Page 69 of Fated to the Alpha Warrior (The Wolf’s Forbidden Mate #1)
Kieran
The scent of celebration fills the air as I survey the gathering from the newly finished deck of Aurora’s sanctuary.
Pack bonds hum with energy as shifters from different territories mingle freely, their traditional divisions forgotten in the joy of the moment.
Music and laughter drift up from the courtyard where the inter-pack festival is in full swing.
Through our mate bond, I feel Aurora’s satisfaction as she moves through the crowd below.
She’s in her element here—greeting outcasts and alphas alike with the same warm welcome, making everyone feel like they belong.
The easy confidence she carries now is a far cry from the uncertain girl I once foolishly rejected.
“Quite a turnout.” Dana appears beside me, her usual smirk softened by pride as she watches her best friend work the crowd. “Although I notice some of the more traditional alphas sent representatives instead of coming themselves.”
“Their loss.” I hide my own smile as Aurora demonstrates a combat move to a group of young shifters, her movements fluid and precise. “They’re missing quite a show.”
Below, various fighting styles are being demonstrated in the training area.
Traditional shifter techniques blend seamlessly with human martial arts, creating something entirely new.
I spot Fortuna—one of the first outcasts Aurora welcomed—teaching engine repair to a mixed group of fascinated onlookers.
“Your father would hate everything about this,” Dana observes, although her tone holds no malice. “All these different packs mixing freely, outcasts teaching skills, traditions being reformed, outsiders welcomed without even having to prove their strength…”
“He would.” The thought brings no pain anymore, just quiet certainty that I’ve become a different man than him, a man I think my mother would be proud of. “Which only proves we’re doing something right.”
Movement in the crowd draws my attention as Pack Quartz warriors arrive.
They’re led by Jacen, now their alpha in his own right since his father never returned, who makes his way straight to where Aurora is teaching.
Through our bond, I feel her pleased surprise as he formally requests permission to send some of his younger pack members to train here.
“We need to adapt,” I hear him say clearly. “The old ways of isolation nearly destroyed us all.”
Pride swells in my chest as Aurora handles the negotiation with grace and authority. She’s come so far from the outcast who couldn’t shift—now she’s teaching other alphas about strength and unity. My wolf rumbles with satisfaction, completely at peace with his mate’s power.
A commotion near the bar catches my attention. Two younger wolves—one from Pack Jade’s center, one from the outskirts—square off with hackles raised. Before I can intervene, Aurora is there, her presence commanding respect.
“Take it to the training ring,” she tells them firmly. “Channel that energy into learning from each other instead of fighting. And don’t let me catch you trying to start shit with each other again.”
Through our bond, I feel her quiet satisfaction as they comply without argument. The two wolves who might once have torn each other apart are soon engaged in showing each other different fighting techniques, their earlier aggression bleeding off into a sparring match.
“She’s good at this,” Dana comments unnecessarily. “Better than you sometimes. Most of the time. Hell, all the time.”
“She is.” The admission comes easily now. I have pride for my mate, instead of feeling like I have to compete with her to prove I’m not weak. “That’s why we work so well together. Different kinds of strength, remember?”
Making my way down to the courtyard, I catch snippets of conversation that would have been unthinkable a year ago.
Pack Sapphire’s warriors discuss combat techniques with former outcasts.
Pack Amethyst’s hunters trade tracking tips with loners who’ve learned to survive on the fringes.
Waylon, now alpha of Pack Amethyst, is discussing the disappearance of Pack Ruby with the alpha from Pack Opal.
Everywhere I look, old barriers are crumbling.
The scent of my mate draws me toward the garage section of the sanctuary. I find her bent over a motorcycle engine, explaining its workings to a captivated audience. The sight of her like this—confident, capable, covered in grease—makes heat pool between my legs and my arousal harden.
Through our bond, she feels my appreciation and shoots me a knowing look. “You need something, alpha?”
The title rolls off her tongue like a caress, conjuring memories of that tongue caressing other things. Before I can respond, one of the younger pack members calls for her attention, and she’s drawn back into teaching mode. But the heat in her eyes promises we’ll finish this conversation later.
The festival continues as afternoon fades to evening.
Lanterns are lit around the courtyard, casting warm light over the gathering.
Someone starts playing music—traditional pack songs mixed with newer rhythms. The sound draws couples to dance, their movements uninhibited by celebration and a good deal of liquor.
I find Aurora again near the bar, watching the dancers with soft eyes. Through our bond, I feel her contentment mixed with something deeper—a yearning for more that matches my own growing desire for our future.
“Dance with me?” I offer my hand, pulling her close when she accepts.
We move together easily, our bond humming with shared pleasure. Her body fits perfectly against mine, just as it always has. The scent of her—lilac and honey mixed with motor oil and triumph—makes my wolf rumble with satisfaction.
“Do you remember the first time we danced?” she asks, her mismatched eyes bright with memory. “At that pack gathering before…”
“Before I was an idiot?” I finish for her, spinning her out then pulling her back against my chest. “I remember wanting you even then. Being terrified of that want.”
“And now?” Her voice carries a hint of challenge that makes my blood heat.
“Now I know exactly what I want.” Leaning down, I brush my lips against our mating mark. Through our bond, I feel her pleasure. “Want to find somewhere more private and let me show you?”
Her pulse jumps, but she maintains her composure as she leads me toward the sanctuary’s private office. As soon as the door closes behind us, I have her pressed against it, my hands sliding under her shirt to find bare skin.
“Someone’s eager,” she teases, although her own arousal floods our bond.
“Can you blame me?” I nip at her neck, loving how she arches into my touch. “Watching you all day, being so strong and capable. Making my father’s worst fears come true by teaching outcasts and changing traditions.”
She laughs, the sound turning into a moan as I find a sensitive spot. “If that’s what gets you going, just wait until you see what other changes I have planned.”
Growling playfully, I lift her up, letting her wrap her legs around my waist. “Tell me later. Right now I need?—”
A knock at the door interrupts us. Through our bond, mutual frustration spikes as Pack Amethyst’s alpha calls through the wood: “Sorry to interrupt, but we need to discuss the training schedule…”
Aurora’s eyes meet mine, full of promises for later. Straightening our clothes, we return to our duties as leaders. But the heat between us simmers, making every accidental touch electric with anticipation.
The rest of the evening passes in a blur of diplomatic discussions and celebration. I watch with pride as Aurora handles complex negotiations between packs, her natural diplomacy smoothing ruffled feathers and building bridges. Several more alphas pledge to send their people here for training.
“We’re really doing this,” she says later as we watch the last guests depart. “Creating something new.”
“We are.” Pulling her close, I breathe in her scent. “Together.”
Through our bond, I feel her happiness and contentment, her fierce pride in what we’ve built. But there’s something else too—a spark of mischief that makes me raise an eyebrow.
“What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking,” she says, her hands sliding up my chest, “that we have this whole sanctuary to ourselves now. And that office door locks.”
Heat floods me as she takes my hand, leading me back inside. The building that represents so much of our new partnership becomes the backdrop for a different kind of unity—one celebrated with heated kisses and desperate touches, with moans and thrusts and nails digging into bare flesh.
Later, as we lie tangled together on the office couch, I trace patterns on her warm skin and marvel at how far we’ve come.
The broken boy who let his father’s toxic influence push away his mate is gone, replaced by someone who finally understands how to be a leader better than the one who came before.
And the outcast shifter who couldn’t shift has become a leader in her own right, teaching us all how to come together and work through our differences.
“I love you,” I tell her, meaning it with every spark of my soul that sings for hers. “Everything you are, everything you’ve helped me become.”
“I love you too.” She snuggles closer, radiating contentment through our bond. “Even when you’re marking me like I’m your territory.”
“I’m not—” Her knowing look cuts off my protest. “Okay, maybe a little. But can you blame me? You’re kind of amazing. I have to make sure all the other shifters who visit today can smell me on my mate.”
“Smooth talker.” But I feel her pleasure at the praise. “Keep that up and we might have to christen a few more rooms in this place.”
The suggestion sends arousal straight to my cock. “Is that a promise?”
Her answering kiss is all the assurance I need. As celebration continues in the distance and the sanctuary settles into its purpose, I hold my mate close and thank whatever twist of fate brought us back together.
The future stretches out before us, full of challenges and changes. But we’ll face them as we should have from the start—side by side, stronger together than apart.
Just as fate always intended.