Chapter 153

Ethan

“YOU DID WHAT?!” My father roars as my mother stares wide-eyed at me. Her jaw drops open, small gasping sounds escaping, but she says nothing. Too shocked, I guess.

“You let a human be the reason you were disqualified?” My brother’s bored tone says from behind me, and I turn, glaring at him.

“No,” my father growls before I can speak again. “Ethan is not disqualified. He will take the alternate route and marry a Lycan in order to take his rightful place in the Selection.”

With the way my father speaks, it’s like I’m not here. Again, they try to decide my fate for me, even though we’ve had this conversation too many times for my liking.

“Yes. Yes. We can have the marriage and mating ceremonies completed by tomorrow night. I need to call Alpha—”

“Stop!” My Alpha tone thunders through the room, shaking the pictures hanging on the walls a bit. The three people who are supposed to be my support system freeze and again, they stare wide-eyed at me as I stand from my chair.

My brother’s fingers lift off the laptop keyboard he was typing on as his eyebrows pop up to his hairline. My mother gasps, her hand clasping the pearls around her neck. And my father, well, his momentary shock quickly shifts to anger at being ordered around.

I pinch the bridge of my nose and rise off the comfortable couch. I don’t know why I thought this conversation would go any differently than the other times we’ve had it, especially while dumping this new development on them, but I’m still a bit surprised at their responses.

“I already told you that I will not marry Angela, or any other Lycan woman, because Fiona is my mate. I don’t care that she’s human. I like her the way she is with all her human flaws because honestly, Lycans aren’t perfect. There are weak Lycans, too.”

“But not like—”

“I didn’t say you could talk,” I snap at my father, and if he was in a cartoon, I’m sure his eyes would’ve proceeded to pop right out of his head.

Sighing, I take a step between my parents and look between them.

“She is my mate. Nothing you say or do will negate that,” I tell them, crossing my arms over my chest. “The Council has disqualified me from the invited Selection, but I’m not giving up. I will enter the Challenges like other Lycans and fight for my place.”

“Ethan, honey. You could get hurt in the Challenges,” my mother says, her softer tone so different than the defiant one she’d had a moment ago.

“Do you not trust your own abilities? Do you not trust that you trained me and taught me how to win?” I ask, eyeing her before turning my gaze to my silent father. The vein in his jaw ticks as he grinds his teeth in response. He wants to tell me I shouldn’t do it, but if there’s one thing he won’t admit, it’s weakness.

He trained me to fight, so he would never tell me I couldn’t do this. It would reflect badly on him.

“That is not what we’re saying, son.” I nod like I understand, but I don’t. Nothing they’re saying makes sense. While I grew up, they always told me a mate was precious and now they’re against my mate.

“Then it shouldn’t be a problem for me to enter the challenges. I believe I can win because I’m strong and a good fighter, because you taught me well,” I tell him, rolling my shoulders back so he can see my confidence. However, I know this isn’t what he’s upset about. “If they won’t accept me because of my human mate, I’ll make them accept me for my strength and ability.”

A scoff sounds somewhere behind me, and my wolf growls within my head, annoyed at my brother’s attitude. They’ve never really gotten along fully, so this attitude doesn’t surprise me.

“The council gave you an alternative route though,” my mother speaks up. I glance at her as her hand touches my bicep. “Marry Angela and you can take your rightful place. You shouldn’t have to fight like the common Lycans just to enter into the Selection. Don’t forget that the Challenges aren’t the only step after entering the Selection.”

It would be nice if their concern came from a place of worry, but the fact that it comes from a place of ignorance and bigotry just makes me angry.

“Why do they not understand?” My wolf asks with a growl. “You would think that two mated Lycans would understand the desire to be with their mate.”

I inwardly agree, but it seems my parents have been blinded by their need for power for too long.

“I know,” I growl, pulling away. “You don’t get it, though.” She blinks up at me, and I roll my eyes. My father gives me the same blank stare, but his expression is coated in anger. “I’ll say it again, so I want you to listen carefully because this is and will always be my only response:

Angela is nothing to me. I want nothing to do with her and not only because she’s not my mate. She’s deceitful, arrogant, disloyal, untrustworthy, and has no conscience. Even if I was interested in her, I would not mate her because of this. A Luna needs to be kind, respectful, caring, and trustworthy, and you know what? Fiona is all of these and more. She would make an amazing Luna even without a wolf because she is amazing, and I’m not just saying this because she’s my mate. I’d rather mate Fiona than any Lycan you put in front of me, and that’s final.”

“I taught you better than this,” my father growls, moving toward me. Before he can get to me, though, my arm shoots out and grabs him by the neck.

“NO,” Zev thunders. “You taught us this. You taught us that leadership is about doing what is right. You taught us that a mate is a gift from the Goddess. You taught us to trust our instincts, and now that we are, you deciding to change your mind is a sign of weakness. Maybe it’s a good thing you’re not Alpha anymore because I would hate to have a hypocritical leader.”

“Ethan!” My mother screeches.

“This is beneath you,” my father shoots back, grabbing my wrist. He tries to yank free, but with my own strength combining with Zev’s determination, he can’t get loose.

“Nothing should be beneath me. As an Alpha, I should not use my power and status to cheat the system. We are leaders for a reason, father, and if you don’t like that I am willing to fight for what is right, then you are the one who should rethink your values,” I tell him, shoving him back. He stumbles, wide-eyed, and straightens himself.

My mother moves to my father’s side and glares at me, a look no child should receive from a parent. Zev growls in my mind, but I focus on my parents.

“We could appeal to the King,” she tells my father while clutching his arm. I watch as she tries to sooth him with her touch and words. “He could overrule the council’s decision and—"

“No, I will do as the council says and work my way up through the challenges, like anyone else,” I say, letting my Alpha tone seep in once more. “I’ve let you continue stating your opinions out of respect for being my parents and for being the former Alpha, but tread carefully. Your control over my life is balancing on a thin thread that is near ready to snap. If you continue pushing further, any shred of respect for you two will disappear.”

Before they can get out so much as a gasp of outrage, I turn and leave the room. I need air, and I need to check on the Gamma training, but most of all, I need to get away from my parents before I say or do something we all regret.

As I exit the pack house, my phone dings in my pocket.

Right. I’d turned it on before because Ryan said Fiona wanted to get in contact with me. I stop, take a breath, and dig the device out of my pocket, noticing three notifications on the screen. Two missed calls and one message.

She didn’t leave voicemails, so I pull up the message, and my heart lurches as I scan the text.