Page 78 of Ruled By The Alpha

"Ownership brands are merely a starting point," Rowan said. "If you cannot hold a claim, you will lose it. Brands can be replaced. Challenges are permitted, accepted even. Hell, the rumors you've doubtless heard about Taylor are well founded. He encourages it."

"A fucking challenge?" Cooper snarled. "Is that why you have a wall of alphas behind you for a fair challenge?"

Rowan's smile dropped, and something dark took its place. "Merely to ensure order while we discuss the terms," he said in a calm, clipped tone.

"What about the mated omegas at Rivervale?"

"That's different," Rowan said. "Once established, a mating bond cannot be broken. Family units with children also have different rules. It's a long way from the before, but better than being kept high and handed around by Grimm's Law and their cronies."

Cooper and Aiden tightened their hold painfully at the mention of Grimm's Law.

I didn't even flinch.

My two community omegas were safe.

Myself, not so much.

Blindsided and fucking sick, I still believed Tayler was crazy. But he wasn't a monster, at least not that I could tell. He wanted my turf, as they plainly stated. This wasn't about Rowan or me; the events unfolding were irrelevant to my status, mated or not. But if I'd been mated, Rowan wouldn't be challenging for me, and I already sensed that was coming, why this room was carefully prepared, empty. The wall of alphas was a show of force to allow Rowan to set the stage.

A tremble rose and triggered my alphas to purr, their hands restless, their aggression toward Rowan likely warring with theirinstinct to soothe. I was here, on Taylor's turf, in Rowan's sights, because I didn't have a choice. I could leave. He'd already confirmed as much, and I thought about it because everything inside me railed against ownership. I couldn't lose Cooper and Aiden; I just couldn't. But I also didn't want them dead because they'd followed me into the lawless outside and died trying to protect me.

"I do not intend to destroy you, your community, or your mates, but you know that already. That's why you came here, isn't it? You accepted I can and will claim you. Hanson would have made that point clear yesterday, unless your alpha chose not to tell you. Cooper was the one Hanson spoke to." His eyes settled on Cooper, whose purr dipped to a growl.

"I told her what Hanson said, you gutless prick. You want to challenge us, go ahead."

I put my hand on his chest as Aiden pressed up against me from behind, both of them bristling now, the air clogging with pheromones. Theirs, mine, and Rowan's.

Rowan's scent pulled me like an invisible thread, cutting through the tension and wrapping around all my most intimate places like electricity.

"Good," Rowan said, eyes shifting from Cooper to Aiden and back to me. "Consider a challenge issued."

His power blazed with that statement. He was so handsome, and in another time and place, I could have imagined him in a sharp business suit, negotiating business deals.

"Over my dead body will you put your fucking hands on her." Cooper snarled, shoving me behind his back. Aiden stepped up beside him, making a wall of alpha flesh that I scrambled to peer around. My heart rate rocketed, palms sweaty… I was halfway toward reaching for the knife in the belt sheath behind my back, hidden under my loose combat shirt.

Rowan chuckled, a deep in the belly laugh, with his head thrown back.

I blinked, confused. Cooper and Aiden shifted uneasily.

"You think I want to challenge youforher?"

"What the fuck else do you want?" Aiden said through clenched teeth. "We're not fucking friends. Haven't been for a long while."

Rowan's humor dropped, and something dark took root. "Omegas are rare. It's not unusual for them to share. You share her now, do you not? Although why you didn't put your fucking claim on her properly is a mystery to me and one that will be rectified promptly."

Cooper shook his head.

My chest heaved. Was Rowan saying what I thought he was?

"You're right, we're not friends, but we're not enemies either. You can't give her up, I understand that. I can't walk away from her either. I believe that in these circumstances, we could put our past behind, and embrace tolerance because it would give us all what we want. And when my place on top of the hierarchy is established, I'm going to do what you should have done a long time ago, force her heat and claim her so that no other bastard can challenge for her again."

Chapter 5

Imogen

"Force my heat?" I pushed past tight lips.

"Come on," Rowan scoffed. "Are you telling me your alphas have never once forced your heat?"

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