Rejected By My Mate; Claimed By Lycan Quadruplets Chapter 52

Alpha Baron's POV

The morning air clung thick with tension, the kind I had grown too familiar with. There was a faint drizzle earlier, and now the dew on the windows cast a sheen over the glass, making the sun behind them look weaker than usual. I hated weak light. It reminded me too much of the soft-hearted fools that cluttered our council chambers with their indecision. Strength—that was what held a pack together. Not sentiment. Not softness.

I was in my office, the one built into the west wing of the estate, walls lined with war memorabilia and portraits of former alphas—ancestors who understood the gravity of legacy. I stood by the window, sipping from a dark cup of coffee. Bitter. Just how I liked it. No room for sugar-coated nonsense in my day.

"Henry," I called out without turning. I heard the subtle shuffle from beyond the door and knew he had been waiting.

He pushed the door open slightly and stepped in, hands behind his back, ever the loyal Beta. “Alpha?”

“Call Bryan,” I said, my tone devoid of warmth. “I want to speak with him. Alone.”

Henry nodded and was gone within seconds.

It took Bryan almost ten minutes to show up. Not that I was surprised. If there's one thing my son had mastered besides disappointing me, it was his ability to take his time where urgency was needed. But today, something about him felt different when he walked in. He wasn’t dragging his feet like usual or wearing that hangover-glazed expression. He looked composed. Neat. Alert.

“Father,” he greeted, bowing his head respectfully.

I turned away from the window and faced him fully. “Sit.”

He sat, shoulders straight. I took my time observing him. There were moments, brief and fleeting, where I could almost see a shadow of the man I wanted him to become. A flicker of strength. A silhouette of a leader. But then he’d speak or act, and the illusion would shatter like glass. Still, I was patient—more than I had reason to be.

“I’ve set the wedding date,” I began, going straight to the point. “You and Irene will be wed in a week.”

He didn’t flinch. Didn’t groan. Didn’t protest. He only nodded slowly, brows slightly furrowed. “What do you need me to do?”

I raised an eyebrow. That was... unexpected.

“Everything will be handled,” I continued. “But I expect you to attend fittings, oversee a few logistics, and conduct yourself properly. No distractions, no girls, no foolish behavior. You will act like the Luna’s mate, not like a drunk outcast.”

“Yes, Father,” Bryan replied, voice firm but still polite.

Before I could speak again, Henry, who had been standing by the shelf thumbing through some pack scrolls, chuckled under his breath. It was low but deliberate. I heard it. Bryan did too.

“What’s funny?” I asked, eyes narrowing.

Henry shook his head, but the smirk remained. “Nothing, Alpha. Just amusing, that's all. The sudden compliance. Took a whole kingdom’s worth of pushing to get him to act like a groom.”

Bryan turned slowly, his head tilting slightly, and for the first time in a long time, I saw a look in his eyes that made even me blink.

“I beg your pardon, Beta Henry?” Bryan’s tone dropped a few octaves. Calm. Cold. Sharp.

Henry raised an eyebrow, clearly not expecting a bite back. “I said it’s amusing. Don’t read too much into it.”

“I don’t find mockery amusing,” Bryan said, standing to his full height. “And while I may be your Alpha’s son, don’t let that fool you into thinking I’m any less of a wolf. You may be older, but age does not equate to superiority. I will respect your position, but you will not disrespect mine.”

Silence.

Henry blinked.

I felt it then—the shift. Bryan’s voice didn’t shake. His posture didn’t falter. He stood not like the reckless boy who spent nights drowning in ale but like a man—an alpha in his own right. For the briefest of moments, I felt something rise in me. Pride? Perhaps. But I wasn’t foolish enough to let it show.

Henry cleared his throat. “My apologies, Alpha’s son,” he said with a small bow.

Bryan didn’t nod. Didn’t respond. He simply turned to me again.

“If that will be all, I’d like to return to my training.”

I waved a hand, signaling he could leave. He turned and exited the room without another word.

Henry looked at me once the door shut.

“You think he meant it?” he asked.

“I think you need to start watching that tongue,” I replied dryly. “He may have flaws, but if he can learn to control that fire and direct it properly, he might actually be worth something yet.”

Henry looked thoughtful but said nothing.

I returned to my desk and opened the folder that had been waiting for my signature. Trade agreements with Alpha Rourke. He wanted supplies in exchange for new battle gear. My hand hovered over the paper for a moment, but my thoughts were still lingering on Bryan’s tone, the fire in his eyes.

It had been years since he’d stood up like that to someone who wasn’t me. The boy was learning.

Now the only question left was—how long could he maintain it?

Because in our world, strength wasn’t shown once. It had to be earned again and again, every single day.

And I was watching.

Very closely.

I barely had time to settle back into my desk after the earlier exchange with Bryan when Henry stepped back into the study. His face was pinched—mild irritation masked under professionalism, though I’d known the man long enough to read between the lines.

“Alpha,” he said with a slight bow, “Alpha Lennox from the Northern Ridge just arrived. He’s waiting for you in the conference hall.”

I grunted and pushed the chair back with a scrape. “Was he expected?”

“No, but he insisted it was urgent.” Henry hesitated, then added, “He’s with Bryan.”

I paused mid-step. “With Bryan?”

Henry’s mouth tightened. “Apparently, Bryan met him outside the estate while he was arriving. They were already deep in discussion when I went to greet him.”

I didn’t hide the annoyance in my exhale as I started for the door. Bryan? Of all people, that boy who couldn’t stay upright on a horse or out of bed with some tavern wench? Now he was welcoming high-ranking alphas?

I didn’t say anything further. Just adjusted my coat and strode toward the conference hall. The guards bowed as I passed, the doors pulled open with swift reverence. The moment I stepped inside, my gaze locked immediately on the two figures at the long table—Bryan, standing with confidence I didn’t expect to see again so soon, and Alpha Lennox, a sharp-eyed man with salt-and-pepper hair and an ever-permanent frown etched into his face.

Bryan noticed me first and inclined his head slightly. Lennox turned a beat later, his expression lighting with something between surprise and satisfaction.

“Alpha Baron,” Lennox said, stepping forward and offering a hand. “Good to see you again.”

“Lennox.” I shook his hand firmly before letting my eyes flick to Bryan. “I wasn’t aware you two were close acquaintances.”

“We weren’t. But your son happened to be the first face I saw when I arrived,” Lennox said with a shrug. “I asked him to keep me company while I waited. Turns out, he’s got quite a head on his shoulders.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Does he?”

Before Lennox could answer, Henry stormed in from behind me and immediately set his eyes on Bryan like a predator who just caught sight of a meal. “This place isn’t your playground,” he snapped, tone laced with venom. “It’s the high council conference room, not a training ground for spoiled children.”

Bryan, to my surprise, didn’t flinch. His shoulders squared as he turned slowly to face Henry, his jaw clenched, voice steady. “Then perhaps you should start treating it with the respect it deserves. Storming in here barking like a stray mutt doesn’t suit your station.”

Henry took a step forward, his temper rising visibly, but I held up a hand before he could continue. “Enough.”

The room quieted instantly.

Alpha Lennox chuckled under his breath. “You’ve got fire, Baron. I like that.”

I didn’t respond immediately. I looked at Bryan carefully—his stance, his composure, the way he didn’t look away. He wasn’t bluffing. He wasn’t posturing. He was grounded in what he’d said. And it unnerved me more than I cared to admit.

Lennox gestured toward the documents spread across the table. “We were discussing a proposal I came to present regarding a shared boundary between our territories. There’s been rogue activity creeping along the outer edges, and I have reasons to believe they’re targeting the weaker links.”

“We’ve dealt with some rogue infiltration recently ourselves,” I said slowly, walking around to the head of the table. “What’s the nature of your proposal?”