Chapter 336: A Man Full of Wisdom
Meredith.
"There is an exception." I lifted my chin, meeting his stare. "I can’t break into the minds of powerful wolves if they choose to block it. That’s why I couldn’t hear what you and your brother were talking about earlier."
The corners of his mouth curved into a smile, his lips parting. "And how do you know Dennis and I were having a private conversation?"
I smirked, tilting my head. "You are underestimating me, Draven. Do you really think I’m still the same woman I was before we marked each other? I’m a lot more sensitive now. More... sensible too."
His mouth closed again. He tapped his fingers against his thigh, his eyes full of something rare—surprise, yes, but also pride.
I leaned in, my voice dropping into a whisper meant only for him. "Relax. I’m not going to ask what you and Dennis talked about. Obviously, you didn’t want me to know."
"Meredith—" he began, but I caught his hand, smiling as I laced my fingers through his.
"I’m not angry," I assured him.
He exhaled softly, the breath leaving him with a smile. He gave a small nod, his grip tightening around my hand.
Then his eyes sharpened again, assessing. "Do you want to test this skill on Brackham? See if you can hear his thoughts?"
I nodded slowly, the weight of it settling on my chest but not frightening me. "Yes. If I could hear his thoughts, I could learn his process, what he is planning. Maybe even hints about the secret lab."
Draven leaned back, sinking into thought, his jaw tight, his silence heavy.
I reached for his arm gently. "This can be another option for us. Another way to find the lab."
His eyes met mine, the firelight catching their gold, and I saw it then, the way his pride warred with his protectiveness, his hunger for control against his trust in me.
And I knew he was already weighing whether to let me try.
"You’re already making history, Meredith," he finally said, his voice low but resolute. "You’re writing your name into the sands of time. And nothing can stop you."
The words sank into me, heavy but warm. My chest swelled at his praise, at the conviction behind it.
I swallowed softly and searched his eyes. "Do you really think I will be a good Queen for our people?"
He didn’t hesitate. "I’m sure of it. You will be a great Queen." Then his gaze sharpened, his voice carrying the edge of warning. "As long as you don’t lose yourself."
The weight of that lingered. I stilled, truly considering it. Lose myself. I had never thought of that before. My fingers tightened in my lap as the thought pressed deeper.
’Could that really happen to me?’
"It’s easy," Draven continued, his tone heavy with experience, "to lose yourself in power. In authority. Most of the Elders of the Werewolf Council have done just that. Brackham and his cohorts as well. They let power get into their heads. Now they are greedy for more, and willing to do anything—everything—to feed it."
My heart pounded harder, loud in my chest. For the first time, I saw power not as a gift, but as a weapon—a dangerous one.
I lifted my eyes to his, my voice quieter than I meant. "Then how do you do it? How do you remain a good leader without letting their corruption taint you?"
His lips curved faintly, but it wasn’t a smile of amusement. It was one of humility. "First of all, I’m no saint."
I nodded quickly, understanding. Of course, he wasn’t. But he was still different.
"I’m not greedy," he said simply. "That’s the first thing. I live by the principles and values I set for myself, and that’s what keeps me from derailing into the endless hunger for more power."
I thought hard about that, about how discipline could shape even someone like him, someone who had enough power to command armies.
He leaned back slightly, his gaze slipping briefly to the flames. "And I read a lot. I have studied history, watched the rise and fall of our past leaders. I’ve seen their mistakes, the consequences of them, and the way each of them ended. There are lessons in every fall."
His voice carried the weight of centuries as he drew in a long breath and released it. Then he looked back at me, golden eyes burning with quiet resolve.
"There will never be a perfect leader, Meredith. But when my time ends, I want to be remembered by our people as one of the best our race ever had."
His words pressed against my heart, deeper than I expected, leaving me both proud and trembling.
"There is another attribute that is just as important to being a good leader," he said, his gaze fixed on me, steady and unwavering.
My curiosity stirred. "And what is that?"
His lips curved faintly. "Love."
|Love?" I blinked at him, utterly surprised. ’What is the role of love in being a good leader?’
"Yes." His voice was firm, unshaken. "Without love for our people, I would never be a good leader to them. It’s the love I have for them that grounds me, that pulls me back when power tempts me to go further than I should."
The simplicity of it hit me like truth laid bare. I found myself nodding, the words sinking deep. It made sense—all of it.
He was shaping something I had never been taught, something no teacher had ever bothered to explain.
Just as I thought he had finished, his hand rose. His fingers brushed lightly against my temple, then he pressed his other palm to the centre of my chest. My breath caught at the weight of his touch.
"To be a good leader," Draven said, his voice low and deliberate, "you must know when to let either your heart or your mind lead you."
My eyes narrowed slightly as the message struck me. I let the words carve their way into me, their meaning heavy.
I saw him differently in this moment, not just as my mate, not just as Alpha, but as a man who had walked paths I had yet to set foot on.
A man full of wisdom, carrying more than he ever showed.
I realized then how fortunate I was to be close enough to him to drink from that fountain of knowledge.