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“Don’t sound so disappointed. I’d like to know my sister-in-law better,” Scarlett said, flashing Rain her teeth.
Kieran snarled at her to back off, and Scarlett did. He’d been pleased his sister had taken a liking to Rain because few of his pack mates disapproved of her, but he wasn’t worried. That would change with time. Right now, all they saw when they looked at Rain was an outsider.
“Shall we?” he asked Rain, offering her his arm. She took it.
Heads turned and pack mates started to murmur when Kieran walked into the hall with Rain. Kieran was connected to all his wolves by the pack bond. They felt the moment Kieran’s life-force joined with Rain’s.
It must have felt like a long walk to Rain, but they eventually, managed to arrive at Kieran’s usual table. True to her word, she hissed and growled at any unmated female omega who tried to paw at Kieran.Feisty mate, Kieran thought with amusement.
Damien and Gray nodded at him. Including his sister, Kieran still had three of his enforcers by his side. It was better than he hoped because he assumed Gray’s loyalties would go either way. Still, a fractured pack didn’t bode well for Kieran. He needed the pack to be united, not broken.
His good mood soon disappeared as Markus entered the hall with Annabelle by his side. Markus strode to the table, his expression of rage poorly masked. He didn’t sit.
“Kieran, I cannot believe you mated this outsider without the pack’s consent!” Markus pitched his voice loud enough that it echoed through the entire hall.
Kieran idly toyed with his butter knife. It was no hunting blade, but anything could become a formidable weapon in his hands. “I am the lead alpha of this pack, Markus. I have the right to choose my own mate,” he finally said, keeping his voice steady.
Truth was, Kieran’s wolf wanted to rip out of his skin,but his pack mates would not take it kindly if Kieran ripped out Markus’s throat. Certain pack laws needed to be followed.
“Your decisions have been questionable lately, so has your leadership.”
Gasps came from their watching pack members, even murmurs of agreement. Markus held his gaze. “I challenge you for the position of lead alpha.”
“Markus, consider your words carefully,” Damien said sharply.
“I didn’t make this decision lightly. This pack needs a new king,” Markus said.
“And you think you’re fit for that role? You, who consider Rain unsuitable when you have been consorting with her former alpha?” Kieran asked.
Shock rippled across Markus’s face, but only for a moment. Surprise registered on Annabelle’s face, which told him she didn’t know about all of Markus’s activities.
“You have proof of your false accusations? Maybe you’ve become too comfortable being lead alpha. Are you afraid of answering my challenge?” Markus demanded.
“It looks like there’s no changing your mind,” Kieran said. “I accept your challenge. Midnight. At the pack’s challenge circle.”
“I will have it no other way,” Markus said. Then he turned his back and walked out of the hall.
Chapter Eight
The moon hung pale and bloated in the starless night sky. An ominous warning? Rain wrapped her shawl around her shoulders and shivered. Scarlett stood right next to her, her presence a comfort.
Rain’s old pack’s challenge grounds looked so different. A mini-stadium made of concrete and stone—made mostly for theatre. The Crimson Maw Pack’s challenge circle was situated a few miles from the pack house.
Tall oaks bordered a large, grassy clearing full of werewolves. One by one, werewolves filled the area, keeping clear of the huge empty space in the center. Droplets of rain beaded her skin. A drizzle. It didn’t seem to matter to the other werewolves. They jostled each other, and some even made bets.
It made Rain sick, seeing them act this way. Werewolves were competitive by nature. Rain grew up in a pack, and she should be used to pack challenges, but the last time she’d been at one of these, Felix had ripped out her father’s throat. She knew her father had been old, way past his prime. Kieran was the exact opposite, but still, a bad feeling settled in her gut.
“It’ll be fine,” Scarlett said next to her. “Have more confidence in my brother.”
Rain didn’t doubt Kieran’s abilities, but she worried Markus would try something dishonorable. Honestly, she hadn’t been too surprised to hear Markus had been meeting Felix in secret. The two of them seemed to share plenty in common. The watching werewolves cheered when Markus, then Kieran entered the clearing.
Rain stood only a few feet from Kieran. She had such a clear view of the fight, but he felt so far from her. Kieran walked in, barefoot and only wearing jeans. Markus made a show of taking off all his clothes. Kieran simply stripped down andchanged forms. In the blink of an eye, an enormous, muscled wolf with red fur replaced Kieran.
The speed of his shift astonished her. That told her Kieran and his beast were completely in sync. Markus also shifted, and now the two alphas warily circled each other. No one yelled for them to start. Markus came bounding toward Kieran, and he met his charge.
The two collided, a fury of fangs and fur. The crowd started calling out their names. Rain gripped Scarlett’s arm, worried.
“My brother has never lost a fight,” Scarlett whispered in his ear.
