I stood beside my brother because that’s where I was expected to be, but my pulse quickened the moment Booker neared. I felt him like a second heartbeat inside my chest, tugging me toward him, and it was impossible to ignore.
Two guards appeared first, escorting him out from one of the side doors. Even surrounded by sentries, he moved with deliberate confidence.
Then the outer gates opened.
“Two alphas approaching,” a guard announced.
The bigger of the two moved to stand directly beside Booker, his eyes sweeping the area once with an assessing look. The other followed a half step behind, coming to a stop slightly behind Booker.
My mate didn’t even glance at the alphas who’d come all this way for him. His attention was solely on me, gold glinting at the edges of his irises.
My lynx purred in my mind, and almost as though he could hear her, Booker’s lips curved into a smirk. Then he mouthed a single word, “Mine.”
Heat pooled low in my belly, and I had to bite my bottom lip to stop from grinning back at him. But my brother knew me too well, and the way he stiffened told me he sensed my reaction.
As more of our chain members joined us, his chin lifted. “I am Caelan Nightbriar, alpha of the Nightbriar Chain.”
The man at Booker’s side dipped his head. “Keane Vetle, alpha of the Wilderness Pack.”
The shifter slightly at his back stepped forward to meet my brother’s gaze. “And I’m Kace Lowell, alpha of the Timber Ridge Pack.”
The weight of having two unknown alphas within our borders made several members of the chain murmur uneasily. Lynx didn’t fear much, but we respected power, and there was no doubting these two shifters were formidable. And Booker stood between them, not overshadowed in the slightest. He held Caelan’s stare head-on, his posture relaxed but undeniably strong.
My lynx purred so loudly I had to swallow to hide it. The mate bond tugged at me again, impossible to ignore.
“I had intended to have a private, supervised meeting between my sister and your wolf before you arrived.” He shot a hard look at my fated mate. “However, your presence has escalated this matter into something broader than I anticipated.”
A muscle ticked in Booker’s jaw. He didn’t speak, but determination shone from his blue eyes.
Caelan clasped his hands behind his back. “Since multiple alphas are now involved, we will proceed with mating negotiations instead.”
A ripple of surprised murmurs passed through the chain. He made it sound so formal, like something from our great-great-grandparents' era, but at least he wasn’t outright denying the truth humming between Booker and me.
The courtyard fell quiet around us, every lynx in earshot suddenly alert as Caelan switched his attention fully onto Booker.
“We do not reject fate.” His voice carried across the crowd. “But neither do we accept an outsider blindly.”
The words weren’t unexpected, but hearing them spoken out loud made everything feel painfully real. I wasn’t sure whatwould happen if my brother didn’t accept the man fate had chosen for me. Rejecting Booker wasn’t an option, but walking away from the only family I had left would break my heart.
Booker didn’t flinch. He held my brother’s gaze with the kind of confidence that soothed my frayed nerves.
Caelan continued, “If you want to claim a place at my sister’s side, you must prove three things.”
A ripple of tension spread through the gathered lynx as they realized he was going to invoke an ancient tradition that our chain hadn’t used in more than a century.
“Tracking.” His eyes narrowed slightly. “You will be tasked with finding symbolic tokens hidden across the mountain.”
Booker’s shoulders squared, and even from across the courtyard, I sensed his resolve.
“To prove your endurance, you will need to navigate hazardous rock terrain for hours on end,” Caelan added.
Booker dipped his head in acknowledgment.
“And finally, if I’m to trust you with my sister, then you must prove you will guard her well.” Caelan’s chin lifted a fraction. “To prove this, you will need to protect a sacred item from being taken.”
Booker didn’t look intimidated. If anything, he looked like he’d been waiting for Caelan to stop talking so he could answer.
“This is not a dominance challenge,” Caelan clarified, sweeping his gaze over the assembled shifters. “We don’t pit ourselves against fate. These trials will demonstrate your willingness to integrate into our chain as my sister’s mate.”
