Page 54 of Fated Wolf's Destiny

“You hypocrite,” I growl, the sound vibrating through the hall. “Bella is more wolf than your mate was when you claimed her. Your mate was purebred human with no wolf DNA at all. Once I claim Bella, she’ll be as much wolf as anyone. You didn’t see her in that cabin. She fought as hard as both Lucas and I, and she didn’t have the advantage of being able to shift. She didn’t have to be there. She could have remained here. If that’s not good enough for you, I will give you time to leave. Bella will be mistress of this pack.”

Tannis folds her hands, her gaze sharp as it moves between me and Bella. “It’s not her courage we question, Ryder. It’s the consequences of bringing her into the fold. A union between those who are not wolf-shifters should be frowned upon.”

“Frown all you like, I don’t give a damn.”

Marlow speaks up, “What if it weakens the pack further?”

“What if it strengthens us?” I counter. “We’ve been shrinking for decades, clinging to traditions that no longer serve us. It’s time to adapt. To grow. Bella’s part of that.”

The silence that follows is heavy, everyone in the room measuring my words like stones in their hands.

Finally, Marlow speaks again, his tone resigned but resolute. “We will bless this union…”

“That’s nice, but I don’t need, nor am I asking for your blessing.”

The meeting disperses slowly, the Elders muttering among themselves as they leave. Bella rises and joins me. As the warriors of the pack move past, each stops, takes Bella’s hand inhis and rubs his cheek along the back of her hand—an ancient show of respect and acceptance. The other members of the pack stop to introduce themselves to Bella, who gracefully accepts their welcome.

Her eyes meet mine, and I see the storm brewing there—anger, relief, fear. “The Elders will never really accept me, will they?”

“It doesn’t matter,” I say firmly. “But given time, I believe they will, or they will find themselves without a pack.”

She exhales sharply, shaking her head. “I’m not sure I’ll ever be enough for them.”

I reach for her hand, bring it to my lips as I kiss her fingers. “I don’t care. You’re already more than enough for me.”

We make our way outside where the moon hangs low in the sky by the time we reach the edge of the forest. Bella walks beside me, silent and lost in thought. The events of the past few days have taken their toll—on both of us. I lead her to a secluded clearing, the soft rustle of the trees and the distant call of an owl the only sounds.

She sits on a fallen log, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. I stand in front of her, watching the way the moonlight catches in her hair, the way it illuminates the tension in her posture.

“You’re thinking too much,” I say, stepping closer.

She looks up at me, her lips curving into a faint, humorless smile. “I have a lot to think about.”

I kneel in front of her, my hands resting lightly on her knees. “You’re trying to make sense of something that doesn’t fit into neat little boxes. You’re not just human anymore, Bella. You never really were, but either way, it wouldn’t matter. I love you.”

“You do?” she asks, so incredulously that it makes me laugh.

“I do, and the traditional response when your mate tells you he loves you isn’t to question that but to tell him you love him, too.”

Her eyes soften, and I can feel her acceptance and belief that we are fated mates. “I love you, too, but is it enough? I can’t shift, Ryder. I can’t even control the flashes of power I do have. How am I supposed to be part of your pack like this?”

“Our pack, and you already are,” I say, my voice steady. “You don’t have to prove anything to me—or anyone else.”

Her gaze softens, and for a moment, the weight on her shoulders seems to lift. Then her lips part, her voice barely above a whisper. “What if I never shift? What if I’m stuck like this forever?”

I lean closer, my forehead almost touching hers. “Then you will still be mine. My mate. My equal—well, almost my equal.” I say the last with a teasing note. Lucas is right, I’m starting to lose my brooding demeanor, and I find I’m rather enjoying it.

Bella closes her eyes, leaning into my touch. For a moment, the world fades away, leaving only the two of us, bound by something neither of us fully understands but can’t deny.

The moon’s light filters through the canopy of pines, casting silver shadows over the forest floor. The air feels alive, charged with something ancient and powerful, as if the woods themselves are holding their breath. The clearing in which we stand is surrounded by old growth timber. A clearing where the moon has always shone directly down, spotlighting any who stand there.

This is the spot—the is where everything changes.

She stands beside me, her eyes reflecting the moonlight, her expression a mixture of anticipation and fear. I can feel the tension radiating off her, but there’s also something else—a quiet resolve that tells me she’s ready.

“Are you sure about this?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper. “What happens if it doesn’t work? If I can’t...”

“It will,” I interrupt, my tone firm. “Because it’s who you are. This isn’t about proving anything to anyone. It’s about claiming what’s already yours.”

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