Page 344 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha

“Wait, Bryn.” Lance stepped up. “It’s too dangerous. If you just tell us what to look for, I’m sure we can find it?—”

“Lance, no,” Night interrupted before I could open my mouth. “It’s okay. Bryn is the only one who can lead us to Troy’s hideout. She’s tough. She’ll be fine, I know it.”

Another wave of intense love for my mate bloomed through me. He was proving to me that he trusted me and understood that the best place for me was to be out there, protecting my pack by his side. That was where I belonged.

Lance looked at me. I wondered if my eyes had ever been the same concerned hue of blue. “Bryn, you can’t be serious. You stay home if you like.”

Night cut his eyes at Lance and started to growl. He hated his decisions being questioned, both as my mate and as an alpha, but this time, I was the one to respond.

“Of course I’m coming, Lance,” I said. “This is my destiny. I feel it, and I know you must feel it, too.” The more I spoke, the truer the words felt. I was reminded of the dream I’d had days ago, my mother’s warning to me. I couldn’t stay home even if I wanted to. Fate wouldn’t allow it.

Lance wanted to argue, and I could read as much in his face, but he lowered his head and turned away. He might not like it, but he did know. And he did understand.

“With that settled,” Dom said, a small smile turning up the corners of his lips, “we should leave at first light tomorrow morning. The Camas Pack heard about what happened, and they’re sending some of their men. We’ll meet them at the location of the attack.”

I nodded. It was time to finally put an end to this.

123

NIGHT

With dawn just peeking over the horizon, Bryn, Lance, Dom, Tavi, and I shifted into our wolf forms and set out. Lance’s wolf looked so much like Bryn’s, with his deep auburn fur and bright sapphire eyes. The only difference was that she was smaller and sleeker—even pregnant. Dom’s wolf had fur light enough that it looked white in the shadows; the true pale yellow was only visible in the sunlight. Tavi’s wolf was as black as mine but smaller, with tufts of white fur on her chest. She and Bryn were similar in size, aside from Bryn’s round stomach.

Vince and Jasper joined us. The location of the attack was miles and miles away from both territories, so we’d be running for a good portion of the day. Bryn and I set the pace.

“Don’t push yourself, love,” I reminded her after the first hour. “Let me know if you need a break.” We’d made good time, but I didn’t want her to wear herself out.

“I can handle this much,” she replied, and I heard the playful challenge in her voice. “Why don’tyoutry keeping up?”

We were heading into territory we didn’t know, and it was likely that we would be seeing some unpleasant things. But as Bryn ran ahead of me, my wolf started to take over, and he pushed us to match her. She panted with joy, and it turned into a race. Her belly was round, and it must have made her slower. But despite that, and despite the fact that her wolf was smaller than mine, she was built for speed and distance.

We took a brief break when we were about halfway to the site of the attack. She gave a panting yip, rolling onto her side as she caught her breath.

I went to check on her. “You okay?”

“Yes.”She nuzzled her nose under my chin.“I feel very alive.”

I pressed my nose into her neck and let the scent of her fur soothe my heart, which was beating at an elevated pace. She would probably like it if I didn’t worry about her as often as I did, but it was impossible to stop. I loved her far too much, and I hated when she was out of my sight.

“I want to do this with you again,” she said. “I think our wolves need it.”

“Yes. And so do we.”

She nipped at my fur. “You’re right, of course.”

“When you two are done cuddling,” Lance said, “the rest of us are ready to go when you are.”

Bryn and I laughed. “I don’t see you calling Tavi and Dom out,” she replied.

My sister and beta were sitting only a few yards from us. Their heads were bent toward each other, touching. If they were communicating, they didn’t want us to know the specifics.

Lance scoffed. “They’re not the ones slowing us down, sis.You two are.”

Bryn shook her head. “You’re not going to start calling me that, are you?”

“Only if it annoys you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Great. I guess you’re going to try to make up for two decades’ worth of annoyance.”