Chapter 11

Lucian remained on top of me, my throat in his hand but his mind was miles away. His eyes were blank, distant, and vacant.

“Let go,” I whispered.

I didn’t expect him to listen, but his fingers loosened.

He moved stiffly, each joint in his fingers straightened with almost puppet-like obedience. His hand hung in the air like he’d forgotten it was attached to his arm. He stared down at me, and shivered.

I reached up and rested my hand against his cheek. Honestly I don’t know why I did that. Maybe I was trying to check for a fever. Werewolves didn’t get sick often, but when we did it really knocked us for a loop. That could explain Lucian’s behavior.

When I touched his cheek, he leaned into my hand. When I gathered my courage and shoved, he moved obediently. His head turned at my guidance. He was utterly passive at my touch. His gaze was soft and gentle. His breath was steady, slow, and terrifyingly calm. I had never seen an Alpha in this condition before.

I watched him for a moment longer, then cautiously guided him to sit on the edge of the cot. He followed, compliant, saying nothing. I sat beside him, still alert for a snap or growl, but none came.

My fingers trembled as I reached out again—partially to soothe, partially to test a theory. When I brushed his hair back from his face, Lucian leaned into the touch like it was instinct.

A memory flickered.

One of the pack wolves had been captured by some Rogues, held captive for weeks. We still don’t know what they wanted from him.

Because that wolf never spoke again. He was broken, and all that was left was the wolf. He whimpered and flinched any time anyone approached.

Except for his mate. She could soothe him, just like my touch soothed Lucian. She was the only person he could be with without lashing out in terror.

No way could anything like that have happened to Lucian. Not in that short a time. He’d only been gone a few days.

But there were rumors, about other things that could break a wolf. Things that Alphas in particular were vulnerable to.

It wasn’t something I’d ever believed until now, something the older wolves whispered late at night. About alpha wolves who ruled too many packs, spilled too much blood. the more packs they held, the more wolves they ruled, the stronger they became. But that strength had a steep price.

All the killing, the fighting, and the struggle to hold too many wolves wore on the Alpha’s control. It weakened their bond to their wolf.

And if their bond to their wolf broke? So did they. All that was left behind was a feral beast, a mindless creature out of nightmares.

But there was one thing that could prevent it. One thing that could anchor them when everything else failed: a mate.

Not just any mate would do, though. It had to be a fated one. Someone who could calm the wild, soothe the fury, speak to the wolf without words. Supposedly every Alpha had one, somewhere. They just had to find them.

This is why succession ceremonies usually had a mate ceremony tied to the event. It was a public claiming. A bond solidified in front of witnesses. Rarely did an alpha take control without first securing a Luna by his side.

Lucian and Kieran had taken four packs without securing a mate. The stress had to be unbearable.

I swallowed hard, my gaze flicking down to Lucian’s face as he blinked slowly, eyes no longer glowing but still distant. This wasn’t a temporary lapse. This was his wolf bond unraveling.

And I… I had stopped it. He had responded to me like I was the cure. The tether. No. No, no, no. That couldn’t be right. But it was the only explanation that made sense. They were breaking. They needed their mate. And somehow, I was it. My wolf was right. Damn her and damn them.

If this bond was real, if I could calm them like this, then I had leverage. I could use it. I could control it. But I would have to hide the real reason. They could never know I was their fated mate. Because if they ever found out who I truly was, they’d never let me go.

I sat with Lucian, comforting him, stroking his hair until his eyes finally closed, his breathing deepening into something that resembled sleep. Exhaustion crept into my bones. I had to make a plan.

I was the one thing they needed. I had the power to calm their wolves and preserve their sanity. I’d use it carefully to negotiate with the twins. I would trade my soothing power over them for my freedom. I would stabilize them until they found a mate, and then I would demand the right to separate from the pack.

But I had to be careful. Too much contact, too much closeness, and they’d figure it out. The bond would show itself. I was lucky they hadn’t realized already. It must be because I’m a half wolf.

As long as I kept my distance, no prolonged touches, no emotional slip-ups, they’d never figure it out. It was a risk, yes. But it was the only chance I had.

My exhaustion finally caught up with me. I fell asleep with Lucian beside me, his weight a strange comfort. I hadn’t slept next to another wolf since Adrian had left me for Chloe.

When I woke, he was gone. Lucian hadn’t woken me, had left no trace of the night before. Just cool sheets, like he’d never been there at all.

The guards didn’t stop me when I asked where the alphas were. One of them simply pointed to the war room, a space I’d only seen once in passing. I expected someone to protest my presence. Instead, the doors stood open.

Inside, Lucian and Kieran stood shoulder to shoulder. They looked every bit the picture of alpha control: stoic, composed, regal. Lucian had shed whatever strange softness he’d shown the night before.

No one looking at them would ever guess how close to the edge they truly were. Lucian had shown me the truth, but now that I knew, I could look back at odd moments with Kieran, too. Moments where his attention wavered, where his control slipped.

Lucian’s gaze flicked to mine, impassive. Kieran offered a flicker of a smirk, but his eyes were guarded. I stepped into the room like I belonged there. I held my chin high, kept my posture casual. My heart pounded, but I wouldn’t let them see it.

“You need a mate,” I said, bluntly.

Neither flinched. I stepped closer, watching Lucian’s reaction. “Your wolf bonds are starting to slip. Everyone can feel it. Especially you.”

Lucian’s jaw twitched.

“You’re managing too much power,” I continued. “Too many packs. Too many deaths on your hands. The stories about Alphas losing control—they’re true, aren’t they?”

Still, no answer. Just silence.

“I know a way to help, to hold it off, but before I offer it, we need to discuss my terms.” I smiled, cold and calculated. I let them see my proverbial fangs.

Lucian’s eyes darkened, narrowing into slits as the meaning behind my words sank in. He became a blur of motion. His hand snapped out, and the next thing I knew, my back hit the wall with a thud. The impact knocked the breath from my lungs, but I didn’t look away. His fingers wrapped around my throat—not tight enough to choke, but enough to make his point.

His face was close now. Eyes stormy, jaw clenched, every inch of him coiled like he was barely holding himself back. “How dare you,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous.