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Riaz bristled before he could help it. To hear his beta speak of Cortana—his mate—that way sat ill with him. The predator that roamed within had gone stock-still, scenting the air for a challenge.
“Walking on thin ice, Gad.” Ava warned as her eyes flipped back and forth between them, clearly sensing the building storm in Riaz.
“I’d howl at that moon all night long.”
The low growl that left Riaz’s throat involuntarily should’ve clued Gadriel into the fact that Cortana wasn’t fodder for the rumor mill, but the other man pushed his luck and continued speaking.
“Those brown eyes you could get lost in, that thick brunette braid I’d love to wrap around my hand, that amazing—”
Riaz’s hand cuffed around Gadriel’s throat, cutting off his airway and his smirk, while he plastered his beta against the wall. Lost to his beast, he barred his teeth in threat. Every cell of his being vibrated with a viciousness that he could barely control, a seeping darkness that spread through him like wildfire.
His hand cinched tighter. Fear inundated his beta’s eyes, erasing any sliver of the sarcasm that’d lived there only moments before.
Only Ava’s gasp brought him back to himself.
Gadriel coughed hoarsely as Riaz loosened his grip, his beta’s shoulders shuddering against the wall before he stepped away. An apology tumbled from Riaz as he tried to comprehend what’d just happened.
Cursing, Gadriel’s clutched at his neck. “Forgive me, Alpha, I didn’t know your wolf was already that possessive.”
Footsteps slapped against the wood flooring, the door banging open to announce Arno’s arrival. “Alpha, we have a rogue in our territory.”
Riaz’s mind instantly cleared, his pack’s need always taking priority. “Where?”
Already on the move, Arno gave him a rundown of where the rogue had been spotted. The creatures were werewolves that’d given into their feral nature, the beast striking any humanity from their bones and relishing the animalistic fury that they let reign.
While Riaz was renowned for being the most jovial of all the major pack alphas, he was ruthless in his defense. Rogues desired the kill, salivated for it, and actively sought out any excuse to spill blood. He could find no room in his heart to forgive any of that.
Ava, clearly believing she’d accompany him, readied herself. His second always followed him into the field, citing the excuse that she was his backup, even though everyone knew Riaz would be taking the fights alone. The only reason Ava trailed him was to save him from his own demons.
He’d never refused her assistance, appreciating her commitment to him—but today, he wanted none of it. With the volatility of his emotions, he couldn’t risk harming her should his control slip, as he’d come close to with Gadriel.
“Please stay behind this time, Ava.”
The three betas stuttered to a stop behind him. Ava’s sudden intake of breath was the only indicator that she’d been stunned, the other two clearly at a loss for words.
“You don’t want me to run with you?”
Riaz didn’t respond.
Even if anxiety crawled over his skin like a thousand biting insects, he couldn’t allow another to accompany him. His wolf was straining in a way he’d seen few times and reining the beast back in wouldn’t be pretty.
Darkness, thick and inky and desperate for purchase in his soul, flooded him as he shifted into the wolf. Hiding from it accomplished nothing, and he would never achieve the balance he prized so much if he repressed his nature. In exchange, he got to choose when it took control. The only time he ever allowed his instincts to rule him was when he hunted rogues.
If he let the darkness rule him at any other time, it’d never let him go.
Soft morning light cascaded through the canopy, dappling patches of shadow intersecting the sun. Mahogany brown paws tore into the path, the gritty soil dusting behind him.
Riaz felt every stride away from his den like a shard of ice piercing his heart. It conditioned him to remember the maimed existence he had led as a lone wolf, the desperate need for companionship. Perhaps he was destined to know first the life of an alpha without a pack, and now that of a man whose mate didn’t want him.
Lifting his head, Riaz raised his voice to the sky in a howl. One by one, the response of his pack met his ears, reassuring him of their presence, the simple echo of their voices pushing him toward the enemy and out of his depressing thoughts.
There was work to do.
Chapter Fifteen
When she emerged from her quarters, Cortana found the den somewhat subdued. While the great hall remained alight with sound and laughter, more than a few pack members were in somber spirits.
One look at Ava confirmed the underlying melancholy. The she-wolf offered her a tight smile from where she leaned against the wall near the den entrance.
