Page 32 of Rebel for Claws (Rebellious Mates #4)

TWENTY-FIVE

VIVIAN

T he leather seats of Alaric's SUV seemed to amplify every unspoken tension between them as they drove through the winding mountain roads back to his estate.

Vivian watched the December landscape blur past, but her attention kept darting to the rigid set of Alaric's shoulders and the white-knuckled grip he maintained on the steering wheel.

He's spiraling again. That beautiful, brilliant mind of his is creating problems that don't exist yet.

"I don't know what we're supposed to do about completing our mate bond," Alaric said finally. "After what happened in that hall, after seeing their faces when you revealed the prophecy's hidden clause..."

Vivian turned to study his profile, noting the muscle ticking in his jaw and the way his eyes remained fixed on the road ahead with laser focus. "You think they're going to try to separate us."

"I think they're terrified," he replied grimly. "And terrified people make decisions based on fear, not logic. They could decide that keeping us apart is the safest option for everyone."

There's that martyrdom complex again. Always ready to sacrifice his own happiness for the greater good.

"If that were true," Vivian said, her voice carrying quiet conviction, "they wouldn't have allowed us to leave together just now.

Think about it, Alaric. We just revealed that our mating could potentially destroy every wolf shifter in the territory, and yet not a single leader suggested we be separated immediately. "

Alaric's hands flexed on the steering wheel, but he remained stubbornly silent.

"They're showing trust in us," she continued, reaching across the console to place her hand on his forearm. Even through his coat, she could feel the coiled tension in his muscles. "The least you could do is show the same trust in them instead of brooding like the world has already ended."

His enhanced senses are probably picking up every emotional nuance in the car right now. He knows I'm frustrated with his pessimism.

The rest of the drive passed in weighted silence, Alaric's brooding presence filling the SUV like a storm cloud.

When they finally pulled up to his estate, the familiar sight of the stone mansion against the snow-covered landscape should have felt like a sanctuary.

Instead, it felt like a gilded cage where they could hide from the impossible decisions looming over them.

Inside the warmth of his home, Alaric moved through the motions of normalcy with mechanical precision—hanging their coats, checking messages, and instructing the staff about dinner.

But Vivian could see the war raging behind his eyes, the way he avoided looking directly at her, and the careful distance he maintained between their bodies.

He's treating me like I'm made of glass again. Or like I'm a bomb that might detonate if he gets too close.

Dinner was an exercise in forced civility, both of them making polite conversation about anything except the elephant in the room.

Vivian watched Alaric methodically work through his meal, noting how he cut his steak with surgical precision and chewed each bite exactly twenty times before swallowing.

"You're still brooding," she observed, setting down her wine glass with deliberate care.

Alaric's fork paused halfway to his mouth. "I'm processing."

"You're spiraling into worst-case scenarios and creating problems that may never materialize," she corrected, her eyes flashing with frustration. "There's a difference."

God, he's infuriating when he gets like this. All that Alpha dominance and strategic brilliance, and he's paralyzed by hypothetical consequences.

"I'm torn between duty and desire," Alaric admitted, finally meeting her gaze. "Between protecting our shifter society from potential fallout and claiming the woman I love, consequences be damned. It's not exactly a comfortable position."

The raw honesty in his confession made Vivian's heart clench, but before she could respond, the sharp ring of his cell phone shattered the moment. Alaric glanced at the display and immediately answered.

"Kieran."

Even from across the table, Vivian could hear the urgency in Kieran's voice through the phone, though she couldn't make out specific words. She watched Alaric's face transform, his features sharpening into lethal focus.

"How long do we have?" Alaric asked, his voice dropping to that dangerous Alpha tone.

More urgent conversation from Kieran's end.

"Understood. We'll be ready."

Alaric ended the call and turned to face her, his eyes now blazing with gold fire. The brooding, uncertain man from moments before had vanished, replaced by the commanding Alpha who had survived thirty years of political manipulation and five months of torture.

There he is. The man I fell in love with.

"The human operatives are mobilizing faster than predicted," he said, rising from his chair with predatory grace. "The war isn't coming—it's here. Now."

Vivian felt her own battle instincts surge to life, adrenaline flooding her system as she stood to face him. "How much time?—"

"None," Alaric interrupted, crossing the space between them in two powerful strides.

His hands framed her face with gentle reverence that contrasted sharply with the lethal energy radiating from his body.

"We have to complete the mate bond now, Vivian.

Not after the war, not when it's politically convenient, not when we've eliminated every possible risk. "

Finally. No more hesitation. No more fear-based decisions.

"Politics be damned," he continued, his voice heavy with emotion and determination. "Consequences be damned. This is what we need to do to protect our people because we literally don't have any other choice right now."

Vivian felt her heart slam against her ribs as she saw the absolute certainty blazing in his eyes.

This wasn't the uncertain, brooding Alpha from dinner.

This was the man who had escaped impossible captivity, who had survived three decades of manipulation, and who had just made the most important decision of his life without a moment's hesitation.

"Are you sure?" she whispered, though she could already feel the answer thrumming through their partial bond.

Alaric's thumb traced the line of her cheekbone, his touch both tender and possessive. "I've never been more certain of anything in my life."

His hands moved to her waist, lifting her effortlessly as though she weighed nothing.

Vivian's breath hitched, her pulse quickening at the raw, commanding energy radiating from him.

He carried her out of the dining room and up the grand staircase to his private chambers, his stride quick and purposeful.

Vivian couldn't help but feel a thrill of anticipation coil deep within her.

The urgency of the moment was palpable but so was the undeniable pull of the mate bond between them.

This is it. No more hesitation. No more waiting.

He kicked open the door to his private chambers with a force that made the hinges groan.

The room was dimly lit, the fire in the hearth casting a warm, golden glow over the opulent space.

Alaric set her down gently, his hands lingering on her hips as he stepped back just enough to meet her gaze.

His storm-grey eyes had shifted to gold, the wolf within him rising to the surface, and the intensity of his stare made her shiver.

"We don't have time to savor this," he said, his voice low and rough, "but I'll make it count."

Vivian nodded, her hands already moving to remove his shirt. "You better."

Their movements were frantic, their clothes falling to the floor in a messy heap as they undressed each other.

Vivian's heart pounded in her chest, every touch of his hands igniting a fire that spread through her veins.

She could feel the urgency in his touch, the desperation in the way his lips claimed hers, but there was also a tenderness that made her chest ache.

This wasn't just about completing their mate bond or the looming war outside—it was about them, about the connection that had been denied for centuries by suppression and manipulation.

When they were finally naked, standing before each other in the firelight, Vivian took a moment to drink him in. Alaric was every inch the Alpha—tall, broad-shouldered, his body a perfect blend of power and grace. And now, this Alpha was hers.

He guided her toward the bed with a gentleness that belied the urgency of their situation, laying her down on the soft sheets.

His hands roamed over her body, his lips leaving a trail of fire as he kissed her collarbone, her breasts, and her stomach.

Vivian arched into his touch, a moan escaping her lips as his mouth found her core.

The sensation was electric, and for a moment, she lost herself in the pleasure he was giving her.

But the reality of their situation came crashing back, and she reached down to grasp his hair, pulling him up to meet her gaze. "We don't have time for this," she whispered, her voice trembling.

Alaric's eyes burned into hers, and he nodded once, his jaw tightening with resolve. He shifted positions, laying back on the bed and pulling her on top of him. "Take control," he said, his voice a low growl. "Show me what you need."

Vivian didn't hesitate. She straddled his body and guided his cock to her entrance.

The feeling of his hard length pressing against her made her breath catch, and she slowly lowered herself onto him, inch by agonizing inch.

The sensation of being filled by him was overwhelming, and she had to pause for a moment to adjust, her head falling back as a soft moan escaped her lips.

"Look at me," Alaric commanded, his hands gripping her hips tightly.

Vivian obeyed, her eyes locking with his.

There was so much emotion in his gaze—love, desire, determination—and it made her heart ache.

She began to move, slowly at first, her body adjusting to the rhythm of their union.

But as the heat between them built, her movements became more frantic, driven by the need for him to claim her fully, and to make this moment count.

Alaric's hands moved to her waist, guiding her as she rode him, his eyes never leaving hers. "You're mine," he growled softly. "And I'm yours."

Vivian leaned down, her lips capturing his in a hungry kiss.

The kiss was filled with everything they couldn't put into words—fear, love, desperation, and hope.

When she pulled back, she buried her face in the crook of his neck, her body moving faster and the tension within her building with every thrust.

"Mark me," she whispered. "Do it now."

Alaric turned his head, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin of her neck over the partial mate mark.

The sensation sent a jolt of electricity through her body, and she cried out as he sank his teeth deep into her flesh.

The pain was sharp but brief, quickly replaced by a wave of pleasure so intense it threatened to overwhelm her.

She felt the mate bond between them snap into place, a flood of emotions and sensations crashing over her like a tidal wave.

Her orgasm hit her like a thunderclap, her body convulsing as waves of pleasure ripped through her. Alaric followed her over the edge, his hips jerking as he spilled himself deep inside her. The room seemed to spin, the world narrowing down to just the two of them.

When the aftershocks finally subsided, Vivian collapsed onto his chest, her breathing ragged. Alaric's arms wrapped around her, holding her tightly as though he never wanted to let go. The mate bond pulsed intensely between them, a constant presence that anchored her to him.

"It's done," Alaric murmured. "You're mine forever, Vivian."

She lifted her head to meet his gaze, her heart swelling with love for the man who had defied centuries of tradition and danger to claim her as his mate. "And you're mine," she whispered, brushing a kiss against his lips. "Forever."