Page 59 of Savage Games

"Think about it.Why would he keep the suspected murderer of his brother alive?"I pace, running a hand through my hair."A woman who's supposedly gone moon mad after killing her own mate?An alpha like Brad wouldn't put up with that."

Family is everything to wolves.The idea of Brad allowing someone to get away with murdering a family member just doesn’t ring true.Even if you knew your brother was a piece of shit.

"Unless..."My voice drops as the realization hits."Unless he needs her."

“Doesn’t really matter.If Brad says they did it, if he has any evidence that it wasn't an accident, they could be in big trouble.”

Jax's eyes darken."You didn't see how they kept her, Wyatt.Cabin at the edge of the compound, practically a prison.Guards stationed outside her door 'for her protection.'When I talked my way inside, she was thin as a rail, her wolf barely present in her eyes.Looked like she hadn't slept in weeks."

He kicks at the ground, agitation rolling off him in waves.

"I've seen wolves on the edge before.I am one.She's not moon-mad, she's just terrified.She practically begged me to bring her here."

They could end up in jail for manslaughter, murder even, if Brad can prove that it was premeditated.My mate could be gone before we ever get to be together.

“No,” I say, pushing to my feet.“Nobody is taking Naomi anywhere.”

Jax looks at me with something close to pity.“It might not be up to you, big guy.I mean, if they did it, even if it was deserved…”

"I don't give a damn if they did it," I growl, my voice dropping an octave as my wolf rises closer to the surface."That bastard was torturing her.If it were me, I'd have torn his throat out myself."

The morning air crackles with tension as I struggle to control my rage.The Alpha Games, the pack I'm fighting for, none of it matters compared to protecting Naomi.This competition suddenly feels like a game of chess, where I'm only now discovering what pieces are actually on the board.

Taking a moment to gather myself, I refocus on the situation at hand.

Naomi wouldn’t kill someone.Would she?

If her sister was being hurt, who knows what she’d do?Jamie has been my only family for most of my life, and I'd kill anyone who hurt her without a second thought.

Glaring at Jax, a low growl escapes me, my protective instincts going into overdrive.This is my mate we’re talking about.

Jax raises his hands, but his eyes glow, the animal inside him on the verge of deciding that the best defence is offence.His expression shifts from trying to make light of my reaction to something else, something dark, in the blink of an eye.

“I’m on your side, brother.”Jax snaps, the sudden flash of anger catching me off guard.There aren’t many wolves who push forward when mine makes its presence felt.He really is a wild one.

I close my eyes, my pulse hammering, and force my wolf to remember he’s family, too.Jax isn’t trying to hurt Naomi.He’s not the enemy.

Jax exhales, rolling his shoulders, the frustration still thrumming beneath his skin, but his wolf decides this is a battle he won’t win and backs down.

We’re a right pair, both of us teetering on the edge of control.

“I figured you should hear it from me first.I have no idea what’s going to happen next, but I didn’t want you to be blindsided.”

Jax backs away, then turns and disappears back into the mist, leaving me standing there alone in the eerie quiet of the forest.

The mist swallows him up, and I'm left with an empty feeling in my chest.

Blindsided?I'm already feeling the impact.All this time, I thought the challenge was simply winning the Games.But suddenly, everything's shifted.

For the first time since arriving here, and since meeting Naomi, I’m worried that I might not be the one in the most danger here.

Deciding the best thing to do is find Jamie and Dean.My mind spins, trying to make sense of everything that’s happened in the last few days.So, I push forward.My pace is steady, but my thoughts are a chaotic mess.My feet know the way back to the packhouse, but I’m not really seeing the path in front of me.

Jamie will know exactly what’s going on, what Maddie is saying, and what Brad is saying.

Brad has something up his sleeve.

I shake my head, trying to force my thoughts into order, but they jump around, bouncing from one problem to the next.I can’t believe Naomi would kill someone, not in cold blood, but to defend someone she loves…

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