Page 9 of Sold to the Alpha Wolf

The word left him with disgust, and right on cue, Terrance spat on the threshold at the other wolf’s feet.

“It’s up to you, Collins. We’ll take this one.” He looked past my alpha to Reginald again, who was still standing naked and bloody in the entryway. “Or expect war by tomorrow evening.”

Silence hung as they stood in stalemate for a moment, but then the other wolf turned and walked away. He’d been dressed when he arrived, so I had to guess that he’d shift into his wolf form to cover the distance once he could put his clothes in the bag on his back.

Slamming the door shut, Terrance roared into the house again, grabbing Reginald’s throat and squeezing.

“I’m done covering for you, you fucking ingrate.” His teeth grew as he spoke, claws pressing out from his nailbeds. “You pull this shit again, and I’ll throw you to the woods. I will reject your claim to a pack. You hear me!”

Scraping his fingers over the back of Terrance’s hand, Reginald scrambled to keep his footing, desperate for air. The pack growled low at him, circling around the alpha and practically cackling like hyenas.

It was a disgusting display. I knew packs didn’t have to be like this. I knew this was Terrance’s doing, bringing out the worst in everyone. Everyone who was fully blood-connected to him, anyway.

I had no wolf to bleed for him. I could only accept his blood, and I thanked my unlucky stars for one damn break after the life I’d lived. At least I wasn’t entirely beholden to him.

Reginald was tossed to the ground, and he ran off, his tail very much between his legs despite being in human form. Terrance wasn’t sated, however, and neither were the Edwards. He wouldn’t give them Reginald. Would we have to go to war?

The crack of the wall caving in echoed around the room as Terrance punched his fist through the wood, and I couldn’t stop myself from cowering again. None of us could.

“I’m not going to fucking war!” Terrance began to pace. “We can’t spare valued pack members. We’re already hurting. Not a single new pup in years! Dammit!”

Everyone cleared out of his way, dodging and fleeing into the halls as he passed. When he reached my side of the room, I tried to hurry through the dining room door. Two more wolves pushed past me, though, knocking me to the ground.

Pain zinged up my knees as they collided with the hardwood floor. Feet shoved me down as more ran over me, and I was pinned down until they finally got through, leaving me crumpled against the knotty floorboards.

Pulling myself up to stand, I yelped as my ankle throbbed under my weight. My pack mates had likely sprained it when they trampled me, and I wanted to growl; I wanted to snap myself for how they treated me, but I knew I couldn’t.

At once, Terrance was before me, staring down at me with cold, calculating eyes. I lowered my head, honoring him as best I could, but he didn’t step away. He didn’t continue pacing, either. Terrance just stood there, and after a moment, I had to look up. I needed to see what was happening.

When my gaze lifted, I met eyes with Terrance as he towered over me. A nasty smirk was plastered across his lips, and my breath left me. My pulse skyrocketed as panic crept up my spine.

I didn’t know what he was thinking, but there couldn’t be anything good about the way my alpha leered at me.

This is bad. Fuck! Why is everything always bad?

Chapter 4 - Jet

The compound was quiet. I hadn’t left my study since the other night, and I knew Deacon was lying in the cave a few minutes' walk from the house.

He was being wrapped in shrouds, gentle hands cleaning off the signs of death, and this evening he’d be offered up in flame to the wolves that came before.

My heart was still beating somehow through all this.

I’d lost my best friend, my chief beta among the pack, and the man I’d grown up alongside. He’d been there for me since I was a child. He’d helped me to become the alpha I was.

And I’d left him alone when he died.

“I wasn’t there. I was sitting in this damn office.”

My hands flexed into claws, and I reached for the crystal glass, my whiskey long gone. I gripped and gripped the edges of the stupid fancy cup digging into my palm.

And then I chucked it into the fire.

The loud smack of the breaking glass rang out, bouncing off the wood walls of my study. I let out another roar—hardly my first in the past few hours—and it rocked the room to its foundations, disturbing the ancient books on their shelves.

No one. No one is left.

The pack remained, of course, but my parents, the only brother I’d known, and even that flimsy chance at happiness with a mate were all…

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