Page 292 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha

“Me too. How about you? How was your day?”

“I wish I could say it was as productive as yours. A few wolves and I tried to tackle the paperwork in the office, but we haven’t found anything that’ll lead us to Troy or any leads on those missing pups. I met with the Kings council because they wanted to know how the merger is going, and I tried to get them to tell me something useful, but they had nothing more beyond what they told us months ago.”

“That sounds frustrating.” She gave an empathetic frown. “What are your next steps?”

“We’re going to keep looking through this paperwork. Beyond that…” I couldn’t keep the annoyance out of my voice as I said, “Dom said I should ask Lance, see if he knows anything.”

Bryn sighed. “I hate to say it, Night, but that’s probably not a bad idea.”

My eyes widened. “Bryn, not you, too?”

She held her hands up. “I know, I know, but listen, Night, none of us know what he’s thinking or planning. He was at the garden today—with everything that happened earlier, I completely forgot he was there—and all he did was carry out bales of hay. He didn’t say anything, didn’t start any trouble. He was just…helping out.”

“And what? You trust the guy now?”

She scoffed at the thought, relieving some of the pressure inside me. “Hell, no, but would it hurt to have a conversation with the guy? He won’t be able to attack you or challenge you while you’re alone. The worst he could do is not answer any of your questions, right? What’s the harm?”

“Well, that marks the third time someone has told me I should talk to him. So that must mean that something is trying to get me to talk to him, right?”

She chuckled. “Good and bad things come in threes, Night, but I think you’re right. The most he can do is piss you off, and I know you’re strong enough not to let him get the better of you, right?”

I had to agree with my mate, but that didn’t mean I was looking forward to talking to Lance.

107

BRYN

The next day, I helped my mom with her little herb garden. She was one of the few women in the pack who grew her herbs in the window; most other folks went to the commons to buy them dried. We were harvesting the dead plants for their seeds and planting new herbs.

Today, the pack would be finishing up jarring or drying any vegetation yields we didn’t use, and the farming equipment would be checked and cleaned before being stored away to survive the frost. I wouldn’t have much opportunity to get my hands in the soil once the ground was frozen and my pregnancy progressed. In another hour or so, I’d be meeting with the elders, but for now, I enjoyed spending this time with my mom and getting my hands dirty after such a long time.

“I’m excited to get these chives planted,” Mom said. She had cleared off her little dining table and laid some papers on it to prevent a mess while we mixed fertilizer and nutrients into the soil.

“I know. You cook with them, and a lot,” I replied.

“That’s why I’m so excited! Violet brought them for me from her garden.”

“I thought they smelled a little different from the ones near here,” I said with a grin. “But I didn’t know she was back from Wargs’ land.”

“She came by last night to give them to me, but she and her beau are probably recovering from the trip in their cabin. She seemed exhausted.”

“Makes sense.” Violet had recovered from the alpha wound Troy had given her, but she still couldn’t shift and run around like she would otherwise be able to. “I’m glad you and Violet have become such close friends.”

“So am I. You remember how awful things were before. No one would spend time with us because Gregor forbade it.”

I nodded. The first twenty-one years of my life had been hell because of that, and yet so many things had changed that I hardly thought about it anymore.

“Now, I have my old friends back, plus some new ones. You know Mabel, don’t you?”

I grinned. “Oh, yes. When Night took me to the Wargs Pack, she helped me get a position in the kitchen. I met a lot of Wargs when I cleaned and cooked.”

Mom’s eyes brightened. Her hair was tied back in its usual long braid, but she’d wound it around so it sat in a cute bun at the top of her head. It made her look like a ballerina. “Oh, she didn’t mention that. Sometimes I look at you, Bryn, and I think you’re a completely different person from the person I raised. You’re so determined to see things through no matter what gets in yourway, and you don’t back down when the pack gives you trouble. But you’re still so sweet, so kind. It’s nice to know I still have my little girl.”

“Aw, Mom.” I felt myself tearing up. “You can’t say things like that. You know my hormones make me all emotional.” I sniffled and touched her hand. “I’m still your daughter, no matter what.”

“I know you are, baby. I know.” She grinned at me, her eyes watery with tears. “But since you brought up hormones, I want a baby update! How are you and the little one?”

“We’re doing good. My morning sickness is all but gone, and I’m starting to feel a lot stronger.”