Page 24 of Tamed By the Alpha Wolf

Ileaned against a gnarled tree and glared at the abandoned cabin. Once upon a time, someone must’ve thought the place charming. The yellow paint peeled from the exterior in large curls, exposing the weather-worn boards underneath. Shutters framed windows so filthy they appeared black.

A perfect mirror for the wolf I’d become.

Elise would make a powerful alpha someday. Maybe not in Dusk Valley—she respected her alpha too much for that, despite her complaints. But somewhere. Someday. She’d never be at peace until she stood at the top of a pack.

Where she belonged.

Movement flickered behind a grimy window. This? This was where I belonged. In the shadows, covered in muck, ready to call down death and destruction.

Elise wanted me to be good. To play nice with her pack and ignore the blood debt carved into my bones.

But some sins couldn’t be washed clean. Some ghosts wouldn’t rest until justice was served.

I’d bolted for the border as soon as she left. I couldn’t make it to Denver and back, but the urge to track down the scene and confirm my worst suspicions loomed large. Especially whenI found a fresh scent.Hoursold, not the days her packmate reported.

Security was shit in the entire state.

I crept toward the cabin, staying low and using the overgrown vegetation for cover. My wolf snarled beneath my skin as I caught the scent again—faint, but unmistakable. Expensive cologne. Cigars. Blood.

Paulie Calafiori.

My vision went red. Memories of that night flooded back—gunshots, screams, the sickening thud of bodies hitting the ground. My baby sister, taking a bullet meant for me.

I didn’t bother with stealth after that. Let the bastard hear me coming.

I kicked in the door, wood splintering beneath my boot. The stench of unwashed flesh and fear assaulted my nose. I blinked, momentarily thrown by the scene before me.

The great Calafiori boss—the man who’d helped orchestrate my family’s massacre—cowered in the corner. His designer suit hung in tatters, his perfectly coiffed hair a greasy, matted mess. He looked... unhinged. Broken.

Good.

I crossed the room in three quick strides, hauling Paulie up by his collar. “Remember me, you piece of shit?”

“Please,” he wheezed, clawing at my hand. “I’ll give you anything. Money, territory, women?—”

I squeezed, hard, cutting off the spew.

My wolf chomped at the bit. Every cell of me vibrated to tear him limb from limb. Destroy another enemy. Revenge the pack, and my sister. Make the world safer for our mate.

We didn’t deserve Elise. We weren’t worthy of her affections. We were destined for darkness forever.

“Tell me about the wedding,” I snarled. “Tell me about Denver.”

Paulie’s eyes widened in recognition, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of the ruthless bastard I remembered. Then it was gone, replaced by sniveling terror. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he babbled. “I’ve been here for months, hiding fromyou?—”

I backhanded him, his head snapping to the side. “Shut up. You’re going to answer my questions, or I’m going to start removing body parts. Got it?”

The door burst open behind me. I whirled, keeping the boss pinned with one hand as I faced the intruders. Two men—one tall and broad-shouldered, the other lean and wiry. The alpha and his lackey, no doubt.

The scent of wolf rolled off them in waves. Dusk Valley pack.

“What the hell is going on here?” the bigger one demanded. His eyes flickered between me and Paulie, assessing the situation.

“Please!” Paulie begged, hand outstretched. “This madman, he—he’s going to kill me. Help me?—”

I growled low in my throat and slammed Paulie back against the wall.

“This doesn’t concern you,” I said, keeping my voice level. “Walk away now, and we can forget this ever happened.”

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