Page 50 of Alpha's Runaway Mate

I took a slow, measured breath, trying to rein in the fury clawing at my chest. “Dominic, people are suffering. This isn’t the time or place for—”

“Oh, but it is,” he sneered, his eyes alight with a dangerous gleam. “Look around, Kaine. This mess is the result of your weakness. You failed us, all because of some woman you love.”

His words hit me like a punch, a mixture of disgust and betrayal tightening in my gut.Some woman,he had said.

Dominic continued, his tone thick with derision, “I’m done taking orders from an Alpha who cares more about his own desires than the safety of his pack. Ironclaw deserves someone stronger. Someone who isn’t blinded by emotion.”

He squared his shoulders, his gaze burning into mine, unyielding. “The people are tired of you, Kaine,” he spat, moving closer until we were nearly nose-to-nose. “I’m tired of you.”

“Well, suck it up and get to work. I am your Alpha, and you will do as I say,” I shot back.

He ignored me, raising his voice to address the crowd. “We need change. And I can be that change.”

It all clicked then—the reason behind his relentless scheming. He had never really liked Lyra. That had all been a ploy. Everything he had been doing was a build-up to this very moment. He was after the Alpha position.

“This is what you’ve always wanted?” I scoffed, feeling a bitter laugh escape my lips.

His eyes glinted with ambition. “I was born to be Alpha. If not of my own pack, then of one worthy of my leadership.”

“You cannot become Alpha unless—“

Before I could finish, Dominic’s voice rang out, cutting through the air loud enough for everyone at the pack headquarters to hear. “I, Dominic Wilder, challenge you, Kaine Thornfield, to a duel for the position of Alpha.”

The crowd erupted into a roar of approval, their faces a blur as the weight of his words sank in. Everything around me seemed to fade, the noise of the crowd drowned out by the rush of blood pounding in my ears. I’d known he was ambitious, but this…this was treachery beyond anything I’d imagined.

And he wasn’t done. He turned to me, his eyes hard, devoid of emotion. “A duel to the death. Whoever lives takes the title Alpha.”

Chapter Twenty-Three — Kaine’s POV

My eyes were fixated on the moon hanging high in the night sky, but my thoughts were far away from the battlefield awaiting me. In less than an hour, I’d be facing a man I had once called brother in a fight for the title of Alpha—my title, one he intended to take from me. Yet, the looming threat of that challenge couldn’t hold my focus. Instead, my mind kept drifting to Lyra, and the fragments of knowledge Salome had pieced together about the Blackwood curse. She hadn’t known much, only scraps that might have sounded like a myth or presumption to anybody else. Despite not being sure about a lot of things, one thing was certain: we were running out of time.

This time tomorrow, the full moon will reach its peak, and when it did, the Blackwoods could lift their curse. I clenched my fists, wondering what horrors Lyra might be facing at this very moment. And Leo…he was just a boy, far too young to be caught up in this nightmare. The thought twisted like a knife in my chest. Were they being tortured, used as pawns in some twisted preparation for the ritual? Or were they simply waiting for their…

I shook off the thought, refusing to let it consume me. I wanted nothing more than to storm the Blackwood territory and tear it to pieces, to make them feel in a single night the eight months of pain they’d inflicted on Lyra. But I couldn’t do it alone. I needed my pack behind me, an army at my side. And if I didn’t have the authority to command them, I’d never reach Red Rock, let alone survive. First, I had to put an end to this senseless coup Dominic was staging—end it once and for all, even if it meant killing him.

“You look forlorn,” a familiar voice echoed from behind me.

I slowly shifted my gaze from the window, turning to find Isolde standing in the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest. A smile played on her lips, and her eyes flickered with something I couldn’t quite place—and honestly, I didn’t care to. “What are you doing here?” I asked, not meeting her gaze as I shuffled through the arms and gears on the bench.

She shrugged nonchalantly, stepping into the room. “Came to wish you luck. Maybe help you get ready.”

“Thanks, but I don’t need it,” I replied, my tone clipped.

She chuckled dryly, glancing over at the armory chest. Moving to lift it, she stopped only when I raised a hand, the silent message clear.I didn’t need it.I didn’t need anything from her. Not now.

“Dominic is angry, Kaine,” she said, her tone turning serious. “He’s going to kill you if he gets the chance.”

I said nothing. My focus was back on the window, my eyes drawn to the rising moon, a reminder of what was coming.

She sighed, her footsteps soft as she drew nearer. The sound of soft footsteps told me she was moving closer to me. “There’s talk around town,” she murmured, her voice quiet. “Some people still believe in you, but others…especially those who’ve lost someone—they’re losing faith.”

I turned back to study her. “Which side are you on?” I asked, my voice flat, though the question felt more like a challenge

She smiled, inching closer until her hands settled on my shoulders. “Your side, obviously.” She ran a finger along my skin, as though trying to soothe some tension she assumed I wasfeeling. I was tense, yes. But not because of the fight ahead. My mind was completely consumed by thoughts of Lyra and Leo—nothing else mattered.

“I’m always going to be on your side, Kaine,” she continued, her voice soft, almost coaxing. “You’re a good leader. We need an Alpha like you. It’s just…” she trailed off, moving to crouch in front of me. Her hand lifted to touch my face, but paused mid-air when my eyes narrowed, a silent warning clear in my gaze. Yet, her fingers still grazed my skin, her touch lingering far too long.

“It’s just what?” I probed, my voice low and demanding.

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