Page 17 of Wolf Sacrificed

I grabbed her hand and ran my thumb over the sore spot. “At the risk of sounding like my father right now, this is actually a good thing. You need to become accustomed to the pain.”

Sloane laughed as she gave me a bewildered look. “You’re right. You do sound like your father.”

My eyes slid shut as my grin faltered. My heart shattered, and I saw red for a moment. I never wanted to be compared to my father, but in this instance, I knew he was right.

And I was the idiot who’d brought him up.

I opened my eyes and kissed her knuckles. “In a real fight, you’re not going to have gloves or anything to protect your hands or any other part of your body, for that matter. It’s better to learn the real pain now during training so you know what to expect.”

She scrunched up her nose. “It makes sense. And I don’t want you to think that I think you’re like your father.” She reached out and cupped my face. “Because you’re nothing like him. You’re kind, passionate, and loving.”

I took a step back and looked down at the ground. The sad thing was my dad had been that way at one point. Before my mom and Hannah died. I could still remember a time when he would hug me and tell me he loved me, and I could do no wrong in his eyes. It was a distant memory now, but it was still there.

My mom’s and sister’s deaths had changed him.

“I hope I never lose that,” I admitted.

She kissed my lips. “You won’t. I won’t let you.”

I tucked my thumb underneath her chin. “That’s what I love about you. You’re so full of hope. Our future is going to be bright.”

Her gaze darted to the side. She blew out a breath, and her shoulders hunched. “Tell that to them.”

I followed her line of sight. Another alpha had joined the small group watching us.

I swallowed and shook my head. “It’s natural for them to question you. They don’t know you like your pack.”

She lowered her voice to barely above a whisper. “But do you think I can beat one of them if they challenge me?”

I wanted to say yes, and it was on the tip of my tongue, but I wasn’t sure. I’d never seen them fight, and Sloane was new to the whole fighting business.

I put a hand on her shoulder. “I think you can do anything that you set your mind to. Part of it is about who the fighter is, but the other part is who wants it more. And you have heart.”

She backed away from me and fiddled with her hair again, taking it down and putting it back up. “We should finish up for the day. I want to take a shower and get some breakfast before everybody finishes it off.”

She didn’t wait for me as she turned on her heel and marched back towards the enforcers’ house. I followed a few steps behind her, reaching out with the thread that bound us together.

She was anxious and full of turmoil. I couldn’t tell if it was because of me, and I hadn’t done my job at calming her, or if it was just the entire situation.

No one had challenged her yet, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t. Electricity crackled in the air. Tension that felt like it could rip the sky open at any moment.

A challenge was coming. I needed to make sure my mate was prepared for it.

We’d gotten up early today, had run and fought as wolves before anybody woke up. I had another intense training planned for later. I didn’t want to push Sloane too hard, but I wasn’t going to let her fail.

I jogged up the steps and stopped the door before it shut. The smell of waffles and bacon wafted in the air, and my mouth watered.

Sloane disappeared into the kitchen, and I followed after her. She handed me a plate and then grabbed bacon and a few waffles.

She poured two full glasses of orange juice and then arched a brow at me. “Where do you want to eat?”

She should eat here with the pack, though I would prefer the quiet of her room. It was important that she started making her presence known.

Before I could tell her as much, Willa dragged out the chair she had her leg propped up on. “Sloane, come sit.”

I nodded at Willa, who gave me a small smile. The younger girl might not be a fighter, but she was someone we could trust.

There weren’t any other chairs, so I took up a spot leaning against the counter behind Sloane.

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