Page 44 of Fated Wolf's Destiny

That catches me off guard. “What do you mean?”

“Not everyone in the pack thought banishment was the answer,” Ryder says. “There were those who believed your grandmother’s bond with a human wasn’t a threat but an opportunity. A way to bridge the gap between our world and that of your grandfather.”

I cross my arms, skeptical. “And what happened to those people?”

“The alpha at the time had no business calling himself alpha,” says Ryder. “The decision was his to make and instead of leading, he fobbed it off on the Elders.”

“In case you missed it, my brother is kind of a hard ass,” adds Lucas. “In any event, the old traditions won out, but times are changing, Bella.”

Ryder nods. “The pack can’t survive if we keep isolating ourselves. We’re already struggling. Our birthrate’s declining, the Crimson Claw is growing bolder, and we’re being forced into tighter corners every day. Bridging the gaps—the ones between humans and shifters and between packs—it might be the only way we survive.”

His words hit something deep in me, a flicker of understanding mingling with my anger. “So, you’re saying what? That my grandmother was right all along?”

“I’m saying she might’ve been ahead of her time,” Ryder admits, a rare smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Lucas reaches out but stops short when Ryder growls. “I don’t know, maybe you’re here now to do more than just figure out how Arthur really died. You’re a vet and your blood must have a different chemical composition than ours. Maybe you can help us find a way to help improve our birthrates.”

“I don’t know what you expect from me,” I say finally, looking back at Lucas. “I didn’t ask to be part of all of this. I came to find out what happened to my friend.” I turn to Ryder. “Did you just growl at your brother?”

“I did,” Ryder acknowledges.

“Why?” I ask.

“Because big brother doesn’t share well with others.”

Ryder growls again, and Lucas goes silent, the grin still on his face.

“You didn’t ask to be part of the bigger problem, but it appears Arthur was. When you decided to find out what really happened, you threw your hat into the ring. Whether you or the Elders like it or not, you’re connected to the pack, to Arthur, and through those connections to the Crimson Claw. You might be able to help us in ways no one else can.”

“And you don’t like it,” I say.

“No, but only because I want you safe.”

I stare at him—his words settling over me like a shroud. It’s too much to process, too much to handle all at once. There is still some residual anger there, simmering under the surface, but so is something else—a growing awareness of my connection to all of this. The pack isn’t just some secretive group clinging to outdated traditions. Some of them are scared, and Ryder is having to balance that against what he knows is right.

“It isn’t an easy thing, being alpha,” I say taking his hand.

Ryder smiles ruefully as he brings it up to his mouth and kisses it. “No, it isn’t. There are times I’d like to banish the lot of them…”

“Just recently, he threatened to put the Elders’ heads on spikes,” says Lucas gleefully, “which I thought was an incredibly good idea.”

“You aren’t helping,” I admonish Lucas.” They’re fighting to survive in a world that’s closing in on them. I’m not sure how I got dragged into all of this.”

“In for a penny, in for a pound,” says Ryder. “You have to understand, things aren’t as black and white as they might seem.”

“If you want me to understand,” I say, looking at him, “then you need to stop keeping me in the dark. No more secrets. No more lies. Both of you.”

Lucas nods, his expression earnest. “Fair enough.”

Ryder doesn’t respond, but I catch the faintest twitch of his jaw, like he’s biting back words he can’t let himself say.

The energy in the room is suffocating, but I push through it, squaring my shoulders. “I’m not giving up,” I say, my voice steady. “Whatever it takes, I’m going to figure this out.”

The clinic is quiet, but the energy in the air hums like a live wire. I stand with my hands braced on the edge of the desk, staring down at Arthur’s notes scattered in front of me. Thewords blur, a chaotic tangle of information that feels just out of reach.

Lucas clears his throat. “Bella,” he says, his tone calm and measured. “Nobody’s saying you have to stop looking for answers. But you need to be smart about this. There are things—dangerous things—you don’t fully understand yet.”

“I understand more than you think,” I say, looking at him. “Arthur’s death wasn’t an accident. The mutants are tied to something bigger. And now I find out I’m connected to a pack of wolf-shifters that exiled my grandmother for falling in love.”

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