Page 8 of Sold to the Alpha Wolf

Reginald wobbled on his feet, and I knew he wouldn’t be standing for much longer. He was injured. Whoever the wolf was that he’d killed, they had put up a good fight. A part of me was glad for that, and it wasn’t difficult to admit that I’d wished the loss had been in the other direction.

One less Reginald in the world would be a good thing.

In a quick flash, Terrance backhanded Reginald across the cheek. “You expect me to believe you couldn’t track your whereabouts?! And even if you had gotten your stupid fucking self lost, likely because you're piss drunk like always, what on earth made you think that killing an Edwards beta was the best course of action? Hm?”

The room gasped as one. Killing a beta was so much worse, and an Edwards? Fuck, we may as well have just walked up to their compound and declared war. The Edwards would be at our doorstep demanding retribution before sunup. Reginald had doomed himself. Murdering the beta had signed his own death warrant.

Dammit, our alliance with them is tenuous at best. Now this?

I remembered the singular time I’d run into another wolf in town, and the animosity between all wolven clans had kept me from my mate all this time. It had been an entire year, and I’d never heard from him again. Not that I expected to. And now…

Killing a beta of another pack was not fucking good, and Reginald was going to be offered up like a lamb to salvage any peace we could.

Which I selfishly hoped was possible. The Collins pack meant little to me, but my survival, on the other hand…if we went to war, I would undoubtedly be killed. If not because of a direct attack that I couldn’t hope to defend myself from, then by supposed allies, who’d be looking for a chance to kill me for fun.

And it wasn’t like wolves took prisoners.

“I didn’t…I…”

Reginald couldn’t possibly think he was actually going to defend himself. We all knew what happened, especially Terrance. Our highest-ranking beta, Reginald, was rash and impulsive. He rarely thought anything through. He’d fucked nearly every female wolf in the pack and shrugged off all serious thoughts about the rules and guidelines Terrance had put in place.

Especially that order to stay off Edwards land.

I still didn’t understand why he was made beta in the first place, but everyone knew that something had to be up. He was a terrible leader, and he didn’t follow the rules. And still, Terrance tolerated him. Rumors had swirled for years that Reginald was actually his son.

“You let that wolf inside you do whatever the fuck it wanted. That’s what. You’ve never once tried to dull or hone the animal instincts in you. And now this!”

The wood walls shook as Terrance roared. I could see the veins in his neck and forehead bulge.

“They’ll declare war for this, Reginald. They’ll want your head on a damn pike, or they’ll fight all of us.” Terrance sighed, closing his eyes as his head tilted toward the ceiling. “You’ve really made a fucking mess now, haven’t you?”

He didn’t speak, and the others began growling at him. Tension and fury rose in the room, filling it like smoke. I choked on it just as hard, their overwhelming rage driving me to stumble back into the doorframe where I stood by the small, unused dining room.

The sound of my shoulder colliding with the wall was too loud, and the gazes of wolves around me zeroed in on my lesser form. Angry hisses and snapping jaws met me as a handful of the pack sought to take out their aggression on me—like they so often did.

Still healing from their last display of status, I cowered back, lowering my head.

No, please. I’m not picking a fight. Stop.

Partially shifted hands clawed at me. I knew they couldn’t read my thoughts, per se, but those with wolves could smell the change in my pheromones. They could tell when I was scared, anxious. And I knew they enjoyed it when I was.

Showing my submissiveness didn’t save me with these ones.

Just as Gabrielle swiped at me, her nails raking through my forearm and tearing the skin, there was a loud knock at the door.

Terrance growled, every wolf there refocusing on him and giving him their obedience.

“Damn. That was quicker than expected. Quiet down, you pissants.” The low hum of snarls abruptly died. “Reginald, be a dear and answer the fucking door, won’t you?”

Is he out of his mind? Having the man covered in beta blood answering the fucking door!

Reginald had no choice but to obey, however, and he stumbled forward, opening the thick barrier of wood wide. Another wolf stood just outside, and his eyes flared as he took in Reginald’s appearance—and scent.

A growl rumbled out of the other wolf’s chest, and everyone inside hunkered low. Tension like perching on a live wire sparked through the room. I could do nothing if this got physical, if there were more waiting outside.

“You fucking…” The Edwards wolf stopped himself, clenching his jaw before glaring back at Reginald. “The Edwards alpha demands retribution. Deliver the killer or your alpha to us for sacrifice, or go to war. Those are your choices.”

Terrance shoved in front of Reginald, meeting the Edwards wolf with his own snarl. “You’ll not be getting me, wolf.”

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