Page 25 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha

On the final mile of the trip, most of the men and women sprinted ahead to meet their mates and children who had heard us approach.

I was relieved that we’d suffered no casualties, that the wounds we had collected were minor enough that the injured were already back to full health or close to it.

But the weight of guilt settled on my back when I thought about how badly things could have gone.

Changing the plan to kidnap Bryn was one thing, but my lust for vengeance was another.

I couldn’t let myself become blinded again, not by revenge and not by whatever was going on between me and Bryn either.

I spotted my mom squeezing through the small crowd at the gate.

The moment I saw her smile, I left Bryn’s side and jogged to meet her.

Her arms were open, ready to pull me into a tight hug.

She patted my back and hummed a sweet, happy note.

I let her hug me for as long as she wanted.

I’d missed her more than I’d expected, and I felt nothing but joy at her attention and love.

After a few moments, she pulled back. “Glad to see you safe and sound,” she said, her hand warm on my cheek.

“You and me both,” I said.

She smiled and glanced around me to look at Bryn.

I turned to look too. She stood a few yards away, looking incredibly out of place in her bulky, borrowed clothing.

And yet, as I stared at her, the sun emerged from behind the clouds to brighten her hair and cheeks.

Her dark hair lifted in the breeze, and her blue-gray eyes were captivating.

Bryn looked like an angel confined to mortal clothing.

“And who is she?” Mom asked, slightly breathless herself. “A new friend perhaps?”

I rolled my eyes. I wanted to chastise her for the ridiculous question, but I caught the rest of my pack staring at Bryn.

They weren’t just stares of confusion or curiosity; they were also lingering stares of appreciation from many of the single wolves in the pack.

Not even four days of traveling through the wild and being covered in my scent protected Bryn from the attention.

Part of me couldn’t blame them. My wolf, however, was less forgiving.

Though my pack didn’t discriminate against humans, we hardly interacted with them, so the males didn’t see Bryn as anything but a fresh female.

We didn’t have a large supply of single females, a problem that would only be worsened by Bryn’s presence.

I hadn’t considered that this would be a problem.

This presented a dilemma for me. I couldn’t let her go unattended, but I sure as hell couldn’t watch her twenty-four seven either.

Besides, she was my prisoner, and letting her go off on her own would give her the opportunity to try and find a way back to the Kings.

The only solution I saw was to show everyone that she was not a new addition to the pack.

“It’s just such an interesting twist of events,” Mom said when I didn’t reply. “You leave to kill an Alpha and return with a woman. A human at that.”

I ignored her joke and marched over to Bryn. She looked up at me with those gorgeous eyes and that lovely hue of red coloring her cheeks. She opened her mouth to say something, but I didn’t want to hear it. I grabbed her wrist and began towing her after me.

“What the hell?” she demanded. She tried to yank herself free, but her efforts did nothing.

I ignored her protests as I pulled her behind me, a clear display to those gathered around that she was not an equal. I felt Mom and Dom’s concerned gazes on my back.

“Enjoy the rest of the night with your families,” I said to my team as I passed. “You’ve all earned a good rest.”

Bryn continued to struggle to no avail. At least she’s got her strength back, I thought as I brought her to my cabin.

My home was located just outside of the main village, close to the forest, and near my mom’s cabin.

I needed to work through what I wanted to do with Bryn long-term, but the only thing that came to mind at that moment was to keep her out of my hair and away from the rest of the pack by keeping her in my own cabin.

“Night, let me go!” Bryn said. “I don’t understand what you’re doing or why or—”

“I’m putting you someplace safe,” I said, my voice rougher than I’d meant for it to be. Seeing the way the males coveted her was too much for my frazzled brain to take. “Someplace no one will be able to hurt you, and where you won’t be able to escape.”

“You mean another prison?” she demanded.

Her comment was like a slap to the face. Guilt panged through my chest. Had I saved her from one prison only to put her in another one? But I gave himself a shake. There are no other solutions, I told myself. This is the only way to make sure she stays put.

“I mean my home,” I growled back.

Without another word, I pulled her into my cabin and up the stairs to the spare bedroom. I tossed her in. She stumbled onto the bed and whipped around to face me. Her tearful, fiery gaze blazed at me as I closed the door and locked it tight.