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I didn’t know if any of that were true. In fact, Jenna had every right to be worried. Branson was unpredictable. Ever since he’d taken over as alpha, chaos had erupted. It seemed he’d rather incite fear than respect in his pack, and so far, it had worked to keep his dissenters in line.
I forced a smile. “Go back to bed, Jenna. I’ll be back in a little bit.”
Turning, I dropped the smile and glared at the soldier, who smirked. Still, he felt the need to grip my arm a bit too tightly as he led me to his black truck. He opened the door and practically shoved me inside.
It wasn’t until he’d shut the door that I realized there were no handles on the inside of the vehicle, and a metal barrier was in place between the front and back seats.
I sat back, the hair on my arms standing on end, and an uneasy feeling settled between my shoulder blades. The last time I’d been brought before the alpha, they hadn’t treated me like a prisoner, though they hadn’t treated me kindly or gently.
No, Branson had cemented my already negative feelings towards him by being not only angry but cruel—spitting out that my brother had died and speaking to me as if I were somehow to blame.
A lump formed in my throat as silent tears streamed down my face. I couldn’t prevent them, but I wouldn’t give Branson or his thugs the satisfaction of seeing me break down. Not if I could help it.
Branson had a way of making people feel small and insignificant, and I’d been no exception that night weeks ago. I only hoped I could hold it together this time. But that all depended on why he was bringing me in.
The trees grew denser around the truck as it followed a familiar path through the private property where our pack was headquartered. My pulse quickened, trepidation settled over me, and I forced myself to breathe.
I could handle whatever he threw my way as long as Jenna was safe at home. She was all I had left, and I’d do whatever it took to keep her safe.
3
HOLDEN
The first hint of gray light cast a faint shadow on the trees marking the edge of my territory. The other side belonged to the Southeastern Coastal pack.
We’d camped out in wolf form all night, wanting to approach Branson first thing this morning.
All clear?I asked Garrett, communicating through the mental link an alpha and his closest packmates shared while in wolf form. He’d taken the last watch.
His wolf eyes shone in the darkness, a pale blue among the shadows.No sign of anyone near the territory lines.
Then let’s go.
Moving as one, the four of us padded forward, crossing into territory that could very well be hostile. I raised my nose, scenting the air. Grass, leaves, and the still-fresh scents of late summer washed over me, but there was no trace of any shifters having been nearby recently. Hopefully, that meant they were unaware of our presence just yet.
Even though my father ranked higher than Branson, this was still his territory. As the future alpha, I ranked on par with Branson according to pack law. Protocol stated I should have alerted him ahead of my visit. Branson was just the type to use the flimsy excuse to rechallenge me—or put one of his wolves up to it. But being on official business at my father’s request, I had a loophole on my side that I planned to take advantage of.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end a millisecond before I heard it. The crack of a branch echoed loudly in the otherwise still forest.
Ambush!Jax closed ranks, Garrett and Cal following suit.
I scanned the dim woods, my shifter senses on high alert for any movement, any sound. Instinct told me that wasn’t just an old branch falling.
Stay in wolf form, I ordered. Then I turned my focus inward, the way I’d practiced my entire life until I’d mastered my wolf, letting my senses guide me.
A thud to my left had me pivoting. A black wolf nearly as large as Garrett’s landed on the ground twenty feet away, teeth bared, eyes gleaming. While the sun still hadn’t risen, my eyesight in wolf form cut through the darkness, and the shadows of half a dozen more wolves took shape behind the black one.
Jax was right. Somehow, we’d walked right into an ambush. How they’d managed to hide their scents was a question for another time. Right now, I had to think fast.
Fortunately, I had three decades of training under my belt.
I padded forward and cocked my head, listening for signs of other wolves, but there appeared to be just the seven of them. The black wolf who was apparently leading this crew growled menacingly. I bared my teeth.
Only seven, Garret huffed, a hint of arrogance in his tone.How disappointing. And here I thought we might have a challenge today.
Without warning, the wolves sprang forward, attacking all at once.
Now!I commanded, a jolt of adrenaline coursing through my system.
