Page 11 of Sold to the Alpha Wolf

What in the holy hells is this fucker thinking?

My mind reeled. Sacrificing a chance at continuing his pack was insanity. We all knew how our numbers were dwindling. The species-wide issues of birth and child loss were staggering, and here Terrance was offering up an omega capable of delivering a child instead of handing over the killer.

“You’ve come here after your fucking beta killed my own, and you’re offering me a breeding omega. Why not provide the murderer for justice, Terrance?”

“I don’t wish to see the wolf killed, Jet. He is young and foolish. His life shouldn’t be ended if there is a way to absolve this without more bloodshed. The omega will be given to you freely and remain in your pack as its new member. We will sever our connection to her in favor of your own. A life, through the birth of a new wolf, for a life.”

The pounding of my blood through my ears was deafening. This was unheard of. But…

Sacrificing a breeding partner—with the possibility of granting life—was indeed a hefty price. Terrance was willing to protect the life of the murderer, supposedly a young wolf, and give up a chance at creating a wolf for their pack. It would save countless wolf lives if I chose to avoid an all-out war. And the possibility of having another female among us was tempting—extremely fucking tempting.

“What say you, Alpha?”

Terrance raised his brows at me, and I looked over my shoulder at Kaiden, at the rest of my pack.

I couldn’t lose more of them to a battle between packs. I couldn’t lose them to more fucking violence and death and strife. Turning my back to Terrance momentarily, I pulled Kaiden and the other eldest wolves of the pack in for a huddle.

“This could save lives, Edwards pack. What are your thoughts?”

“It’s not enough, Jet. Their beta should die for this.” I was unsurprised to hear Leon say as much.

“I don’t want us to lose more wolves,” Kaiden spoke up. “Giving up an omega is a huge payment.”

“My brother’s right,” Kenzie added, putting her hand on his arm. “She could provide children. That’s…that’s an opportunity we can’t look past.”

“I agree.” Geo and Orion spoke next, the twins echoing Kenzie’s sentiment simultaneously, as usual.

Several more among the pack gave an affirmative, while others agreed with Leon. It was an even split. This would come down to me, to my judgment as alpha.

Returning my attention to Terrance, I sucked in a breath as I straightened my shoulders. The dull gray of the Collins alpha’s eyes was dark, a cloud hanging behind them that I couldn’t place. It was a risk to take her on. The omega could very well be a Trojan Horse. Still…

“I want to see her. Bring the omega in.”

Chapter 5 - Senna

The cold air bit at my ankles as I waited outside the Edwards compound. I was still unsure why Terrance had brought me here. I had no reason to join them at the meeting, and it should be Reginald here. The beta had killed another wolf, another beta, and despite what anyone wanted to say about the man, Reginald was bound to do something just as stupid again.

He’d been an impulsive bastard since he’d joined the pack a few days after Terrance took over, and we all knew that wasn’t about to change.

Why is he not here? Why is Terrance so obsessed with covering for him?

My gut twisted as nervous energy continued to flood me, along with something else that I couldn’t place. My toes had also started to go numb, and I glared down at the ancient boots on my feet that offered little warmth or protection from the elements.

Behind the shaky tiredness brought out by the cold, my chest felt heavy, but also…pulled. It was as if some invisible tether was subtly yanking me in a particular direction. In this case, toward the Edwards house and inside. I didn’t like it, but there was no reason to give any of my so-called wolf abilities any credence. I knew better than most how unreliable my senses could be.

The ache in my fingers from the frigid air worsened. I rubbed my hands together before stuffing them deeper into the pockets of my too-thin jacket. There was a hole in the right pocket, however, and a slight breeze slipped up from the bottom hem and brushed across my knuckles. A guard stood by me, and I looked over at him—not for the first time.

“Can you please tell me why I’m here?”

The guy snarled, baring his still-human teeth. The others had shifted to run here, pulling me on a flimsy sled. I’d nearly fallen into the snow at least four times, and my ass bones still hurt from sitting on the uneven bars that ran along the bottom of the shitty cushion. Now, all the wolves here were back in human form. They needed to talk, after all, and you can’t really do that as a wolf, now can you?

“No.” He adjusted his shoulders, and my attention snapped to the gun holster beneath his arm and under his jacket.

True wolves ran hot, me less so. My attendant here had his jacket unzipped, and it was clear he was prepared for trouble. I didn’t know if that trouble would be me or the Edwards, though. I didn’t put it past Terrance to allow this man to shoot me if I tried to make a break for it or resisted too much.

“I don’t know why you’re here, and even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you. I don’t fucking care to help the wolfless bitch who doesn’t know when to just shut up. Or do us all a favor and die on a supply run.”

The words were cruel, of course, but they were hardly the worst I’d heard. So, I just rolled my eyes and tried to distract myself from the endless wait in the winter cold by staring at the house again.

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