Chapter 0076

Being thrown out of Evelyn's hospital room by Gregory Sinclair made my blood boil. I'd made vows to her. She might have been unconscious, but that didn't make my promises any less real.

I stormed back to Blackthorn Packhouse, pacing my room like a caged animal. How the hell was I supposed to get back to her? Before I could plot my next move, my father's voice cut through my thoughts via the pack link. "My office. Now."

I didn't bother knocking.

"You saw what he did," I snapped the second the door shut behind me.

Alistair Grey leaned back in his chair, studying me with that infuriating calm. "As an Alpha, I understand his reaction. You and Sebastian were out of line. But that’s not your biggest problem right now."

I froze. "What are you talking about?"

His gaze sharpened. "You really don’t remember, do you? What you declared in front of half the pack at that hospital?"

My mind raced. I'd said a lot of things. Too many things.

His brow arched. "Let me refresh your memory. You announced—quite publicly—that Evelyn Sinclair is your fated mate. By now, every wolf in both territories knows. Except, of course, Evelyn herself."

My stomach dropped. Shit. This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. I wanted her to choose me before the bond took hold. To want me for who I was, not because of some cosmic pull. Now? The truth would hit her like a freight train.

I gripped the edge of his desk. "Tell me there’s a way to fix this."

A slow smile spread across his face. "You’re the future Alpha of Blackthorn. Issue a command. No one in our pack breathes a word to her until she figures it out herself."

An Alpha command. Of course. It would bind every member of Blackthorn to silence—physically incapable of disobeying.

"Should it come from you or me?" he challenged.

The question caught me off guard. Technically, the pack wasn’t mine yet. But my bloodline didn’t lie—my authority would hold the same weight as his.

"From me." I straightened. "Walk me through it."

Pride flashed in his eyes as he explained: Specific wording. Absolute clarity. The mental reach to every pack member at once.

When I was ready, I opened the pack link.

"Attention, Blackthorn Pack." My voice echoed through the collective consciousness. "This is Adrian Grey. What was overheard at the hospital stays within these borders. No one speaks of Evelyn Sinclair being my mate—not to her, not to outsiders. This is your Alpha’s command."

The power surged through the link like a shockwave. My father gave a single nod. It had worked.

Training grounds were my next stop. I found Genevieve and Nathaniel immediately.

"You’re both on Evelyn duty," I said. "Rotate shifts at the hospital. Skip school, work, whatever—I want hourly updates. Everything. Changes in her condition, who visits, if she so much as twitches."

Genevieve blinked. "You mean... 24/7 updates?"

"Problem?"

They exchanged a glance. "No, Alpha."

"Good. Move out. First report in sixty minutes." As they turned, I added, "I’ll handle your parents."

A quick mental reach to their families smoothed any objections. Their parents’ responses were unanimous: "Whatever you need, Alpha."