Alec's POV
"Then what is the truth, Kane?" I demanded, my voice rising. "What are you here to tell me? What the hell do you want?"
I felt Carter's presence in my mind as he kept his position hidden in the ridge behind me. I watched Selena flinch as she kept her focus on trying to locate Carter as her brother kept glaring daggers at me.
Kane didn't flinch. Instead, his lips curled into a faint, almost sad smile. "You're not the future Alpha anymore. I am."
The words hit me like a blow to the chest. My mind reeled. I had been prepared for anything—but not this. Not the challenge. Not the betrayal.
"You?" I repeated, my voice thick with disbelief. "You've been gone for years—and now you think you can just waltz in and take everything from me?"