Chapter 4

“Fucking square up, Sebastian. Get your ass over here now.” Kian’s voice caused Raina to freeze at the entrance of the training grounds.

“Did I get under your skin?” Sebastian’s voice teased. “Are you seeing your Beta in a whole new light?”

“I would never touch Raina Winters not even if she was the last she-wolf!” And her heart shattered with her soul. It felt worse than all the times she felt him being with Mia. Her breath hitched and got stuck in her chest. “She is my Beta — just my Beta. There is a line.”

“Right,” Sebastian chuckled. “It’s the muscles, right? I mean who would want a she-wolf that could best you. She could probably manhandle you. Rip you apart. Maybe the scars that never healed? Too many calluses, right? You like your women soft and delicate like Mia.”

Sebastian’s dark laugh echoed eerily and she couldn’t hear anymore. She already knew the truth, but to hear it stated so painfully clear, it was a whole new level of pain. Those words so cruelly embedded like daggers into her body. She knew she wouldn’t ever compare… she knew, but why did it hurt so badly?

She had turned and quickly ran off. She couldn’t fault them being so truthful. It wasn’t like she never heard that. Most men stayed well away from her, because their ego and pride would never recover. She had heard it all.

Somehow, she managed to bury the pain deep within her, just like everything else. She felt like a coffin already buried deep in the ground. Sometimes, she wished for death. At least, in death, she might find peace from the pain. She could almost hear Sterling telling her that she should’ve just allowed Kian to reject to end the heartbreak.

At least then, she could move on, but now, her life was entangled with his. She had gained what she wanted, right? She was his trusted Beta. She was his strongest warrior. It was enough for her. It really was. She felt like a hypocrite for yelling at him for needing to do what was best for the pack when all she wanted was a new start and new life far away from here.

But no matter how much it hurt to hear his words, she knew she couldn’t abandon him. She couldn’t so she’d suffer more in silence. Something needed to change though. She wondered if maybe freeing the both of them to find their second chance mates would be best.

It had been a week since and she had a week to think it all over. She couldn’t bring herself to share her pain with Sterling and Poppy. She didn’t want anyone to know what she already knew. Sterling and Poppy already pitied her and she didn’t need anymore pity. She decided after tonight’s Elder Council’s meeting that she would finally tell him her greatest secret and they would reject one another. Maybe then, he could finally take Mia as his Luna once and for all.

* * *

Yes, Kian wanted Elder Richmond’s head on a platter, because he was this close to losing control.

“What is your decision?” the old wolf asked.

That was his decision. He wanted his head on a plate on platter. Of course, that wasn’t an acceptable answer so he begrudgingly kept that to himself. He eyed the man before his eyes swept around to the other Elders. He noticed both his mother and father there. They were the only ones that look on nervously, because the air in the room was stifling. He wanted to make them proud, but he hated that the Elder Council had become more powerful than an Alpha’s right to lead as they see fit.

“I won’t give up my fated mate,” he finally stated plainly. A murmur rose to a hum of voices as the Elders started talking amongst themselves. “I’ve seen what can happen if chosen mates are forced together. We’ve also seen other packs completely destroyed by chosen mates and their fated mates finally appearing.”

Elder Richmond was about to speak, but it was Elder Runa that held up her hand to silence him. The former Luna searched his eyes for a moment as if she was trying to look into his soul.

“Kian, you still need an heir of your actual bloodline. That hasn’t changed. How are you supposed to accomplish this without a Luna?” she asked him.

Kian had been expecting this so a small smile tipped up the corners of his mouth.

“Modern means,” he revealed. He looked up and nodded his head at Sebastian. He watched his Beta quickly open up the door and Raina’s twin sister, Sterling, walked in purposefully. “Dr. Lynsey has been very helpful with coming up with a solution to ensure a future heir.”

He noticed the look of surprise on Raina’s face. He felt bad for not sharing with her the secret way he was hoping to accomplish appeasing the Elder Council without selling his soul to them at the same time. It had been Sterling that had come into his office this morning when he was speaking with Sebastian to offer this rather unique but possible solution.

He met Sterling’s eyes when she glanced over him waiting for him to allow her to explain her solution. He gave her a nod and she looked ahead at the Elder Council with her head held high. He couldn’t help but admire her confidence, just like her twin sister.

“You require a blood heir, correct?” she asked and the Elder Council nodded. “Instead of forcing Alphas to take a Luna to produce an heir, we can utilize modern medical procedures to ensure the bloodline is secured. What I propose is that we use IVF and surrogacy.”

Elder Richmond snorted. “Medical procedures? How asinine is this?”

Sterling’s frosty exterior sparked before Kian’s eyes and he smirked at the familiar fire.

“Asinine did you say?” she asked dryly. “Isn’t it asinine to force Alphas into arranged matches when their fated match hasn’t showed up yet? That’s truly asinine. We all know Alphas and their fated mates share a more powerful bond than us average folk. We all know how dangerous that can be if you stand in their way.”

Her sharp eyes scanned the Elder Council’s faces. They all had the grace to look uncomfortable. Was it a family trait to be intimidating? Kian thought to himself amused at the similarities. He found himself glancing over at Raina who had a smirk on her face at her sister’s comments and how well she handled the Elder Council.

“This procedure is safe and can be done in-house,” she told them confidently. “My mate and I are very well equipped to handle both procedures. The child will still is his heir and his blood. We will just need to find a suitable female that will produce the egg as well as surrogate to carry the child to term.”

Elder Runa looked over at Kian thoughtfully. “Okay. Let’s say we go along with this scenario, who would you choose to be your candidate to produce the egg? Do you have someone in mind?”

“Yes,” he said.

Everyone, including Sterling, looked over at him in surprise except Sebastian, who had huge smile on his face. His eyes then drifted to his other Beta. Raina’s eyes met Sebastian’s then she glanced over at Kian and he held her gaze until confusion started to cloud them.

What’re you two up to? she whispered into his mind.

He chuckled into his mind. Trust me.

“I only trust one woman with my life,” he said honestly as he shifted his attention away and addressed the Elder Council. “If you forced me to choose a mate, I would’ve chosen her anyway, but I don’t want to force that responsibility to be my Luna on anyone over archaic traditions.”

“These archaic traditions are what have held our pack together,” Elder Richmond hissed in frustration.

Kian’s patience had thinned and his eyes burned in his.

“And they need to change with the times. There is a reason why you are an Elder and not the Alpha,” he growled, causing his Alpha energy to project out of him. It forced everyone to submit, bowing their heads to him in submission. “Should I remind you that I am the Alpha in charge and I allow you to advise me?”

“Kian,” his mother whispered gently, trying to distract him he suspected.

He shifted his focus and he remembered where he was going before Elder Richmond had to interrupt.

“Raina Winters. My Beta.”

All hell broke loose.