Page 2 of The Alpha's Bounty
It’s been five years since I took the title.Five years since my father’s last breath rattled from his lungs.The weight of the Alpha bond slammed into me before the scent of death had cleared from the room.I was ready, but not.My whole life was built, trained, and designed for this, but nothing could’ve prepared me for the moment the pack’s heartbeat became my own.
The responsibility never leaves.Not when I’m on patrol, not when I’m in town, not when I’m trying to sleep.Especially not when I’m trying to sleep.
My boots crunch over the thin frost lining the trail, and my bear huffs in my mind, his mood bleeding into mine.He’s restless for another reason tonight.
We should have found her by now.
I grit my teeth.I know.
Rhodes found his mate recently.Adeline.Sweet girl, who fits him like she was made for him.Which she was, if you believe in fate.And we do.Mates aren’t a matter of chance.They’re not accidents.They’re the other half of your soul.
It’s the one thing my bear and I agree on without argument.We want our fated mate.We need her.
Some nights, I can almost smell her.Like she’s close enough to touch.When I wake in the morning, my chest aches with dreams I can’t remember but know are about her.
“Soon,” I murmur into the dark.“We’ll find her soon.”
My bear’s answer is a low, impatient growl.
I push the thoughts aside before they dig in too deep and refocus on the job.
The border patrol is quiet tonight—no signs of trespassers or unusual scents.The East Pack’s land stretches from the foothills down into the valley, dense with old forest and winding creeks, dotted with cabins and family homes that have been here for generations.It’s good land.Safe land.And it’s my job to keep it that way.
By the time I loop back toward town, the sun is high in the sky, the light brushing the tops of the mountains with brilliant gold.The meeting’s at City Hall in twenty minutes, and I’m not in the mood to listen to Camden bitch about me being late.Again.
City Hall sits at the edge of town, an old two-story log building with wide porches and a big meeting hall.The four packs of Night Grove Falls use it for everything from strategy sessions to weddings.This morning, it’s all business.
Inside, the big table is already surrounded.
Camden, the Alpha of the West Pack, leans back in his chair, arms crossed, dark hair tied back, and his signature scowl etched on his face.
Rhodes is beside him, his expression softer than usual.Mating has been good for him.To his left is Foster from the South Pack, massive even by shifter standards, his dark beard neatly trimmed.
“Nice of you to join us,” Camden says as I drop into my chair.
“Good to see you, too, sunshine.”
He rolls his eyes, but there’s no heat in it.We’ve known each other for too long.
Rhodes clears his throat.“Let’s get started.First order of business.The cult.”
Foster leans forward.“The northern border’s been busy.They’ve been building.More cabins, a bigger perimeter wall.My patrols say it’s double the size it was three months ago.”
The cult’s not technically on our land, but they’re too close for comfort.Reclusive, secretive, and weird as hell.No one knows exactly what they believe in, but we know they’ve taken people before.Humans mostly.Sometimes shifters.
“They haven’t crossed into our territory,” Rhodes rumbles.“Not yet.”
“Key words—not yet,” Camden mutters.
“We’ll keep an eye on them,” Rhodes decides.“No direct action unless they breach or provoke.Agreed?”
We all nod.
The room shifts as the next agenda item lands on the table.Crime reports.That’s my territory.
“Got a couple warrants floating around for people believed to be in or near Night Grove Falls,” Rhodes says, sliding a folder across to me.“Bounties on them all.”
I flip it open, scanning the pages.Shoplifters.A guy wanted for assault.A woman who skipped her court date.
