Chapter 0364

Zachary

My gaze shifts to Sebastian.

Alexander couldn't be serious.

Not now.

Not with everything happening around us.

"Well?" Alexander murmurs as he places Evrin on the floor.

I watch the toddler crawl toward his brother, completely unaware of the tension.

How simple life must be when your only concerns are food, sleep, and dry diapers.

"Why?"

"I believed I had made myself perfectly clear." Alexander states calmly.

"Your differences mean nothing to me."

He gestures toward his sons.

"They are different from me, yet they are unquestionably mine."

"Athena?"

"Athena knows everything."

"And she approves?"

"She thinks it's a brilliant idea."

"Zachary Black." I whisper to myself.

"Fits you well." Sebastian smiles.

Brianna had always been my only family.

Just the two of us until... then just us again, surrounded by those who eventually became trusted friends.

"You don't need to decide immediately-"

"I'll do it." I interrupt.

"I want this."

Alexander extends his hand and we shake firmly.

"Welcome to the family."

He sends Sebastian to fetch Athena and Brianna so they can witness both the oath and my formal acceptance.

Brianna wraps her arms around me, apologizing for her earlier outburst while Athena jokes about assigning me uncle duties immediately.

"First, you must formally accept the name." Alexander informs me.

"Give me your hand."

"Do you know what you're doing?"

"Absolutely." he assures me.

"My stepmother performed this same ritual when she accepted me as her own."

I extend my hand again and he grasps it firmly.

Sebastian steps forward with a length of rope, binding our wrists together while leaving the backs of our hands exposed.

He draws a knife and positions the tip against Alexander's skin.

"Do you, Zachary, relinquish all past ties and accept the Black family name as your own?"

"I do."

The blade pierces Alexander's flesh, tracing a path toward my hand as blood wells from the cut.

"Do you, Zachary Black, accept me, Alpha Alexander Black, as your brother?"

"I do."

Sebastian's knife breaks my skin, merging Alexander's blood with mine across our connected hands.

"Do you, Zachary Black, swear to forever carry the Black surname and represent Obsidian Howl for all your days?"

A smile touches my lips.

I already feel a new connection forming with Alexander that never existed before.

His hand tightens around mine.

His crimson eyes watch me intently as he awaits my response.

"Yes, I do."

"And finally, do you, Zachary Black, accept the position of Obsidian Howl's Beta?"

"Brace yourself." Sebastian warns with a smirk.

"I do."

Sebastian drags the blade back to Alexander's hand, deepening the cut.

As our blood mingles further, I feel connections forming with pack members I've never sensed before.

Alexander's hand heals faster than mine.

Sebastian unties the ropes carefully.

Alexander's eyes meet mine.

'Now you can hear all of us when necessary.' His voice echoes through my mind.

Hearing a Wolf's thoughts feels strange.

Even stranger is the newfound strength coursing through me.

Is this how Alexander feels constantly?

The wound on my hand begins healing until only a faint pink line remains, which then vanishes completely.

"How do you feel?" Alexander asks.

"Different. How is this possible?"

"My blood." he murmurs.

"But it's not a Blood Tie?" Athena asks with concern.

"Nothing like what Marcus did to you." Alexander assures her.

"Why now?" I ask.

"Shouldn't you have asked that before agreeing?" Sebastian laughs until Brianna elbows him.

"You made it sound like you've been considering this for months." I say to Alexander.

"So why now?"

"You're right." he acknowledges.

"I've been contemplating this for several months.

But there never seemed to be a perfect time to ask.

Now I realize there never will be a perfect time except the present moment.

You were going to take the Beta Oath regardless, so why not offer you what I hoped you'd accept?"

"Now you'll know if I'm in trouble, and I can link you when necessary." he adds.

I glance at Brianna who winks at me.

Neither of us expected anything like this when we came here.

My goal was simply to provide her a place where she could live the life she wanted.

I only aimed to protect the Alpha.

I never imagined something like this would happen.

"So now that I'm officially pack, what's next? I assume we continue as normal?"

"Exactly." Alexander confirms.

"We stick with Athena's plan unless circumstances change.

We'll re-evaluate if anything happens.

But everyone must remain vigilant.

I won't let anyone destroy what I've spent years building."

Alexander scowls, his eyes settling on his twins.