CLAIMING MY SUNSHINE

KANEThe moon climbed high,flooding the clearing with silver light. Every wolf in the Brim Pack stood attentive, a ripple of anticipation running through the crowd. My nephew, Mike, was at the center, ready to take his Alpha vows. Tonight was supposed to be about him, his strength, his future. I had rehearsed this moment a thousand times. I had been custodian for years, keeping the pack stable, keeping everything in its place. I was Kane Rivers, the legendary bachelor, the man who ruled with precision, who carried every responsibility without complaint.At first, I didn’t notice him. The ritual drew my attention: Mike’s posture, the priests’ chants, the rising tension of the pack, the fire snapping against the night. My wolf twitched beneath my skin.Then, through the corner of my vision, I caught movement. Just a human boy, leaning against the edge of the clearing, too casual.Shawn Miles.My nephew’s human best friend.The priest called for the vows, his voice strong, steady. Mike l

MIKE I’ve seen my uncle angry. I’ve seen him ruthless, strategic and untouchable. However, I have never seen him shaken. Until tonight. The celebration roars behind us, I should be out there with them. Instead, I’m following Kane into the darker edge of the clearing , away from listening ears. He doesn’t look at me when I stop in front of him. “Explain,” I say. “You walked away from my coronation. You nearly caused a scene.” Silence.The howls of the wind filling the empty space between us. “You’ve never lost control,” I continue. “Not once. So tell me why you did tonight.” His jaw flexes. “Lower your tone.” A sharp breath leaves me. “I’m Alpha.” His eyes snap to mine. “You’re Alpha because I allowed you to become one.” For a second, I’m sixteen again, standing in front of the only authority I’ve ever known. I hold his stare. “Whatever this is, it ends before it affects my pack.” “It already has.” I step closer. “Then say it.” The moon hangs high abov

KANE I wake before dawn. The bond hums low in my chest quieter than last night, but still present. He’s still inside the territory. I dress quickly and head towards the main house. I step inside. And I smell him immediately. Shawn is at the long wooden table, leaning back in his chair casually . He's oblivious of how his presence physically hurts me from restraint. Mike sits across from him, mid-conversation. Shawn laughs at something. The sound lands straight in my chest. My wolf stirs. Mine. I push it down. Shawn looks up first when I enter. “Morning,” he says easily. Mike glances between us. “Morning,” I reply. --- “You’re not finishing that,” I say before I can stop myself. Both of them look at me. Shawn glances at his plate. “Finishing what?” “Your eggs.” Mike’s mouth twitches. Shawn blinks. “I… wasn’t that hungry.” “You need to eat.” Mike lowers his coffee slowly. Shawn stares at me. “I’m twenty-three. Not five.” “That doesn’

SHAWN I walk past the house, all the way to the edge of the marked boundary and stop. I let out a quiet scoff. “Seriously?” I shove my hands into my pockets and keep walking, kicking at loose gravel. Mate. “This is insane,” I mutter. “Yeah. It is.” “You got a tracking device on me or something?” I ask. “No.” “Then how do you keep showing up?” “You didn’t go far.” “That’s not an answer.” I stare at him. “You said you’d give me space.” “I am.” I gesture between us. “This isn’t space.” “It is,” he says. “You stopped. I didn’t make you.” I drag a hand over my face. “This doesn’t feel like a choice.” “It is.” “Then why does it feel like I’m being pulled back every time I try to walk away?” “The bond doesn’t like distance,” he says. I let out a dry laugh. “Of course it doesn’t.” “It’s not me.” “Good to know you’re not stalking me. Just your supernatural connection doing the work.” “You’re handling this better than most would.” “I’m barely hold

KANE I felt him leave.The noise from his room was enough to tell me he was packing. I chose not to intervene. By the time I stepped into the hallway, his scent was already fading from the space he’d occupied, replaced by the cold stillness of the room. No goodbye. No explanation. I didn’t alert the pack. This wasn’t something I could hand off like a patrol route. This was mine. I stepped outside and followed what remained of him—faint traces and disrupted gravel.I kept my distance. Far enough that he wouldn’t hear me, wouldn’t sense me watching. He slowed when the trees came into view. He stopped at the boundary. It was the same place he turned back yesterday. I stayed behind the tree line. He stood there longer this time. A part of me thought that he might choose to turn around, walk back, and give himself more time before making a decision he didn’t fully understand. He stepped over. Every instinct I had pushed forward—close the distance, stop him, pull him ba