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Wyatt

M y wolf would never walk away from his mate. But I left Naomi with no uncertain terms what would happen if I remained in there one second longer.

I can barely recall dragging her into that bathroom, but I’ll never forget the feel of her, the taste of her, or how she clung to me as she pulsed around my fingers.

In a tiny bathroom with people beating down the door to get in.

And she liked it. She fucking loved it.

After cleaning up, and with one more demanding kiss, I’d ushered her into the hallway, careful to leave enough distance between us that anyone lurking around wouldn’t see us exit together.

With every ounce of willpower I had left, I kept my feet rooted to the spot and ignored the primitive instinct to follow her and demand more. To catch my prey and overpower her. To dominate.

Because if I had pursued her, if I’d touched her again, it would only end one way: with my teeth buried in her neck.

Staggering, fighting my wolf with every step, I make it halfway to my quarters before I realise my fists are balled up so tight that my nails have cut into my palms, and there’s blood dripping from my fingers.

Get it together.

She needs me to be smart, to stay in this competition long enough to protect her from whatever Brad is holding over her, and to retrieve her sister, so Brad can’t hurt her in retaliation. Until I can get her sister safe, I have to be better than the rogue everyone expects me to be.

And resist the urge to claim her as mine that’s haunting my every thought.

I take a few deep breaths and battle to regain my composure. Except when I push open the door to my assigned room, the room I’ve mainly just used for storage while I’ve slept in the forest under Jax’s silent guard, that fragile control snaps.

The place is wrecked.

Clothes shredded, my duffel bag ripped open, and my belongings scattered and stomped onto the floor. My mattress is slashed open, and stuffing is pouring out with the springs on display. They weren’t trying to find anything. This is just pure destruction.

The unmistakable stench of urine soaking into what’s left of my bedding fills the air.

It’s not just my stuff they’ve ruined, and that’s what annoys me more than anything else.

Eli and Dash had their stuff trashed, too. Collateral damage to whoever did this, utter disrespect to me. They’re making it clear that anyone near me is fair game. Stay away from the rogue, or else you’ll become a target too.

I stand in the doorway, jaw clenched and breathing heavily, then pray for patience.

The scent of the intruders lingers, not just one wolf, but three, their combined markers forming a distinctive signature. One stands out clearly: Ryan Williams. The other two are harder to place, but I recognize the scent of one wolf who flanked him at the shower block.

This wasn't random. This was retaliation.

My wolf goes deathly silent, a dangerous calm washing over me as my brain catalogues the damage. This isn’t just intimidation. This is a warning. One I have no intention of heeding, but still. They fear me. They want me to quit.

They’ll be back when they realize I’m not leaving.

Footsteps sound behind me, and Jamie appears first, her expression instantly shifting from worry to fury.

“What the fuck? I came to check if you were okay. Did you do this?” Wide eyed, she stares at me. I guess it’s not that ridiculous to think I might have, considering the state I was in when I left the packhouse.

“Yes, Jamie. I pissed on my bed.”

She scowls at my sarcasm and then grimaces as the scent of urine hits her. “Gross.”

Dean isn’t far behind, his face grim, as he surveys the scene, taking a few sniffs to pick up the most recent scents. He’s much calmer than I thought he’d be. “Guess someone’s feeling threatened.”

“No shit.” My voice comes out rough, like gravel scraping my throat.

Already agitated from earlier, and now with this piled on top, my wolf resists being trapped in a small space with the big alpha at my back. That Dean’s mated to my sister makes little difference right now. This was my stuff, my den, albeit a temporary one, and when you don’t have much, losing the few belongings you have hurts.

These things mean something to me, and seeing them desecrated is yet another blow my wolf is struggling to take. There are bad days, and then there’s this.

Eli and Dash show up next, breaking the tense atmosphere with their loud voices and boisterous energies. After exchanging shocked glances, Eli crosses to me and is brave enough to rest his hand on my shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“Wyatt, man, we can clean this up. It’s not a big deal. I’ve got lots more gear, and you can take my…”

Though I appreciate their kindness, something I’m not used to being on the receiving end of, I shake my head, the tightness in my chest settling into something cold and hard. “I’m not staying here. It’s not fair to you.”

Eli’s brother, Dash, frowns. “You don’t have to do that. This isn’t your fault.”

“I do.” My voice leaves no room for argument. “I’m not dragging you two into this. They did this to make a point. If I stay, they’ll come back for more.”

They’re probably watching us now to see if I’m going to take the hint.

I’m not, but I won’t let my presence negatively affect these men’s chances, either. They already nearly lost their spots helping a competitor in the first round.

“But where will you sleep?” Jamie’s hands go to her hips, her voice climbing into that fierce, protective tone she always uses when someone messes with me. “This is bullshit. You can’t just give in.”

I’m not giving in. Far from it. I’m just keeping my distance until the time is right.

“The forest.” I shrug, turning to Dean to make sure he has no objection to me staying out there tonight. “I’ve been out there most nights, anyway. I’ll be fine.”

"Be careful out there," is all he says, before frowning and narrowing his eyes at me. "I saw you at dinner. If you're going to move against Brad, make sure you have evidence and a damn good reason. The kind that would stand up in front of the council."

The warning is clear. This isn't just about protecting Naomi anymore. We're potentially stepping into pack politics that could have far-reaching consequences. You can accuse an alpha of something unless you’re damn sure you can prove it.

Jamie glares at Dean, incensed that he’s going to let me sleep in the woods and handle this myself.

“You’re just going to let this happen? This is the kind of pack we’re running here? Competitors getting bullied out of their own rooms?”

Dean’s expression doesn’t change, but he pulls Jamie into a tight hug, which she reluctantly accepts before melting into him.

“This is the Alpha Games. A true leader anticipates betrayal and adapts to it.” His eyes meet mine. “And finds a way to beat them at their own game.”

Jamie’s eyes blaze in fury. “That’s a cop-out, and you know it. You are the alpha of this pack. Can’t you demand a line up or something and sniff them out?”

She might be his mate, but Dean’s wolf doesn’t take kindly to the suggestion that he’s being a coward. He pushes forward, a low rumble in his chest, as Dean the man holds her closer and lets her vent.

“I’m not sniffing anyone. And maybe it seems unfair...” Dean meets my gaze, and for a second, the calm alpha’s mask slips. Underneath, I see the man who understands, in ways others never can, what it means to claw your way out of something dark and stand on your own two feet. By any means necessary. “But rest assured, those responsible, when we find them, will not be considered suitable leaders by anyone here.”

It isn’t the promise to hunt them down and kick them out Jamie wanted, but it’s the best I’m going to get.

“Jamie, it’s fine.” I reassure her as I edge past them, needing to get away from the disgusting stench. “Did you get anywhere with… you know?”

Her expression softens just a fraction as she stares at the mess. It’s all connected. We both know it.

In the grand scheme of things, helping Naomi and her sister is more important than possessions, but Jamie feels my loss as acutely as I do. Maybe there is something salvageable here, but I’m not in the mood to go through it all right now. I need to burn off some of this anger, and then I need to rest ahead of tomorrow’s round.

“I have someone on it.”

That’s enough. For now. Grabbing the bare essentials, I step out into the night.

The air is crisp and cold; the sky is clear of clouds, and a big moon hangs low, illuminating the forest around us. It’s quieter than usual, like the entire world is holding its breath to see what happens next.

“Come to ours for breakfast,” Jamie shouts, and I nod, waving over my shoulder as I stride toward the trees. She doesn’t offer a bed for the night, because she knows I can’t accept it. The alpha can’t be seen playing favourites for his family.

I walk for what seems like ages, my wolf eager to run, but I hold him back.

Because I know they’ll come.

As I expected, I hear them before I see them, following me into the night to see if I’m going to leave the competition.

I’m not.

Four wolves. Trailing me at a distance, just careful enough that a lesser wolf might not have noticed. But I’m not a lesser wolf, and this day has tested my restraint more than any other I can recall.

Mr. Nice guy is gone. I’m not playing anymore.

They want to see a savage rogue. So I’ll give them one.

I walk deeper into the trees, further from the packhouse, from the safety of the clearing and the watchful eyes of Dean and Callum, drawing them along with me.

They fan out, trying to surround me without being obvious, when they realise I’m not heading for the bridge out of Dean’s territory.

Idiots.

The second they pick up their pace, ready to spring their trap, I let go.

My shift tears through me in the blink of an eye, bones stretching, skin ripping, until my paws hit the dirt, and my wolf sucks in a deep, invigorating breath.

He’s ready to take charge.

It feels good to be in my fur and back out in nature. This is how we lived for so long when we had nowhere else to go.

The wolves sense my change and crash through the undergrowth toward me, all stealth forgotten, skidding to a stop when they see me standing there waiting for them. They attempt to intimidate me, mistakenly assuming that strength in numbers will save them.

But it won’t. I’m bigger than all of them, bigger than probably every other wolf here, and I’m pissed off.

Head low, teeth bared in something that isn’t quite a smile, I dare them to challenge me. The animal inside me is over being disrespected, kept from his mate, and forced to live as a rogue for no reason other than being fucking exceptional.

Come on, then.

I taunt them with a step to the side, snapping my teeth at the first wolf who breaks cover, a hulking brute with a ragged ear and a mean glint in his eye.

He moves forward, and the others follow, heads down, moving like a pack, but not a tight one. Not a smart one.

They expected me to run. They haven’t prepared for a fight, and they certainly never considered that I was leading them into the dark for a reason.

Because out here? Away from rules and witnesses, and the back-up of everyone else who doesn’t want me to win the Games?

This is my home. And I’m not the kind of wolf who runs from anyone.