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I leaned forward, the intensity of my posture unmistakable. He needed to know who was in charge here, and what I wouldn’t tolerate.
“It appears you’re gathering people to you, increasing your numbers in preparation for something.” Garrett and I had previously discussed showing those cards in our hands would cause no harm. It was open knowledge at this point. Garrett had been in talks with various alphas and betas for days to get a handle on the situation.
“If you are, in fact, poaching other packs’ members for some ultimate gain, you realize it would be treason,” I said carefully. The man was unpredictable, but he needed to know where I stood on this. I wouldn’t sit around while he attempted a coup.
“Are you serious right now?” Branson leaned forward, his face twisted in anger. “Just because I’m making alliances with other alphas does not make me a traitor. Alliances between regions have existed for centuries.”
“Perhaps,” I allowed, “but only up to a certain extent. I want to be crystal clear here. Mark my words. If you raise an army in rebellion, we will swiftly kill you and your wolves.”
Branson sat up straighter, his eyes glittering with hatred, but I wasn’t done.
“You are only alive and in your position because I continue to allow it. Never forget that, Branson. At any point, I could eliminate you. So, tread carefully. My eyes are on you.”
Branson didn’t say anything else for the rest of the meeting, which was just a formality at this point. Garrett wrapped up a few business items, then I adjourned the meeting.
“Have you heard anything about how the competition went this morning?” I asked Garrett quietly as everyone began to get up and gather their things.
“Ah, yes, the Contention,” Branson drawled as he stood. He sidled over to my side of the table. “How’s that going, by the way?”
“I’m not sure that’s any of your business.”
Branson’s mouth dropped open in mock surprise. “What? You don’t trust me?” He grinned. “Look, I gave you Kayden. I did my part, even if she’s probably already dead. The least you could do is give me an update.”
“Kayden is very much alive,” I growled, standing at my full height as I glowered at him. “Did you send her here hoping she wouldn’t make it? Perhaps you underestimated her.”
Branson held his hands up, palms facing outward, but his eyes were narrowed as he said, “I didn’t mean anything by it. Take it easy.”
I didn’t bother replying, just turned and strode out of the room with Garrett on my heels, aggravated I’d let Branson get under my skin. Hopefully, he hadn’t noticed how defensive I became at his mentioning Kayden. Not that I cared what he thought, but the less he knew, the fewer opportunities he’d have to hold something against me.
“Dude,” Garrett said, jogging to keep up as I moved down the hallway. “What was that? You don’t typically lose your cool like that. What did he say that had you all riled up?”
“He made a snide remark about Kayden, and it pissed me off,” I told him.
Garrett gave me a curious look. “What’s going on there between the two of you?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. I was definitely attracted to her—way more than any of the other girls. But I didn’t know how she felt. She’d run off after that kiss last night, and I hadn’t seen her since.
“Let’s go for a run,” Garrett suggested. “Burn off some of this tension.”
“That sounds like a great idea.”
The two of us headed out to the western woods, where we could run for miles without distraction. It had been a long day, and the sun was already descending. The meetings had taken much longer than I’d anticipated. Perhaps a run was just what I needed.
Once we were within the trees, we both undressed and shifted quickly. The sensations of my bones breaking and reforming, the fur sprouting along my spine then spreading out to cover my canine form, and my shifter senses heightening as the transformation completed sent a wave of peace washing over me.
We should do this more often, I told Garrett. The last few days had been so stressful, and this was the release I needed.
Ready?
In answer, I sprang into a run, Garrett right beside me, and we darted into the depths of the woods, weaving through trees and leaping over small streams and fallen branches. It was exhilarating, a rush like nothing else.
I regretted missing the competition today, as it would have been the first time I got to see all the contestants in wolf form. There was something about seeing a person in their other form that was revealing. It reflected their interior in a way that was so easily masked in human form. Garrett, for one, was a perfect example. He often came off as cocky, a jokester who never took things seriously. But in reality, he was strong, cunning, and highly intelligent, something anyone who saw him in wolf form would immediately recognize.
As we ran, the tension slowly began to seep from my body, but I pushed myself harder for the exercise and to escape from the stresses of becoming alpha. Branson had to be dealt with efficiently if I wanted my transition to alpha to go smoothly. Best to nip it all in the bud now.
Almost two hours later, Garrett and I returned to the estate, tired but refreshed.
“I’m glad we did that,” I told him as I got dressed. “I’m going to sleep much better now.”
