“Then you’re as weak as I always feared.” His lips curl in a sneer. “Unable to do what needs to be done. Just like when you couldn’t even claim your proper mate.”
Aurora growls at that, but I remain calm. “No. Real strength is knowing when to let go. When to admit you’re wrong. You taught me that weakness is something to be ashamed of, butyou were wrong. Sometimes the strongest thing we can do is be vulnerable.”
“Touching,” Hule sneers. “But ultimately pointless. The ritual is almost complete. Soon?—”
Whatever he’s about to say is cut off as Aurora lunges for him, teeth bared. He barely dodges her snapping jaws, stumbling back with a cry of fear. In the chaos that follows, I shift and launch myself at my father, knocking him out of the ritual circle before he can complete whatever madness he’s planning.
We roll across the floor, human and wolf, father and son. When we come to a stop, I have him pinned beneath my paws, my teeth at his throat.
The hall goes silent as everyone watches us—this moment that will determine the fate of our pack. Through our bond, I feel Aurora’s love and support, giving me strength for what must be done. I shift back to my human form and pin him down with my hands, staring into his eyes.
“Submit,” I growl, letting my wolf’s dominance fill the word. “Submit, or I’ll be forced to end this permanently.”
My father stares up at me, and for a moment I see something flicker in his eyes. Recognition. Uncertainty. Fear.
The fate of Pack Jade hangs in the balance as we face each other down, neither willing to back down.
Father and son.
Alpha and heir.
The past and the future.
Everything comes down to this moment.
Chapter 40
Aurora
Every instinct in my newly awakened wolf screams at me to intervene as I watch Kieran face down his father. The bond pulses between us, carrying his turmoil and determination in equal measure. But I hold myself back, my white fur bristling with tension. This is his battle to fight—his moment to finally break free from the toxic legacy that has shaped him for so long, to stand up to the father who blames him for his mother’s death, the man who scarred his face in anger.
The Great Hall falls silent as father and son face each other, Kieran’s massive bronze wolf form pinning Cade to the ground. The ritual circle’s corrupt magic still sizzles in the air, making my teeth ache with its wrongness. Behind me, Dana and our allies watch with bated breath, while Lord Hule nurses his venom-blackened arm, his beautiful face twisted with pain and rage.
Kieran shifts back to his human form, staring down at his father with love and anger, fury and determination. My heart swells at the thought of what he must be feeling right now.
“Submit,” Kieran growls, the word carrying all the weight of his future alpha status. Through our bond, I feel how much it costs him to threaten his own father, the man who raisedhim—however badly. “Submit, or I’ll be forced to end this permanently.”
Cade’s eyes are fever-bright as he stares up at his son, the madness taking hold of him, even with the fae magic breaking all around us. “You would choose them over your own blood? Over your mother’s memory?”
“Mom is gone.” Kieran’s voice breaks on the words, but his grip remains firm. “And she would hate what you’ve become. What you’ve done to our pack.”
“I did it for her!” Spittle flies from Cade’s mouth as he thrashes beneath Kieran’s paws. “Everything I’ve ever done was for her! Including making you strong enough to lead!”
“No.” Kieran’s voice is quiet but firm. “You did it for yourself. Because you couldn’t face your grief. Couldn’t admit that sometimes terrible things just happen, and there’s nothing we can do about it.”
The truth of his words seems to hit Cade like a physical blow. He goes limp beneath Kieran’s weight, the fight draining out of him. Around us, I feel the pack bonds shift and realign as the balance of power changes.
“Kill me then,” Cade whispers. “Prove how strong you are now. End my life just like you ended your mother’s life.”
But Kieran surprises us all by stepping back, getting to his feet in one fluid motion. “No. Killing you won’t prove anything. And it won’t bring Mom back.”
Pride fills me as I watch him stand tall and naked before his father, no trace of shame or uncertainty in his bearing. This is the man I always knew he could be—strong enough to show mercy, brave enough to be vulnerable. This is the boy I loved so much growing up, the one who did his best to protect me and watch over me, who protected those who couldn’t protect themselves.
“The pack is mine now,” he continues, his voice carrying to every corner of the hall. “You’re stripped of your alpha status and exiled from these lands. Take whatever belongings you can carry with you and go, never to return again.”
“You can’t—” Lord Hule starts to protest, but cuts off with a yelp as I snap my teeth in his direction. The scent of his fear is satisfying after everything he’s done.
“You too,” I say after shifting back to human form, accepting the clothes Dana tosses me. “You and all your kind. Pack Jade is no longer open to fae bargains.”
