Page 30 of Malcolm (The Sunburst Pack #1)

Stephanie spoke again, her tone less skeptical now. “And if they refuse to negotiate? If they challenge us directly?”

“Then they face both of us,” Malcolm said, steel in his voice.

“We’re not asking you to accept this blindly,” Larissa added. “We propose a trial period. Three months of coleadership, with regular pack meetings to assess how it’s working.”

“And if it doesn’t work?” Ella asked, though her expression had softened considerably.

“Then we step down,” Malcolm said firmly. “The pack’s welfare comes first. Always has, always will.”

Another silence fell, this one different. Thoughtful rather than skeptical. Malcolm watched as pack members turned to each other, speaking in low voices, weighing the proposal.

But before the pack could make any kind of formal decision, Malcolm squeezed Larissa’s hand, silently asking permission. She nodded almost imperceptibly.

“There’s one more thing the pack should know,” Malcolm said, his voice carrying across the mesa. “Something that helped us realize this arrangement could work.”

Larissa stepped closer to him, their shoulders touching. “Malcolm and I aren’t just choosing to work together as coalphas,” she said, her voice softened with emotion. “We’ve realized we’re mates.”

A fresh wave of murmurs swept through the crowd. Sarah’s face broke into a knowing smile, while the twins exchanged looks that suggested a betting pool might have just been settled.

“Well,” Anders drawled from his position near the back, “that explains a few things.”

Stephanie stepped forward, her earlier skepticism replaced by understanding.

“A mated pair as coalphas,” she said thoughtfully.

“That’s not just unprecedented—it’s practically…

well, prophetic. Some of the old stories speak of alphas who led through both strength and wisdom, bound by more than just duty.

” Her lips twisted into a wry smile. “I’ve always wondered what that meant.

Maybe it meant something exactly like this. ”

“The mate bond doesn’t change our commitment to the pack,” Malcolm assured them quickly. “If anything, it strengthens it. What we feel for each other only deepens our dedication to all of you.”

“And if you split up?” a voice from the crowd asked.

Malcolm grinned. “I think everyone knows how rare that is with mate-bonded pairs.” He glanced at Larissa, who nodded. “But should that happen, we can treat it as an automatic dismissal from the coalpha positions.”

“Our bond means we’ll always be honest with each other,” Larissa added. “Even when we disagree, we’ll find common ground. The pack will always come first.”

“Besides,” Malcolm said, a hint of his old competitive spirit showing through, “being mates doesn’t mean we won’t still challenge each other. Right, strategist?”

Larissa’s lips curved into a smile. “Someone has to keep you on your toes, warrior.”

The pack members continued their discussions, their voices rising and falling. Malcolm waited, surprised to realize that although he was anxious—at least a little—he wasn’t nearly as worried as he’d expected to be.

If the pack rejected their proposal, he’d still have Larissa.

And that, he suddenly realized, meant more to him than anything else in the world.

Finally, Nick stepped forward. The interim alpha had been quiet throughout the discussion, observing.

Now he addressed the pack. “I’ve worked with both Malcolm and Larissa.

Fought beside them, planned with them, seen them at their best and worst. What they’re proposing is unprecedented, yes.

But then, so are the challenges our pack faces as we rebuild. ”

He paused, glancing around the gathering. “The old ways nearly destroyed us under Vincent. Maybe it’s time for something new. Something that combines the best of what we’ve always been with what we could become.”

A murmur of agreement rippled through the crowd. Larissa’s hand slipped into his, squeezing gently. They’d prepared for hours of debate, days of convincing. But somehow, Nick’s simple endorsement had cut through the doubt.

“I move to accept the proposal,” Anders said formally. “Three months of coleadership, with regular assessment.”

“Seconded,” Conall called out.

“Okay,” Nick said solemnly. “It’s time to decide. All those in favor of accepting Malcolm and Larissa as coalphas of the Sunburst Pack, let your voices be heard.”

Malcolm held his breath, straining to catch every response. The response wasn’t immediate. For a moment, there was silence. Pack members looked at each other, had quick, whispered conversations. Malcolm held his breath, feeling Larissa do the same beside him.

Then, one by one, hands raised. Sarah. Ella and her cubs. Owen. Dante. The twins. Stephanie, Raymond. Until finally, every hand was raised.

Nick grinned. “Just to be sure… All those in favor?”

A chorus of voices rang out across the mesa. “Aye!” The sound was deafening, startling a flock of birds from a nearby juniper tree.

Malcolm turned to Larissa, seeing his own amazement reflected in her gaze. They had hoped for acceptance, but this level of enthusiasm was beyond anything they had dared to imagine.

Nick’s face broke into a wide grin—the first real smile Malcolm had seen from him in weeks. “Well,” he said, “it seems the pack has spoken.” He turned to Malcolm and Larissa. “Ready to make history?”

As they moved to stand before Nick, a sense of unreality washed over Malcolm. Was this really happening?

Nick placed a hand on each of their shoulders, the gesture laden with tradition and responsibility.

“By the will of the pack and the blessing of the moon,” he intoned, “I hereby recognize you, Malcolm and Larissa, as the new coalphas of the Sunburst Pack. May your leadership bring us strength, wisdom, and unity.”

A roar of approval went up from the pack, followed by a cascade of howls that echoed across the desert night. The noise vibrated in his chest, his own wolf longing to join in the chorus.

As the sound faded, well-wishers surrounded Malcolm.

Anders clapped him on the back, his usual wry smile in place. “Knew you two would figure it out eventually,” he said. “Just don’t let it go to your heads, yeah?”

Malcolm laughed, the sound full of joy and relief. “Wouldn’t dream of it,” he assured his friend. “We’ll be counting on you to keep us in line.”

Conall and Quinton approached next, their synchronized movements as uncanny as ever. “Coalphas,” Conall said with a grin. “Guess we’re not the only duo in charge anymore, brother.”

Quinton nodded, his expression more serious. “We’ve got your backs,” he assured Malcolm. “Whatever you need.”

A lump formed in Malcolm’s throat at their easy acceptance and support. “Thank you,” he managed. “Both of you. We couldn’t ask for better friends.”

As the excitement began to settle, Malcolm sought out Larissa. He found her deep in conversation with Sarah, both women’s faces animated as they discussed something. Feeling his approach through their bond, Larissa turned to him with a smile.

“Ready to address our pack, coalpha?” she asked, a teasing lilt to her voice.

Malcolm grinned, taking her hand in his. “Lead the way, coalpha,” he replied.

But before they could move, a strong scent hit Malcolm—a bitter combination of rage and desperation that made his hackles rise.

Beside him, Larissa tensed, her hand finding his arm in warning.

They’d been expecting this confrontation, but not here, not now, with the pack gathered for their first run as coalphas.

“Touching ceremony.” Gregory’s voice rang out across the mesa. He emerged from the shadows like a ghost, Hannah at his side. “Very progressive. Vincent would be rolling in his grave.”

Malcolm sensed more than heard the pack’s collective intake of breath.

“What are they doing here?” Larissa whispered. “I thought they were in custody.”

“They were supposed to be,” Malcolm said.

As the new coalphas spoke, the pack acted. Cubs were quickly shuffled behind parents, fighters moving to defensive positions with practiced ease. The formation happened smoothly, naturally.

“You’re not welcome here,” Malcolm said, his voice a low rumble, stepping forward. Larissa moved with him, their shoulders brushing—united, as they’d promised to be.

Hannah’s laugh was sharp as broken glass. “Not welcome? This was our home before you and your mate ”—her tone turned sneering—“decided to play revolutionaries.”

“Your home?” Larissa’s voice cut through the tension like a blade. “The same home you betrayed? The same pack you helped Vincent terrorize?”

Gregory took a step forward, his face twisted with contempt. “We maintained order. Structure. Everything you’re planning to toss away for this…this experiment in democracy.”

Malcolm noticed Gregory’s slight hand movement—a signal to someone in the shadows. Movement in the scrub brush surrounding the mesa caught his attention. They weren’t alone.

Malcolm gave his own gestures, pointing out those people with Hannah and Gregory.

At least six , he thought, willing Larissa to see them too . Hired muscle, not pack. No wolf scent.

Malcolm kept his gaze on Gregory, not betraying that he’d spotted the mercenaries, and Larissa gave a nearly imperceptible nod.

That was almost certainly how they’d escaped confinement, Malcolm realized. The humans must have set them free.

“If you’ve come to challenge us,” Malcolm said loudly, buying time as their pack members slid into defensive positions, “there are protocols. Or have you forgotten everything about pack law?”

“Pack law?” Hannah spat. “You mean the laws you changed? The traditions you’ve corrupted with your coalpha nonsense?”

“The only corruption here,” Larissa replied evenly, “is what you and Gregory brought with your lies and manipulation. How many packs did you contact, trying to build support against us? How many rejected you?”