Page 167 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha

I smiled at my mate. It was encouraging to hear her say that, but my worries about the council stayed on my mind.

As if knowing that, she sat up straighter to kiss my cheek.

When she pulled back, she gazed up at me, her large eyes the color of turquoise with flecks of silver scattered through them.

Those were the eyes of the woman who’d haunted my dreams all those months ago—the love of my life, the mother of my child.

Seeing her fortified me. Whatever the council had in mind, I’d beat it for her.

As I pressed my lips to her forehead, I spotted Lance. He was talking to another wolf, but his eyes were on us, as if in warning.

Dom must have seen him, too. “Secretive bastard,” he muttered. “I’ll see what we can do about the Wargs Council. If nothing else, I might be able to figure out how many Wargs are on their side and who might be stupid enough to try and challenge you.”

I nodded.

Tavi gave a small laugh. “It was too much to hope for a quiet alpha ceremony, huh?”

“Maybe so, but that’s not your fault.” Dom smiled at her. “There’s nothing wrong with hoping.”

She blinked at him, scarlet creeping up into her cheeks. When she noticed that Bryn and I were looking at her, she ducked her head. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” She spooned some mashed cauliflower in her mouth and stared at the oak tree as if it was the most interesting thing in sight.

Bryn and I shared a grin. That, too, felt like progress.

After we’d eaten our fill, the radios that were playing pop songs stopped.

Members of the Kings sat with their instruments and began to play traditional songs.

The base and bongo drums held the rhythm while the cornet carried the melody that reminded us all of our connection to the land and to our wolves.

The music called the packs to the large space in front of the mess hall, and a few people began to dance.

Most of the dancers were Kings, with only one or two Wargs.

Other Wargs kept to the sidelines, swaying or nodding along to the beat.

But at the start of the second song, a pair of guitars joined in.

The crowd turned as Preston and Lora emerged from the crowd, their guitars held in front of them.

They played the folksy, bluesy tunes I was familiar with on Wargs’ territory.

The two of them were sweating and smiling as they stood next to the Kings’ musicians.

The Kings faltered at first but quickly caught on. Soon, the music shifted into something that complemented the folksy tune.

Tavi laughed again, harder than before. “They must’ve run all the way back home to get their instruments. Just so they could play some music, too.”

“It took them less than three hours,” Dom said, his eyes wide. “That kind of speed would be useful on our hunting team.”

“No kidding,” I agreed.

“Don’t you dare,” Bryn said. She was scolding us, but the awe in her voice took out a lot of the sting. “They belong here, with their music.”

I couldn’t argue. With Preston and Lora playing with them, more Wargs started to dance.

Laughter spilled out from the dancers, and I looked at my mate.

It was obvious that she wanted to dance.

The next song wasn’t as traditional, but it was slower, more romantic—the perfect melody for a slow dance.

She didn’t know the steps to the old dances, but I’d teach them to her.

“Bryn.” I held out my hand.

She looked at it, a smile spreading across her face.

Bryn accepted my hand and let me pull her into the center of the dancers.

I held her close as we swayed along. Her shimmering dress was like silk under my hands, and my blood rushed through my veins as she wrapped her arms around my neck.

Everyone watched us move to the music. Goosebumps pricked her exposed shoulders.

The sight of them made me worry because it was such a warm night.

“Are you cold, love?” I whispered in her ear.

She giggled in reply. “No. I’m just happy to be with you like this.”

I laughed, then spun her around. “So am I.” I pulled her close again. “I love dancing with you.”

She giggled again, her face taking on the loveliest shade of pink, and I kissed her nose.

Two songs later, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I expected to see Dom there, but when I turned my head, my blood went cold.

“Mind if I cut in?” Lance asked, smiling at Bryn.

My wolf growled. I was a millisecond away from telling him to fuck off, but Bryn’s hand on my chest stopped me. “It’s okay,” she assured me.

My skin crawled as I stepped away from my mate, but I didn’t go far.

I stood on the sidelines, watching them closely.

There was nothing unfriendly about the way Lance danced with Bryn.

His hands never strayed anywhere disrespectful.

Still, my wolf paced around, dying to jump out and tear the two of them apart, but I held myself back.

When the song ended, Bryn came to find me. She kept her expression upbeat and friendly. If I didn’t know her so well, I wouldn’t have noticed how her cheeks had paled.

“What did he say to you?” I asked as I pulled her into my embrace.

“Nothing terrible, but he really burst my bubble,” she said. “He said it would take more than a pretty dress and dropping formalities to merge two packs. He told me that we have enemies everywhere.”

The muscles in my jaw twitched. I tried to find Lance in the crowd, but he was nowhere. Of course. As I looked for him, I wondered if Lance was one of the enemies he’d warned Bryn about.