Page 303 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha

I snorted. “Hardly. If anything, I’m just repeating what Bryn and I talked about. We both know I’m not the brains behind anything.”

He laughed. “Don’t sell yourself short, Night. You might have something useful to bring to the table.”

I knocked him with my shoulder, and he almost lost his balance. When he recovered, the way he looked at me told me he was going to try to trip me back. I took off at a sprint, determined not to give him the opportunity.

Afew miles later, Dom announced he was going to call it a night. I walked him to his cabin.

“Are you going to keep at it?” He, like me, was sweating through his shirt. He wasn’t tired; I think our conversation just made him miss Tavi.

“Yeah. Now that we started, my wolf is eager to keep going.” He was running around inside me. “I think I’ll shift and do another lap.”

“Okay. See you in the morning. And Night?”

I’d turned away from his cabin, but when he said my name, I looked back at him. He was smiling.

“Thanks. I think I needed this.”

I smiled back. “I think I did, too.”

I felt much lighter after talking to Dom, and the run had really helped tire me out. I was eager to get back to my mate. I jogged to get back to the trail. On the way, I passed the library. It was dark because it was closed, but I saw a candle flicker in one of the windows.

The sight brought me up short. It was probably just a wolf doing some late-night reading, but my gut told me I should investigate. I altered course and went to the library.

I pushed the door open. The librarians kept the hinges well-oiled because it didn’t make a sound as I slipped inside. Ahead, I saw the figure holding the candle disappear into the back room that held the ancient books, books that were kept behind a locked glass case.

So, this wasn’t just someone looking for a book to sleep with. This person had an agenda.

I crept farther into the library, following the path the candle had taken. The door was open just a crack, and inside, I saw the figure already had the case open and was holding one of the old books.

Surprised by the sight, I moved too quickly, and the wooden floor creaked beneath me.

The man looked up, but the candle cast a shadow over his face. Between the shadows and the book, I couldn’t see who it was. He about-faced and yanked open the window.

“Stop!” I called.

But he ignored me, diving through the window and into the night air. I cursed under my breath and sprinted after him, moving so quickly that the air I stirred extinguished the candle. When I was outside, I used my shifter eyes to see the figure running toward the forest. I went after him.

I tackled him as we reached the tree line. He grunted as we fell.

“Fucking get off me!” the man snapped, his voice familiar.

“Not until I see who you are!” I knelt on top of him and forced him onto his back. He was so focused on holding the book to his chest that he’d left his head unprotected. I ripped the hood off and froze. Lance.

He took advantage of my hesitation and kicked me off. I slammed back into a tree trunk, the force of it knocking leaves free from the branches. Lance leapt to his feet and ran.

“Son of a bitch.” I jumped up and rushed after him, grabbing the back of his hoodie. He tossed the book into a bush before turning and smashing his fist into my face. I growled, feeling my wolf just beneath the surface as I grabbed him again. He kneed me in the stomach, and pain bloomed through me.

I coughed once but kept him in my grip. I yanked him close, hooked my leg around his, and knocked him flat. I grabbed the front of his hoodie and got him onto his feet. He punched me again, but I was more ready for it. Blood dripped from my nose as I hauled Lance to a tree and shoved him against the trunk. He tried to run, but I hit him with the heel of my hand and pressed my arm to his neck to keep him there.

He grunted as he struggled against my arm. Though I had him trapped, he still had the strength to joke. “We should stop meeting like this.”

I ignored that. For all I knew, he was looking for some way to hurt Bryn. “Tell me what you’re doing with that book.”

He said nothing, instead making a point of watching the blood drip down my cheekbone. His punch had split the skin.

I shoved him more firmly against the tree and snarled in my alpha voice. “Tell me what you were doing! Now!”

He clenched his jaw, fighting to keep his mouth shut, but even this stubborn asshole couldn’t fight me now. “Dammit,” he said through clenched teeth. “That book is too dangerous to have out in the open like that.”