Page 9 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha

Women sniffled and dabbed at their eyes while men stood statue-still, ready to show their respect.

Though the atmosphere was heavy, no one was as sorrowful as Gregor’s mate, Nora.

Her dark eyes stared dolefully at the coffin, tears pouring silently down her face and dripping from her chin.

I couldn’t help but stare at the sad, beautiful woman.

It’s hard to believe that even someone like Gregor could be loved so much. So much for a fair world.

A few minutes later, the pack Elder parted from the crowd.

Forsythe, an old, bald man who used a cane to walk, stood near the body and waited for a raised platform to be wheeled over.

Once it had arrived, he mounted the platform, and a woman brought him a burning torch, which he held aloft over Gregor’s body.

The orange flame danced and crackled in the cool wind.

The ceremony was about to start, so I tried to dissolve into the crowd behind my mom and a few other women.

Then something made me stop, a shiver passing between my shoulder blades—it felt as though I was being watched.

My eyes darted around the crowd until they finally settled in the direction of Gregor’s mate again.

But I wasn’t looking at the mourning woman anymore—I was looking at Troy.

Troy stood at his mother’s side, dressed head to toe in an expensive-looking black tuxedo.

His auburn-brown hair was tied back in a bun at the base of his skull, and his square jaw was clean-shaven.

He had no scars, unlike the wolves who stood at his side, which was evidence of his high standing.

The moment his gaze met mine, he snarled.

I stopped breathing as a chill spread across my skin.

Those eyes were like two black holes, pulling me into their path of destruction, sucking my air away, making me feel small and compressed.

It had been days since I’d last seen Troy, but he was no less intimidating even at the site of his father’s funeral.

That one look made it clear that he had his sights set on destroying me.

I shivered and watched as he peeled away from his mother’s side to stand on the platform by the Elders, keeping his eyes on me the whole time.

“We have gathered to celebrate and mourn the life of Alpha Gregor Redwolf,” the Elder’s powerful voice carried over the crowd, silencing the murmurs and the sniffles.

“Alpha Gregor was a strong and incredibly steadfast man. He was tough, but he was fair, and he made sure that no one in his pack went cold or hungry.”

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd, but Mom and I remained silent.

It’s so weird that none of them seem to remember how arrogant he could be, I thought.

The fact that he refused to eat with them was certainly something people used to grumble and complain about when they thought no one was listening.

“His absence will undoubtedly be felt and remembered by all of us, but we of the Kings’ pack are fortunate that his mantle will be passed to his son, Troy Redwolf.” The Elder turned to Troy and offered the torch.

Troy finally released me from his terrible stare to accept the torch. I wrapped my arms around myself and blinked back tears.

Troy held the torch over Gregor’s body. “My father really was a great man, but I promise all of you that I will do everything I can to continue leading the Kings into prosperity. It will be as if my father never left us.”

The Elder nodded. “Please, Troy, repeat after me—With this flame, I release my father, Alpha Gregor Redwolf, to the spirits of the forest. Please accept his soul and allow him to enjoy the afterlife that he so rightly deserves.”

Troy repeated the words and then closed his eyes for a few moments.

When he opened them, he dropped the torch onto his father.

The flames licked across Gregor’s body and ignited the coffin.

Sparks and embers drifted up toward the darkening sky.

It was almost beautiful, but I couldn’t enjoy it.

My eyes were riveted on Troy. The flames cast terrible shadows across the sharp lines of his face, making him look like an avenging demon from my worst nightmares.

As if he sensed my gaze on him, he looked at me again. Even the pyre didn’t cast enough light to reflect in his black eyes. There was a dark promise in those eyes that shook me to my core. He was out for blood.

When the fire stopped burning, people began to move around and talk amongst themselves. I wanted nothing more than to go home, a desire that Mom seemed to share, though she wasn’t aware of the expression on Troy’s face.

“I thought it would never end. All that talk about Gregor and his valor…” She shook her head. “It’s not wrong to remember a man for the good qualities he showed his friends, but it’s shameful to lie to the spirits. Most of us only know him for his hatefulness.”

I opened my mouth to reply, but a voice called out, “Glenda!” There were a few older women standing to the side, gesturing for Mom to come over. She cursed under her breath.

“I’m sorry, baby, but they probably want to plan their dishes around what’s growing in the garden. Do you mind if I speak with them?”

I shook my head. “Not at all. You go ahead. I’ll be fine on my own.”

“You sure? You could come if you wanted—”

“No, no. I’m okay. I just want to get home to eat the rest of your salsa.”

Mom smirked. “Okay. I’ll see you at home, sweetie.”

I put a smile on my face, but it fell the moment she turned away. I needed to get home as soon as possible. The last thing I wanted was for Troy to find me and make good on his silent threat.

I tried to keep my head down as I walked through the crowd.

My pace was quick, but I hoped that the uniform crowd of black outfits would allow me to blend in.

As I passed between a few trees, a figure stepped into my path, and I almost collided face-first with Tanya’s chest. Dread was like ice filling my bloodstream as I took a step backward. Damn, damn, damn!

“She’s going nowhere fast, don’t you think, Trish?” Tanya asked.

“I’m surprised she can move at all in those clothes.” Trish snaked around a tree trunk, her red lips lifting in a mocking smirk. “You’re drowning in that jacket, girl.”

Tara snickered from behind me. She bumped my shoulder roughly as she walked past me to stand with the other Terrible T’s.

This was exactly what I’d wanted to avoid.

They had stopped me just out of Mom’s sight.

There was no telling what the group had planned for me, but I’d be lucky if they let me go with a few insults.

“It’s a shame no one ever cared enough to tell you how to dress properly,” Trish said. “Poor baby. Maybe I could help you.” Trish bent to grab a stick that was partially buried in a particularly muddy area of the ground. She flicked the stick toward me, flinging mud and leaves across my chest.

I winced, staggering a few steps back as it hit me.

“Oops, so sorry,” Trish said as her friends cackled.

“That was supposed to make you look better, but all I’ve done is make you look like a wet rat.

” She tutted and feigned a look of pity.

“You poor thing. To be so lost and alone, to be hated by the Alpha and everyone else, to have no one but a crazy old woman to love you.”

I bristled. The Terrible T’s could do and say whatever they wanted about me, but the moment they started talking about my mom—well, they’d gone too far.

I wasn’t sure what possessed me to step forward.

All I knew was that the stress of the last couple of days and the knowledge that Troy was going to try to destroy me had become too much.

I couldn’t have stopped what was about to happen even if I wanted to.

“I’d rather be hated by everyone in the pack than throw myself at a man who didn’t care about me,” I snapped back.

At my words, the three women’s smiles dropped. Trish’s sharp, white teeth showed as she grimaced. “Watch your mouth, little rat. Your days around here are numbered.”

“You think I don’t know that, Trish? After all that you guys have done to me?” I crossed my arms over my chest. “If you were as confident as you try to appear, you wouldn’t be wasting your time with a girl like me. Makes me think you’re not as secure as you try to make everyone believe you are.”

Trish’s upper lip twitched. Her pretty face sharpened with anger, and she raised her hand to strike me. When she brought her hand down, I wasn’t there, but not because I’d dodged.

If my first mistake had been to allow myself to be cornered by the Terrible T’s, then my second was not paying attention to anything going on behind me.

If I had noticed the quick pair of footsteps headed my way, I might have been able to do something to prevent the shock of the large, strong hand gripping my shoulder.

The hand shoved me to the side and pressed me roughly against the trunk of a tree. I yelped from a combination of surprise and pain. A second hand slammed against the tree above my head, nails digging into the hard pine. Troy’s sharp, angular face loomed above—my nightmare made manifest.

“Did you forget your place, bitch?” His voice was the slithery hiss of a snake about to strike. “Did you forget what you are?”

His hand shifted from my shoulder to my neck.

It was large enough to wrap around my throat—his fingertips almost met at the back of my neck.

Fear quaked through my body as he held me still against the tree.

My body felt as cold as ice, as if every drop of blood had congealed in my veins.

I stared up into those endlessly black eyes and saw my own death reflected back at me.

The tip of his tongue ran slowly along the inside of his lip, a hungry predator licking his jowls in anticipation of his prey. “You better watch that filthy mouth, girl,” he said. “Don’t forget who has the power here.”

He pressed closer to me, and, against my will, a whimper slipped past my lips.

Troy’s hands tightened around my neck. It wasn’t enough to cut off my air supply, but it established how easily he could snap my bones if he wanted to.

I was completely at his mercy, and he wanted to make sure I knew it.

From the corner of my eye, I saw the surprise on Trish’s face morph into a satisfied smirk.

She crossed her arms and enjoyed the show that the object of her affection was putting on.

He tilted his head, grinning from ear to ear. “Now that I’m in charge, not even Glenda will be able to save you from what’s about to happen.” Without warning, he tossed me to the ground. I scrambled to catch myself, skinning my palms against the rough roots of the trees.

He threw his head back and laughed. “That’s exactly where you belong.”

The Terrible T’s laughed with him. Their combined laughter grated on my ears, and tears stung at the backs of my eyes.

I sat there for a while, even after the group finally left me alone.

I clenched my hands tightly despite the way my palms ached and throbbed.

There was nowhere in the territory that was safe for me.

Whatever Troy intended to do with me, I couldn’t stay here beyond the fifth day of mourning.

I needed to come up with something, and fast.