Chapter 16.1

“I’d hold off on answering that if I were you,” Kalmin said. “I still need to ask the question, but there’s something I want to say first. You deserve all the facts before you even consider your answer.”

He took a steady breath, gaze locked on hers. Nuri gave a small nod.

“Until recently, I had no intention of changing the bylaws on hybrids. It didn’t even cross my mind.”

“What changed?” she asked softly, eyes lowering to hide the flicker of pain she couldn’t quite mask. It couldn’t have been her. Things between them hadn’t shifted enough to spark something that monumental.

“Tyson, believe it or not,” Kalmin said, his brow furrowing as his voice gentled, eyes drifting somewhere far away. “Well—Tyson, and how he reacted to you. I’ll be honest—I still carry hatred for hybrids. For you. It’s been bred into me since birth. But today, watching the way the others looked at you… with nothing but contempt… it hit me. Really hit me. We’re barbaric.”

She didn’t speak. Her pulse roared in her ears.

“I get that the hate started when humans hunted us. But somewhere along the line, we forgave them. We mated with them. And instead of confronting our real wounds, we redirected the blame—onto their children. Onto you. It makes no rational sense. Why forgive the oppressors, but not the by-product of that forgiveness?”

“Not sure I love being called a by-product,” she said under her breath, “but I get it.”

Kalmin nodded. “I guess I’m saying I don’t want to hate you anymore. I don’t want to be another alpha who keeps this cycle going. Purebred or not, you deserve to be judged for who you are—not for who your parents were.”

Her throat tightened, tears stinging her eyes. It wasn’t just what he’d said—it was what it meant. If she had a chance to spare another hybrid from living her nightmare, she’d take it. Whatever the cost.

Kalmin didn’t need her to speak. The answer was already there in her eyes. He was right—other hybrids might’ve crumbled under pressure, but not her. It wasn’t just resolve. It was something deeper. Maybe others had been broken before they had the chance to become anything more. But Nuri… she had more.

‘Maybe the Fates weren’t so wrong to make us soulmates.’

“What’s the question?” she asked at last. “Because if it’s anything like this conversation, you should already know my answer.”

“Are you willing to work at this full-time?” Kalmin asked. “Keep up your schooling and work alongside me? Formal education alone won’t cut it. I don’t have two years to wait for you to graduate. It’s already a war trying to get the elders on board—I can’t ask them to stall because my mate needs time.”

“That’s it?” she asked, letting out a short laugh—until she saw his expression. “Wait. What am I missing?”

“You think I mean a few hours here and there?” Kalmin shook his head. “I’m talking about finishing the entire curriculum—every class, every test—in weeks. Not months. And definitely not years.”

Her eyes flew wide. “Weeks? Is that even possible?”

“You’ll make it possible. If you’re going to be the face of change, you need to work three times harder than anyone in this pack ever has. I know it’s not fair. But you don’t get fairness.”
A soft ding from his laptop drew his attention. “This is why I want you to think it through. Once you say yes, there’s no trying. No maybe. You’re either in, or you’re not.”

‘Woah,’ Tempest whispered, nerves stirring hard enough that Nuri felt them like her own. ‘How much time do we have to decide?’

“How long do I have to think about it?” she asked, just as Kalmin held up a finger and left the room.

He returned a few minutes later with a white plastic bag, setting it on the desk before reclaiming his seat.

“I’m not giving you a deadline. I want you resolved, not rushed. Like I said—there’s no turning back.” He pulled out two white containers, setting one in front of her. “Eat. When you’re done, we’re going for a run.”

‘Does he seriously think I have an appetite after that bombshell?’ she thought—then opened the container. The scent of Italian beef and fries hit her in the face. ‘Okay. Maybe he was right. A girl’s gotta eat.’

“How often do you let Tempest out?” Kalmin asked casually, watching her reaction as he took a bite.

“Hm? Oh—I don’t know. When she wants to come out, she tells me.”

“Estimate.”

“Maybe… once or twice a week?”

“Excuse me?” His voice cracked like a whip, sharp enough to make her flinch. “Once a week? That was a joke, right?”

‘Oh my god, no.’ Rian groaned. ‘And we’re the barbaric ones?’

“She asks more sometimes, but yeah…” Nuri trailed off, narrowing her eyes as Kalmin stared at her like she’d confessed to a felony. “How often does Rian come out?”

“Daily,” Kalmin said flatly, setting his sandwich down like he’d lost his appetite. “And starting tonight, that’s what you’ll do with Tempest.”

‘I knew you weren’t letting me out enough,’ Tempest said smugly.

“If that works for you two—”

“I wasn’t asking,” Kalmin cut in. “Do you think it’s humane to be trapped in someone’s head for days? Would you do that to a dog? Tempest needs to run. She needs space to be. She’s not just a voice.”

“You can’t make me,” Nuri snapped, dropping her sandwich and going for her fries instead. She didn’t mind letting Tempest out more, but she did mind being ordered around. This was her body. And Kalmin, mate or not, didn’t get to make that call.

“When I sleep, I’m not the one in bed. Rian is. You know why?” Kalmin asked. She shook her head.

“Because I control the waking hours. The conclave taught us—if your wolf gets time outside, even just while you sleep, they’re calmer when you’re awake. You say Tempest is always clawing to get out? Maybe it’s because you’ve caged something wild that was never meant to be confined.”