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He nodded, gesturing toward the door. "Please, join us."

Inside, the other bears rose as we entered—five males of varying ages, all powerful, all assessing me. I recognized Lachlan from my childhood, though he'd aged considerably. The others were strangers to me.

"You've come about the Gathering," Torrel said, not bothering with pretense.

"Yes," I confirmed. "Your presence complicates things."

"Complications can be opportunities," Torrel replied smoothly, his hands clasped behind his back. "Your pack is small, Bayer. Too small to stand against what's coming."

"And you're offering to help out of the goodness of your heart?" Simeon interjected, his tone skeptical.

Torrel's gaze flicked to Simeon before returning to me. "I'm offering to help because I believe in what your pack could become. What it should become."

"Which is?" I pressed.

"Strong. United. Led by someone who understands that the old ways are dying." Torrel took a step closer, his voice dropping to a more intimate tone. "Your father ruled through fear and isolation. You have the chance to rule through wisdom and alliance."

"I don't rule," I corrected. "I lead."

"Do you?" Torrel's question hung in the air like a challenge. "Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you're following Phoenix's lead. Living in his territory, accepting his protection, letting him handle the politics while you play house with your human mate."

Anger flared in my chest, my bear responding to the implied insult. "Careful, Torrel."

He raised his hands in a placating gesture. "I'm stating facts. You're a bear alpha living as a guest in a wolf pack. Your mate is human, carrying cubs that may not survive. Your pack consists of what—fifty bears? Fifty-one, if we count the pregnant omega who can't even attend pack functions?"

"That's enough," I growled, taking a step forward.

"Is it?" Torrel's voice remained calm, but his eyes gleamed with something that might have been triumph. "Because I think we both know that what you have isn't sustainable. Not if you want to rebuild the bear clan."

Simeon moved to my side, his body tense with barely contained aggression. "What exactly are you proposing?"

"I'm proposing that we merge our groups," Torrel said, his gaze never leaving mine. "Pool our resources, our knowledge, our strength. Create something worthy of the bear name."

"Under whose leadership?" I asked, though I already suspected the answer.

Torrel smiled, and it wasn't entirely pleasant. "That would depend on who's strongest, wouldn't it? Who's most capable of leading us into the future?"

The other bears had gone completely still, their attention fixed on our exchange. I could smell the tension in the room, the anticipation.

"You're challenging me," I said quietly.

"I'm actually not," Torrel corrected. "The alpha position means something to me. I just think that we shouldn't be with the wolves."

He was blunt. I had to give him that.

"Until we defeat the revenant, I have no choice."

He inclined his head. "I agree. My bears and I support that."

"Then I formally accept you into the pack," I said.

I didn't miss the excited, indrawn breaths of the others, but the fact was, we needed all the warriors we could get. "I'll inform Isla." I wanted to make it clear from the get-go who was in charge.

He hesitated. It was clear he knew who Isla had become here, but then he inclined his head. "Alpha."

I didn't think for one minute he was sincere, but I would take it for now.

Chapter twenty-five