Page 141 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha

NIGHT

Dom and I went to the training grounds after Jasper and Bryn left.

After I’d instructed a few wolves to let neighboring packs know what had happened to the small pack, Dom suggested we head to the training grounds to check out the competition I’d be facing during the alpha challenge.

I thought it was a good idea to get my mind off things, but it was hard to focus on anything but the feral attack and the hurt on Bryn’s face.

I should have told her, I cursed myself.

I should have been a man about it and come clean.

I’d fucked up with her again. I’d known it would eventually come up but hoped it would be on my terms and Bryn would be in a better place with the pregnancy.

My not telling her had sent her into a borderline panic attack.

The guilt burned like a brand searing into my chest.

It sucked even more that Jasper had been the one to tell her.

Bryn and I had claimed and mated each other, but jealousy lingered inside me.

Jasper would never be stupid enough to try to get between an alpha and his soulmate, but it irked me, anyway.

I was a mess of pent-up emotion and aggression and had no easy way to deal with it.

I tried to shake myself out of it. Bryn and I would talk more later—no use in getting all worked up about it now.

I tried to keep an eye on the Kings’ fighters. My men were also sparring, but none of them would try for the alpha spot. Only the Kings would be getting in the ring with me. I would take Tavi’s suggestion to heart and train in full view, but I wanted to scope out the competition first.

“Have you heard anything about which men will be participating?” I asked Dom.

“Not as much as I would’ve thought,” he said. “The Kings have been pretty tight-lipped about it, but I did hear from the elders that the Redwolfs came into power in the last alpha challenge.”

“Interesting.”

Dom nodded toward a brown-haired kid who seemed to have the most skill. I put him in his early twenties. Every punch and kick he threw had deadly precision. It surprised me that he was so agile when he had about the same muscle mass as Dom.

“That’s Lance,” he said. “He’s supposed to be the Kings’ best fighter.”

“What’s his story?”

“Don’t know. I asked around about him, but no one had much to say. He’s twenty-three, and he wasn’t born into the pack. Apparently, Troy found him seven years ago and recruited him into the pack, but he’s been a mystery ever since.”

I frowned. Troy had personally brought in this kid? That meant Lance had a connection to Troy and was possibly loyal to the Redwolfs.

“He’s good,” I said, watching Lance grapple with a guy almost a foot taller than him. In seconds, he had taken the guy to the ground.

“He is,” Dom agreed. “To be honest, Night, his fighting style reminds me of you when you were younger.”

“Sure,” I scoffed.

“I thought you’d say that.” He chuckled. “Anyway, it bothers me that no one seems to know anything about him. Not a single wolf could tell me his last name.”

“Dig deeper,” I said. “This guy is an unknown, and we can’t ignore that he might still have a connection to Troy.”

“I’ll do that.”

“Any other fighters who plan on competing?” I asked.

“Xavier is the next pack favorite.”

I followed Dom’s gaze to a man who was about my height and build. He was older, probably in his forties, and the hair above the nape of his neck was shaved, leaving enough up top for him to put into a small bun.

“He was one of Gregor’s personal guards and had been since he was twenty-five. It was like pulling teeth to get anyone to talk about him, but those who were willing said Xavier is ruthless and excessively violent.”

I could see as much from the kick he planted in the chest of his sparring partner. The man fell to the ground with a thud, gasping for breath. He struggled to get up, but Xavier put his foot on his shoulder and pushed him down again.

Other wolves were waiting to spar with Xavier, but their faces told me they didn’t want to. I bet he’d left many of them with serious injuries.

“He believes the Kings need to be a small, powerful pack instead of a larger one,” Dom told me. “And he’s been open about how he plans to cull half his own pack to achieve that goal.”

My upper lip curled back in disgust. “He sounds like an idiot. A dangerous idiot.” I leaned close to Dom. “Have our men keep an eye on him and the wolves he hangs around. They might also be in league with Troy.”

“Of course. Need me to do anything else? Any work you want me to take off your plate?”

“Not right now.” I had a lot going on, but I was dealing with it. My biggest problem right now was how my conversation with Bryn would go. I was certain I’d really hurt her this time. My wolf whined inside me. He hated when we fought.

“Xavier and Lance are high-priority right now,” I told Dom. “But I’ll let you know if I need you to do more.”

“Sounds good.”

We watched the fighters a bit longer, and then because I wanted to distract myself from my thoughts, I asked, “So, how have things been with you and Tavi? Have you seen her since the dinner?”

“Not really.” He put his hands into his pockets. “After dinner, we walked around the compound and got some dessert at the commons, but I haven’t had a chance to spend time with her since then. She’s determined to look through the Redwolfs’ documents and says she doesn’t have much free time.”

I heard the slight hurt in Dom’s tone. It still felt a little weird to think of him and my sister as a couple, but as Dom’s friend, I wished I could do something for him.

The reality was that only they could work it out, and if Tavi said she was too busy or wasn’t ready to spend more time with him, there wasn’t much he or I could do about it.

“I guess the best thing is to give her the space she needs for now,” I said. “She’s made a lot of progress, but she still needs time.”

“I know, it’s just tough. I…I miss her.” He shook his head as if trying to physically shake off his pain. “Anyway, I should probably head back to check on the rebuilding project.”

“I’m going to spar with Vince. I’ve got some stuff I want to work out.”

Dom and I hugged goodbye, and I went into the ring. Vince’s partner was taking a break, so when I offered to take his place, Vince agreed.

“Don’t go too easy on me, Alpha Night,” he said as we squared off.

I grinned. “I won’t go too hard on you, either, kid.” I just wanted to let off some steam and get in a good workout; I wasn’t going to leave more than a bruise on one of my best men.

As Vince and I traded blows, I kept an eye on Xavier and Lance to note their style. I didn’t want to make it obvious that I was watching them, and Vince provided good cover.

“Keep your elbow pulled more toward your chest when you go to punch,” I said to Vince, blocking one of his fists. “You’ll be able to put more power behind it.”

“Thanks, Alpha.” He tried it again, and when I blocked, I felt the hit vibrate up my arm.

“Good,” I said. “Just like that.”

We sparred for another minute, and then Vince spoke again. “Alpha Night, there’s something I wanted to tell you.”

I ducked under his kick. “What is it?”

“I got back from our compound yesterday, and while I was there, I heard rumors that the council might be looking for a new alpha if your takeover doesn’t work.”

“Were you able to verify the rumor?” I asked, keeping my expression as neutral as possible.

“No, nothing concrete. Just rumors.” He hesitated, then added, “I wanted to tell you about it as soon as I could. Most of us are rooting for you, Alpha. Not whoever the council has in mind.”

“I appreciate that, Vince.” I caught his arm, twisted it, and tossed him to the ground over my shoulder. It wasn’t a powerful takedown, but he blinked up at me in surprise. I helped him to his feet. “Do you have any idea who they might be looking at to challenge me?”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry I don’t have more for you.”

“That’s alright. Keep an ear on the ground for me, would you? And let me know if you learn anything else.”

“Of course, Alpha. I’ve got your back.”

I wasn’t shocked to hear the council was coming up with a backup plan in case I didn’t follow through with their wishes. They knew I wouldn’t give up my position without a fight, so whomever they had in mind to take my place would have to be a real threat.

Sparring with Vince allowed me to let off some steam, but I still wasn’t ready to face Bryn. Still, she and I had talked about going to Samuel’s house together. I would follow through, even if we were in the middle of a fight.

I went up to the alpha cabin, but before I opened the door, I heard Bryn’s voice behind me.

“Night.”

I turned to see her coming my way. The sun chose that moment to move out from behind the clouds, just long enough to bring the shine out of her hair and accentuate the gold hue of her skin. She was so beautiful, my heart twisted. I wanted to take her in my arms, but I didn’t.

“Hey,” I said. “Did you go somewhere else?”

“Yeah, I went to see my mom. We just…talked.”

“Oh.” A chilly breeze intensified the silence that settled over us. There were only a few feet between us, but the distance seemed so wide. I ran my fingers through my hair.

“So, are you ready to go?” I asked.

“To talk to Samuel and his family? Yeah. I’m ready.”

We set off with that chilly breeze drifting between us.

“We need to be delicate,” Bryn said as we walked. “From what Tavi told me, he’s pretty fragile.”

I nodded. “Do you want to take the lead on the questions?”

She hesitated, then said, “That might be for the best.”

“Sure. I agree.” I paused. “Did you know Samuel?”

“Not really. I’m a couple of years older than him. His parents, Adam and Cathy, seemed like nice enough folks. Normal, you know?”

“Yeah.”

“After Samuel experienced whatever he experienced, they were much more withdrawn. I don’t think I’ve seen more than a glimpse of them in years.”