My blood's practically boiling, and my wolf's pacing beneath the surface, snarling, clawing to break free. Right now, I can't even think of looking at Ember, because whatever thread of self-control I'm hanging on to is razor-thin. And if I'm not careful, it'll snap.
Tristan stands nearby, smart enough to keep his mouth shut. He knows better than to provoke me when I'm like this—especially with these old councilmen circling me like vultures. They're one wrong word away from me tearing into them, and trust me, they're testing my patience.
"Alpha Prime," one of them finally speaks, his tone careful, restrained. "You need to think carefully about this decision."
"And it's only been a couple of weeks since you met her," another adds, voice dripping with disapproval. "You can't possibly be serious about mating with her."
I bite back a laugh, low and dangerous, letting it rumble in my chest. They think I care what they think? I meet each of their eyes, unblinking, the power in my gaze unmistakable.
"You're all mistaken," I growl, voice a low, venomous threat. "I'm not asking for your permission to mate with my mate—my true mate. I'm informing you." My fist slams down onto the table, and wood splinters under the force, fragments scattering across the floor.
Council member Blanche winces, and I catch the flash of resentment in his eyes. He always hoped I'd settle for his daughter, that I'd uphold some outdated agreement between our families. I understand the disappointment, but I don't care. Fate had other plans for me, and if he or anyone else can't respect that, they'll learn the hard way what happens to those who stand in my way.
"This meeting is over," I declare, voice echoing off the walls. "On the next full moon, instead of a pack run, I'll be claiming my mate. I don't need your approval. This is not a democracy. I'm the Alpha Prime. And if anyone here has a problem with it, well..." I let my gaze linger, a warning in my eyes.
"Speak up, and you'll be on the receiving end of my claws."
Without waiting for a response, I turn and stride out, leaving the wrecked table and their stunned silence behind me. But the frustration's still simmering in my blood, and my wolf's clawing at me, begging to go find her. Trust me, every fiber of my being wants that too. But I grit my teeth and wrestle down the urge. I have to be stronger than my instincts. Not yet. Soon.
I find myself wandering out of the estate, my feet eventually leading me to the tall black marble statue of the Grimlock wolf, our symbol. The statue towers over me, its fierce eyes watching, forever vigilant. As I stare up at it, a familiar voice breaks the silence beside me.
"You're remarkably calm," Tristan says, his words laced with amusement. He doesn't look at me, just watches the statue with me, arms crossed. I smirk.
"I didn't spill any blood in there. Be grateful," I say with a chuckle.
He laughs too, the sound lightening the thick air between us. Tristan's been with me through everything, since we were barely more than pups—since the day I was forced to take my father's place as Alpha Prime. Back then, it was just the two of us, clinging to survival. My father had been a strong alpha, unbreakable until he lost my mother. Losing her turned him into a ghost, a hollow shell of the man he'd been. He held on for my sake, but I watched him wither, every day weaker than the last.
But now that I have Ember, I think... I think I understand him. The thought of losing her—just the idea alone—is a kind of pain I don't think I could bear, and I wouldn't last half as long as he did. If I ever lost her, the way he lost my mother, I'd follow her to the Underworld without a second thought.
"It's hard to believe you're actually getting married," Tristan's voice pulls me back, a subtle note of envy beneath the teasing. I know him too well to miss it.
"Can't believe it either," I admit, a soft chuckle escaping. "After seeing what my parents had, I didn't think I'd ever be so lucky to find a true mate of my own. I mean it's like supposed to be a game of chance, something rare."
Tristan shakes his head, grinning. "You're like a pup with a new bone."
"What can I say?" I shrug, a smile tugging at my lips as her image flashes through my mind. Her fiery hair, those fierce green eyes. "Fate's finally given me something worth fighting for."
Tristan nudges my shoulder with a smirk. "Guess I'll be an uncle soon."
"Not that soon," I say, smirking right back. "I plan to spend at least twenty years with her first, just the two of us, before I even consider bringing pups into this world."
He whistles low. "Careful. With your luck, that might not go as planned."
I just laugh, staring up at the statue as the future spreads out in front of me—uncertain, sure, but filled with Ember. And for the first time in my life, I think I finally understand what it means to have everything.
The rumble of tires on gravel pulls my attention, and my wolf stirs, instantly alert. I take a deep breath, catching the familiar scent that wafts through the air, unmistakable and powerful enough to raise every hair on my neck. I can't help the smile tugging at my lips.
Only one person could make my wolf react like this, other than Ember. My godmother.
Her sleek black car pulls to a stop, and even before she steps out, her aura fills the place, an energy so vibrant it feels like the forest itself holds its breath.