Page 64 of Fated to the Alpha Warrior (The Wolf’s Forbidden Mate #1)
Aurora
The afternoon sun streams through the windows of what used to be Alpha Cade’s study as I sort through paperwork detailing the returned exiles.
Each name on the list carries its own weight of history and hurt—shifters who were cast out for questioning Cade’s leadership, for showing “weakness,” or simply for standing up for what they believed in.
Many of them have skills that would be useful to the pack, if only he could’ve seen that—and many of them are too hurt, bitter, and resentful to be easily integrated back in, although I’m determined to try anyway. I guess I really am that stubborn.
Through our mate bond, I feel Kieran’s quiet support as he works beside me. The bond still feels new and wonderful, a constant warmth in my chest where pain used to live. Every brush of his thoughts against mine sends little shivers of pleasure through me.
“You’re thinking too hard again,” he murmurs, reaching over to squeeze my hand. “I can feel you carrying the weight of every name on that list like it weighs a thousand pounds.”
“Because I know what it’s like,” I admit, running my fingers over Dana’s name near the top. “To feel unwelcome in your own pack. To be treated like you’re less than everyone else by the very people who are meant to love and support you no matter what.”
His guilt flows through our bond, but I send back reassurance. We’ve moved past that now—what matters is making sure no one else ever feels that way again.
A knock at the door interrupts us. Dana enters, followed by a small group of returned exiles. My heart clenches at the sight of them—some I recognize from my own days on the outskirts, others are faces I only know from Pack Jade’s records.
“The first group is ready to be reassigned quarters,” Dana announces, her eyes sharp as she surveys the room.
Although she’s accepted my mating with Kieran, she still watches him like a hawk, ready to defend me at the first sign of trouble.
It would be annoying if it weren’t so incredibly loving, and fiercely Dana.
“Although there’s been some… tension with the ones who stayed. ”
I feel Kieran’s instinct to take charge, but he holds back, letting me handle this as we agreed.
We’re equal partners now, and this is an area where my experience will help.
The outcasts are more likely to listen to someone like me than someone like him—the son of the alpha who sent them out into the cold.
“Tell me,” I say, motioning for them to sit.
The stories pour out: sideways glances and whispered comments, old grievances bubbling to the surface, pack members who stayed behind treating the returned exiles with suspicion and scorn. It’s painfully familiar—the same treatment I faced for years.
“It’s like they think we’re contaminated,” one of the younger women says bitterly. “Like being exiled made us less somehow.”
“Or they’re ashamed,” another adds. “Ashamed that they didn’t stand up to Cade themselves while we did and suffered for it.”
Through our bond, I feel Kieran’s mix of anger and regret at his father’s actions. Sending him a wave of comfort, I focus on the task at hand.
“Things will change,” I tell them firmly. “But it won’t happen overnight. We all carry scars from the past—those who left and those who stayed. The only way forward is together.”
“Pretty words,” one of the older men says gruffly. “But how do you propose to make that happen?”
A plan forms in my mind. “By showing them what they missed out on. What strength really looks like.” Standing, I continue, “Each of you learned things in exile—new ways of fighting, surviving, thinking. Skills this pack desperately needs.”
Understanding dawns in Dana’s eyes. “Like how you learned MMA when you couldn’t shift. How it made you a better fighter even after you found your wolf.”
“Exactly.” Warmth fills me at her quick grasp of my meaning. “We’re going to integrate those skills into the pack’s training. Show everyone that different doesn’t mean weak—it means having more tools, more perspectives, more ways to protect what matters.”
Through our bond, I feel Kieran’s pride and approval. The exiles look thoughtful, hope beginning to replace bitterness in their expressions.
“I want each of you to think about what unique skills or knowledge you gained during your time away,” I tell them. “We’ll create training sessions, workshops, ways for you to share that knowledge with the pack. Show them your worth instead of telling them.”
“And those who won’t listen?” the younger woman asks.
“Then we show them anyway.” My voice carries the strength of conviction born from years of proving myself. “Every day, every moment, until they can’t deny it anymore. Change doesn’t happen all at once—it happens one mind at a time, one heart at a time.”
As they file out, purpose replacing defeat in their postures, I feel the pack bonds shift and strengthen. It’s a small change, but a real one. The first step toward healing an open wound that’s been festering for a long, long time.
“You’re amazing,” Kieran murmurs, pulling me into his arms once we’re alone. Through our bond, I feel his genuine awe and admiration. “You took their pain and turned it into purpose.”
“Like you did with me,” I remind him, leaning into his warmth. “When you finally saw my strength instead of my weaknesses. And I accepted myself through your eyes, then my own.”
His lips find my mating mark, making me shiver. “I see all of you now. And I fall more in love with you every day.”
The rest of the day passes in a blur of meetings and mediation.
I organize training sessions where Dana teaches MMA to interested pack members, watching with pride as former exiles demonstrate their hard-won skills.
The sight of traditional warriors learning from those they once looked down on fills me with hope.
But not everyone embraces change so easily.
“This is ridiculous,” I hear one of the older warriors mutter during a demonstration. “Real wolves don’t need human fighting techniques.”
Before I can respond, Dierdre of all people speaks up. “Really? Because I seem to remember Aurora taking down three fae warriors with those ‘human’ techniques while you were cowering behind a tree.”
Through our bond, I feel Kieran’s amusement at the warrior’s shocked expression. Dierdre catches my eye and gives me a small nod—a far cry from the friend she once was, but a step in the right direction.
Later, I find Gran waiting in my office, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “Look at you,” she says, pulling me into a fierce hug. “All grown up and leading the pack. Your parents would be so proud.”
“I couldn’t have done it without you,” I tell her, breathing in her familiar scent of herbs and home. “Everything you taught me about the fae, about being strong even when others doubt you… it made me who I am.”
She pulls back to study my face. “No, little one. You did that all on your own. I just gave you the tools—you chose how to use them.”
As if to prove her point, an argument breaks out in the courtyard below. Two wolves—one who stayed, one who returned—snarling and circling each other over some perceived slight. Instead of calling for Kieran, I handle it myself.
“Enough!” My voice carries the authority I’ve earned through years of proving myself. Both wolves pause, looking up at me. “If you have energy to fight each other, you have energy to help rebuild the pack training grounds. Together.”
Through our bond, I feel Kieran’s pride as he watches me take charge. The two wolves, properly chastised, slink off to their assigned task. It’s a small victory, but an important one.
“You’re good at this,” Dana observes, appearing at my side like a shadow. “Leading. Healing the pack’s wounds.”
“I should be.” I give her a wry smile. “I’ve had enough practice healing my own.”
The day continues with more challenges, more small steps forward.
I organize hunting parties that mix returned exiles with those who stayed, forcing them to work together.
I set up mentoring programs where different skills are valued equally—traditional hunting techniques alongside modern combat training, ancient pack lore beside new ways of thinking.
By sunset, exhaustion settles into my bones, but satisfaction flows through me. Through our bond, I feel Kieran’s matching contentment as he wraps his arms around me from behind.
“You’ve done more in one day than most could do in a month,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my mating mark. “The pack bonds are stronger already. I can feel it.”
“We’ve done more,” I correct him, leaning back into his warmth. “Together.”
And it’s true. Every time old prejudices surface, Kieran stands beside me. Every time someone questions my authority, he supports without overshadowing. We’re truly partners in this, just as we promised.
“Come on,” he says, nuzzling my neck in a way that makes heat pool in my belly. “Time to get some sleep. There will be new changes waiting for us tomorrow, after all.”
As we walk home together, I spot the two wolves from earlier working side by side to repair the training grounds. They’re not friends yet, but they’re talking, finding common ground in shared labor. It’s a start.
That night, curled in Kieran’s arms, I feel the pack bonds singing with renewed strength. There’s still work to be done, still wounds to heal and trust to rebuild. But for the first time, I truly believe it’s possible.
“I can feel you thinking,” Kieran mumbles sleepily, pulling me closer. Through our bond, his love wraps around me like a warm blanket. “Still.”
“I’m just grateful,” I tell him honestly. “For this chance to make things better. To help others feel like they belong the way I never did.”
“You’ve always belonged,” he says, pressing a kiss to my temple. “I was just too blind to see it before.”
As I drift off to sleep, I think about how far we’ve come. From rejected mate to pack leader, from outcast to bridge-builder. The path ahead won’t be easy, but with Kieran by my side and our pack behind us, I know we can face whatever challenges tomorrow brings.
Together, we’re creating something new. Something better. A pack where everyone belongs, where differences are celebrated instead of feared, where strength comes in many forms.
It’s more than I ever dreamed possible.
And this is only the beginning.