Page 46 of Ruthless Reign

When he glances at me, the two of us sharing a look, I can see it on his face—the need to avenge his pack. It's one of our most primal reactions, but the thing about Daxton is he is level-headed. Rationality is always his go to, and despite his feelings, I know he's going to end up siding with the others.

Begrudgingly, I give him an almost non-existent nod, letting him know I'm in agreement. "Fine. We'll be polite. But if he starts, I make no promises. And I don't want to leave the group exposed. The betas can stay behind to take charge." I turn my attention to Darius, giving him a stern look.

"Roger that," he answers, spinning around to face my pack as he briefs them on my behalf. I know he's pissed too—the fact that Orson's pack attacked him, which is another reason I want him to stay here.

The other alphas quickly pull their betas aside, giving orders while Nyx waits patiently. I step over to her, giving her a tight smile with my back to the others.

"Stay close by," I tell her. "If they were after you, it's going to be like dangling a carrot in front of them."

Nyx nods, a hint of worry on her face. "I know you'll protect me," she says softly, and my heart skips a beat. There's an undertone to her words, a silent reassurance that she doesn't blame me for what happened in the woods.

"That will never happen again," I murmur, closing the distance between us. Our chests brush against each other, and I feel the rush of warmth from our close proximity.

Her hands raise, resting gently on my chest. "I believe you," she insists, smiling.

Leaning down, I kiss her slowly, only for a few seconds before I pull back. Neither of us can afford to be distracted at the moment.

I let out a warning growl as I sense Cade step up beside us, watching our interaction with amusement.

"How cute," he grins. "I never thought we'd see the day, Maverick."

"Back. Off," I snap. "Or I'll bury your body in Orson's territory."

Nyx presses her hands more firmly against me. "Maverick," she says sternly. "Play nice."

Before I can reply back, she raises an eyebrow at Cade.

"You as well. Stop antagonizing them."

Cade holds his hands up defensively. "I wasn't lying. I think it's cute—and a good thing."

"It's not your place to voice those types of observations," Nyx comments sternly. "And this is also not the way to get on my good side."

He grins at her playfully. "I've seen the bad side, and I have no worries. I enjoyed it, remember."

I feel her fingers dig into my chest—but I'm unsure if it's a warning to me, or a personal reaction from Cade.

"What's going on here?" Lex asks with a slightly raised voice, stepping to the other side of Nyx as he looks between the three of us.

"Cade is begging for a beating," I answer, while the other man laughs quietly.

"Maverick doesn't know how to take a compliment," he replies, making my skin crawl when he pats me on the shoulder.

I shrug him off aggressively, moving my hands to Nyx's hips.

Thankfully, Daxton and Wyatt make their way over, interrupting the tense stand-off.

"Alright, we're ready," Daxton advises. "The six of us will cross the boundary while the others stay here. We'll mind link the betas if anything happens, but it's only a short trek to reach their town edge."

Nyx nods, stepping back from me, much to my disappointment. "I think we should tell them about Cade," she says, surprising me.

"Why is that?" Lex asks, equally perplexed.

I watch as her eyes dart to him, before resting on Cade. "As much as I don't want to since I haven't made a decision, I think it's in my best interests to disclose that he is also my mate."

"A deterrence," Wyatt murmurs thoughtfully. "Not a bad idea."

They look in my direction and I turn my head away. "Fine," I agree. "But no one speaks a word on how the New Moon Pack went about finding this information out. We don't want to give them any ideas."

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