Rejected By My Mate; Claimed By Lycan Quadruplets Chapter 56

Bryan's POV

The morning after my father’s unexpected praise, I woke up with a renewed sense of purpose—and maybe a little too much arrogance. For once, I wasn’t rolling out of bed with a pounding hangover or with my mind blank about what to do next. No, today I had a mission. I was going to prepare myself for the upcoming council meeting and show everyone, especially Henry, that I wasn’t just some spoiled brat riding on my father’s name.

I stretched lazily on my bed, staring at the ceiling with a smirk. Council meeting, huh? They’ll finally have to hear me out instead of whispering that I’m nothing but trouble. The memory of Henry’s face last night, twisted in pain with that vase hitting his skull, gave me a strange sense of satisfaction. Not that I was proud of the violence… but seeing the Beta, who always acted like I was a joke, finally shut his mouth was deeply satisfying.

“Get up, Bryan,” I muttered to myself, throwing the blanket aside. “You have things to do today.”

I called for one of the younger maids, a timid girl who always looked like she’d rather run from me than serve me. “Hot water for a bath, and bring me breakfast. Not the regular slop—something decent,” I ordered, leaning back in bed.

She nodded quickly and darted off, probably relieved I wasn’t in a mood to tease her. My father’s words still echoed in my head: ‘You need to show people who you are.’ I wanted to do just that. The council wasn’t going to see me as the immature Alpha’s son anymore. Not after today.

When the hot water arrived, I soaked in the tub longer than usual, letting the steam clear my mind. I thought about the council—about the old men who acted like they knew everything about running the pack. Most of them only respected strength and cunning. I had both, but I’d never bothered to show it. That was going to change. I had to prove, not just to them but to my father, that I was ready to stand on my own.

After dressing in a crisp black shirt and dark trousers, I pulled on my leather boots, looking at my reflection in the mirror. My messy dark hair still refused to cooperate, so I slicked it back roughly with my hands. I wasn’t going to try too hard—after all, I was still me.

The knock on my door came just as I was tightening the cuffs of my shirt.

“Who is it?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.

“It’s Henry, Alpha Bryan.” His voice was unusually quiet, almost hesitant. That caught me off guard. Henry never sounded hesitant. He was always the one barking orders and acting like he was better than everyone else.

I opened the door, leaning on the frame with a smirk. “Well, if it isn’t my favorite Beta. What do you want, Henry? Another vase to the head?”

His expression was tight, but there was no hostility in his eyes—just… resignation. He bowed slightly, something he’d rarely done to me unless my father was around. “I came to apologize properly,” he said. “I was out of line yesterday.”

I raised a brow. “Oh? And what makes this apology any different from that half-baked one you gave me before I redecorated your face?”

A flicker of annoyance passed through his eyes, but he swallowed it down. “I wasn’t sincere before. I underestimated you. That was my mistake.”

I folded my arms, studying him. Part of me wanted to keep teasing him, to keep the upper hand. But another part of me—maybe the part that remembered my father’s challenge—knew I needed Henry as an ally, not an enemy. “Go on,” I said, motioning for him to continue.

“You’re the future Alpha,” Henry said, his voice steady. “Whether I’ve agreed with your methods or not, I crossed a line. I shouldn’t have undermined you in front of your father or the others. I’m sorry, Bryan.”

For a moment, I just stared at him. Hearing him call me Bryan instead of ‘Alpha Bryan’ made me almost laugh, but I didn’t. Instead, I took a step closer, lowering my voice. “You know, Henry, I could make your life very difficult for the way you’ve treated me all these years. But I won’t—if you start treating me with the respect I deserve.”

He nodded once. “You have my respect,” he said simply.

I smirked, though inside I felt a strange mix of satisfaction and disbelief. Maybe breaking that vase over his head had knocked some sense into him. “Good. Because I need someone like you to help me prepare for the council meeting. I can’t walk in there looking like an idiot, and you know how those old wolves are. They’d eat me alive if I give them the chance.”

Henry’s brow furrowed slightly, but there was no sarcasm in his tone when he asked, “What do you need from me?”

I gestured for him to come inside. “Sit. We’ll go over the agenda together. I know the council will talk about the rogue attacks, the trade disputes with the northern packs, and probably the upcoming alliance treaties. I want to know where I can actually make a point instead of sitting there like a bored child.”

To my surprise, Henry actually sat down and started explaining everything in detail. He told me which council members were likely to oppose my father’s views, which ones could be persuaded, and which ones were just there to look important. I listened carefully, asking questions when I needed to. For once, I wasn’t just pretending to care—I actually wanted to learn.

As we talked, I realized something I hadn’t before: Henry wasn’t just a Beta because my father liked him. He was sharp, strategic, and ruthless when he needed to be. And maybe, just maybe, he saw a glimmer of that potential in me now.

By the time we finished, I felt more confident than I had in months. I wasn’t going to walk into that council meeting as Baron’s spoiled son. No, I was going to walk in there as Bryan, the future Alpha who could handle himself.

“Henry,” I said as he stood to leave, “if you ever doubt me again, I won’t hesitate to remind you why I’m the next in line. But… thanks for today. You didn’t have to help me.”

He gave a small nod. “It’s my duty. And… maybe I underestimated you.” He paused at the door. “Don’t prove me wrong again.”

After he left, I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the notes we’d made together. The fire in me burned brighter now. I was going to show everyone—my father, the council, even Henry—that I wasn’t just some careless heir. I was ready for this.