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Now the three of us stood naked, shoulder-to-shoulder, helpless to save Freya as my insane ex threatened her. Rage filled me at Nira’s petty words and perverse challenge.
“What do you think, Gage? What will happen when your old flame fights your new one?”
“What do I think?” I growled.
Even though I was naked and unarmed, Nira flinched when I took a step toward her, and I gave a satisfied snarl. I’d promised to kill anyone who touched Freya, which meant Nira was as good as dead.
Then my eyes fell on my mate, standing strong and unafraid beside the woman who’d manipulated both me and my brother.
“What I think is that Freya is ten times the wolf you are. She came back to this fight even though she knew we’d be outnumbered. No, she camebecausewe were outnumbered. She’s proven herself to be a true packmate to all of us. Over and over, she’s been at a disadvantage, yet she survives. She selflessly put herself in harm’s way for us, for our pack. She’s strong and yet compassionate,” I motioned to Ingrid’s body, lying not far away.
Then I raised my eyes to Freya’s. What I saw there scared me more than any threats. Because when I looked into her eyes, I saw her hidden wolf staring out at me, weighing me, deciding whether I was truly worthy of her.
The desire to claim her as my mate ached as strongly as an empty belly, starved for days on end. My wolf had been pushing to bite her all along, though I’d hoped the urge would die down once her heat ended.
But it was never about the heat. I’d wanted her from the beginning — both me and my wolf. And now that her heat had ended… I wanted her all the more, not any less.
When I realized I’d been broadcasting those feelings down the pack bond where all of them could sense them, I instinctively closed myself off. But Flint’s acceptance and approval along with Heath’s guarded optimism hit me hard through the bond, leaving me a bit off-kilter. I’d never realized how important it was for me to do right by Freya — not just for her, or for me, but for all of us in the Howling Echo pack.
“I see you,” I told Freya and her wolf. “You were never the one who needed to prove yourself worthy. It’s me. I didn’t make things easy on you, but I’m proud you’re part of my pack. And one day, I’ll be proud to run beside your wolf.”
Freya’s eyes lit up, the extraordinary blue glinting with intensity, but Nira snarled, stealing my attention. I needed to deal with this threat so I could prove to Freya how much I craved her. I would defend her to my dying breath if I had to, but now, more than ever before, I wanted to live. Not for me, but for her. For my mate.
“Enough,” Nira growled, motioning toward the three of us. “Tie them up.”
“If you attack Freya, it will only show how weak of a leader you actually are,” I growled, stalking toward the traitorous pack alpha until two Frost Fang wolves came to stand in my way.
I glared at them both, remembering they’d been ahead of me in school, but they’d always shown me deference as the pack alpha’s son. When I glanced over my shoulder, I saw Flint and Heath being restrained. It was up to me to intimidate my two guards enough to leave me free to act.
“She’s not even an alpha,” I continued. “She’s no threat to you, Nira.”
Then I stared down both wolves standing in my way as one of them held up some rope.
“But I am,” I reminded them. “With my brother Garth dead, you know I’m the rightful pack alpha of Frost Fang.”
“That’s enough.” Nira’s voice lashed out like a whip as she used her alpha-bark. “Take her away from me before I slit her throat myself.”
Instead of grabbing me, the two wolves grabbed Freya and hauled her away.
“That’s your mistake,” I called after them.
They’d heard my warning, and I tried to keep up my alpha confidence for Freya’s sake. If one of them decided to slash her throat or shoot her in the head, I was too far away to do anything about it. So all I could do was hope to intimidate them.
Nira studied my expression. “You’re right, Gage. As pack alpha, I shouldn’t dirty my hands with taking out the trash. That’s why I had your brother killed, you know. I didn’t do it myself, even though I could have. He was weak. Not worth my time. Just like your worthless excuse of a ‘packmate’.”
She was goading me, and I wished I could say it wasn’t working. I’d always assumed my father’s mates had done it for her, maybe even Karina herself. She’d always hated my father for taking her away from her mate, and she hated both his sons by extension.
But maybe some part of me had hoped Nira hadn’t been involved. Some part of me still wished that the woman I thought I’d been in love with still had some kernel of good in her.
Today dispelled any of those false hopes.
“Kill her,” Nira said.
“No! Don’t hurt her!” I barked out a counter-order.
I was more dominant than Nira, but my alpha command might not be enough to cancel out hers, since these wolves had sworn loyalty to her. I lunged toward Freya to intervene, but more Frost Fang men yanked me back.
“Fight me instead.” Desperate words poured from my lips. “I challenge you, Nira, pack alpha of the Frost Fang pack!”
