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“Our men that we put in place have gone silent. I’ve spoken with Bridger and David, and they’re looking into it.”
My chest felt tight. “Let’s go.”
Together, we made our way to the fourth floor and my father’s office. His face was grim as we entered.
“What’s going on?” I demanded.
Father steepled his fingers as he sat back in his chair. It was late for him to be in his office. This had to be serious. “Our enforcer you installed as alpha has been challenged and killed by another within the pack. He’s passed the title of alpha back to Branson.”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” I hissed, staring at him in shock.
“Unfortunately not,” David chimed in.
“I’m so fucking tired of this. This isn’t how I wanted to handle it, but it’s time to kill him.”
Garrett sighed. “While I agree with you, Branson hasn’t broken any rules. He didn’t perform the challenge. He didn’t take his position back by force. If you move now, it might be just what he’s waiting for to start a war.”
I shoved my hands into my hair. “What are we supposed to do then?”
Father watched me carefully. “WE need to wait it out. Wait for him to do something that justifies us making a move against him. But we can’t take him out for this specific act. Not yet, at least.”
Not yet. Frustration swept through me. I needed him gone to ensure both Kayden and her sister would be safe no matter what happened. Branson was a threat to everyone, and things were quickly getting out of hand. I was ready to movenow, but I reminded myself that the time would come—and soon—when he would get what was coming to him.
21
KAYDEN
The minute the door shut, I leaned against it and let out the breath I’d been holding.
Holy shit. Had that really just happened? Holden Wilder, future North American alpha and my mate, had made me come harder than I ever had in my life. It was incredible, and my body still hummed from the pleasure he’d given me.
I couldn’t lie to myself—I was already falling for him. And it wasn’t just the mate bond between us. Holden was intelligent, kind, strong, loyal… and an incredible kisser. I was having a hard time finding reasons not to care for him other than being his mate.
Under any other circumstances, I would have been overjoyed. But the fact remained that there were a dozen other women here vying for his heart. Women who would make a much better match for an alpha than I would.
Sharp jealousy roiled in my gut, and I pushed off the wall to pace my room. My chest ached as his suggestion of being his mistress replayed in my head. How could he think I’d be okay with something like that? But what options did we have? He wasn’t willing to break with tradition. But I wasn’t willing to be his secret lover.
Suddenly, the four walls felt as if they were closing in on me, my thoughts swirling as I tried to make sense of my thoughts and emotions that were all over the place.
A run. That’s what I needed. To shift and burn some of this excess energy off. I stripped out of my dress, pulled on some leggings and a sports bra, grabbed a sweater, and turned to head out.
When I opened the door, I found Faye standing there, her hand lifted, poised to knock. Her mouth opened in surprise. “Kayden, hi. I was just coming to tell you that your new room is ready. We can move you back into the wing with the others.”
“Oh, okay. Can we do it tomorrow, though? I was about to go on a run.”
Faye frowned. “In the woods? Alone?”
I nodded. “I need to burn off some energy.”
She cocked her head. “How was your date?”
“Fine.” Holden had gone all out to make it romantic, but the details were just for the two of us. “So is that okay? Can we move tomorrow?”
“I supposed so, but I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be alone in the woods at night, Kayden. You never know.”
My mind drifted to Sydnee and how she’d put her friends up to surprise challenges. That wasn’t what I needed tonight.
“How about the gym instead?” Faye suggested. “Sometimes, you can find the trainers hanging out. I bet they’d spar with you if you’d like.”
