Chapter 87

Neil

I drove back to the Blackfang estate with the windows cracked and the music low, letting the road hum under my tires and the evening light mellow out my thoughts. To my surprise, the overly dominant, controlling monster that was my wolf and magicwasn’t snapping at my ribs, and the knot of tension that had been strangling my magic for weeks finally started to loosen.

She hadn’t rejected me.

Renee hadn’t promised anything either, but her openness and honesty was more than I’d dared hope for.

Never thought of myself as a part of a triad. Never really considered what it might mean either going forward other than being with Renee. I still didn’t know how I felt about Dominic beyond the general respect for him as an alpha who had come into power in extenuating circumstances and practically no support.

I could respect his strength and dedication. Dad said it was part of the Brightclaw blood, much like darkness was a part of ours.

I snorted, wondering how he'd feel about it when I told him. I knew mom would be thrilled for the simple fact that I had been willing to give it a chance. As she would say, the fact that I hadn’t kidnapped Renee and put her in a tower was progress.

I turned onto the private road leading up to the estate, the scent of pine and firewood thick in the air. Home.

Well, a home anyway.

The second I walked through the door, all of my senses were on guard.

“ATTACK!" came a battle cry from above.

I looked up in time to see two small bodies—my younger brothers—launch themselves off the bannister.

Never a dull day coming home.

I threw up a cushion of magic changing the direction of their fall. They giggled as I caught one and let the other latch onto my back like a feral possum.

“Got you!” Tate shouted.

“Get his phone!” Malik howled from further in the house.

“Why are you always trying to steal my phone?!”

“Because you’re secretive!” Malik called back as the younger one on my back tightened his grip around my neck.

I finally pried Tate off and spun around to dislodge Rhys, my second oldest brother, Malik, to stroll in with a smirk and a cup of coffee, casually sidestepping the chaos like it was just background noise.

I huffed, throwing him Tate who only squealed as he flew through the air. The boy should have been born a bird. Rhys stepped aside, letting Tate crash into whoever was coming up behind him.

"Ugh-- Tate!"

"For glory!"

I twisted, tossing Malik off my back and onto the couch like a sack of flour.

“You’re all feral.”

“Dad says we get it from Mom,” Tate piped up, grinning from the floor.

“True,” Rhys agreed, then took a sip. “So, what have you been up to?"

I scowled. “None of your business, and --”

I whirled feeling the presence not so subtly coming up behind me, hand out, conjuring a knife on pure instinct. Marco just back, hands up.

"Jeez, you're on edge!"

I grimaced, dispelling the blade. "How many times do I have to tell you not to sneak up on me."

He grinned. "Tell me again."

I rolled my eyes and walked on, letting them follow me as I headed towards the second staircase which was closer to my room.

"If anyone has been in my room, I’ll hex your hair off for a month."

"I could pull it off," Rhys said.

I made it to the end of the hallway before nearly colliding with Ian.

Unlike the rest of my brothers, Ian, being the eldest of us all, didn’t tackle or shout. He just had the habit of being in my walking path and ensuring he got at least one hug. He spread his arms and grinned.

"Bring it in."

I shook my head and let him hug me. He pulled back, looked me over once, then again, the corners of his mouth twitching into something just shy of a smirk.

“Well,” he said mildly, “you look happier than I’ve seen you in a long time.”

I didn’t answer. Just tried to move past him, but of course, he had to keep talking.

“Tell me that means you’re getting laid.”

I sighed, shoving past to get to the stairs.

“Tell Dad I’ll be changed and ready to go in half an hour.”

He laughed, the sound of it following me up the stairs. I flipped him off over my shoulder without turning around.

Nearly two hours later, because my brothers were nothing if not chaotic, I was in the car, wedged between Ian and Idris while our father sat across from us with his wife. Rhys was on his phone, scrolling and barely paying attention. Our two youngest siblings were home for no other reason than the fact that this whole thing was set to drag on well past their bedtime. I didn’t envy the babysitter. Those two were adorable little gremlins with too much energy and too little respect for bedtime routines.

The car was quiet, but only for about thirty seconds. Then, as expected, our father cleared his throat and launched into his usual debrief.

“Ian try to smile. Same goes for you Idris, and for fuck's sake Rhys do not pick uip anyone."

He only flashed a smile. "I'll consider it."

He shook his head and his wife laughed. "You brought this upon yourself only having sons."

He glowered at her. "Whose side are you on?"

She hummed. "Neil's."

She winked at me and I shook my head. My stepmother had a funny way about her, but she made my dad happy and could actually go out in public with him, so any shenanigans she wanted to get into were okay by me.

"Speaking of… son…" I frowned at his incredibly formal tone. That was not good. "Dominic Brightclaw will be there… alone, as usual.”

I cocked an eyebrow.

"Well, after hearing a few things about his daughter…" I grimaced at that. "And considering all the commotion around his ward… I thought it prudent to warn you."

I stared at him, and as usually he sighed. "Obstinate little -- I know you’ve been summoned for testimony in the Brightclaw case. I don’t want to hear about any disputes tonight. Keep it civil, if possible.”

“If possible? Who do you think I am? Idris?”

Idris was completely unfazed, but we all knew that it was true that he had the worst temper of us all. I just happened to be capable of eviscerating people with a thought.

Dad carried on. “I know you want to get a sense of him.”

I did. More than that, I needed to. Dominic wasn’t just an alpha. He was the alpha. And unfortunately for me, deeply entangled in the chaos that had swallowed Renee’s life with a place in her heart I still didn't understand.

Tonight would be the first time we were in a room together without a professional buffer or a screen between us. I needed to see for myself who he really was. I needed to know if he was going to be my rival… or something more complicated.

The moment I walked into the hall, I could saw him. He was standing near one of the side tables, flanked by two elders I didn’t recognize and sipping something amber from a glass that looked delicate in his hand… too delicate for him to be holding it like life preserver. Our eyes met across the room, and everything else faded for a second. There was just a snap of tension between us, sharp enough to make my wolf lift its head.

Protective. Territorial. And something else.

I exhaled slow and steady, smoothing my expression as I approached.

He turned to meet me halfway. We stopped a good foot apart, both of us watching, measuring. It was obvious that neither of us trusted the other with Renee.

"I’m glad she’ll stop being harassed once the court case is over.”

He inclined his head. “So am I. Brightclaw will be… undergoing a number of changes after the ruling. Most of them overdue.”

There was something heavy behind those words. Regret, maybe. I didn’t know him well enough to tell yet.

“I’d like a chance to speak with you privately before the night is over,” he added, tone quieter now, as if this was a favor he didn’t want an audience for.

I nodded. We broke apart without ceremony.

We ended up siting at opposite ends of the long dining table, and I watched him. I wanted to understand what it was Renee saw in him. She didn't care about money and title. But she did appreciate care. Dominic didn’t seem particularly warm or gentle. He didn’t smile much. He carried a tiredness in his eyes that said he hadn’t known peace in years.

But he was paying attention. To every word spoken at the table. Every twitch in body language. Every political nuance tucked between conversations. He wielded his power with grace.

That had to be the Brightclaw disposition.

After dessert, he caught my eye and nodded toward the balcony. I followed him out into the night air. The sea breeze was cold against my skin. Dominic stood at the railing, watching the moon over the trees.

“I’m going to pursue Renee once the court case is done,” he said without looking at me.

I laughed. “I already knew that.”