Page 69 of Protected Promise

“Where are you ladies from?” I asked.

Mallory rolled her eyes. “All over. We met up on the path in. Seems we all had the same idea.”

“Word gets out when there’s an eligible Alpha on the hunt,” Abby explained. “My own Alpha sent me here hoping for a good match and possible alliance.”

“Mine too,” Cadence admitted.

“I’m really sorry to disappoint you ladies, but I am not on the hunt.”

“You’re an unmated Alpha. You need a Pack Mother, and here I am,” Mallory said.

River groaned.

“You’re so arrogant Mal,” Maria said. “Maybe he’ll choose me instead.”

“I don’t think so, he’s mine,” River insisted.

“I told you all we shouldn’t have come,” Clover said.

Cadence was standing closest to me. She sniffed the air around me, and her face fell. “You don’t smell like an unmated male.”

“Because I’m not,” I confessed.

“What? When did this happen?” Mallory insisted.

“He’s an Alpha. He doesn’t have to answer to you,” Abby told her.

“No, I do not,” I agreed. “I’m sorry that all of you came this far for nothing.”

“Was this recent? Have you even reported it to the Grand Council yet?” Mallory asked.

I gritted my teeth as my wolf surged sensing an incoming threat to my mate.

“No. I have not. As you probably know, I have only recently joined the Packs under the Grand Council rulings and I am still learning the processes.”

It wasn’t entirely true, but close enough. Besides, they didn’t need to know that.

“I challenge your mate for Pack Mother,” Mallory said.

I growled not even trying to hold it back this time.

“At this time, there are no Challenges being accepted.”

Without another word, I turned on my heel and stormed back into the Lodge.

“So, that went well I take it,” Dereck said as I stomped by him.

“Keep them away from Kaitlyn or I will physically remove them from my territory.”

“Yup, about as well as I expected it would,” he muttered as he left to address the unwelcomed she-wolves.

Taking the stairs two at a time I couldn’t get back to my apartment fast enough.

I burst through the door causing Kaitlyn to startle from her seat at the kitchen table as she worked on her laptop.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

I couldn’t speak. I pulled her into my arms and crushed her to me.