Page 335 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha

Everyone moved into the elders’ cabin, but I hung back to make sure the Granbys were okay. When I was sure they didn’t need me, I went inside. What they needed most was time to themselves. Tavi and Night scooted over to make room for me between them on the couch in the living room. Tavi rubbed my back as I leaned into Night’s embrace. Their touch soothed me.

“It’s impossible,” Elder Forsythe murmured, now that we were all inside. “Forcing a shift on a pup before they’re ready?” He shook his head. “It shouldn’t be possible. It can’t be possible.”

And yet it was.

“It would have been very painful for them,” Elder Westley sniffled, dabbing at his eyes with a handkerchief. I didn’t blame him. I’d be crying the minute I had the energy to do so.

Elder Queene’s voice was grave. “What’s more…from what you’ve described, it’s very likely that those boys are not only alive but grew up and became part of Troy’s army. Bound to his control by the ritual.”

Tavi gasped. “He’s forcing those boys to kill for him.” She spoke what was on all our minds, especially after what we’d seen at the Camas Pack. But hearing the words out loud added a layer of horror.

Night cleared his throat. “If Troy and Gregor couldn’t open the portal, why did they keep trying? They kidnapped so many boys, just to turn them into ferals?”

At first, none of the elders had an answer, but then Elder Westley blew his nose and spoke.

“If I could hazard a guess, Gregor and Troy were probably broken beyond reason. You can only inflict violence like that for so long before it begins to affect you. The two of them would have suffered massive physical, psychological, and spiritual damage. They became monsters themselves.”

“That would explain Gregor’s illness,” Elder Queene said. “His sickness progressed far quicker than it should have for a man of his age and fitness level.”

“And that explains why Troy is such a bastard,” Tavi added.

“It’s no wonder that the Kings Pack have improved so much,” Night said. “Without Gregor and Troy leading, the pack has been able to heal and improve.”

It made sense to me. What I’d seen of Gregor in the vision was an unreasonable, unstable man. The weight of what he’d done must have affected him.

Night looked at me. “Could you lead us to the symbols, Bryn? I’m beginning to think that Troy’s somewhere near them.”

I chewed my lip. “I don’t know. They took an unfamiliar path, but if I could work with some of our trackers, we should be able to find it.”

“I hope so.” He splayed his hand over my belly, and the baby gave a hard kick. “We don’t have a lot of time before our pup gets here. I want Troy in the ground and both of you out of danger before you give birth.”

I placed my hand over his and nodded. “I agree.”

When I looked at Tavi, I saw a similar determination in her eyes. We were all beyond ready for this to be over. The sooner we found that cliff, the sooner we could put this nightmare behind us.

119

NIGHT

Bryn and I went to bed as soon as we got home. I pressed my forehead to Bryn’s stomach and made a silent promise to our baby that I would see Troy dead before they were born. I crawled over to Bryn to kiss her goodnight.

What I’d intended to be a sweet, chaste kiss turned into a deep, passionate outpouring of love and lust. We’d planned to go to bed straight away, but when Bryn moaned and pressed ground herself against my erection, desire stirred in my stomach.

She got on her hands and knees again, expecting me to enter her with a hard thrust, but I admired the wonderful view of her pussy from this angle. She was glistening, and I couldn’t resist a taste.

Her gasp became a groan as I pushed my mouth into her heat. What man could go hungry when he had a full meal right in front of him? I pushed two fingers inside her as I lapped at her clit. Each flick of my tongue caused her to spasm and whimper. I heard the sheets rustle between her fingers when she gripped them.

I pumped my fingers into her at a languid pace, and each time I pushed them in, her greedy pussy sucked them in deeper. I would have teased her for it, but she was so damn delicious, I couldn’t have stopped if I wanted to.

She started pushing back against my face, eager to have more of my tongue on her, more of me in her. My cock twitched. She wanted more than just this—she wantedme.I wanted her, too, so badly that my cock throbbed. Something about devouring her from behind had me quickly on the edge, and I longed for release. I needed to coax her orgasm out of her before I went insane for her.

I sucked her clit into my mouth and was rewarded with a scream of my name. Bryn pressed harder into my face, stretching out like a cat and trembling as ecstasy took hold of her.

When she stopped trembling and let out a contented sigh, I sat back to admire my handiwork. Her pussy was quivering, and a string of her desire shone between her lips.

I grabbed her hips and pulled her against me. She fit in my lap just right, with her back pressed to my chest. My hands were all over her, stroking her neck, her breasts, her stomach, her thighs. I wanted to touch her everywhere, but most especially inside.

I kissed her temple and then the tip of her ear. “Bryn,” I whispered. “I want to be inside you.”