Page 28 of My Bully Alpha

“The scent isn’t familiar to me, but he very well could’ve sent anyone from his pack. Regardless of who left it, it has to be from Sam. These woods border his property, and it only makes sense that he would lash out,” I concurred, letting my mind run through the possibilities.

Even if I didn’t have solid proof, I had no doubt it was from him. It was well within his capabilities to threaten me and my pack. That pure anger coursed through me, burning in its wake. No matter what I did, he always seemed to come back like a cockroach you couldn’t kill.

“But why stir the pot after you spared him?” Sebastian questioned.

“Probably because I stormed his pack and wounded his pride. Now, he’s likely hoping to intimidate me to make sure I don’t try anything else. But I won’t tolerate that.”

As it made more sense to them, they nodded in consideration.

“What now?” Logan asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

“We need to come up with some sort of plan. Figure out how to put Sam in his place until I can convince his pack that I’m not the monster they think I am,” I began, looking toward my beta with authority. “In the meantime, inform me if you find anything like this again, and tell the others we’re having a pack meeting at the end of the day.”

With a nod, Logan and the others began toward our grounds, leaving Sebastian and myself.

“It seems that false confidence has gotten to his head,” he murmured, checking out the trees again.

“He wants to get a rise out of me. He always has,” I returned, keenly aware of the fury pulsing within my chest. “As much as I want to strike right now, the pack’s opinion of me isn’t what it should be. If I go in and kill Sam, they’ll have no reason not to believe his original lies. I have to be smart.”

Understanding, Sebastian nodded absently. “I’m sure you’ll figure something out. Guys like Sam trip up eventually.”

“I just need to be ready for when he does.”

***

Despite our limited numbers, there was a murmur of voices in the pack hall, since Logan announcing the meeting had caused a bit of a stir. As much as I didn’t want to start a panic, I felt they had a right to know what was happening.

“And you’re sure it was Sam?” One of them asked, seeming uncertain about the news.

“We don’t have concrete evidence, but there would be no reason for any other pack to threaten us. As of right now, we are assuming it was his doing.”

They mumbled between themselves, all wearing a different version of the same expression. They were concerned and angry, and rightly so. None of us wanted issues with another pack, especially not when we were still working towards establishing ourselves.

“I know this is a lot to shoulder, and I don’t want to cause any escalations, but something will need to be done about this. When the time is right.” I said, standing before them.

However, it felt different this time. Not only was Jane in attendance for the first time but I was also graced with a new level of strength—a more legitimate and unshakable authority due to our bond. As refreshing as it was, it also required more self-restraint.

Even someone born to be an alpha could be affected by the power and responsibility that came with it. I didn’t plan on being one of those alphas.

“Why not now?” Nati asked, face strained by worry. “Does the threat not warrant action now?”

“As much as I’d like to put an end to it as soon as possible, I have to play my cards right. I will come up with a plan on my own, but in the meantime, everyone needs to be vigilant. If you see something strange, inform me,” I answered, hoping to keep the overall panic at a minimum. “One way or another, Sam will be put in his place, and the others will be taken care of.”

Even if I didn’t have a resolution for them yet, the pack seemed to agree, and the meeting came to a close.

From the moment I laid eyes on those tainted trees, I shouldered that worry and anger, left to question just how far Sam might go. As much as I craved the chance to face him one-on-one, I didn’t want the others to get involved. I didn’t want them to get stuck in the middle of a potentially messy situation, and I didn’t want anyone to doubt my ability to lead.

Once it was all said and done, all I wanted was to call it a day and pass out in bed. However, to my surprise, Jane had other ideas.

“I know you hate Sam for challenging you and for the exile, but does everyone else have to pay for it too?” She asked, following me into the house.

Caught off-guard by her accusation, I turned to face her with an incredulous look. “What do you mean?”

“You said they would be ‘taken care of,’ but what did they do to you? There are innocent people in that pack, and they don’t deserve to get caught in the middle of a feud because of Sam.”

Dumbfounded that she would even assume that of me, I could only blink at her in disbelief for a moment before my voice returned to me, curt and irritated. “I don’t plan on doing anything to them. They deserve better than Sam, and I’m going to help them as best as I can. Besides, what does it matter to you? They didn’t care about you.”

Jane bristled at that, visibly hurt. “My best friend Ivy is still there…”

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