Chapter 166
Ellie's POV
I'd barely opened the door when Jackson walked through it.
He looked exhausted—shadows under his eyes, shoulders tight with tension, suit rumpled from the transatlantic flight. But when he saw me, something in his face softened. Cracked open.
"Elle."
I launched myself at him. He caught me easily, burying his face in my hair, and for a long moment we just stood there in the entryway, holding each other.
"I'm okay," he murmured against my temple. "I'm here. It's done."
I pulled back enough to see his face. "Tell me everything."
He kicked off his shoes, shrugged out of his coat, and we moved to the couch. I curled against his side, feeling the mate bond settle as our bodies touched. Whatever had happened across the ocean, at least he was home.
"The Council met at the Martinez estate in Spain," Jackson began, his voice hoarse from travel and talking. "Seven elders, Lennox presiding with double voting weight as current Alpha. Caleb was brought before them in restraints—Miles made sure there was video evidence from the apartment security cameras, plus the footage from Samantha's phone."
My stomach clenched. "She actually recorded it?"
"Thirty-two seconds. Shaky, dark, but clear enough to show wolf forms and her screaming 'monster.'" His jaw tightened. "Miles presented it all. Neighbor testimony about inhuman sounds. Medical reports about Samantha's psychotic break. And then…"
"Then?"
"Caleb confessed." Jackson's laugh was bitter. "Stood up in front of the entire Council and admitted he deliberately transformed in front of a human. Said it was a 'test' of whether I had what it takes to be Alpha—whether I'd be willing to eliminate a witness to protect pack secrets."
Horror washed through me. "He wanted you to kill her."
"That was his plan. He didn't expect her to break mentally instead." Jackson rubbed his eyes. "The confession sealed it. The Council voted five to two to strip him of inheritance rights and confine him to the estate for three years. Mandatory re-education in pack law. Public humiliation."
"Lennox voted against?"
"Both his votes, yeah. But he was outvoted." Jackson's hand found mine, fingers intertwining. "That's when Miles made his move. Stood up and formally declared that I, as the only surviving son of former Alpha, had legitimate claim to inheritance rights within the Martinez line through my father's bloodline."
I sat up straighter. "Right then? In the middle of Caleb's trial?"
"Miles said it was the perfect moment—emotions running high, Lennox's judgment questioned, proof that his chosen heir was unfit." Jackson's smile was faint. "The old bastard knows his politics."
"What did Lennox do?"
"Tried to shut it down. Said I'd abandoned the family, lived as a human, had no right to claim Martinez inheritance." Jackson's voice hardened. "Miles countered that I'd been protecting myself from the very corruption that led to my parents' murder. That I'd maintained my wolf nature, my values, my strength—just quietly."
Through our bond, I felt the jagged edges of old grief and new anger.
"The Council deliberated for three hours," Jackson continued. "I wasn't allowed in the room. Just… sat in this marble hallway, listening to them argue through the doors. Finally, they called me back in."
"And?"
"Four votes to three. They recognized my inheritance rights as Heir Presumptive to the Martinez Alpha line." He said it flatly, like he still couldn't quite believe it. "Lennox looked ready to kill someone. Two of the elders who voted for me said it was my speech that convinced them."
"What speech?"
"When they asked if I accepted, I said yes—but that inheritance should be determined by capability and character, not just bloodline. That I'd spent years building a life based on merit, not handed power." His laugh was hollow. "One elder actually teared up. Said it was the most Alpha thing she'd heard in years."
I pulled his hand into my lap, holding tight. "So it's official? You're the heir?"
"Officially recognized. But it doesn't mean much until I formally challenge for Alpha position, which won't happen until Lennox steps down or…" He trailed off.
"Or?"
"Or dies. Or is removed by the Council for misconduct." Jackson's eyes were dark. "Miles thinks we can build a case that Lennox was involved in my parents' deaths. But that'll take time. Evidence. And Lennox knows we're coming for him now."
The weight of it settled over us. This wasn't victory. This was the opening move in a war that might take years.
"I never thought it would happen like this," I said quietly.
Jackson turned to look at me. "What do you mean?"
"I don't know. I guess…" I struggled to find words. "I thought if you ever became heir, it would be after some big dramatic showdown. You and Caleb fighting to the death, you emerging victorious. Very storybook Alpha succession."
A surprised laugh burst out of him. "You've been watching too many werewolf movies."
"Maybe." I managed a smile. "But you have to admit, this is anticlimactic. Caleb destroys himself with his own arrogance, you inherit through a bureaucratic vote, and Lennox just… walks away to plot another day."
"Life doesn't always go the direction we plan," Jackson said softly. His thumb traced circles on my palm. "We spent our lives keeping humans from discovering the truth. We never imagined it would end like this—with Samantha in a psychiatric ward, and us using her breakdown as evidence in a werewolf trial."
The truth of that hit like a physical blow. "She's still there," I whispered. "Still broken."
"I know."
"And Lucas—"
"Lucas actually stood up and took full responsibility for losing control." Jackson's voice was heavy. "They were impressed by that—his willingness to face consequences. Combined with the extreme provocation he'd endured, they decided not to pursue disciplinary action."
He paused. "Plus, technically, Lucas isn't under Martinez jurisdiction. By traditional pack law, he should be sent back to his own pack for judgment. But most American wolves are lone families now. The old protocols don't really fit the current situation here, so... they let it go."
We sat in silence, the weight of the past week pressing down on us. Outside, the sky was beginning to lighten—deep black fading to charcoal, then to the pale gray of pre-dawn.
"What happens now?" I asked finally.
Jackson pulled me closer. "Now I have responsibilities. The Council wants me to begin formal Alpha training—politics, pack law, territorial negotiations. Miles has a whole curriculum planned." His laugh was tired. "He's been preparing for this since he found me."
"Will you have to go back to Europe?"
"Monthly meetings, at least." He hesitated. "Ellie, you still want this? Even knowing it means pack politics and danger and—"
I kissed him. Hard. Definitive.
When I pulled back, his expression had shifted from worry to something warmer.
"I'm not going anywhere," I told him firmly. "You're stuck with me, Heir Presumptive."