The Alpha's Dark Solstice Claim

Chapter 16 - After the kiss.

Marybeth

I felt the kiss long after Rowan disappeared into the dark. Not on my mouth. In my bones. The bridge creaked again as I finally moved, as if reminding me that gravity still applied. That the world still functioned.

That Alder Ridge was still a town where wolves paid taxes and hid their teeth behind polite smiles. I pressed my fingers to my lips once. Then I lowered my hand. This couldn’t be indulgence. It had to be strategy.

But my body wasn’t interested in strategy. It remembered the heat of him. The deliberate way he had held me like I wasn’t a mistake. Like I wasn’t a liability. Like I was something he had chosen. Chosen. The word followed me all the way home.

Eli was asleep when I walked in. My father was waiting. Of course, he was. He sat in the living room chair like he’d been carved into it, hands steepled, eyes sharp.

“You were gone longer than necessary,” he said.

“Yes.” I sighed, knowing that this time I would have to tell him.

“Blackridge territory?” He frowned while I tried to find the words.

“No.” I shook my head.

“Neutral ground, then.” He studied my face carefully.

“Yes.” Silence.

“Has he ended it?” my father asked.

“Not yet.” I sighed.

“But he will.” I could have sworn I saw hope flash across his eyes, but I wasn’t sure.

“Yes.” The certainty in my voice didn’t waver. My father leaned back slightly.

“And you?” he asked.

“I remain Calloway Alpha,” I confirmed. This was going easier than I anticipated.

“That wasn’t the question.” He frowned. I met his gaze evenly.

“I remain Calloway Alpha,” I repeated. His mouth twitched faintly.

“Good,” he said. He stood then, slower than he used to, but no less imposing. “You understand that when he breaks his bond, instability will ripple outward,” he continued. “Rival packs will test him. The town council will scrutinize him. Humans will look for patterns.”

“I know.” I sighed deeply.

“And if you appear too close too soon?” He frowned, this time looking worried.

“I won’t.” That was the promise I could make. The one I had to make. My father paused at the doorway.

“You’ve loved him a long time,” he said quietly, as if finally willing to admit it. The observation landed softer than I expected.

“Yes,” I admitted.

“Make sure it doesn’t blind you.” He looked a little sad.

“I won’t,” I said. But as I lay awake that night, I wondered if love and clarity had ever truly coexisted. The next morning, Eli ate his cereal quietly.

“Do I go back?” he asked without looking up.

“Yes,” I said.

“Are you sure?” His spoon paused midair. No.

“Yes,” I answered anyway. Rowan’s words echoed in my head. Normalize everything. If we pulled Eli now, it confirmed fracture. And I refused to let Seraphina write the narrative.

“You’re strong,” I told him.

“I know,” he said. But his shoulders were tight. I knelt in front of him.

“If anyone says something that feels wrong, you tell me. Immediately,” I wiped a stray hair from his face.

“I will.” He nodded.

“And I want you to remember something.” I took both his hands into mine.

“What?” He looked so innocent. He was still so innocent. He was just a child. It wasn’t fair that he was in this position.

“You don’t earn belonging.” I made sure it sunk in. He frowned slightly. “You were born with it.” His eyes softened just a little.

“Okay,” he said. I watched him walk into the school building with deliberate steadiness. And I hated that I couldn’t follow. Rowan called that afternoon. Not through official channels. Directly.

“I’ve scheduled a council session,” he said.

“For the bond?” I asked.

“Yes,” he confirmed. My pulse quickened. “When?”

“Two days.” He didn’t sound happy.

“That’s fast.” I was surprised.

“I don’t intend to drag this out.” He sighed. I leaned back against the kitchen counter.

“And Seraphina?” I wasn’t sure if this was the right way to do things, but even if he started this a week ago it would take time. There would be a lot of meetings. The council would have to interview both of them.

“She knows,” he admitted.

“And?” My breath caught at the back of my throat as I thought about Eli.

“She believes I’m making an emotional mistake.” I could just imagine him shrugging.

“Are you?” I asked softly. Silence.

“No.” The certainty in his voice burned low and steady. “She’s not going quietly,” he added.

“I didn’t expect her to.” I sighed.

“Be careful,” he said.

“You too.” There was a pause. Then …

“I can still feel you,” he said quietly.

“Rowan …” Heat flooded my spine.

“I won’t pretend last night didn’t happen.” He lowered his voice.

“I’m not asking you to.” I rolled my eyes.

“I meant what I said,” he reiterated.

“So did I.” Another silence. Charged. “You should go,” I murmured.

“Yes.” Neither of us hung up immediately. When the line finally went dead, my pulse was racing. This was no longer a memory. It was movement. It was the one thing I never imagined could happen. That evening, Blackridge trucks lined the main street longer than usual.

Security adjustments. Visible control. Rowan was stabilizing his pack before he destabilized his bond. Strategic. Necessary. But beneath it, I could feel the shift. People watched me differently. Some with curiosity.

Some with calculation. Some with thinly veiled resentment. Seraphina had already begun shaping her narrative. The gracious Luna betrayed by a past mistake. The Alpha is blinded by nostalgia. And me … The disruption.

I held my spine straight and let them look. Let them speculate. They had no idea how carefully we were moving. That night, there was a knock at my door. Late. Measured. I opened it expecting my father. It wasn’t.

It was Rowan. He didn’t step inside. He didn’t touch me. But his eyes were darker than usual.

“She’s rallying internal loyalty,” he said.

“I assumed.” I frowned.

“She’s framing this as destabilization.” He sighed.

“Of course she is.” I nodded. He studied me carefully.

“You’re not afraid,” he observed.

“I am,” I said honestly. “I just won’t let it show.” A faint flicker of admiration crossed his face.

“I’m dissolving it tomorrow night,” he said. The words settled between us. Final.

“You’re certain.” I frowned. It was a bit fast and not what we agreed.

“Yes.” He nodded.

“And after?” I was almost too scared to ask.

“After, we move carefully.” He hesitated. Then added quietly. “And privately.” My pulse jumped.

“We don’t rush visibility,” I agreed.

“No.” The air between us thickened again. He stepped closer. Not touching. Just close enough to feel his warmth. “If I walk away right now,” he said softly, “it’s because I have to.”

“Not because you want to.” I smiled.

“No.” His gaze dropped briefly to my mouth. Then back to my eyes. “I won’t hide you,” he said.

“But we won’t flaunt us.” I nodded.

“Agreed.” He reached up slowly and brushed a strand of hair behind my ear. A small touch. But devastating. “I’ve wanted to do that for years,” he admitted. My breath caught.

“You’re dangerous tonight,” I whispered.

“I’ve stopped pretending I’m not.” The tension snapped taut between us. He didn’t kiss me. He didn’t pull me close. He stepped back instead. Control. Alpha restraint. “Tomorrow changes everything,” he said.

“Yes.” I couldn’t stop my smile.

“And if it fractures?” he frowned. I knew he was worried about my control over Calloway.

“We hold,” I replied.

“You were always stronger than you thought.” His mouth curved slightly.

“And you always underestimated how much I loved you,” I answered. The words hung in the night air. Bare. Unprotected. His composure slipped for a second. Just a second.

“I never underestimated that,” he said quietly. And then he turned and walked away. This time, I didn’t chase. Because tomorrow … He will break his bond. And the consequences of that choice would begin to move.

And for the first time since I was eighteen … We weren’t standing on opposite sides of the line anymore.