10

“Walk with me?” he asked.

I nodded. At his expression, I pushed all thoughts of Mom, destiny, and the woman haunting my dreams aside.

The cool night air outside my cabin smelled slightly sweet; the blossoms of late spring had released their scent for everyone to enjoy. My pack was encased in darkness, but because shifters tended to keep late nights, torches and lanterns were ablaze within most cabins. It was a rather enchanting sight, but Dom and I turned away from the compound and into the thicket of trees near my cabin. We had something serious to discuss.

“I’ve got news,” Dom said.

“Go ahead.”

“We received word last night that the Kings’ Alpha died.”

Stillness fell over me, so total that even my wolf was silent. It wasn’t the silence of dread or sadness—it was more like the calm before a terrible storm.

Dom, sensing the shift in me, took a step to the side but continued speaking. “The week of mourning and celebrations has already started. In five days, Troy Redwolf will ask for challengers before taking his spot as Alpha. Apparently, no one expects him to have to face anyone.”

My growl cut across that final word. That’s just like that asshole, isn’t it? Even his title will come easily to him. My wolf howled and snapped inside me, rushing for release, and I was about ready to let him out. My desire for vengeance fed the rage boiling inside me. The Kings’ pack should never belong to Troy. The Redwolfs ruled their pack through fear, control, and popularity contests. It was disgraceful.

The Kings’ pack was meant to be mine, and I had every intention of storming in there and taking it for myself. Gregor Redwolf, a bastard and a coward, was finally dead after weeks of being bedridden. I ought to feel satisfaction at the news of his death, but all I felt was numbness. Gregor was more than just the Alpha of the pack that had ensured the suffering of the Wargs pack—he was my father, the man who had lain with my mom only to abandon her to a life without a mate. And me to one without a father.

“How did he die?” I asked. Even the leaves were silent and still, and Dom and I had stopped walking.

“In his sleep.”

I snatched a thick, sturdy branch off a nearby tree, the wood groaning as it splintered. With a snarl, I broke the branch in half against my knee and tossed the remains away. “A peaceful death is too good for him,” I snapped.

Dom didn’t flinch in the wake of my rage. He was an excellent beta who did nothing but serve as my second to the best of his ability. He would go to the ends of the earth for me.

I wasn’t alone in my hatred for the Kings’ Alpha. There wasn’t a wolf in my pack who wouldn’t relish the opportunity to kill a Redwolf. But Dom was the only wolf, other than my mother, who knew why I hated Gregor so much.

I knew I confused him at times, but Dom understood my capabilities. He knew that I sought to bring an end to the oppression that our pack had endured. Once that happened, there would be no more skirmishes when Wargs and Kings happened to be in town at the same time. We would no longer be subjected to surprise ambushes while out patrolling or hunting. And we would finally be able to trade with other packs in the area, like the Camas, who had once been friendly with the Wargs.

But a good beta wasn’t a mindlessly obedient one. Sometimes he and I would disagree on how to approach an issue. The ensuing discussion was a huge part of what made the Alpha/beta dynamic so important.

“I disagree,” Dom said.

I speared him with a glare. “After everything the Kings’ pack has done to us, you think Gregor got what he deserves?”

Again, Dom remained steady. “I would’ve loved to rip his throat out just as much as the next guy. That’s not what I’m saying. To die in his sleep is no way for a warrior to go. He should have gone down fighting, but he didn’t get to have that honor.”

I paused, letting his words sink in. I’d had dreams of confronting Gregor on the Kings’ territory, of ripping the Alpha mantle from the Redwolfs and taking it as my own. In light of Gregor’s death, and with this new perspective that Dom had just given me, I realized I didn’t have to see the way he died as an affront to my honor.

With one less obstacle in my way, I could take on Gregor’s sniveling son—my sniveling half-brother—head-on. I looked at Dom with growing gratitude. I needed to remember that I had people on my side, lest I become the same shameful man that my father had been.

“Maybe you’re right,” I said, calming. “Maybe he got exactly what he deserved.”

Dom nodded. “And it gives us an advantage.”

It was true. With Gregor dead, and Troy without any real Alpha experience, the Kings were a much easier target.

“So, what’s the plan, Night?”

I crossed my arms, thinking. “I’ll go for what’s mine on the night of the challenge ceremony.”

Dom’s grin showed canines that were just as sharp as mine. “They won’t expect anyone to challenge him, so your presence will make Redwolf lose his shit.”

“Exactly.” In the dim light from the cabin, Dom’s eyes glowed amber. I was sure mine shone too. “We’ll storm the territory, and I’ll kill him in front of his entire pack. No one will be able to dispute our rule.”

“Stealth will still be key.”

“Of course. And while the celebration is going on, everyone will be too drunk or too distracted to stop us.”

“It’s hard to believe that victory is so close. After everything the Wargs have been through…” Dom shook his head. “I can’t wait to see the ground red with his blood.”