Chapter 4

Chapter 4 Later that night, when Reaper finally returned to the packhouse with little Zara in tow, the four-year-old was completely passed out in his arms, caught in a heavy food coma after devouring twenty chicken nuggets and a large order of fries all on her own. Though a human parent might have panicked seeing a child so small consume that much food in a single sitting, Reaper easily shifted her weight comfortably against his chest. Even with her wolf still lying dormant inside her tiny body, her inherent werewolf metabolism made quick work of the calories, burning through the feast with ease. Reaper carried her up the grand staircase, his heavy dress shoes barely making a sound against the carpet as he navigated the quiet halls of the packhouse. He gently laid her in bed, carefully slid off her shoes and socks, and changed her into a soft pair of pajamas before kissing her forehead and wishing her pleasant dreams. Slipping quietly from the room, he pulled the door shut until the latch softly clicked. When he turned around, he was met with the deeply judgmental expression of Madam Vance. “Madam Vance,” Reaper said, raising an eyebrow at the older woman. “Alpha, we need to talk,” Madam Vance stated, her tone leaving zero room for debate. “Yes, we do,” Reaper replied smoothly. Without another word, he turned down the hall and led the way into his home office. He held the door for Madam Vance, letting her step inside before closing it and turning the lock. They took their seats across from each other in heavy leather armchairs, the office’s atmosphere turning silent and expectant. For a long moment, neither of them said a word, the silence stretching between the pack's ruler and its long-time matriarch. “So, Alpha, correct me if I’m wrong,” Madam Vance broke the silence, leaning forward slightly as her sharp eyes fixed on him. “But my new maid, Maelle Auclair... she’s your second chance?” “Was it that obvious?” Reaper questioned, a faint, rare trace of vulnerability slipping past his guarded exterior. “I haven’t seen you look at a woman the way you looked at Maelle since the late Luna,” Madam Vance said softly, her expression softening from scolding to quiet understanding. Reaper rested his elbows on his knees, steepling his fingers as he stared down at the floor, the weight of the realization settling heavily in his chest. “What are you going to do?” Madam Vance asked, her voice quiet but piercing the office stillness. “What do you mean?” Reaper replied, leaning back and masking his features behind his usual impenetrable wall. “Don’t play stupid with me, Reaper,” Madam Vance said, dropping the formal title as her maternal instinct flared. “You and I both know you’ve been given a rare second chance at true love. But Maelle is human. If you want to court her, if you want to win her over, you’ll have to—” “Who said anything about accepting her?” Reaper snapped, his eyes flashing dangerous amber in the dim light. Madam Vance pulled back slightly, her brows furrowing in genuine disbelief. “Excuse me?” “I’m not accepting another mate, Alora. Period.” “But, Alpha... this pack needs a Luna. Zara needs a mother.” “This pack is thriving,” Reaper growled, standing and turning his back on her as he stared out the floor-to-ceiling window into the dark grounds of the territory. “We don’t need a stranger, let alone a human, stepping into this territory and risking everything we’ve built. My life is dedicated to my daughter and keeping this pack safe. That’s it.” “Alpha, surely you must be joking,” Madam Vance said, her voice rising with concern as she stood up to face his rigid back. “What do you plan to do? Reject the poor girl?” “Yes.” “And how, exactly, do you plan to execute that?” Madam Vance challenged, taking a step closer, completely unfazed by his towering aura. “Are you just going to mutter standard wolf rejection words to a human who won't even understand what they mean? A rejection coming from a man she’s known for all of five minutes?” Reaper set his jaw, the silence hanging heavy between them as Madam Vance hit the exact nerve he had been trying to ignore ever since he first caught Maelle's scent. “Alpha, I know why you’re refusing to accept another mate, and it’s not what you’re claiming,” Madam Vance said softly, her voice carrying a rare, profound warmth that cut straight through his icy defense. “It has nothing to do with your pride as an Alpha or your duties as a father. It’s your loyalty to what you lost—and the fear of opening that door again.” Reaper remained rigid, his back still turned to her as he leaned against the windowsill. “Aline would want you to be happy, Reaper,” Madam Vance continued, taking a slow step toward him. “I know the pact you two made before she passed. You promised each other that if one of you were to die, the other wouldn't just sit back and wallow in misery forever. You swore you’d mourn, but that you would keep living. You promised you wouldn't give up on finding love again.” “That is easier said than done, Alora,” Reaper growled, his voice thick with uncharacteristic strain. The air in the room grew heavy with the weight of his lingering grief—a raw wound he had spent years hiding behind cold authority and corporate logistics. “It’s one thing to make a promise to a dying wife; it’s another to stand face-to-face with a human girl I don’t even know and pretend my heart isn't still tethered to Aline's grave.” Madam Vance let out a gentle sigh, her eyes reflecting deep sympathy for the grieving Alpha standing before her. “Aline wanted you to heal, Reaper—not just survive,” she said quietly. “And whether you like it or not, the universe has put Maelle directly in your path. Honoring your promise to Aline means permitting yourself to feel something again, even if it terrifies you.” “How am I supposed to open my heart to another when my heart still belongs to my mate?” Reaper muttered, his voice dropping into a rough, tortured whisper. “That’s the thing, Reaper,” Madam Vance said softly, stepping closer until she stood right beside his heavy oak desk. “Aline isn’t your mate anymore. She stopped being your mate the day she died. Now, I know that sounds harsh, but that is life—and it is the law of the Fates.” Reaper flinched, as if the words physically struck him. “Your love for Aline doesn’t die, Reaper. That memory is yours forever,” Madam Vance continued, her tone firm yet brimming with maternal tenderness. “But the bond, that living tether, is no more. It was severed the minute her soul passed to the next realm. You aren't betraying her by letting your heart beat for someone new. You’re simply fulfilling the promise you made to her: to keep living, to keep loving.” “I—I can’t…” Reaper sighed, running both hands over his face, looking entirely defeated for the first time in four years. “What does Ulric want?” Madam Vance asked gently. “You know what he wants, Alora. He wants a mate, and he’s already smitten with Maelle,” Reaper growled softly, the inner conflict wearing him down to the bone. “The moment her scent hit the air, he was ready to claim her right then and there.” “Of course he is. He’s a wolf, and he needs a mate. He needs love,” Madam Vance pressed, her voice unwavering. “Yes, you two have Zara—a beautiful piece of Aline that will forever be with you. But are you really going to deny Zara the chance at a motherly figure in her life, when all she’s ever wanted is a mother?” Reaper closed his eyes as the sharp jab of truth landed squarely in his chest. He saw Zara’s bright, hopeful eyes every time she saw other kids at the park with their mothers, the quiet questions she was still too young to ask, but old enough to feel. Ulric let out a low, scolding rumble deep within his chest, siding completely with Madam Vance. He was tired of the cold, solitary routine. He wanted their mate. “She’s a human,” Reaper repeated, though the assertion sounded far weaker this time. “She wouldn't last a day in our world if the other packs found out what she is to me.” “She’s stronger than you think, Alpha,” Madam Vance replied smoothly, stepping back toward the door, knowing she had finally cracked his impenetrable armor. “And if you give her a chance, you might just find she’s exactly what this pack—and you—have been missing.”