Page 19 of Rebel for Claws (Rebellious Mates #4)

THIRTEEN

VIVIAN

V ivian pressed her comms, her voice steady despite the deadly tableau surrounding her. "Things have taken a turn for the worst," she transmitted to the team positioned outside. "Thirty heavily armed human operatives taking strategic positions throughout the pavilion."

The human operatives moved with military precision, their weapons trained not just on her but on several pack leaders who had voiced dissent after her explosive revelations about Thorne.

Alpha Garrett of the Granite Ridge pack had gone pale, his hands raised slightly as a rifle barrel pointed at his chest.

Thorne planned this. He was ready for exposure after Alaric's return.

"Their weapons are trained on the dissenting pack leaders too," she continued through her comms, her eyes scanning the tactical nightmare unfolding around her.

Logan's deep voice crackled through her earpiece. "We're on it."

The words had barely finished when Alaric's control finally shattered. His formal suit couldn't contain the raw Alpha power radiating from his frame as he charged toward Thorne's elevated position behind the semicircular elder's table.

My mate. My fierce, protective mate finally dropping his mask publicly.

Their mate bond pulsed with Alaric's barely contained fury, and Vivian felt her own power responding to his Alpha energy. Her violet eyes began to glow as ancient magic stirred within her blood.

Just as Alaric charged toward Thorne, the pavilion's entrances exploded with activity. Logan, Damon, Malcolm, Kieran, Elena, Zoe, and Maya burst through multiple entry points simultaneously, their synchronized assault catching the human operatives completely off guard.

"Now!" Vivian dropped to her knees, rolling behind one of the stone pillars as rifle fire erupted throughout the sacred space.

The ancient pavilion transformed into a war zone. Logan moved like liquid death, his auburn hair catching sunlight as he disarmed two operatives with brutal efficiency. Zoe's dark brown wolf form with shimmering honey patches on her belly materialized in a flash as she took down another gunman.

Perfect timing. Our prophecy group fighting for our protection.

Vivian reached behind her back and drew one of her twin handcrafted swords, the weight familiar and comforting in her palm. With liquid grace, she launched the blade through the air toward Alaric.

"Behind you!" she called out as an operative tried to flank him.

The sword sang through the air, and Alaric's hand closed around the hilt with predatory satisfaction. His formal jacket tore as he spun, the blade slicing through his attacker's rifle strap with surgical precision.

Vivian drew her second sword, the steel ringing clear as it cleared the sheath.

Her enhanced senses tracked every threat and every movement, while the mate bond allowed them to anticipate each other's actions with supernatural synchronization.

They moved together as if they'd been fighting side by side for decades instead of days.

This is what we were meant to be. Warriors. Partners. Mates.

Alaric's sword work was devastating—controlled brutality honed by decades of traditional Alpha training and recent captivity-fueled rage. When an operative aimed at Vivian's back, Alaric was already there, his blade deflecting the rifle barrel just as the trigger pulled.

Vivian flowed around his defense, her sword finding the gap in another attacker's tactical vest. Her enhanced speed made her nearly impossible to track, her blonde-silver braid whipping behind her as she danced between threats.

"Left side!" Alaric's voice cut through the chaos.

She spun, her blade singing as it met an operative's knife thrust. The man's eyes widened in shock at her strength and speed before Alaric's pommel strike dropped him unconscious.

We're unstoppable together.

Around them, the battle raged with primal intensity. Maya's russet-gold wolf form worked in perfect harmony with Kieran's massive midnight black wolf. Damon and Elena moved like a lethal unit, their tactical precision cutting through the human operatives' formation.

But it was Zoe who surprised everyone. Her smaller wolf form moved with supernatural speed, her honey-patched fur a blur as she used her enhanced agility to confuse and disorient their attackers.

Logan stayed close to her, his protective instincts on full display as he eliminated any threat that came near his mate.

"The elders are retreating!" Malcolm's voice carried across the pavilion.

Vivian caught a glimpse of Thorne's silver-streaked hair disappearing through a hidden exit behind the elevated table. Several other High Council elders followed, abandoning the human operatives to face the consequences of their corruption.

Cowards. Running when their own plan backfires.

"We need to go!" Alaric's Alpha command cut through the din. "More reinforcements incoming!"

Alaric appeared at Vivian's side, his grey eyes still blazing with protective fury. Blood splattered his torn formal shirt, but none of it appeared to be his own.

"Follow my lead," he commanded gently, his free hand finding her waist.

"Always," she replied, sheathing her sword across her back.

They moved as one unit toward the pavilion's rear exit, the others forming a protective formation around them. Logan and Damon brought up the rear, their tactical experience evident as they covered their escape route.

The December morning air hit them like a slap as they burst from the ancient stone structure. Vivian's enhanced hearing caught the sound of vehicles approaching through the forest—Thorne's reinforcements arriving too late to contain the truth that had already been unleashed.

"This way!" Alaric guided them toward the dense tree line.

They ran through the forest with supernatural speed, their wolf shifter genetics allowing them to maintain a pace that would have been impossible for humans. Vivian's tactical gear moved with her like a second skin, her weapons secure but accessible.

Ten miles. We need to put ten miles between us and Moon Hollow.

The mate bond surged between her and Alaric as they ran, their breathing synchronized despite the brutal pace. Behind them, the sounds of pursuit grew fainter with each mile, Thorne's human operatives unable to match their enhanced endurance.

When they finally stopped, Vivian's enhanced senses detected the cave before she saw it—a natural shelter carved into the mountainside by centuries of wind and water. The opening was concealed by branches, making it nearly invisible to casual observation.

"Here," Alaric guided her toward the entrance, his protective instincts still on high alert.

Inside, the cave opened into a surprisingly spacious chamber, dim but dry. Vivian slumped against the stone wall, her tactical jacket rising and falling with her rapid breathing. The adrenaline was finally wearing off, leaving her aware of every scrape and bruise from their narrow escape.

We did it. We exposed Thorne's corruption to everyone who matters.

Alaric stood near the cave entrance, his eyes scanning the forest beyond for any signs of pursuit.

"That was..." she began.

"Remarkable," he finished, turning to face her. "You were remarkable."

The mate bond roared between them, even stronger now after their shared battle. Vivian felt the pull toward him like gravity, her body responding to his proximity and the raw Alpha power still radiating from his large frame.

My mate. My protector. My equal.

Alaric stood vigilant near the cave entrance for several more minutes, his torn white shirt hanging open to reveal the powerful muscles of his chest. Blood splattered the fabric—not his own, but remnants of their explosive confrontation with Thorne's human operatives.

His dress pants were torn from their desperate flight through the forest, yet he maintained that commanding Alpha presence that made Vivian's pulse quicken.

Even disheveled and battle-worn, he's magnificent.

His light grey eyes scanned the morning sunlight filtering through the trees beyond their shelter, every line of his body taut with protective alertness.

When he finally turned from the entrance, apparently satisfied they'd lost their pursuers, his gaze found hers with a piercing intensity that made her breath hitch.

"We should be safe here," he said, his voice carrying that deep rumble that seemed to vibrate through her bones. "But we'll need to stay the night, just to be certain."

Vivian felt a strange flutter of excitement at the prospect of being alone with him in this intimate cave setting. The space felt charged with possibility, their mate bond humming stronger than ever.

Dangerous territory.

Alaric moved with practiced efficiency, gathering dry wood from deeper in the cave where previous travelers had left supplies. His movements were fluid and purposeful, every gesture highlighting his lethal grace.

Within minutes, flames danced to life between them, casting golden light across the stone walls and warming the cool December air. The firelight played across his features, highlighting his strong jaw and the silver threading through his dark hair.

"That's better," he murmured, settling back on his heels near the fire.

Vivian remained standing near the cave wall, still wearing her black tactical jacket.

Her blonde-silver braid had come partially loose during their escape, wisps of pale hair framing her face.

She could feel his eyes on her, tracking her every movement with that predatory focus that both thrilled and unnerved her.

The way he looks at me... like I'm the only thing in his world.

"There's something I need to ask you," Alaric said, his voice dropping to that intimate tone that made her stomach tighten with anticipation.

He rose to his full height, towering over her even from across the fire. The torn shirt fell open wider, revealing more of his muscled torso and the small scars that told stories of battles fought and won.

"About what happens between us after all this is over," he continued, taking a deliberate step closer.

Vivian's heart hammered against her ribs as understanding dawned. "You want to know if I meant what I said. About completing the mate bond."

"Yes." The single word carried the weight of everything unsaid between them.

She studied his face in the flickering firelight, seeing past the Alpha mask to the man beneath. The vulnerability he tried so hard to hide, the longing he couldn't quite suppress, and the hope he was afraid to voice.

This incredible, complex man who's been carrying the weight of the world for thirty years. Who sacrificed everything, even his relationship with his sons, to protect what he loved.

"Despite everything I assumed about you when we first met," she began, her voice soft but certain, "despite thinking you were just another rigid traditionalist Alpha..."

She paused, letting her gaze travel over his features—the strong jaw, the intelligent grey eyes that held such depths of pain and determination, and the mouth that could be both commanding and tender.

"After spending these past few days with you, getting to see who you really are beneath all those carefully constructed walls..." She stepped closer, drawn by the magnetic pull of their bond. "You're pretty incredible, Alaric."

A flush of color rose along his neck, creeping up to his cheekbones. For a moment, the formidable Alpha looked almost boyish, caught off guard by her honest praise.

I can make this powerful man blush.

"I—" he started, then stopped, running a hand through his black hair. "I haven't had many people say that to me."

"Then they weren't looking hard enough," she said simply.

His eyes darkened with something that made her knees feel suddenly unsteady. Not just desire, though that was certainly there, burning hot and obvious. But something deeper. Reverence. Wonder. As if she were something precious he'd never expected to find.

"Vivian," he said, her name a prayer on his lips.

He moved toward her with predatory grace, each step deliberate and controlled. When he reached her, his large hands came up to frame her face, his thumbs brushing over her cheekbones with surprising gentleness.

"You didn't answer my question," he murmured, his voice rough with barely contained emotion.

She looked up into those storm-grey eyes. "Yes," she whispered. "When this is over, when we've restored harmony to our world and bridged the gap between humans and shifters... I want to complete our mate bond, more than anything."

The words hung between them, heavy with promise and possibility. His pupils dilated, and she caught the faint glow of gold—his wolf responding to hers, to the admission of what they both wanted.

"You're sure?" His voice had dropped to that gravelly tone that made her insides clench with want.

Instead of answering with words, she pressed up on her toes, closing the distance between them. Her hands found the edges of his torn shirt, feeling the heat of his skin beneath her palms.

"I'm sure," she breathed against his lips.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her flush against his powerful body.

When his mouth claimed hers, there was nothing tentative about it.

This wasn't the careful exploration of their first kiss in his office.

This was pure, undiluted hunger—a claiming that spoke of possession and promise and desperate need.

This is what I've been missing my entire life. This raw connection, this perfect matching of souls.

His hands tangled in her loosened braid, angling her head to deepen the kiss. She could taste the wildness in him, the barely leashed control of an Alpha who'd finally found his true mate. Her own control began to fray as her body responded to his dominance.

The kiss was fire and starlight, promise and possession. When they finally broke apart, both breathing hard, his forehead rested against hers.

"You have no idea," he said roughly, "how long I've wanted this and how long I've waited for you, my fated mate, to come into my life and make it whole."