Rejected By My Mate; Claimed By Lycan Quadruplets Chapter 96

Bryan's POV

I stood in front of my father’s desk, arms crossed behind me, trying to ignore the weight of his steady gaze. He never had to raise his voice; the silence alone could crush a man if it stretched long enough. And right now, the silence was eating me alive.

“You’ve gone through the reports?” my father finally asked, his tone flat, measured.

“Yes, Father,” I replied, my voice even though my palms were damp.

“And what do you think?”

I paused. He hated hesitation, but the truth was, nothing ever seemed enough when it came to him. I straightened my shoulders and answered, “The celebration is a good cover. Most will think it’s about tradition, but it gives us an opening to press for the deal.”

His lips twitched, the faintest hint of approval, though he would never give me the satisfaction of a smile. “Good. At least you’re not as stupid as most of the pups running around the packs these days. But listen to me carefully, Bryan. This security deal is not a request. It’s survival.”

I swallowed, nodding. “I understand.”

“No, you don’t,” he snapped, leaning forward. The lamplight cast sharp shadows across his face, accentuating the stern lines carved by years of authority. “You think you understand because you’ve read numbers on a page. You think survival is about keeping up appearances. It isn’t. It’s about power. Do you know what power is?”

“Yes, Father,” I answered automatically, though my chest tightened, because I knew what was coming.

“Then say it,” he ordered.

I clenched my jaw. “Power is control.”

“Control,” he repeated, nodding once. “Control of land. Control of people. Control of fear. And above all, control of opportunity. This deal with Enzo—” his voice dropped lower, slower, as though each word was a hammer striking into me, “—will open up routes that put us above every neighboring territory. Not just wealth, Bryan. Influence. We bargain hard, we take more than they think we should. If they complain, we remind them they need us more than we need them. Do you hear me?”

“Yes, Father.”

“You’ll do the bargaining yourself.”

That snapped my head up. “Me?”

“Yes, you. Don’t look at me as though you weren’t bred for this,” he barked. “You’ve sat at my side for years. You’ve listened. You’ve watched. Now you’ll act. If you can’t handle this, Bryan, then you’re not my son.”

The words stabbed harder than he probably meant them to, but that was my father. Every demand felt like life or death. Failure wasn’t a lesson—it was disgrace.

“I won’t fail,” I said firmly, gripping my fists so tightly my nails dug into my palms.

“You’d better not.” His voice softened, but the weight behind it only grew heavier. “When you face Enzo, remember this: he’s young, but not foolish. He has power, but he hasn’t been tested the way I have. You exploit that. Make him believe you admire him. Flatter him. Let him think he’s in control—then take it from him. You understand?”

I nodded again. “Yes.”

My father leaned back, eyes narrowing. “Good. And don’t let that woman embarrass you.”

My brows furrowed before I could stop them. “Irene?”

He scoffed. “Do you think I don’t see it? She looks at Enzo as though he’s some kind of god walking the earth. It’s pathetic. Don’t you dare allow her foolishness to undermine you in front of him. If she opens her mouth at the wrong time, you shut it for her.”

I bowed my head slightly, hiding the way my jaw clenched. “Yes, Father.”

He waved a dismissive hand. “Go. You have work to do. Don’t waste my time standing here.”

I bowed again and turned on my heel, the back of my neck prickling under his watchful stare until the office door closed behind me. Only then did I allow myself a single deep breath.

His words echoed in my skull like a drumbeat: *Power is control. Flatter him. Then take it from him. Don’t let Irene embarrass you.*

I walked quickly down the hall, past the portraits of our ancestors glaring from their golden frames, until I reached the guest chambers where Irene was getting ready. I paused outside the door, grounding myself. If there was one person who could throw everything off balance, it was her.

I opened the door without knocking.

Irene was standing by the mirror, fastening her earrings, her golden dress shimmering under the light. Her long curls framed her face as though she were preparing to seduce the moon itself. When she noticed me in the mirror, her lips curved into a smile that I instantly distrusted.

“You’re early,” she said smoothly.

“I came to warn you,” I replied, shutting the door behind me.

Her brow arched. “Warn me?”

I strode closer, lowering my voice. “Don’t you dare disgrace me today. I know the way you look at Enzo. I know what’s going on in your head. You will not flutter your lashes at him or giggle like some pup in heat. You will stand there and support me, as you’re supposed to.”

Her smile widened, sharp and taunting. “Oh, Bryan. Always so paranoid.”

“Don’t play with me,” I growled, stepping closer. “Do you think I don’t see it? The way your eyes follow him, the way you hang onto every word he says? Is it him you want—or the power he carries on his shoulders?”

She finally turned fully to face me, folding her arms. “Does it matter?”

“Yes,” I snapped. “Because whichever it is, you will not make a fool of me in front of him. My father gave me strict instructions, and if you think I’ll let your… infatuation ruin everything, you’re wrong.”

Her lips parted in mock innocence. “Infatuation? What a strong word. Maybe I just admire him. Maybe I think he’s more of a leader than you could ever be.”

The words struck like a blade, but I refused to let her see me flinch. “Say that again, and I swear—”

“Oh, don’t threaten me, Bryan,” she cut in sharply, her tone finally losing its playful edge. “You’re always so concerned about appearances, about what your father thinks, about control. Maybe that’s your problem. You spend so much time trying to control me, trying to control everything, that you don’t see how easy it is to slip through your fingers.”

I leaned closer, glaring into her defiant eyes. “You think you can slip away? You think you can humiliate me and walk free? Don’t test me, Irene. I will not tolerate betrayal. Not from you, not from anyone.”

She tilted her head slightly, her lips curving again though her eyes burned. “Maybe betrayal is exactly what you deserve.”

The tension in the room thickened like smoke. My fists itched, my jaw locked so hard I thought it might shatter. But before I could respond, a sharp knock at the door broke through the storm.

“Alpha Bryan,” a voice called. It was Henry, my father’s second-in-command. “The car is ready.”

I closed my eyes briefly, inhaling through my nose. Perfect timing. Without Henry’s interruption, Irene and I might have said things we couldn’t take back.

I opened the door just enough to see him standing there, crisp in his uniform, his expression calm but expectant. “We’ll be out shortly,” I told him.

He nodded once and stepped back.

I turned back to Irene, my voice cold as steel. “Fix your face. Fix your attitude. Because once we step outside, you’re not just Irene—you’re my shadow. And I won’t have a shadow that makes me look weak.”

She gave me a slow smile, infuriatingly calm. “Don’t worry, Bryan. I wouldn’t dream of making you look weak. You do that well enough on your own.”

I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to turn away before my temper betrayed me. I opened the door, gesturing stiffly. “Let’s go.”

She swept past me, her perfume lingering in the air, sweet and mocking. And as I followed her down the corridor toward the waiting car, my father’s words echoed again in my mind: *Power is control.*

I would not lose control. Not to Enzo. Not to Irene. Not to anyone.