Page 28 of Howl For A Kiss (Rebellious Mates #3)

TWENTY-FIVE

ELENA

T he early morning sunlight flooded through the windows of their family cabin at Cade's rebel compound, painting golden rectangles across the wooden floor where Elena sat cross-legged reviewing intelligence reports.

Three days had passed since Damon's formal renunciation of his Beta position, and the ripple effects were spreading faster than wildfire through the Pacific Northwest's four pack territories.

Three glorious days, Elena mused, her fingers tracing the mate mark that still pulsed with warmth whenever Damon was near.

She'd spent those precious hours reconnecting with her father Martin, watching Fiona's color slowly return, and learning what it meant to be part of a real family again.

But beneath the contentment, her wolf stirred restlessly—they both knew these peaceful moments were borrowed time.

"The younger wolves in Granite Ridge territory are asking questions," Damon said, settling beside her with two steaming mugs of coffee.

His dark brown hair was tousled from sleep, and the sight of him in nothing but low-slung jeans made heat curl through her belly despite the serious nature of their conversation.

Elena accepted the mug gratefully, breathing in the rich aroma. "What kind of questions?"

"The kind that keep pack elders awake at night." His green eyes held that familiar spark of amusement. "Apparently, word of a Beta choosing his mate over duty has reached even the most isolated mountain settlements."

Pride swelled in Elena's chest as she studied her mate's profile. Damon had walked away from fifteen years of service, from the only identity he'd ever known. For her. For them. For the future they could build together.

He's magnificent, she thought, her wolf preening with satisfaction. A true warrior mate.

"Kieran's intelligence network reports that the Council elders called an emergency session yesterday," Damon continued, his deep voice taking on that serious tone that always made her pay attention. "They're scrambling to contain what they're calling 'my betrayal to tradition.'"

Elena's laugh was sharp and fierce. "Let them scramble. They've had three centuries to prove their system works. All they've managed is oppression and fear."

Damon's arm came around her shoulders, pulling her against his solid warmth. "Maya sent word that younger shifters in Silvercrest territory are openly discussing reform. And not just whispered conversations—actual organized meetings."

The reports spread across Elena's lap painted a picture of a world in flux. Messages from rebel cells across all four territories, intelligence gathered by their growing network of sympathizers, and most remarkably, communications from pack members who'd never before questioned their leadership.

"It's working," Elena breathed, the magnitude of it hitting her fully. "Change is actually happening."

Damon's finger traced lazy patterns on her shoulder, sending delicious shivers through her. "Logan's formal appointment as the new Beta of Silvercrest and the official announcement to the Silvercrest pack was received with an interesting response."

"Interesting how?" Elena twisted to face him, noting the way his eyes darkened when she moved closer.

"Some pack members are calling it the return of the Cross legacy. Others are terrified that Logan will bring rebellion ideology directly into pack leadership." Damon's mouth curved with satisfaction. "Both reactions are exactly what we need."

Elena studied the intelligence reports with fresh eyes, seeing patterns she'd missed before. The rebellion had always operated from the shadows, striking at the edges of pack territory, and fighting for scraps of progress. But now?—

"We have official pack leadership on our side now," she said. "Kieran, Maya, and Logan. That's the Alpha, Luna, and Beta of the most powerful pack in our territory."

"Plus one very skilled former Beta and his equally skilled mate." Damon's voice carried that possessive edge that made her wolf purr with contentment.

"The Lunar prophecy is coming together as it should," Elena murmured, thinking of Maya's words during their meeting. "Three hybrid women, three warrior mates, all positioned to bridge the divide between tradition and change."

But even as excitement built in her, Elena's tactical mind remained focused on the challenges ahead. "The Tidewater Alpha won't forgive what we did at his stronghold. And Granite Ridge leadership has always been the most isolationist."

"Then we convince them," Damon said simply, his confidence absolute. "One pack territory at a time if necessary."

Elena's pulse quickened at the determination in his voice. This was the warrior she'd fallen in love with—not the conflicted Beta bound by duty, but the man who chose justice over tradition and love over obligation.

"The High Council is split," she said, reviewing the latest intelligence. "Three elders supporting traditional enforcement, three pushing for negotiation, and one?—"

"One pulling the strings behind all the corruption." Damon's expression darkened. "Elder Thorne or Elder Isolde. Once we determine which, we can expose them."

The weight of destiny settled on Elena's shoulders. She was no longer just a rebellion leader fighting for her sister's freedom. She was part of something larger—a cosmic correction three centuries in the making.

"I can feel it," she whispered, leaning into Damon's warmth. "The shift coming. It's like electricity in the air before a storm."

Damon's hand cupped her face, his thumb tracing her cheek with reverent care. "Then we'd better make sure we're ready for the lightning to strike."

The promise in his voice sent heat flooding through her, reminding Elena that their personal connection was just as revolutionary as their political alliances. A hybrid woman and a reformed Beta, choosing love over law and passion over propriety.

Let the Council try to stop us, Elena thought fiercely. They have no idea what's coming.

Damon's green eyes sharpened with sudden intensity. "I have an idea," he said with barely contained excitement. "Why are we still operating like scattered cells when we have the momentum of a full movement now?"

Elena's breath caught as she watched his tactical mind engage, the same brilliant intellect that had once served as Silvercrest's youngest Beta now focused entirely on revolution. God, he's magnificent when he's strategizing.

"What are you proposing?" she asked, leaning into his warmth as he spread fresh maps across their floor.

"A unified strategy session. Rebellion leaders from all four pack territories." Damon's fingers traced territorial boundaries with practiced precision. "We bring together every cell leader, every tactical mind, and every resource we have."

Elena's heart hammered as the implications hit her. "That's... that's a massive undertaking. The logistics alone?—"

"Would be worth it." His hand covered hers, his thumb stroking her skin with possessive certainty. "Think about it, Elena. The rebellion isn't fringe anymore. My defection proved pack leadership can change sides. Logan's appointment as Beta proves we can infiltrate the system from within."

He's right, Elena realized, excitement building like electricity in her veins. The scattered, desperate movement that had defined her adult life was transforming into something with real power and real momentum.

"We have faces now," she whispered, the magnitude of it overwhelming. "A hybrid rebellion leader and a former Beta turned warrior. Logan straddling both worlds as pack leadership and rebellion."

Damon's smile was fierce and predatory. "Exactly. We're not hiding in shadows anymore. We're the future they can see and touch."

Elena's mind raced through possibilities, her strategic instincts firing on all cylinders. "The timing couldn't be better. Young wolves across all pack territories are questioning their leadership. Traditionalist pack members are openly discussing reform."

"Because they have hope now." His voice dropped to that rough timbre that always sent warmth flooding through her. "Hope that change is possible without destroying everything they value."

"But a unified summit..." Elena chewed her lower lip, weighing risks against potential gains. "The security concerns would be enormous. The Council has spies and operatives everywhere."

"Then we do something they'd never expect." Damon's eyes gleamed with dangerous intelligence. "We include moderate pack leaders. Make it official negotiations instead of a rebellion meeting."

Elena's pulse stuttered as she grasped his meaning. "You want to propose formal talks and treaties between rebels and pack leadership?"

"With Kieran and Maya representing moderate pack leaders, and us representing unified rebellion." His hands cupped her face again. "Our status as mates from both sides makes us impossible to ignore."

Brilliant, Elena thought, her wolf practically purring with admiration for her mate's strategic mind. The former Beta understood better than anyone how to work within existing power structures.

"It's risky," she said, though excitement was already building in her chest. "Traditionalists will call it legitimizing rebellion. Hardline rebels will see it as selling out."

"Good." Damon's smile turned predatory. "Let them both be uncomfortable. Change requires breaking old patterns on all sides."

Elena's mind whirled with tactical considerations. "We'd need neutral ground. Absolute secrecy from the High Council. Security protocols that protect both sides."

"Kieran could mediate," Damon said, already reaching for his phone. "He has credibility with traditionalists and proven commitment to reform."

Elena watched her mate's fingers move with practiced efficiency, thinking about how those same hands had once enforced the very laws they now sought to change. The transformation still amazed her—from dutiful Beta to revolutionary warrior, all because he'd chosen love.

"Call him," she said, the decision crystallizing with perfect clarity. "Tell him we want formal negotiations. Frame it as building bridges, not burning them down."

Damon's grin was pure alpha male satisfaction as he initiated the call. "Kieran? It's Damon. Elena and I have a proposition that's going to immediately change everything."

This could work, Elena realized, her heart racing with anticipation. After years of fighting from the margins, they finally had the power to demand a seat at the table. The third hybrid of the Lunar Prophecy and her reformed Beta mate—tradition and change united in love and purpose.