Page 61 of Broken Pregnant Mate
The sound echoes in the suddenly silent ballroom, followed by the heavy thud of her body hitting the marble floor.
Around us, the shifters who can fall to their knees, bowing their heads to Oren. Despite everything, my biology wins over, and I feel myself doing the same.
Oren Blacklock is the next alpha leader of the Grayhide pack.
Chapter 27 - Aidan
Oren turns to face the room, his eyes finding me.
Some of the fury that was there before is fading now, and he seems to register what Dorian was saying—that if Oren killed Mhairi, the current alpha of the pack, he would automatically become the alpha leader of the Grayhide pack. When we lock eyes, I find the only thing I’m feeling is relief.
If Oren happened to kill Mhairi because he was the only one who could, there’s nothing I can do about it.
Dorian is limping through the wreckage. “Oren.”
But once again, Oren isn’t listening. There’s a look in his eyes like he knows he’s made a mistake, and instead of taking a second to think it through, he does something completely unlike him—he rushes into action.
“I relinquish my claim to leadership. Aidan Grayhide is the rightful alpha, and—”
Dorian steps forward, alarm clear on his face. “Oren, wait—you can’t just—”
“—by the ancient laws of succession, I yield to the true bloodline!”
A murmur runs through the gathered shifters—some expressions showing relief, others confusion or outright displeasure. Now that the pink substance is disappearing, the effects are lifting, and voices rise.
“This isn’t the time,” Dorian insists, his voice gaining strength as he recovers, lowering as he gets closer to Oren. “A transition of power must be managed carefully, or—”
His warning comes too late. Several shifters are already moving toward the doors, taking advantage of the confusion. Others gather behind either Oren or me, lines of loyalty being drawn in real time.
“I made my pledge to the Blacklocks,” one man says, still doubled over in pain from the Amanzite incident, his proclamation wheezed through tight lips.
“Grayhide is our alpha!” answers another, sneering. “He is the rightful heir, and Blacklock relinquished power!”
And yet, even as all this is happening, the only thing I can think of is my mate.
I back up, taking her and positioning her behind me, between the wall and the rest of the shifters in here. I won’t let any of these bastards get to her.
Before anyone can stop them, at least half the Grayhide shifters in the room rush for the exit, filing out and disappearing.
Everything is chaos, and I realize why. With no clear alpha to enforce order, they’ll take advantage of the power vacuum to settle old scores, raid unprotected territories, perhaps even attack the Ambersky pack while its leaders are away.
“We need to go after them,” Emin says urgently, stepping forward. “If they think there are no consequences, they’ll raze this place to the ground.”
“There’s no time,” Dorian cuts in, shaking his head, already making his way to the door. He looks up, first at Oren, then at me. “Amberskyisyour ally, but we have to get back to our pack first. Defend our people. Find a way to work this out peacefully.”
The realization sets in. The leadership I’ve spent the last two years working for has been thrust upon me in the worst possible way, at the worst possible time.
“Aidan,” Oren says, turning to me. “We need to work together—”
“I know,” I choke out, tightening my hand on Emaline, who hasn’t said a thing during all this. “I—I need a second. Feel free to do whatever you think is necessary.” Raising my voice, I say to all the Grayhide loyalists, “Do whatever Oren Blacklock tells you to!”
Oren glances at me, then at Emaline behind me, his jaw tightening, and I hear his voice from our little errand, which already feels like years ago now.The biological systems designed to keep our species alive aren’t the same thing as love—which I consider to be a myth.
He knows I’m not jumping into action, so I can focus on my mate. He thinks love is a myth—which is fine for him, but that doesn’t make it true.
“Alright.” Oren nods once, then steps forward, taking my hand in his and shaking it once. Something passes between us, and in a single glance, everything settles.
Oren is a capable leader, as he proves by turning, barking out orders to the shifters who have already declared their allegiance to him. He steps into the role effortlessly, and the realization hits me like a blow: I don’t want it.
