Page 23 of Rebel for Claws (Rebellious Mates #4)

SEVENTEEN

VIVIAN

Y ou're my mate, my partner, my future. The words echoed in Vivian's mind, each syllable carrying the weight of promises she wasn't sure either of them could keep anymore.

Her heart hammered against her ribs as she watched this powerful Alpha—this man who commanded respect from every wolf shifter in the territory—lay himself bare before her.

But even as warmth flooded her chest at Alaric's declaration, her jaw remained set with stubborn determination. People were being actively hunted now. Her people. And every moment they spent debating strategy was another moment Thorne's operatives had to hunt down innocent magical shifters.

The sudden shrill ring of Alaric's cell phone cut through the tension like a knife.

He cursed under his breath, his hand moving to the device in his pocket with obvious reluctance.

His charcoal henley stretched across his broad chest as he moved, and Vivian was momentarily distracted by the way the fabric clung to his muscled frame.

"It's Lena," he said, glancing at the screen with a frown. "She never calls unless it's urgent."

Without hesitation, he put the phone on speaker and set it on his oak desk. "Lena, what's wrong?"

"Alaric, thank God." Lena's voice crackled through the speaker, tight with anxiety and barely controlled panic. "I need to speak with you and Vivian immediately. It's about the secondary prophecy."

Vivian felt ice form in her veins. She moved closer to Alaric, her hand brushing against his arm as she leaned toward the phone. The contact sent sparks through her system, but she forced herself to focus on Lena's frazzled tone.

"We're both here, Lena," Vivian said. "What did you find?"

"I've been researching more deeply into the text we discovered—the one about the mating of a Silvercrest Alpha with the human magical lineage creating unprecedented power.

" Lena's words tumbled over each other in her haste.

"I had a vision last night, and it wasn't... it wasn't as peaceful as we assumed it would be. "

Alaric's entire body went rigid beside Vivian, his muscles coiling with tension. She could see the Alpha authority radiating from him like heat waves, his natural commanding presence asserting itself even in the face of unwelcome news.

"What kind of vision?" he demanded, his voice dropping to that dangerous tone.

"Destruction," Lena whispered. "Fire and chaos, wolves turning against wolves. So I went to Rhea—my mentor knows more about the ancient prophecies than anyone alive. And she..." Lena's voice broke slightly. "She confirmed what I feared."

Vivian's hands clenched into fists at her sides, her leather boots firmly planted on the Persian rug as she braced herself for whatever revelation was coming.

"The secondary prophecy has a hidden clause," Lena continued. "One that's been deliberately obscured for three centuries. The clause reads: 'The mating of a Silvercrest Alpha with the human magical lineage will either unite or destroy all wolves in the Pacific Northwest Cascade territory.'"

The words hit Vivian like a slap. Her eyes blazed as she processed the implications, her mind racing through every possible scenario. Either unite or destroy. The ambiguity was terrifying in its scope.

"That's impossible," Vivian said, but even as the words left her lips, she could feel the truth of it resonating in her bones. "Prophecies aren't supposed to be ambiguous. They're meant to guide us toward a specific outcome."

"This one is different," Lena's voice carried the weight of ancient knowledge.

"Rhea says it's because the power involved is unprecedented.

The magic that would awaken in Alaric after your mating—it's beyond anything modern shifters have ever wielded.

And power of that magnitude..." She trailed off, but the implication hung heavy in the air.

Vivian turned to look at Alaric, her loose silver-blonde hair catching the afternoon light streaming through his office windows. His face had gone pale beneath his natural tan, and she could see the wheels turning behind his storm-grey eyes.

"It could unite our people under one incredibly powerful Alpha," Vivian said slowly, hope bleeding into her voice despite the ominous nature of Lena's revelation.

"Think about it—with that kind of power, we could dismantle the High Council permanently.

Then we could bridge the gap between humans and shifters forever.

We could create the peaceful, harmonious world we've been fighting for this whole time. "

But Alaric was already shaking his head, his jaw clenched tight. "Or it could destroy everything we've worked to build," he said grimly. "One Alpha with unprecedented power? The other pack leaders would never accept it. They'd see me as a threat to be eliminated, not a leader to be followed."

"You're being pessimistic?—"

"I'm being realistic." His voice cut through her optimism like ice. "You think the other Alphas will just bow down to someone with that kind of power? They'll assume I've become the very thing we've been fighting against—a tyrant who wants to control everything and everyone."

Vivian felt frustration bubble up in her chest, hot and urgent. She could see the fear in his eyes and the way he was already pulling back from the possibility of their completed mate bond. The mate connection between them pulsed with his anxiety, and it made her own emotions spike in response.

"So what are you saying?" she demanded. "That we should just ignore the prophecy? That we should let Thorne continue his reign of terror because you're afraid of what people might think of you?"

"I'm saying that maybe there's a reason this clause was hidden," Alaric shot back, his Alpha authority flaring. "Maybe the ancestors knew that this kind of power was too dangerous to unleash."

"Or maybe they knew that future generations would be too scared to embrace the change necessary to save their people," Vivian countered, her own power rising to meet his. The air around them crackled with barely contained energy, two powerful forces clashing in the confines of his elegant office.

"Alaric," Lena's voice cut through their argument, urgent and pleading.

"Vivian. This isn't a decision that needs to be made right now.

But you both need to understand the magnitude of what you're dealing with.

The power that would awaken—it's not just enhanced strength or speed.

We're talking about abilities that could reshape reality itself. "

The gravity of Lena's words settled over them like a shroud.

Vivian stared at Alaric, watching as the implications played out across his handsome features.

She could see him withdrawing, could feel him pulling away from her through their bond, and it made something desperate and painful claw at her chest.

He's going to refuse to complete the mate bond, she realized with growing horror. He's going to choose fear over love, over the future we could build together.

"I need to think," Alaric said abruptly, his voice rough. "This changes everything."

"Alaric—" Lena began, but he was already reaching for the phone.

"We'll call you back," he said, and ended the connection with more force than necessary.

The silence that followed their call with Lena was deafening. Vivian stood frozen, watching as the man she'd fallen in love with—the powerful, brave Alpha who'd faced down Thorne and his operatives without flinching—retreated behind walls of fear and doubt.

His dark hair caught the December sunlight as he ran his hands through it, the silver at his temples glinting like starlight. The scar on his jaw stood out starkly, a reminder of everything he'd already sacrificed in this fight.

"You're afraid," she said quietly, and it wasn't a question.

His golden eyes snapped to hers, blazing with conflict. "Of course I'm afraid. This isn't just about us anymore, Vivian. This is about the fate of every wolf shifter in the Pacific Northwest Cascade territory."

"And you think I'm not terrified too?" The words exploded from her, raw with emotion. "You think I want to be responsible for either saving or destroying everything we've fought for?"

But he was already moving, his long strides carrying him toward the door of his office. The charcoal henley stretched across his broad back as he walked, and Vivian felt the mate bond stretch between them like a physical tether.

"I need air," he said without turning around. "I need to think without you clouding my judgment."

The words hit her like a punch to the gut. She watched him disappear through the doorway, heard his footsteps echoing down the marble hallway, and felt something inside her chest crack and bleed.

Without you clouding my judgment. As if their bond—the most precious thing she'd ever experienced—was nothing more than an inconvenience to be managed.

Vivian sank into one of the chairs beside his desk, her legs suddenly unsteady. The elegant office felt cavernous without his presence, the winter afternoon light casting long shadows across the Persian rugs and mahogany bookshelves.

She pressed her hands to her face, breathing in the lingering scent of his cologne—pine and lemon and something uniquely him. The mate bond pulsated even with the distance, carrying echoes of his turmoil and fear.

He's going to walk away from me, she thought desperately. He's going to choose duty over love, just like he always has.