Chapter 45
709 Words
Dominic's POV
I watched Garett organise the pack like I was watching someone slowly poison a well.
He was good at it. I had to give him that. He didn't move aggressively. Didn't make it about confrontation. He just... spoke to warriors. Trained with them. Gave them a sense of purpose and direction while everything else was falling apart.
By the end of the week after the kitchen incident, he had forty warriors who moved as a unit.
By the end of the second week, he had sixty.
Rowan brought me the report.
"He's not hiding it," Rowan said. They were standing in the war room, maps of the Citadel spread between us. "He wants everyone to know he's organizing. He's saying it's about preparedness. About defending the pack. And a lot of warriors believe him."
"Of course they do," I said. "Vivian lost control in the kitchen. She proved his point for him."
"You could stop him," Rowan said. "You could exile him like you exiled Brand—"
"Brand exiled himself," I said. "And Garett hasn't openly challenged me yet. The moment I move against him, I look like I'm oppressing warriors who are organizing for legitimate reasons."
"So what do you do?" Rowan asked.
"I wait," I said. "I let him organize. I let him gather his warriors. And then I let him make his move."
"That's insane," Rowan said. "He's building an army against you."
"He's building a faction," I corrected. "And he's doing it because he's scared. Because the Solari threat is real. Because Vivian's power is real. And because he doesn't trust my leadership anymore."
I turned to face him directly.
"The only way I prove him wrong is to win," I said. "Not by suppressing him. Not by exiling him. But by defeating him completely. By showing every warrior in this pack that I'm still the strongest. Still the one they need to follow."
Kael found me in my private chambers that night.
"Garett is gathering warriors," he said without preamble. "Preparing for challenge."
"I know," I said.
"And you're allowing this?" Kael asked.
"Yes," I said.
Kael studied me for a long moment. "Why?"
"Because," I said, "a pack that's fragmented needs a moment of unification. And the only way to get that is through clear victory. Not through me suppressing opposition. Through me defeating it completely."
"That's a dangerous strategy," Kael said.
"Everything is dangerous right now," I replied. "The Solari are moving on our borders. The pack is dividing. My mate's power is unstable. At this point, a challenge to my leadership is almost... convenient."
Kael didn't respond to that. He just left.
I spent the days watching Garett and using the time to train.
Not for the challenge specifically. But for the war I could feel coming.
Because no matter what happened with Garett, the Solari were still coming. The timeline was still accelerating. The pack was still fracturing.
And I needed to be ready for all of it.
I found Vivian on the training grounds one evening. She was working through forms that Kade had taught her, the same ones my father had taught me.
"Garett is going to challenge me," I said without preamble.
She stopped mid movement.
"When?" she asked.
"Soon," I said. "Maybe a week. Maybe two. Whenever he feels confident enough."
"Can you win?" she asked.
"Yes," I said. And I meant it. I was faster than Garett. Stronger. More experienced. The only way I could lose was if I let him win.
"And then what?" she asked.
"Then the pack will know that I'm still Alpha," I said. "That my bond with you hasn't weakened me. That I'm still strong enough to lead them."
"What if it doesn't matter?" Vivian asked. "What if defeating Garett doesn't change anything? What if the pack still divides anyway?"
"Then they divide," I said."And I deal with it. And we survive whatever comes next."
I pulled her close.
"But you don't get to doubt yourself anymore," I said. "Because I need you sharp. I need you focused. I need you ready for what's coming."
"Which is what?" she asked.
"Everything," I said. "All of it.The challenge. The Solari. The pack's collapse and reconstruction. All of it."
- Writer
