Page 47 of To Challenge a Wolf

When Rhett told Vivian good night and watched her taillights fade down the road toward town, only one guest vehicle remained parked at his place. A khaki-colored pickup truck that was nearly half as old as its owner.

Rhett entered his kitchen from the side door, then followed the signature essence of musk and ginger to join Malachi in the den. The alpha was reading. No surprise there, although Rhett’s minimal selection (compared to the library that occupied an entire room of Malachi’s cabin) held almost nothing the other wolf would enjoy. Military thrillers and military history. That was about it. When he entered, Malachi looked up from Rhett’s copy ofThe Hunt for Red October.

“Riveting, huh?” Rhett said with a nod toward the book.

“An actual page-turner,” the alpha said, and a corner of his mouth lifted. “Not my usual speed.”

“Yeah, won’t find a work of heavy literature in this whole house. Sorry not sorry.”

Malachi shrugged and set the book aside. Right. Here to talk, and not about literary tastes.

“April go home to feed the cat?” Rhett smirked. Malachi had to be the only alpha wolf on the planet to adopt a stray kitten—or, to hear April tell it, to be adopted by one.

“She did. She also wanted to give us privacy to talk.”

Rhett sank into the chair opposite Malachi’s and maintained strict posture. The alpha’s scent was strong in the room. Whatever he had to say, he considered it important enough to wait here while Rhett and Vivian made out in the woods.

Which had been incredible.

Shoot. He didn’t need distractions right now.

“I want to tell you all of it,” Rhett said. “What I didn’t say to the pack.”

“Go ahead.”

“The stench of those wolves on my land was bad enough, but then that rogue turned the gun on you, and it was visceral. The memories were visceral—the smell of your blood, knowing you were dying right there in my house. Maybe I could’ve let you deal with him. You were coming, and you were close. But I… Honestly, Malachi, I don’t know. My brain was so sure I had to…”

He shook his head. He’d thought he would tell it all, but he couldn’t say it aloud. No way Malachi would take it well.

“To protect me,” Malachi said.

Rhett stared at him. Couldn’t stop staring. “You read minds now too?”

A chuckle like a landslide rumbled in the alpha’s chest. “Definitely not. I thought it over, and it’s the only thing that makes sense. Your alpha instincts kicked in. The drive to preserve the pack can be so loud, no other thought gets through.”

“But you don’t need my protection.”

“No,” Malachi said without a hint of reproof, only facts. “But think about how you just described it. Intense memories of thesame wolves nearly killing me, and as you pointed out, all of it took place on your land, in your home. In the moment you saw the gun, you were an alpha taking action to preserve the pack.”

“But the pack’s not mine. It’s yours.”

Malachi’s growl affirmed the words but still didn’t hold any note of admonishment.

“Sometimes you do not make sense to me,” Rhett blurted.

“I’ve noticed.” Malachi’s teeth flashed, a rare grin.

“If you’re right, if my brain went alpha and saw you as one of the pack…”

“You know if I’m right or not.”

“Fine, I think you’re right. In the moment, apart from justice or reason or even future protection of the pack, I saw he had a weapon, and you were closest to the weapon. And I acted. To make sure you stayed alive. To…” He made himself say it. “To protect my alpha.”

Malachi nodded, his scent fused with authority as it always was, but not spiking with it. He was calm, at ease with what Rhett had said.

“How are you not outraged at how I saw you?”

“Why should I be outraged? I’m alpha. You’ve acknowledged that several times over in this conversation alone. Nothing you did tonight challenges my position, Rhett.”

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