“You… my father started, momentarily losing hisposure. He took an unconscious step backward before catching himself. “How dare you resist a directmand?”


    “I will be Alpha soon,” I said evenly, my voice calm despite the storm of emotions beneath the surface. “Every decision I make is calcted, including the consequences. I don’t need to consult anyone.” The words came out with quiet confidence, a statement of fact rather than a challenge.


    My mother looked up from her submissive position, disbelief and a flicker of something else–perhaps pride- crossing her features before she quickly lowered her gaze again.


    “You’re not Alpha yet,” my father said, but his voice carried a new note of uncertainty. He circled me slowly, as if seeing me for the first time. “The ceremony hasn’t been performed. The pack hasn’t acknowledged you.”


    “But they will,” I replied simply. “And we both know the ceremony merely confirms what nature has already decided.” I held his gaze without aggression but without yielding. “My wolf has grown stronger. You feel it, just as I do.”


    Surprise flickered across my father’s face, quickly reced by rage, then something moreplex–a mixture of frustration and reluctant respect. He stared at me for a long moment, then exhaled sharply, reassessing the power dynamic between us that had shifted without his notice.


    “When did this happen?” he asked quietly, more to himself than to me. “When did you be…” He didn’t finish the thought.


    “It doesn’t matter when,” I answered. “What matters is that I make decisions as the future Alpha of this pack, not as your son seeking approval.”


    My father’s jaw clenched, the muscle working beneath his skin. He walked to the window, staring out at the grounds of Sterling Manor for several long seconds before turning back to me.


    “Even if you truly don’t care for the Collins family,” he said, his voice tight with control, “you could have shown them basic respect. Not humiliated them publicly. There are protocols, traditions. Ways of handling these matters that don’t risk alliances we’ve maintained for generations.”


    He paced the marble floor, his footsteps echoing in the cavernous space. “We’ve maintained good rtions with the Collins pack for decades. You’ve jeopardized that alliance for a human. It’s absurd!”


    My mother stepped forward. “Dominic, do you have genuine feelings for this human girl? She’s ordinary – nothing special about her.”


    Her words sparked anger in my chest, hot and immediate. Reba was anything but ordinary her strength, her kindness, her unwavering integrity were rare in any species.


    20:40 Wed, Sep <b>24 </b>


    41


    My mother’s voice cooled noticeably. “We’ve investigated her background. Her father has a chronic illness requiring expensive treatment.” She paused significantly, her implication clear. “Humans are so fragile, aren’t they?”


    The threat was thinly veiled. My muscles tensed, a growl building in my throat that I barely managed to suppress. My vision sharpened, the world taking on the heightened rity that preceded a shift. With considerable effort, I forced my wolf back, knowing that losing control now would only prove their point about my judgment beingpromised.


    “Have your fun with her,” my mother continued, her tone dismissive. “But don’t take it seriously. Humans and our kind don’t belong in the same world.”


    I stared at my parents, keeping my expression carefully nk while rage coursed through me. The silence stretched between us, heavy with unspoken threats and expectations. I could feel my father’s eyes evaluating me, searching for signs of weakness or defiance.


    Finally, I spoke, my voice deceptively calm. “I understand.”


    My father seemed momentarily appeased, though wariness remained in his eyes. He knew me well enough to suspect


    that mypliance might be superficial.


    In truth, my words held a different meaning than what they assumed. I understood perfectly – that I would need to protect Reba not only from enemies like Elizabeth but from my own family. That the path I was choosing would be fraught with opposition from all sides. The weight of this realization settled heavily on my shoulders, even as my resolve strengthened.


    As I turned to leave, my mother called after me. “The full moon ceremony is approaching, Dominic. You’ll need to announce your mate. The pack expects it.”


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