Epilogue
“You want me to what?” Kane asked, aghast.
Caius smiled at him, wide and cheerful. “I’m stepping down as Clan Leader. It’s your turn.”
Caius looked exhausted, but somehow cheerful. It might have something to do with the shaman who sat on the nearby couch, watching every move Caius made with a fond, mysterious smile and joy in his eyes. Caius gave off a heady combination of scents, from the sweetness of happiness to the cloying aroma of exhaustion. Caius smiled at Kane’s loss of words, and Kane had trouble even remembering the last time he saw Caius smile. He couldn’t. “My time as clan leader is over,” Caius continued, and Kane tried to find a coherent response.
“I…” Never in his forty-four years did he ever expect to hear Caius say those words. He fully expected to have to one day kill Caius to take Black Pine, and since there had yet to be moment that pushed him to that point, Kane had expected to remain Heir his entire life.
“I think you should,” Ghost said to him from the other side of Caius’ desk, the little shaman poking about as usual. “Grandpa Caius and Grandpa Shadow have been through a lot. One of the reasons everything got so messed up was because Grandpa Caius was a Clan Leader and didn’t know how to stop being one. Letting go of the position and giving it to you now that Grandpa Shadow is back is a great idea.”
“Yes, thank you, cub,” Caius said with a straight face, though his lips twitched. Shadow laughed from his seat on the nearby couch, the shaman so like Ghost they could have been brothers. It was less in their appearance and more in their behaviors. “Though I think ‘through a lot’ is a mild understatement.”
Ghost snorted out a laugh. He came over to the desk and swiped Marla’s portrait before running over to his other grandfather and sitting beside Shadow. Gray Shadow lifted an arm and embraced his grandson, their heads pressed together as they looked at the picture of Ghost’s mother.
Kane returned his attention to Caius, still shocked. “Me, Clan Leader of Black Pine.”
Caius nodded. “You’re more than qualified. Why else were you my Heir all these years? I have every reason now to abdicate, and you have every reason to take the role. It’s been your destiny for over half your life. It’s time.”
“But what about…”
“What about Wren?” Caius interrupted, one brow raised. Kane nodded. “Well, according to both our mates,” Caius smiled at that last word. “There is a solution to Wren’s predicament. I say let the shamans settle the issue with the youngling. We need not make public the origin of his birth if the shamans can help him find his wolf. Dr. Harmon is Wren’s adopted father—and I did promise to spare his life for another day or so for his help. Now that Wren is here, I am going to let you and the youngling decide what to do with the human.”
Kane frowned at that, but Caius had a point. Wren was fragile and weak, and though he claimed no affection for the man who’d made him, Kane wouldn’t kill the boy’s only parent without talking to Wren first. Caius continued, interrupting Kane’s thoughts. “And Birch Grove and Ashland are both in our debt—the Suarez wolves are safe and on their way home to Worcester soon, and Julian’s treachery and dishonor has been made known. I expect him to be challenged for the rank of clan leader any day now. I doubt his successor will spare him.”
Kane nodded, agreeing. Birch Grove was in a riotous place right now—Julian held control only by his teeth, and packs and lesser clans were breaking off in droves by the day. Julian was still wounded, shot with silver and injuries from the fight with Kane and Caius. Unless Julian was deposed, Birch Grove may not last much longer. Ashland was indeed in Black Pine’s debt—Enrique Suarez, Gabe’s father and Heromindes’ favorite cousin, was quite vocal and adamant in his praise for Black Pine, and especially Kane and Ghost. Heromindes did not want strife in his clan nor his family, so his animosity towards Kane and Black Pine was lessening a bit. The likelihood of a blood feud was growing more remote. Heromindes held onto Ashland Clan by a slim margin, and had defeated a pair of Challenges to keep his position.
The scouts Kane sent out to check the remainder of Dr. Harmon’s list reported back that the locations held nothing living. The first few were empty, but he was awakened by Burke in the early morning hours with reports of new discoveries. Plenty of the locations appeared to be information caches, holding servers and file cabinets full of data. Any place that once held people or active employees appeared to be abandoned in a hurry; word must have spread somehow of Remus’ downfall. No signs of more wolfkin prisoners, though, and Kane took that to heart.
Kane, since Caius and Shadow were not to be disturbed, had ordered everything to be broken down and brought back to the mansion, where it would all be sorted and searched. Anyone discovered, be it human governments or private citizens, who might have been in league with Remus would eventually feel their wrath.
A knock at the door interrupted them. “Enter,” Caius called, and Gabe stuck his head in around the door.
“Gabe! How’s your family doing? Are they ready to go home?” Ghost called from his seat. Gabe came in slowly, shutting the door behind him, and he had some trouble taking his eyes off Gray Shadow. The shaman gave the young alpha a kind smile.
“Um,” Gabe stuttered, but he gathered his courage and came deeper into the room. “I was wondering if the offer to remain in Black Pine was still open?”
“It is,” Caius replied, and Gabe all but drooped with relief. “Though that’s not up to me anymore.”
Caius nodded at Kane, and Gabe’s face lit up in a wide smile. He all but ran to Kane, stopping a foot away and vibrating with happiness. “That’s wonderful news, Alpha Kane! Congratulations! You’ll make a wonderful clan leader, I know it.”
Kane looked in askance at Caius, but the other alpha shrugged and walked away, joining Gray Shadow on the couch. Ghost got up to make room, and the two mates curled into each other, as if they were the only two wolfkin left in the world, for all the attention they paid anyone else.
“I,” Kane coughed, and tried again. “You’re family, now, Gabe. You’ll always have a home here.”
Ghost barreled into Gabe, hugging his best friend ecstatically. Kane frowned, and shot Caius a dark look. “You already abdicated, didn’t you?”
Caius drew back from kissing Shadow, and smirked at Kane. “I sent all the First Betas and Heirs that act as point of contact for the clans around the world an email last night. I said you were the new Clan Leader of Black Pine, and I was retiring to enjoy life with my new mate. There’s an entire inbox of well wishes if you want to get started.”
Ghost and Gabe descended on him, and pulled him from the study. They chattered on about Gabe learning to control his gift of the Voice, and the problem with Wren. The small hybrid was weak, though he was recovering from his ordeal, albeit slowly. Burke’s careful and devoted attendance upon his mate was the stuff of romantic poems, according to the gossip from the betas.
Kane let himself be dragged into the dining room. He was drawn from his chaotic thoughts by a heavy, expectant silence in the large room, and looked up to see the entire clan gathered. Even cubs were in attendance, pulled from school and university. Black Pine was thousands strong, and while they all couldn’t fit in the dining room, a few hundred were crammed inside.
Gabe darted out of the way, sitting with Burke and young Wren, who leaned on Burke for support. Burke smiled and gave Kane a nod, and he warmed at the implicit love and support he could feel from his best friend.
Ghost took his hand, gifting him with a brilliant smile full of love before turning to the assembled wolves. Ghost lifted their joined hands, and shouted.
“Wolves of Black Pine, I give you your new Clan Leader, Alpha Kane!”
The cheers rose in a deafening crescendo, and Kane pulled Ghost into his arms, kissing his mate.
The Wolfkin Saga will continue.