood. The familiar smell of her cooking filled the air—roasted meat, fresh bread, and the herbs she grew in her garden behind the house.
"Kyle," she said warmly, pulling me into a hug that reminded me of simpler times when my biggest worry was whether I would pass my training exercises. "I've made all your favorite foods. Sit down and eat while we talk about the ceremony preparations."
I took a seat at the kitchen table where I had eaten thousands of meals, but the food that had once brought me comfort now tasted like ash in my mouth. My mind was back in that small room in the servants' quarters, with a red-haired woman who had changed everything about how I saw my future.
"Mom," I said, setting down my fork after only a few bites. "I need to tell you something important. I've found my mate."
Her face lit up with joy and excitement. "Oh, Kyle, that's wonderful news! When do we get to meet her? Is she from a good family? What pack is she from?"
The rapid-fire questions made my stomach clench with dread. I knew my next words were going to shatter her happiness and probably trigger the biggest fight we had ever had.
"She's a maid in the Mudiville pack," I said quietly, watching as my mother's expression shifted from joy to confusion to something that looked like horror.
"A maid?" she repeated, as if she hadn't heard me correctly. "Kyle, surely you're mistaken. The Moon Goddess wouldn't pair the future Alpha of our pack with a servant."
"She's not just a servant," I said firmly, my voice rising with defensive anger. "Her name is Lexa, and she's the most incredible woman I've ever met. She's kind, intelligent, hardworking, and she makes me happier than I've ever been in my life."
My mother stood up from the table, her hands shaking slightly as she processed what I was telling her. "Kyle, you can't be serious about this. Think about what you're saying. Think about the pack, about your responsibilities as Alpha. You need a mate who can stand beside you as Luna, someone with the breeding and training to handle that role."
"Lexa can handle anything," I said, standing up as well, my chair scraping against the floor. "She's stronger than you think, and she loves me for who I am, not for my title or my status."
"Love isn't enough!" my mother snapped, her composure finally cracking. "Being Luna isn't about love, it's about duty, about serving the pack, about maintaining the bloodlines that keep us strong. A maid doesn't have the education or the background to fulfill those responsibilities."
"That's bullshit and you know it," I shot back, my own temper flaring. "You're talking about her like she's less than human just because she wasn't born into a high-ranking family."
"I'm talking about reality," she said coldly. "The council will never accept her as Luna. The other packs will see it as a sign of weakness, proof that our bloodline is deteriorating. You'll be undermining your own authority before you even officially become Alpha."
The argument escalated from there, both of us saying things we would probably regret later. But I didn't care about the political implications or the council's approval. All I cared about was getting back to Lexa and proving to her that nothing—not family pressure, not pack politics, not centuries of tradition—would keep me from claiming her as my mate and my Luna.