Page 295 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha

“Thank you for keeping me informed. Let me know if you come across any more relevant information.” Feeling numb, I stood and walked to the door. As I thought about what they’d told me, an intense cold settled over me.

I pressed my hands more firmly to my belly, as if I could push my baby into a more protected part of my body.

108

NIGHT

Dom and I watched the builders finish painting the latest cabin they’d constructed near the southwest corner of Kings territory. Among them were Steven and Aiden, two wolves we’d met months ago when we started the rebuilding project. They worked alongside Wargs, joking and laughing as they put the finishing touches on the home.

“I hadn’t expected that craftsmen and builders would be the quickest to be accepted by the Kings,” Dom said. “But they’ve fit in quickly.”

I nodded. “It was good to show our people how the Redwolfs mistreated their builders. The Wargs had no idea that the Kings were suffering, too.”

“They don’t seem to be suffering.”

Dom and I turned to see Graham standing nearby. With the chatter around us, neither of us had noticed him approach. He crossed his arms over his barrel chest.

“All I see when I walk around Kings’ territory is beautiful homes—homes that are much newer than what we have back home.” He looked pointedly at me. “Makes a man wonder if you still have the Wargs’ best interest in mind.”

I glared at him. He’d spoken loud enough that the chatter died down. Both the Kings and Wargs builders were listening now. It was clear to me that he was trying to do what Jasmine had tried yesterday: breed discord and mistrust.

“You’re short-sighted, Graham,” I said. “If that’s all you can see, then you must have no compassion.”

“I have plenty of compassion, Alpha. I just think the people in our homeland would benefit from a fresh coat of paint.”

“Hey,”Dom spoke to me through our bond. “Before you rip into him, think.”

I looked at my beta.

“Graham’s not totally wrong, is he? We didn’t have much of a budget to do more than repair old cabins, and it’s been a couple of months since we went home. A lot of folks might feel resentful about that.”

I didn’t want to admit that Graham was right, but Dom’s input gave me no choice. I had done a bit of construction the last time I was on Wargs’ land, but it wasn’t anything to the scale we’d done here. It wouldn’t do any good to argue with Graham. Maybe I could try a different strategy.

“You’re right,” I said out loud, turning again to Graham.

He raised an eyebrow. “Am I.” It wasn’t a question.

“Absolutely. With this last cabin, we’ve helped the Kings recover from the damage that Troy and the ferals did here. Any further building here will be for new families or Wargs wanting to move here. But it’s not as much of a priority.”

“I see.” Graham’s crossed arms loosened a bit. “And what does that mean for our people?”

“We’ll be able to shift our focus to them, of course. We can start updating the older buildings and, more importantly, expand the marketplace there to match the Kings’ commons.” I smiled as I made eye contact with the builders. “I’ll start sending Kings to Wargs’ territory to help get things underway. I imagine with all the experience we’ve given them on this project, it’ll take less time to get these things done.”

The smiles from the Wargs encouraged me. They were undoubtedly eager to transform our territory to the same glory that the Kings had enjoyed simply because of their proximity to valuable resources. They would spread the word about this decision to others, and I imagined their excitement would buzz through the pack.

And I was pleased to see excitement flash in Aiden and Steven’s eyes. They, like many Kings wolves, were young, unmated, and ready to see new places, experience new things. The more I thought about it, the better it sounded. There were plenty of unmated Warg women who would like to meet new men as well. It would actually help a lot to show these men what they’d been missing here.

“I don’t think Wargs want to live in a place that’s an exact copy of the Kings,” Graham argued. “They want something that’s their own.”

“Of course we do.” I emphasized “we” to convey that being alpha of the Kings didn’t mean I’d abandoned my heritage. I was a Warg through and through, and I always would be. “Warg builders will take point on the project. Their designs and aesthetics will put our culture front and center. Our marketplace and new buildings will be just as functional and vibrant as the ones here, but it will scream Warg.”

Graham hesitated, reaching for something to poke holes in my plans. “Aren’t you worried that some Kings might feel threatened by us making so many improvements?”

“They can take that up with me or send in a complaint if they want. But anyone who thinks that way should remember that Kings and Wargs are one pack now. We should want every aspect of our homes to show strength and pride and unity. We can’t do that if we neglect one side for the other, can we?”

Graham hesitated. He didn’t seem as bloodthirsty as other Warg council members. If anything, he just wanted to make sure the Wargs got their fair share. It wasn’t too late for us to get back on the same page if we worked together.

“I owe you an apology, Graham,” I said gently.