Being a wolf, my eyes adjust to the dark quickly, even in human form. I see him thinking over his words. When he twists to face me, his gold irises are easy to see in the dark.
“Look, I’m not trying to be a dick here, but if we keep doing this, my priorities aren’t changing. Hooking up is fine, but I’m not interested in more.”
“I know.” I wish it were different, but Bane made that perfectly clear. He never led me on.
“Now’s no time to get distracted. My goal is to become the next Alpha of the Iron Pack.”
My eyebrows raise. “What, in twenty years? No way Elias is even close to throwing in the towel.”
“No, that’s not how it works.” He hesitates before saying more. “Come on, you know all this already, don’t you?”
“What? No. I’d like to understand.”
He considers it for a moment and continues. “The succession process values strength without upsetting the existing balance of our pack. All my father’s children are eligible to become the next Alpha once it’s earned by combat.”
“Whoa.” Combat? Imagining Bane locked in a brutal fight with his siblings, my stomach churns at the thought.
Bane raises an eyebrow. “What? You think Dad should just select the oldest child and call it a day? Do you think we’re barbaric?”
“No, they’re your customs.” They do seem fitting for what little I know of his pack. Winner takes all. May the best wolf win. No, may thetoughestwolf win. “But please tell me you don’t fight each other to the death.”
“Nah,” he says. “We can yield once beaten.”
Good, that’s a relief.
“So that’s your goal?” I wonder. “To be the Alpha after your father?”
“That’s what I am. I just have to claim it.” I see his quick grin, the flash of teeth in the darkness, and then he sighs. “But I’m not stupid. Winning won’t be easy. We’ve all been training since we were small. The next Alpha is chosen five years after the youngest contender turns eighteen. Whoever wins starts training with my father and eventually takes over.”
That’s why Bane’s concerned about this now, the next Alpha will be chosen soon.
“The fight is sibling vs. sibling in our wolf forms. No help, except for who will rule by our side. That’s why we wait after the youngest challenger reaches adulthood, to allow them opportunity to find a mate. Well,everyonehas until then to find a mate, whether true or not. The strongest pair wins.”
Oh. It’s a struggle to form words. The Iron Pack is severe and obsessed with strength. They view my pack as too soft. Bane’s future depends on picking a worthy partner physically. Does he even care about true mates? What if he dismisses it as sentimental garbage?
“So… you’re not looking for a true mate? You want an ally? That’s so...” Bleak. Loveless. Sad.
“Practical?” he interrupts. “Look, I’m a leading contender. That’s not vanity, everyone in our pack knows it. My sister or me are the favorites to win.”
Bane sits upright for a moment, his spine straight and his shoulders back, steely gaze focused ahead. He looks like a man certain of his destiny.
“But honestly, my oldest brother has a shot too,” he continues, sinking back into his seat with a sigh. “He’s still in his prime, and he and his mate have been training for the longest. IfIwere in his shoes, I’d be a sure thing. Too bad I got the short end of the stick by being the youngest.”
“And you’re still unmated,” I fill in.
He nods, grimacing. “Yeah. Not mated and almost twenty-three. My five years are almost over. I need to find a partner to fight with.”
His words hit me like a punch to the gut. Bane’s priorities are so foreign to my own desires.
“That’s a lot of pressure on you,” I offer quietly.
“It’s fine.” It doesn’t sound fine judging by his clipped tone, but he plays it off. “That’s my challenge. Not much of an Alpha if I can’t rise to the occasion. So yeah, I go out with people and have a good time, but they’re never who I need. When it’s not going anywhere, I gotta cut ‘em loose. There’s no point entertaining something that won’t last.”
“That’s all you’re after, someone strong?”
“Yeah,” he answers without hesitation. “I can’t let any attachment to someone who isn’t suited to be an Alpha hold me back.”
No wonder love is the last thing on his mind. His focus revolves around power. And he’s running out of time. The deadline is looming and he’s almost twenty-three.
