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Around me, the air was thick with anticipation. My hunters were almost as eager as I was to get things started, but we still had twenty-four hours before the challenge ceremony was to start. I had three-dozen wolves stationed at strategic points along the perimeter of the territory, and I could only pick out five of them from where I stood. Among those, I could see Kai and Redford, who had both been with me for years, and Jasper, a young wolf who, despite still being wet behind the ears, was a damned good fighter. I could have staged an attack that same night with this assemblage, and my chest swelled with pride. I was glad that my pack was so determined to stay by my side through this.
Looking over the wolves of the Kings’ pack, I couldn’t help but bristle. Far too many times, the Kings had attacked my hunters when they ventured out of the Wargs’ territory. Troy often led these attacks himself; the only purpose for them seemed to be to intimidate the Wargs and to piss me off.
We had lost too many lives because of Troy’s bullshit, so I made it a rule that none of my hunters went out without a partner. That adjustment leveled the playing field quite a bit, and I no longer lost wolves when they went out for a hunt. So, the Kings stepped up the frequency of their attacks. Once, Troy had attempted to ambush me and Dom while we were out hunting together. When faced with the wrath of the Wargs’ Alpha, Troy had attempted to give an order to his men, but instead of listening, they turned tail and ran. Literally. It was the most disgraceful thing I had ever seen, and it solidified to me which pack had the better wolves and the better leadership.
I would gladly give my life to ensure the prosperity of my pack. That was something I doubted Troy, or Gregor, could ever understand. Trust and loyalty were the keys to forming an unbreakable bond with your pack, but the Redwolfs didn’t have that.
“Night?” Dom’s voice was just above a whisper, but I easily heard him. “We still have time before the challenge night. Are you sure this is how you want things to go down?”
I whirled on him, the sense of calm I felt from thinking about my men and my goals dissipating in an instant. A low, barely-audible growl built in my chest as I glared at my beta.
“I have more than earned this, Dom.” Even when I never should have had to.
Dom leveled me with a serious stare. “You can lash out at me for asking a question all you want, Night,” he said, “but you need to get your head in order before you make a mistake.
Those words were enough to snap me out of it. I stopped short of hanging my head, but shame burned in the pit of my stomach. I reined in my wolf and took a few deep breaths.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I need to get control of myself.” I ran my hands through my hair and looked at the Kings’ pack. “Troy is an awful, awful man. Every bit as terrible as Gregor was, if not worse.”
“Hey.” Dom laid a gentle but firm hand on my shoulder. “I get it. We want the bastard dead. That’s more than enough justification for me.”
I stopped talking. It was starting to sound less like I was trying to justify my plan to my beta and more like I wanted to convince myself that my reasons to attack the Kings were not selfish ones. Trying to articulate my scattered thoughts in front of my friend caused me to slip up. I cleared my throat, trying to smother the doubt that briefly flared to life deep within me. This was for pride, I assured myself, and for justice. My wolf growled in accordance. He, too, wanted his birthright—the land, the resources. At least my wolf understood me, even if I sometimes stumbled.
I turned to Dom again. “Let’s go over our plan again, and I want this communicated to each of our fighters.”
Dom nodded. “Of course.”
“Tomorrow, during the challenge ceremony, we’ll go in from the back and sides of the compound, but we’ll stay hidden. When no challengers appear, I’ll show up at the last second. I just need you and the rest to get me inside without issue.”
“At the last second, huh? Look at you. I never thought you’d be one for theatrics, Night.”
I chuckled. “I just want to make a good impression.”
Dom grinned. “I’ll let them know.” He slipped into the darkness, as quiet as a shadow. Moments later, I felt a tug in my mind.
Dom was contacting me through our telepathic link. When an Alpha took over the pack, this connection was normally one way so that Alphas could contact or command anyone at a moment’s notice. In wolf form, an Alpha could use telepathy like second nature, and it had a wider reach. But in human form, it was reserved for special circumstances or stealth missions because it took effort to maintain, and its reach was much shorter. Though Alphas were the only ones with this power, betas were able to use the connection to contact their Alpha.
I preferred to keep the line open in high-stress situations because it was the only way the rest of my wolves could reach me if they needed help. Dom and I, however, were able to speak privately without tapping into that main line.
“Are they allowed to use lethal force?” Dom asked.
I made eye contact with Dom. He crouched beside Jasper a few yards west of me. I shook my head. “Only as a last resort. Otherwise, we want this to be as bloodless as possible.”
“Understood.”
The goal was for me to kill Troy. There was no reason to kill those who would soon be part of my pack if I could avoid it.
“One more thing, Dom,” I sent, “tell everyone to fall back. We need to rest up for tonight and tomorrow morning, so we’re in fighting shape.”
“Got it.”
I stretched my arms and drew away from the tree and the Kings’ pack. My wolf whined, yearning for his future territory. I quieted him. It won’t be much longer now. Come tomorrow night, we’ll become one large, united front. I’ll have my birthright. I’ll be able to throw Troy’s severed head at the feet of the Elders, and the rivalry between the packs will end. The Kings’ pack’s hierarchy is stupid; those who have been mistreated under the Redwolfs will finally be able to live comfortably. Then everyone will see who the true Alpha really is.
Only twenty-four hours before I would be able to claim what was rightfully mine. I knew my hunters were ready. I just needed to make sure I did my part. But that shouldn’t be a problem for me. On the eve of the challenge ceremony, there was nothing and no one who could come between me and my goal. I couldn’t wait to watch Troy bleed.
7
BRYN
