The Lycan King's Outcast Omega (by Cara Anderson) novel Chapter 108

Sage

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These past days have been a whirlwind of private joy mixed with public solemnity. The morning after our engagement, Alaric gathered his mother and sister in his study. I stood by his side as he apologized, voice rough with emotion, for abandoning them during their shared grief.

“I learned the wrong lessons from him,” he’d admitted, holding his mother’s hands. “About strength, about feelings. About family. I want to learn better ones now.”

Helena had broken down then, pulling him into her arms like he was still a pup. Iris joined the embrace, and I’d tried to slip away to give them privacy, but Alaric caught my hand. “Stay,” he’d said softly. “You’re family too.”

Later that day, he addressed the pack about his absence from the memorial. Standing before them, he showed a vulnerability I’d never seen him display publicly.

“A king who cannot face his own grief,” he’d declared, “cannot truly lead his people through theirs. I failed you that day, but I promise to do better. To be the kind of king who leads with both strength and heart.”

The pack’s response had surprised us both – not judgment or disappointment, but understanding. Many came forward to share their own stories of loss, of times grief had overwhelmed them. It was like seeing the first cracks in an ancient wall – this idea that strength and vulnerability could coexist.

Keeping our engagement secret these past days has been both torture and delight. We steal private moments whenever possible – hidden kisses in the library, secret smiles across council meetings, his hand finding mine under tables. Last night, he pulled me into an alcove just to hold me, breathing in my scent like it centers him.

“Soon,” he’d murmured against my hair. “Soon everyone will know you’re mine. And I’ll claim you in every way possible.”

The thrill of our shared secret makes every interaction feel charged with meaning. When our hands brush passing documents in meetings, when our eyes meet across crowded rooms – every moment holds the weight of what’s to come.

Yesterday at Perseus’s grave was different though – solemn, necessary. Alaric knelt before the marker, his voice steady as he spoke to his father.

“I understand now,” he’d said, his hand gripping mine. “About protecting what matters. About necessary sacrifice. But also about love, and how it makes us stronger, not weaker. I think… I think maybe you understood that at the end too.”

I’d placed the moonflowers I’d brought on the grave, their silver petals catching the morning light. “I wish I could have known you better,” I whispered. “Known the father beneath the Alpha. But I promise to help your son be the king you knew he could be.”

Through our bond, I’d felt Alaric’s heart swell with love for me, for his father, for the future we’ll build together.

Now, watching him prepare to announce our engagement to the pack, I see both the king he was raised to be and the man he’s choosing to become. The nobles speculate about coronation announcements or political alliances,

Chapter 108

but they have no idea that their king is about to shatter every tradition they hold dear.

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“You look beautiful,” Helena says, adjusting the silver circlet she insisted I wear. She’s been different since Alaric’s apology to her and Iris three days ago – softer, more motherly. “Though you should let me add a few more jewels…”

“She looks perfect,” Iris declares, batting her mother’s hands away. “Stop fussing.”

Through our bond, I feel Alaric’s mixture of anticipation and nervousness as he addresses the gathering crowd below. We’ve kept our engagement private these past days, letting the pack properly mourn Perseus first. But watching Alaric visit his father’s grave yesterday, me by his side as he finally said a proper goodbye, we knew it was time.

“The pack needs something to celebrate,” Iris says, echoing my thoughts. “Though if I have to deflect one more question about why we’re having a formal gathering so soon after…” She grins wickedly. “I almost slipped twice today from excitement.”

Excitement hums through the packhouse as wolves gather in their finest clothes. I catch fragments of speculation as I peer down from the balcony:

“—perhaps announcing his coronation-” “-too soon after mourning surely-” “-hear Lady Victoria hopes

“They’re in for quite a surprise,” Iris whispers gleefully. “Victoria’s been preening all day, thinking this is about her. Because, of course, with Eris absent, who else could it possibly be about?” She rolls her eyes at her own

sarcasm.

I grant her a half smile, a fraction of the response she’s looking for, but I’m too nervous for anything more. My hands shake slightly as I smooth the midnight blue gown Helena chose. It matches the formal jacket Alaric wears, though no one’s noticed that detail yet.

“Breathe,” Helena squeezes my fingers. “You were born for this role, even if you don’t know it yet.

The great hall fills with ranked wolves from every territory still here after Perseus’s memorial. I spot Lord Harrison near the front, his usual calculating expression replaced by genuine curiosity. Even Victoria’s father looks intrigued rather than hostile for once.

Alaric stands before them all, power and grace wrapped around him like a cloak. But through our bond, I feel his pride and love as his eyes find mine.

“My loyal pack,” his voice carries clearly. “We gather tonight not just to mourn what we’ve lost, but to celebrate what we’ve gained. To honor the future while remembering the past.

Victoria preens visibly, clearly expecting an announcement about herself. Through our bond, I feel Alaric’s anticipation building as his eyes find me in the crowd.

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