Help! I Became A Guy In A BL Novel!-Chapter 179: Declaration

Ronan sat at the long table in his study, focusing on the parchment in front of him. He leaned back in his chair, the leather creaking slightly under his weight, and read the report again with a deeper scowl than before.

The document was brief but concerning.

Leon had been working behind the scenes, turning a few men from the border town to his side. The report stated they had pledged their allegiance to the Lion King, lured by promises of wealth, power, and "protection"—a word Ronan found almost laughable when used in association with Leon. The border town in question was the same one that had been knee-deep in corruption.

It was also the town that had hurt his mate.

Ronan’s fingers drummed against the edge of the desk as his eyes narrowed.

That town had always been a grey area. It existed on the fringes of three territories, and it had long been understood that none of the ruling clans- Wolf, Lion, or Snow Leopard- would lay a direct claim to it. It was part of the fragile peace they had maintained for years. A silent agreement, unspoken but honoured.

Until now.

Leon had always been prideful, always toeing the line, always seeing rules as suggestions at best. But this? This was no border game. This was an attempt to plant a flag where one was never meant to be raised.

Most people expected Ronan to be in disarray after purging the elders. They assumed he would be scrambling, struggling to hold the pieces of his clan together. Leon had likely counted on that too—on the disorganisation, the doubt, the internal chaos. But the reality couldn’t be further from it.

Ronan leaned forward, his gaze intense, as he reached for another report underneath the first one. This one detailed the progress of the newly appointed heirs, young wolves he had selected and trained personally.

Individuals who had proven their loyalty, their strength, and their ability to lead with both heart and instinct. For a long time, Ronan had known the old guard—the elders—were a weakness. Their schemes, rivalries, and thirst for power had done more harm to the clan than any outside force ever could.

He had known.

But he had refused to act. Not because he feared them, but because some part of him still clung to the idealistic belief that he could be like his forefathers.

It wasn’t until Riven came back into his life that things changed.

Riven, with his sharp tongue and warm eyes, who questioned Ronan’s choices not out of defiance, but because he cared enough to want better for the clan.

Now, the elders were gone. The transition was swift and decisive. And contrary to expectation, the clan had not splintered or collapsed.

It had grown stronger.

With fresh leadership and clear direction, the wolves were no longer bound by the manipulations of the past. Their foundation had been reforged, and Ronan was no longer burdened by the weight of compromise. His people stood tall, united under one Alpha. Him.

Leon would find that reality inconvenient. He wanted to exploit a weakness, but there was none to be found. No power vacuum. No confused leadership. No ripe chaos to take advantage of.

Riven’s letter alerting him of Leon’s arrival came late, but he appreciated it nonetheless. He safely stored it, the words written there prove the love and concern Riven had for him.

He remembered what he did earlier that day.

Ronan stood at the head of the room, his presence commanding, his icy blue eyes scanning the crowd with unmistakable authority. Wolves—alphas, betas, omegas—had gathered in haste at his summons, expecting news of strategy, of border tensions, the fate of the elders and so on.

But that wasn’t what they received.

"I want it known," Ronan said, voice low but resonating with a growl beneath the surface, "that Riven is my mate."

A murmur rippled through the room like a sudden wind through dry grass. Some widened their eyes, others exchanged glances of disbelief. A few stiffened visibly, and one man near the front looked like he had something to say—until Ronan’s gaze landed on him. Then he remembered himself and stayed silent.

There was no laughter. No one dared.

He continued. "He will be respected as such. You will treat him as you would treat me. Any slight, any insult, will be taken personally."

The words struck like the sound of a gavel. Final. Unchallengeable.

Ronan locked eyes with Raphael, who was standing in the crowd. Ever since his position had been reinstated, he declared his loyalty to the Alpha. His father thought he was insane, the Alpha had insulted them, and he was so close to colluding with the elders, but Raphael told his father to stop whatever he planned.

He didn’t choose to be loyal to Ronan because he wanted to, but because he believed that was best for the clan.

The questions bloomed behind composed expressions of the crowd. Riven was a male omega. The implications of that announcement were... Complicated.

Was Ronan truly claiming a male omega as a mate?

What about heirs? What about legacy?

They dared not voice it, but the concerns swirled like smoke behind polite masks.

Ronan could see it. He could feel the unsaid questions pressing at the edge of the room.

Was he throwing away his bloodline?

Their doubt simmered just beneath the surface, but not one voice rose to challenge him.

He took a deep breath and decided to ’kindly’ remind them again.

His eyes swept the room once more. "If anyone disrespects my mate, if I so much as sense disdain—" He bared his teeth in a smile that did not reach his eyes. "I will make an example of you."

The whispers stopped. The room fell silent. A silence that was heavy and thick with tension.

He did not tell them Riven could bear children. That secret was his to protect, and Ronan had made his choice. It was none of their business. And even without that possibility, he would never let go of Riven.