Page 240 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha
“I don’t know. Maybe we should have a house on both territories.”
“I think that’s a good idea. We’ll figure out how to divide our time equally between the two.”
“I don’t mind staying in your cabin on Warg territory.”
“My cabin could use a good sprucing up. I didn’t bother to do that when it was just me, but for you and our pup, I’ll put in the work.” I kissed her neck again, more slowly this time. Bryn let out a small moan, and lust coiled in my stomach. “What’s on your schedule today?” I asked lazily.
“I want to visit the gardens today. More Wargs will be entering our territory after you become alpha, and I want to make sure we’re not short on our food stocks.”
“Sounds good to me. Just make sure you don’t work too hard.”
“I won’t, Night, I promise. The most I’ll do is some gardening, but I’ll have Mom there to keep an eye on me.”
“Alright, I’ll trust you,” I said, moving so I could kiss her lips. She opened her mouth, deepening the kiss. Things grew hot and heavy until she pulled back with a gasp.
“Oh! I can’t believe I almost forgot.”
“Forget what?” I asked, a little startled.
She rolled out of my arms to open the drawer of her nightstand. When she turned around again, she held out a paper bag.
“I got you something.”
“You did?”
“Yeah. I bought it at a stall in the market.”
I watched her open the bag and remove a braided leather bracelet. It was the color of freshly roasted coffee before milk or cream was added, and there was a brushed red copper clasp to keep it closed.
“But I didn’t get you anything.” I looked from the bracelet to her, my eyebrows pinching together. “It’s not even my birthday.”
She laughed and sat up slowly, not wanting to trigger her nausea. “I wanted to show my appreciation for you and everything you’ve done for me. I bought something for Tavi, too, but I wanted to give yours to you last night. Hold out your wrist.”
I watched her open the clasp and wrap the bracelet around my wrist. “There,” she said, sliding the clasp shut with a slightclick.“I was a little worried it wouldn’t fit, but it seems I got the right size after all.”
I never wore jewelry because it wasn’t my thing, but I had to admit that the bracelet suited me. It wasn’t bulky or flashy, and it sat comfortably on my wrist. It was exactly my style, and Bryn had picked it out for me.
My wolf yipped with pleasure at the gift, and a grin spread across my face. This was a precious gift because the woman I loved most had gotten it for me. I kissed her again, clutching her to my chest.
“I guess that means you like it?” she joked.
“Of course I do.” I kissed her again. “I don’t think I’ll ever take it off. Thank you, Bryn.”
Abit later, she and I got dressed and ready for the day. Bryn did get sick, but she assured me that she could follow through on her plan for the day.
I scoped out a few cabins and locations for cabins that had promise. Some were closer to the commons for convenience’s sake, one or two that were settled in the forest and closer to Warg territory, and some that were closer to Glenda’s cabin. I’d need to ask Bryn what she thought about them.
Looking at the locations and imagining what a future with Bryn and our pup would be like was a nice break from staring at financial accounts, stressing out about Troy’s whereabouts, and dwelling on the state of Samuel and his family. I couldn’t wait to get in bed with Bryn and talk about our future. When the two of us returned to Warg territory, we could have similar conversations about what needed to be done for the cabin.
I was standing near the commons again, only a few paces away from the Kings’ bank. I still had things I wanted to do before the sun went down—namely, checking in with Dom and training for the alpha challenge—but for now, I wanted to go on a run. It was the perfect way to cap off the last couple of hours.
I walked between the trees and started to jog. Not so long ago, I had been laser-focused on taking over the Kings’ pack through whatever means necessary. Now I was thinking about a future with my mate and planning the rest of our lives. When I thought about the conversation we’d had the night before, I felt relieved that we’d agreed on how we wanted to handle disagreementsmoving forward. It felt like we’d taken a step forward, and like I knew her better now.
After a couple of miles, I headed back to the compound. My heart was pumping, I felt exhilarated, and my mind was far away from the issues that usually plagued my mind. There were cabins in sight, and I was just a few yards away from the compound when I heard the sharp gasp of someone in deep pain.
It brought me up short. My wolf and I went on high alert, listening for another noise.
Moments later, I heard the sounds of a struggle. I focused on the noises and sprinted toward them. I cleared the trees in my way and found a pile of three men: the one lying on the ground was a Warg, a younger recruit who was here shadowing a fighter. The two standing over him were Kings. It was an obvious ambush, and it sent my blood to a roiling boil.
