Page 185 of Dead Girls Don’t Forget

“I renounce the title,” Jackson said, voice steady and clear. “You’re Christopher’s son. The rightful heir. The pack is yours if you want it.”

Noah stared at him, stunned. The aggression in his stance faltered. He hadn’t come prepared for this. He had come ready for a fight, not a surrender.

Jackson stayed on one knee, throat still exposed. “I won’t fight you for something that was never truly mine to begin with.”

The silence stretched, heavy and electric. Noah’s hands clenched and unclenched at his sides. His eyes flicked from Jackson to the watching pack, then back again, as if he was still waiting for the trap to spring.

Slowly, the fight drained from his posture.

He stepped forward and offered Jackson his hand.

Jackson took it and rose to his feet. For a second the two of them just stood there, grip locked, the entire yard holding its breath around them.

Then the power shift rippled through the bond like a live wire. Noah was alpha now.

I watched the two men stand face to face, cousins who had never known each other, and felt the strange, fragile weight of a new beginning settle over the pack.

For a moment none of them moved. The weight of what had just happened still hung over the yard.

“Let’s go talk in the office,” Jackson said, gesturing toward the packhouse. His voice stayed calm, but I felt the tension coiled tight in him through the bond.

Noah remained wary, body still half-ready for a fight. Jackson added, “This isn’t a trap. I won’t put my mate in jeopardy. You have my word.”

Noah’s gaze flicked to me for the first time. He took a deep breath, scenting the air. His eyes widened, shock flashing across his face before he forced it under control.

Jackson positioned himself between us as we walked, keeping me in front while he stayed at my back. The pack parted silently around us, eyes wide as they tried to make sense of what they were witnessing.

The alpha’s office felt too small once the door closed behind us. Jackson gestured to a chair in front of the desk. “Take a seat.” He paused, then gave a small, wry smile. “Actually, this is your office now.”

The awkwardness hung thick in the air as Noah finally lowered himself into the chair. Jackson and I took the seats across from him. For a long moment no one spoke.

Jackson broke the silence first.

“The pack is a mess,” he said. “I’m not handing you a gift. Thomas bled it dry for years. Embezzlement, extortion, trafficking. The investigation uncovered all of it. His tribunal was only three days away when someone killed him. I took over that night to protect Harper. She’s my mate, and Thomas wanted her dead.”

Noah’s gaze moved to me again, sharper now. “You killed him?”

“No,” Jackson said. “But I would have if it came to that.”

Noah studied him for a second longer before looking back at me. Whatever he was searching for, he didn’t push it further.

They talked for a long time after that. Noah asked careful questions, testing for holes or soft lies. Jackson answered every one without hesitation, laying out the financial rot, the blackmail notebook, and the children. Noah’s expression darkened with each new piece.

Eventually, the conversation turned personal.

“Where have you been all these years?” Jackson asked.

Noah exhaled slowly.

“My maternal aunt got me out after my parents died,” he said. “She was convinced Thomas would kill me too if I stayed. She took me far away, to another state. I grew up there and trained under their alpha. He never had sons of his own and hoped I’d marry his daughter and take over one day. But I always knew this was my place.”

He paused, glancing between us.

“Then a few weeks ago word reached me that someone was asking questions about me. I decided it was time to stop hiding and come take back what’s mine.”

My eyes widened slightly, but I kept my expression neutral. Jackson didn’t react outwardly either, though through the bond I felt the sharp flicker of recognition. Brian had gotten close enough for Noah to notice. Neither of us said a word.

Jackson nodded slowly. “I won’t fight you for it. The title is yours by right. I’ll help with the paperwork and show you who you can trust and who you can’t. You’ll need it. The pack is fractured.”