Page 3 of Shadowed Bond

The title sounds strange, not one I imagined either…

“You’re loyal,” he says, ignoring me. “You notice everything, even when you pretend not to care. You complain first, but you’re already there, ready to protect. You don’t like politics, which frankly might be refreshing after some of the nonsense I’ve sat through.”

I scowl. “This is supposed to convince me? Because it isn’t.”

“No. This is me telling you why you’ll be good at it.”

I look away again, jaw tightening.

Across the garden, Jayce is speaking to Sienna, his hand resting at her waist, his posture relaxed despite the power now sitting on his shoulders. He was always meant for this, even when he tried to run from it. There was never really a question of who he was beneath it.

Alpha.

Deimos King.

The bastard had titles chasing him from every direction.

Me?

Ceremonies make me want to jump off something high enough to cause damage. I hate speeches. I hate being watched. I hate being expected to say the right thing when most people deserve the wrong one.

“I don’t want people to look to me for answers; it’s fucking annoying.”

Uncle Damon chuckles. “You may not realise it, but they already do.”

“No, they don’t.”

Uncle Damon gives me a dry look. “You think those kids kept coming back to you during training because you’re friendly?”

“Friendly?” I scoff.

“Exactly.” I glare at him, but he simply looks up at the moon. “They came back because you pushed them to their limits. The Blue Moon Pack needs someone who won’t treat it as a leftover piece of the Blood Moon Pack. They need someone who’ll stand there and claim it as their own pack and make them rise to their full potential. Liam can’t pass that title to you. I no longer hold that title either, so you’ll have to claim it yourself.”

Suddenly, the garden feels further away.

Self-claiming isn’t done often. Titles usually pass through blood, oath, and ritual. One alpha releases the power, and his heir accepts it, or one passes and his son inherits it.

But a pack without an alpha is different. Its power doesn’t vanish.

It waits, restless and leaderless, until a wolf strong enough to take it steps forward, or wolves, in some cases, who then duel over it to prove they are the Alpha male.

“You can refuse, but I really hope you won’t,” he says softly, and I’m fucking surprised he actually means it.

I would have preferred that because if it were a command, it would have been easier to retaliate. I fucking hate this.

I look toward the people gathered. Some belong to the Blood Moon, some to the Blue Moon. Some to both in ways that make the separation almost meaningless. Faces I’ve known for years.

And right now, more than a third of them stand without an alpha, with someone they may not accept as their own taking charge. Gaining their respect would be hard; making them trust me would be even harder.

My wolf growls low in my mind, wanting to accept the challenge.

I exhale sharply. “Fine.”

Uncle Damon’s eyes soften. “Fine?”

“Don’t make me repeat it, and I’m not going to step onto that dais as if I fucking earned it.”

His smile grows, and I already regret every decision that has led me to this moment. He turns, raising his hand slightly, and Dad notices immediately. Jayce does, too; his gaze cutting to me with instant understanding.