Kayden and I were mates.
I sank onto the sand and stared out into the dark sky. Perhaps I should have recognized it sooner. But the only fated mates I’d ever been around were a few of my parents’ friends or council members. It wasn’t something many people understood. Still, as I reflected on everything that happened from the moment I first saw her, I recognized that all the signs had been there. I was drawn to her in a way I hadn’t previously been able to understand. Now, though, it all made sense. There was no denying it.
But what was I supposed to do with this? North American alphas weren’t allowed to have fated mates. The law didn’t apply to any other alphas, but when it came to the one who looked out for them all, there was no higher expectation. My responsibility was to my pack, and nothing could ever put that at risk. Fated mates were wildcards, a threat to the packs. It was a very real possibility that if I let myself be with Kayden, I’d lose all sense of reason—potentially choosing the fate of my mate over the fate of the packs, and that simply wasn’t something I could do.
There was one North American alpha, centuries ago, who’d betrayed the packs for his fated mate, instigating a civil war that had taken decades to recover from. Even now, the number of shifters had never returned to what it was before. Since then, it has been outlawed. The law had always made sense to me before. I could never put my mate before my duties, and a mate bond could make a man vulnerable and weak in ways I could now easily imagine.
Even now, rage that she’d been harmed still burned through me. I would do anything for Kayden—and that was extremely dangerous.
Going into the Contention, I’d never once thought my loyalty to the pack would be questioned. My choice of mate was to be based on who was best equipped to work by my side and lead. It was all that mattered.
Sure, my parents had lucked out. They were perfect for each other, and there truly was no other woman who could fill the shoes of alpha’s mate as my mother had. But they weren’t fated.
I’d hoped to find someone I could grow to love, at the very best. I’d never counted on finding my fated mate.
I ran my hands through my hair and scraped them down my face, growling in frustration. I couldn’t tell my father. He’d have Kayden sent home immediately—or exiled. He wouldn’t mess around when it came to this—not when the pack’s future was on the line.
The idea of him sending her back to Branson had me standing up, adrenaline pumping through my veins. No, I wouldn’t tell him.
How I was going to handle the Contention now, though, I didn’t know. I didn’t want anyone else—couldn’t imagine myself with anyone else. But what choice did I have? It was clear now more than ever that I had to choose someone other than Kayden, even if the idea of not being with my mate made me physically sick.
I jogged back toward the estate, anxious to be closer to my mate. I would give her space, but I needed to talk to my father and Garrett, and find out what happened with the gas leak.
“Holden!”
I stopped on the trail, peering into the night. Sydnee stepped out from a path winding through a little garden and cocked her head. “Hey, are you okay?”
No, but I couldn’t tell her that. “I’ll be fine.”
She walked closer. “Are you sure? You look pretty upset. If you need someone to talk to, I’m here.”
I eyed her. While I certainly couldn’t talk to her about what was happening, she might be able to help me with something else…
“Actually, yes,” I told her, gesturing to the path that led back to the house. “I don’t have long, but I’d like to ask you something.”
She smiled broadly and came right up to my side. “Of course. What’s bothering you?”
I sighed. “You’re aware of the trouble with the Southeastern Coastal pack, particularly with their alpha?”
“Branson?” Sydnee nodded. “My father has kept me up to date on everything throughout the North American pack for years. He poached one of our own just a month back.”
“He’s been doing more than that lately.” My father trusted Sydnee’s father, so I found no reason not to get her thoughts on the matter. “I’m afraid he might be gearing up for a rebellion, and I want to act sooner than later. However, the best course of action is still unclear.”
“The simplest solution is to remove him from his position, and the sooner, the better.” Sydnee echoed my thoughts, saying the same thing Kayden had been insistent on. “Why wait around to see what he’s going to do when you can eliminate the threat now?”
I glanced at her, wondering if that’s how she viewed her competitors in the Contention as well.
“Thanks, Sydnee,” I said as we approached the front path of the estate. “I really appreciate it.”
“Of course.” She beamed up at me. Normally, I would have kissed her, but it felt like a betrayal now that I knew Kayden was my mate. I settled for a kiss on the cheek, then left her standing there, striding into the house and making my way to the fourth floor.
Removing Branson from power was the clear solution. On some level, I knew Kayden blamed me for her brother’s death, even if she’d said just the other day that she understood. But understanding was a far cry from being mated to the man who’d actually done the killing.
Ultimately, Branson was to blame. Nico hadn’t been the first or the last shifter to die following Branson’s ambitions.
I knocked on Garrett’s door, determination settling in. He opened it and gaped. “What the hell happened to you?”
I had no idea what I looked like, but I refused to tell anyone about Kayden just yet, not even my best friend. “We need to move on Branson. Tonight.”