Page 11 of Rebel for Claws (Rebellious Mates #4)

The living room fell silent as he entered.

Kieran and Maya sat close together on the leather couch, their hands intertwined in a display of unity that sent an unexpected pang through Alaric's chest. Logan leaned against the stone fireplace with his arms crossed, his green eyes holding the kind of knowing assessment that confirmed Alaric's suspicions—his new Beta had recognized exactly what had transpired in that clearing.

And Vivian. She stood near the large windows overlooking Logan's property, her pale blonde hair catching the last rays of December sunlight.

Her posture radiated defiance and barely contained energy.

She hadn't looked at him since he'd entered the room, but he could feel the mate bond pulling taut between them.

She felt it too. The recognition. The inevitability. And she's just as terrified by it as I am.

"Vivian needs to come with us to my estate immediately." The words came out with more force than he'd intended, his Alpha voice brooking no argument. "She'll be better protected there under my direct supervision."

Vivian's head snapped toward him, her violet eyes flashing with indignation. "Excuse me?"

Alaric met her glare steadily, ignoring the way her anger made something primal in his chest tighten with possessive satisfaction.

"As you're well aware, being the last descendant of the original ancient shapeshifter bloodline puts you in grave danger from Thorne and the High Council.

He most certainly has Council operatives tracking you right now with orders to eliminate you permanently. "

"I can protect myself here?—"

"No offense to Logan's protection capabilities or his reinforced cabin," Alaric continued, cutting through her protest. "But as my new Beta, he has other responsibilities right now. I am the only one who can provide the level of security you require at this critical juncture."

Logan's eyebrows rose slightly, but he remained silent. Kieran shifted forward on the couch, his eyes moving between his father and Vivian with obvious confusion about the sudden tension crackling through the room.

My son knows something happened out there. The question is how much he understands.

"I don't want to keep being locked up in these places like some helpless victim," Vivian said with steel in her voice. "I've been protecting myself for thirty-five years, and I've done a damn good job so far."

Alaric felt his wolf's approval at her defiance even as his logical mind cataloged the very real threats she faced.

"You are formidable and dangerous—our challenge outside convinced me of that.

But Thorne and his operatives are equally lethal, and returning to your rebel base in Shadow pack territory would be suicide at this point. "

The admission that he found her formidable slipped out before he could stop it, and he saw surprise flicker across her features before the mask of hostility slammed back into place.

Careful. Don't let her see how much she affects you. Don't let anyone see.

"So I'm supposed to just... sit in another home and wait for other people to handle everything?" Vivian's hands clenched at her sides, and Alaric caught the subtle scent of her frustration mixing with something else—something that made his pulse quicken despite his efforts to remain detached.

"You're supposed to stay alive long enough for us to neutralize the threat," he replied, though something in her expression made him add more gently, "Your survival is the priority right now. Everything else is secondary."

Maya leaned forward, her green eyes thoughtful. "The estate does have better security protocols than Logan's cabin. And if Thorne is actively hunting..."

"He is," Alaric confirmed grimly. "My five months in captivity gave me insight into his methods and resources. He won't stop until Vivian is eliminated because she represents everything he's been trying to destroy for three centuries."

Vivian's violet eyes studied his face with a piercing intensity that made the mate bond pulse between them. "And why should I trust that you won't hand me over to him the moment it becomes convenient?"

The question hit him like a physical blow, though he supposed he deserved it. His reputation as a rigid traditionalist had been carefully cultivated to protect his true agenda, but seeing the genuine distrust and concern in his fated mate's eyes in that moment was agony.

She thinks I'm the enemy. She has no idea that finding her changes everything now.

"Because," he said quietly, his eyes holding hers steadily, "I give you my word as Alpha of the Silvercrest pack that no harm will come to you under my protection.

Whatever you've heard about my past methods and whatever reputation precedes me, I will not allow Thorne or his operatives to lay a hand on you. "

Something shifted in Vivian's expression, a flicker of surprise at the sincerity in his voice. But she masked it quickly, crossing her arms over her chest in a defensive gesture that drew his attention to the graceful line of her collarbone.

"Fine," she said finally, though her tone suggested the decision was made under protest. "But I'm not going to sit idle while everyone else risks their lives. If I'm staying at your estate, I want to be involved in the planning and strategy sessions."

Alaric felt his Alpha instincts bristle at the demand, but underneath that reaction was something else—respect for her refusal to be sidelined despite the danger. "We'll discuss your level of involvement once you're secure."

It wasn't agreement, and they both knew it. But Vivian nodded curtly, apparently accepting it as the best compromise she was likely to get.

Kieran stood up from the couch, Maya rising beside him with fluid grace. "We should leave now if we're moving her tonight. The longer we wait, the more time we give any surveillance teams to track our movements."

"Agreed." Alaric turned toward Logan, who pushed off from the fireplace with predatory efficiency. "Keep me informed of any developments with the ancient texts. And increase security protocols around Zoe, Maya, and Elena—if they're hunting hybrid bloodlines, they're also at risk."

Logan's eyes held his steadily. "Understood, Alpha."

The formal address carried weight—an acknowledgment of Alaric's reinstated authority and a subtle promise that whatever Logan had witnessed in that clearing would remain between them for now.

As they prepared to leave Logan's cabin, Alaric caught Vivian glancing in his direction when she thought he wasn't looking.

There was something in her expression—curiosity mixed with wariness, as if she was trying to reconcile the man standing before her with the stories she'd heard about his reputation.

I will protect her. I will keep her safe from Thorne and the Council and every threat in this territory. And somehow, I will find a way to prove to her that the man she thinks I am doesn't exist—that the real me is someone worthy of her trust.

Once they headed toward the SUV, Alaric silently vowed that he would no longer maintain the rigid traditionalist facade that had protected his true agenda for so long. Whatever it cost him politically, Vivian deserved to see who he really was beneath the carefully constructed mask.