Page 121 of Savage Games

I consider the question carefully."I came here to win a pack.To prove I could be more than just a rogue.To build something of my own."I meet her gaze directly."But not like this.Not by taking someone else's, even if he deserved to lose it."

"It wouldn't be taking," she says softly."It would be saving.Those wolves have been under Brad's thumb for years.Maddie's not the only one who’s suffered."

Images flash through my mind, wolves flinching when Brad raised his voice, the careful way they watched their words around him, the relief in their eyes when Blake announced his removal.A pack isn't just territory and buildings.It's people.People who've been living under the leadership of a man willing to let his own brother torture his mate.

The thought settles in my mind, reshaping how I see the situation.Not conquest, but rescue.Not claiming, but rebuilding.

"What about you?"I ask."You entered the Games for a reason too."

Her smile is sad but determined."To get away from Brad.To find safety for Maddie and me."She shakes her head slightly."I've already got that now, thanks to you."

"Not just me," I remind her."You stood up to him, too.You told the truth when it mattered."

"We all did."Her hand finds my face, gentle against my cheek."But the question remains, do we want this pack?Would we be good for them?"

I cover her hand with mine, feeling the bond between us pulse with shared purpose."I think we would.Together."

Her smile widens, some of the sadness leaving her eyes.

A knock at the door interrupts us, and Jamie pokes her head in."Sorry to intrude, but Maddie's asking for you, Naomi.She's overwhelmed with everything."

Naomi nods, pressing a quick kiss to my lips before standing."Get some rest.We'll talk more later."

As she leaves, Jamie enters fully, settling into the chair beside the examination table.Her expression is a mixture of pride and concern.

"So," she says, studying me carefully."Alpha Wyatt.Has a nice ring to it."

I grunt, adjusting my position to ease the ache in my shoulder."Not official yet."

"But it will be," she says with certainty."You were always meant for this, you know.Even when we were kids, before everything went wrong.You were born to lead.Remember what Dad used to say?"she asks quietly, recalling our father, who died when we were young, before our old alpha decided I was too much of a threat to keep around."A true alpha isn't made by blood or birth, but by how he cares for those who depend on him."

The memory hits me with unexpected force, Dad's deep voice, his hand on my shoulder as we watched over the younger pups during a pack run.I hadn't thought of that in years.

"You've been taking care of me since we were kids," Jamie continues."Keeping me safe, making sure I had enough to eat, even when you went hungry.That pack needs someone like you.Someone who puts others first."

The words touch something deep inside me, a truth I've carried but rarely acknowledged."Maybe."

"Definitely."She reaches out, squeezing my hand."I'm proud of you, big brother.For how you won.For not killing him when you could have."

I think about that moment, my jaws at Brad's throat, the impulse to end him permanently nearly overwhelming."It was close."

"But you didn't."Her eyes, so like mine, hold steady."That's what makes you different from him.From all the others who lead through fear."

The door opens again, and Callum enters, nodding to Jamie before turning his attention to me.Callum hesitates, then says what he came here to warn me about.

"Word's spreading about the pack.About your right to claim it.Some of the other competitors aren't thrilled.Saying it should become part of the Games.A second prize."Callum confirms, leaning against the doorframe."Others are talking about challenging you themselves, though no one seems eager to be the first to try."

A laugh escapes me at that."I'd like to see them try."

"You would," Jamie mutters, rolling her eyes."Just what you need, more fights while you're still healing."

My wolf pushes forward, territorial over the pack I haven't even officially claimed yet.

"It shouldn't," I point out."I didn't win a pack through the competition.It's not a consolation prize for someone who doesn't win."

"It's yours by right of challenge," Callum agrees."The old way.It's actually more legitimate in some alphas' eyes than winning through the Games."

Maybe this is how it was supposed to happen.Not through a structured contest, but through the messy, unpredictable reality of standing up for what matters.

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