The moment Fenris and Jeremy leave the room, Jeremy speaks fast.
"Why in the moon's name would you lie to him like that?!" he hisses, keeping his voice low. "You should've just told him the truth. Because if he's staying here, he's going to find out. And from what I've seen in just ten minutes? He's hot-headed, stubborn, and honestly... you might not be able to keep him around long enough to fix anything."
Fenris doesn't respond right away. He walks silently.
Jeremy keeps going. "And by the way... I like him. He's got fire. And the two of you? You're perfect together. I mean... Ice and fire... Talking to each other like you've known one another for years. No doubt about it, you're mates. He's just so adorable and..."
"Why are we wasting time talking about things that don't matter right now?" Fenris cuts him, his voice low and calm but not less slicing.
He stops and turns to face Jeremy head-on. "I know you. Even when you throw around flattery, you're hiding something. So just say it. What is it?"
Jeremy's smile vanishes. He straightens, suddenly serious. "Did you get my message?"
Fenris doesn't answer, he just gives him a flat stare that says: Obviously.
Jeremy exhales. "Fenris… I'm sorry but we might not be able to undo what's already happened."
Fenris's brow tightens.
"All the pack members were here yesterday," Jeremy says. "Even Alphas from other packs. And most of them agreed that Callum should be the Alpha."
Fenris stares at him without saying a word...
"You sound like you agree with them," he finally says slowly, voice heavy. "And earlier... why were you standing beside him?"
Jeremy hesitates. "He made me his Beta."
Fenris's gauze snaps at him, disbelief laced in it.
"I couldn't say no. I didn't know how to..." Jeremy starts but Fenris cuts him.
"Unbelievable." A bitter laugh leaves Fenris's mouth. He takes a step back. "The same person who pushed me all these years to fight harder… not to let my brother take the pack… is now standing beside him, telling me to quit?!"
Jeremy stays silent.
"I've known you a long time, Jeremiah." Fenris adds, voice unreadable now. "And I can read you, even when you don't speak. Right now? You're hoping I leave things the way they are now. So say it."
Jeremy doesn't move. "Fenris, I..."
"Is it true or not?" Fenris growls. "Are you hoping I walk away and leave things the way they are or not?"
Jeremy takes a breath. "I am."
The words hang in the air like a blow.
"But not because I don't believe in you," Jeremy adds quickly. "Not because I think Callum is better. I just… want to protect you."
Fenris almost scoffs.
"The pack has already made its decision. Whether we like it or not. If you fight them now, it's going to destroy you more than it saves anything."
Jeremy steps closer, his voice softening.
"What's the point, Fenris? You have a male mate, that alone is going to make everything worse. You haven't even accepted him yourself, you won't get an heir from him. It's just… a mess. You found your mate, but maybe that's something you're meant to keep for you, not to save the pack."
Before he can say another word, Fenris storms off.
His mind is a storm of betrayal and rage. He wants to roar until the ground breaks open. He wants to stop caring, but he can't, he does care too much , and maybe that's the problem.
Maybe the pack has already chosen. Maybe Callum wouldn't be as cruel as Fenris fears. Maybe it would be easier… to give up.
But nothing inside him agrees with that.
He reaches his room and pushes the door open, still furious, only to see Axel holding a phone on his ear.
His phone.
"What the hell are you doing with my phone?!" Fenris snaps, voice blazing.
Axel doesn't even blink. "Mine died. I needed to call someone, just a friend, for a second."
"Oh?! And you didn't think it was important that you borrow me first? Or you want to steal that too and disappear?!" He growls.
Axel doesn't answer him, he turns slightly and speaks into the phone. "Gotta go," he says, then ends the call.
Fenris narrows his eyes, suspicious. He focuses, calling on his wolf's senses. His hearing sharpens, and he catches the fading voice on the other end of the line:
"Okay, you be careful. It's better if you stay in Haven City. Much safer for you."
Axel ends the call without saying anything.
Fenris stares at him, as if wondering what's with Axel.
But before neither of them says anything, noise outside startles them.
Shouting, footsteps, voices rising.
Fenris steps out fast and Axel follows without being told.
They reach the front of the estate. Almost every pack member is gathered. The elders, the Alphas.
And at the front, calm and smug... Callum.
He turns the moment he sees them.
"Oh… Here he is," he says loudly, motioning to Fenris. "Everyone, I just want to say... I don't want to fight over the title. That's clearly what my brother wants. And if he insists on fighting me for it… then I'll just step down from the role you gave me last night."
The crowd stirs and a wave of noise spreads.
One elder steps forward, his voice so loud and frustrated.
"There is only one Alpha now. And that's Alpha Callum. If Fenris was truly meant to lead, he wouldn't have failed last night. He had his chance to prove everything last night, but he didn't. It's over now even if he's found this so-called mate. After all, it took him too long enough."
He lifts his chin proudly. "A true Alpha chosen by the Moon Goddess wouldn't take that long!"
The crowd roars.
"Long live Alpha Callum!"
The words raise like thunder.
"Long live Alpha Callum!"
Fenris stands frozen, his breathing becoming hard. Axel watches beside him, confused and stunned.
Callum glances at Fenris, and for just a moment... he smirks mockingly. It's small but very cruel.
And that's all it takes for Fenris to snap.
"You're free to choose your Alpha!" Fenris' voice rings out, sharp and commanding, cutting through the noise and silencing the crowd into hushed murmurs. "I won't argue with that. But I won't tolerate disrespect. I will not allow anyone to disrespect me!"
The silence hangs in the place, but before the tension can settle, a sleek line of three black luxury cars glides through the gates, instantly drawing every eye.
"FVck! FVck..! You've got to be kidding me," Axel curses out, eyes wide in disbelief. He stares at the cars like he already knows exactly who's inside.
Men in sharp black suits and dark sunglasses step out first.
Then, the last car door opens and a man in his mid-twenties emerges, dressed entirely in black.
His shirt is unbuttoned halfway down his chest and the sleeves are rolled up to his elbows.
A golden chain glints at his neck, and a bold tattoo marks the skin just beneath his collarbone. His whole appearance is too perfect. He moves like he owns the place.
The crowd starts whispering, wondering if he's some kind of mafia boss.
He leans casually against the car, cigarette dangling from his lips though it's not lit. His eyes scan the crowd with lazy confidence. Then, loud and cocky, he calls out:
"Who dares steal my man? Come out and face me!"
A smug grin tugs at his mouth as he sweeps the crowd again. "Baby, I know you're here. Come on... I miss you. I'm taking you home. I'm not leaving without you, that was just a small misunderstanding, you've punished me enough, I'm sorry. But before I go, I want to meet the man who had the guts to steal you from me."
Axel shifts awkwardly beside Fenris, and that reaction tells Fenris everything. This man came for him.