Page 225 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha

“I hate having to ask you about my father,” I said after I finished. “But I have to know if he mentioned anything about this strange story to you?”

“It’s not easy for me to talk about my history with that man,” she said slowly, “but it’s much easier now than it was even a few months ago.” She took a few breaths, then continued. “I’ve told you more than once, but I’ll say again that Gregor wasn’t always a monster. He and I grew up together with Damon, and back then, he was sweet, gentle, and even kind. He grew up to be a strong, capable fighter and leader, and he was ready to take over as alpha for the Wargs. It was kind of a given that we would end up together—we were always hanging out with each other, andeven though my connection to the spirits wasn’t as strong as it is now, I had a feeling that my future was inextricably tied to his.

“When I told him I was pregnant, he was happy and excited at first. He’d always wanted a boy, and when we found out your gender, he was even more thrilled. But after a couple of months, he became more withdrawn and exhausted. He wasn’t sleeping very well. He took over as alpha for the Wargs when I was about four months pregnant with you, and then his behavior changed even more. I don’t know what happened, but it was like his heart had been replaced with someone else’s.

“He got irritable and angry with me, he’d disappear at night, and he would stay at his beta’s home instead of mine if I annoyed him even the slightest bit. It all came to a head one night when he told me he didn’t love me…or you.” She closed her eyes briefly. “It hurt, Night. It hurt me deeply. At first, I suspected he’d found his real mate, but that wouldn’t have made him treat me so badly or say such awful things about you. He’d always wanted a son, and I couldn’t figure out why he would say he wanted nothing to do with you. I asked him to tell me what was making him behave like this, but he wouldn’t answer me. Not long after that, he abandoned us and took over the Kings’ pack.”

Hatred burned in my chest for the man who had hurt my mother. “Did you see him again after that?”

“No, but a couple of years after you were born, I heard he’d had a son with a woman from the Kings’ pack. It tore my heart to pieces.” She shook her head. “I’m sure you know this, but the Wargs and Kings have always had conflicts. After Gregor took over the Kings, relations between the packs got worse, not better. The Kings were much more hostile toward us, even coming into our territory to hurt us or mess with our things.Peter, of course, rolled over and did nothing, and the pack suffered.

“The pack mother we were hiding was probably the only one left in the world we knew. Everyone believed the Kings had killed her, and that deepened the rift between the two packs. But Gregor had kidnapped her first.”

“What?” I jumped to my feet, and my chair clattered to the floor. I couldn’t believe what I’d just heard. “He took her?”

“Yes, he did. Lucian tried to get her back because he was the strongest and best fighter in the pack. Peter didn’t want him to risk his life for the pack mother, but Lucian ignored him. He tried to get them out, but they were both killed. You and Dom were just little boys when we lost him.”

I picked up the chair and set it down. I had no idea that was why Dom’s father had died. “That pack mother was Bryn’s mother, right?”

“I believe so, but it will be hard to prove that. No one knew she was a pack mother. After she was killed, I suspected she might have been. The pack immediately loved her, and there was her kind yet firm way of dealing with pack conflict. But it was her skill with the soil that confirmed it the most for me. That’s a skill Bryn also has. It’s only with hindsight that I’m able to put these things together.”

“Who was she?”

“I’m sure you will remember her in time.”

“Okay. Who was Bryn’s father?”

“We were never sure. She was as secretive about that as she was about everything else, and we weren’t going to press someone wewere sure was a pack mother for information. I’m waiting to hear from the elders about whether there’s a ritual that would allow Bryn to see what happened through her mother’s eyes. That’s the best way for her to find the answers she seeks.”

“Would that be safe for her to do while pregnant?”

“It should be, but it’s ultimately Bryn’s decision whether she wants to do it. We can talk more about that after the Warg elders have gotten back to me.”

The idea of letting Bryn do some random ritual didn’t sit right with me, but that was something I could raise with her some other time. “So, what about the realm portals?”

“Oh, Gregor was always obsessed with that story. His father told him about it when he was a pup, and he loved going on research adventures to gather books that were said to have mentioned it. I’d tell him it was a waste of time, that there was no way those books would prove it was true, but he was determined to find out more.”

“You never believed in the legend, then?”

“Hell, no.” She grimaced. “If it had happened, we would have other proof than just a legend. And the spirits would give some indication that it was true. The idea that there are other shifters somewhere in the universe doesn’t sound far-fetched, but that legend mentions bird shifters.” She shook her head. “Could you imagine a man as large as you shifting into a kestrel? Or a hawk? I just don’t see how that would work.”

I grinned as she continued her rant. I deferred to her on all matters of ancient wolf history and stories, so I was glad to hear my mother also regarded this fable as bullshit. But this made me wonder…could we use Troy’s belief in the portals to ouradvantage? Maybe there was a book or an artifact supposedly connected to the legend that we could use to set a trap for him? The best way to find out was to find the books he’d hidden. I was sure they’d have something we could use.

86

BRYN

I’d been cooped up in the alpha cabin for three days straight, and I had to get out of there. Night said he was against it, but I promised all I would do was check on the progress of our rebuilding projects. The fresh air would be good for me, and it would show the Kings that I was still around and taking care of them. Plus, I hadn’t been sick that morning, and I even felt well enough to eat a small omelet with my usual toast and tea. I wanted to take full advantage of my strength while I had it.

Tavi asked if I wanted her to come along, but I told her to stay behind so she could continue searching for that account information. She agreed, and I stepped out on my own.

The sun was shining that morning, which I hoped was a sign that I’d made the right decision. I went to the commons to buy something for Night and Tavi. Alphas were given a generous monthly stipend, and when I received mine, I hadn’t known what to do with it. Mom suggested I save it or spend it on something that would make me feel good. I didn’t know what to get for myself, but I wanted Tavi and Night to know how much I appreciated their hard work while confined to my bed.

I looked around for a moment, taking my time to find the best gifts. Eventually, I decided on a stall that sold braided leather bracelets. No one was manning the store when I arrived, so I browsed the goods on display.

There were a lot of beautiful bracelets for sale, some with metal clasps or trinkets attached to them, others with simple three-strand braids, and some with much more complex weaves. I was tempted by more than one style, but when I considered Tavi and Night’s personalities, I knew they would prefer simpler styles.

“See something you like, Alpha?” The deep voice made me look up.