Page 27 of Brutal Alpha's Sold Mate
He nods, then heads off, leaving me alone with thoughts I’m not ready to process. I stare after him, wrestling with this surge of complicated feelings. I’m supposed to be planning my escape, waiting for the day my wolf recovers. Yet, here I am, forging connections, teaching people, sharing a laugh with the man I swore I’d never trust.
Frustration flares in me, but it’s tangled with a sense of… belonging? I tell myself not to get too comfortable. Theo’s help doesn’t erase the fact that he bought me. And my own mission—freeing myself from this entire situation—still stands.
Still, as I trudge back to the cabin, I can’t ignore the strange little spark of pride at having done something worthwhile for these folks. I’ve spent weeks gritting my teeth, hating my weakened wolf, feeling trapped. But there’s a new thread of hope weaving through my day-to-day life. Maybe ifI keep teaching them, I’ll find a way to become stronger, too. Strong enough to call my own shots, with or without Theo’s cure.
When I reach the cabin, I pause at the threshold, replaying the scene of me and Theo guiding the others through each punch and block. My instincts warn me it’s dangerous to let my guard down. But for the first time in a while, I feel like I’m making progress. Not just in my training, but in carving out a space for myself in this pack, however temporarily.
As I nudge the door open, my mind is already churning with tomorrow’s lesson plan. If I have to bide my time here, I might as well teach these people how to defend themselves. Maybe it’s the best way to ensure that when I finally break free, I leave them with a little piece of strength they never had before.
And maybe I’ll gain enough of my own strength to keep from looking back.
Chapter 10 - Theo
I’m not in the mood to be lectured about leadership by anyone, let alone by Reed. That thought thunders in my head as I march straight past the half-rotten picket fence marking his territory. Two of my watchers trail me, glancing around as though they expect some hidden sniper to pop out. I’ve told them a thousand times that if Reed wants me dead, he’ll attempt it to my face. And right now, I’m inclined to let him try. One of my people was attacked on these grounds, and everything points straight back to the hothead I share blood with.
When the first guard stationed at Reed’s boundary sees me, he snaps to attention. His uniform looks two sizes too big, and he can’t be more than eighteen, which does nothing to improve my mood. This kid would crumple if any half-competent wolf took him on.
Typical. Reed’s never been much for actually nurturing his forces. He picks up whichever straggler or runaway is looking for excitement. Maybe that’s how one of them ended up attackingmypack member. Or perhaps it was Reed himself. Either way, I’m here to dig out some answers.
I jab a finger in the direction of the guard. “Where’s Reed?”
He stammers something I don’t bother translating before he motions for me to wait and scuttles off into a rickety cabin. My watchers glance my way, quietly waiting for my signal. I grunt a wordless instruction for them to hang back, then keep my focus pinned on the cabin’s doorway.
Reed emerges moments later. He’s got that perpetual storm on his face that always rubbed me the wrong way as a kid.Probably not a moment goes by without him plotting his next destructive move. That’s how I remember him, anyway.
He doesn’t try to greet me. Instead, he stands on the uneven porch with boots scraping the old boards and his arms locked across his torso like he’s daring me to start something. “Theo.”
I stride forward, ignoring the squeaky step that threatens to snap under my weight. “One of my men was found last night, covered in blood, with a broken arm, and a bunch of footprints leading back into your domain.”
Reed shows me no apology. “Don’t look at me. I don’t ambush people in the dark. That’s your trick.”
There it is, the same old insinuation that I’m the shady one. I force my voice to remain steady. “You can’t seriously be suggesting I attacked one of my own? Maybe start by explaining why footprints from your territory ended up near my injured pack member.”
His eyes slide to my watchers in the distance, then return to me. “Don’t come here acting like I orchestrated an attack on one random wolf.”
I grit my teeth, ignoring the swirl of anger in my gut. “We have more than footprints. Broken twigs, a couple of scraps of fabric that match your pack’s uniform, even an emblem of yours that got dropped in the scuffle. That’s all pointing to you or someone under your command.”
He scoffs. “Not the first time I’ve heard fabricated nonsense.”
My watchers shift position behind me, clearly picking up on the tension. I give them a sideways glance, letting them know I don’t need backup yet. Reed might be a blowhard, but I knowhim well enough to understand his tells. I’ll know before he makes a move.
I take a step closer, lowering my voice. “If you’re trying to stir up trouble, just say so. We can handle it like wolves instead of sneaking around.”
He bristles, and his upper lip curls into a sneer. “You think I’d stoop to that? If I had an issue with you, I’d call you out publicly. I wouldn’t send some petty thug to jump a lone pack member. That’s your method, or maybe Jacob’s, but it sure as anything isn’t mine.”
I’m not sure if I believe him, but I’m inclined to. Reed’s never had a reputation for subtlety, though, and that’s precisely the question fueling my anger. If he wanted to challenge me, he’d do it in broad daylight. But there’s evidence pointing to him or his people. Maybe someone’s trying to frame him. It could be Jacob or some rogue I haven’t considered. But the fact remains: a member of my pack got beaten down, and I’m not leaving until I see for myself whether Reed’s guilty or not.
One of Reed’s lieutenants ambles up, his face too smug for my liking. “We don’t appreciate your accusations, Alpha,” he drawls, spitting the last word like it’s tainted. “Might want to watch yourself.”
“Watch myself, or what? You’ll come at me the way you did one of my men in the middle of the night? Try it.”
Reed steps in between us, never taking his glare off me. “Don’t let your anger blind you, Theo. I’m telling you, if I wanted to pick a fight, you’d know. I’d have posted a challenge for all to see. I don’t skulk around like some rodent.”
I exhale slowly, trying to keep from lunging. “If it’s not you, then it’s someone in your territory. You’ve got no control over who your pack hunts?”
“Of course I do,” he snaps. “But if one of my wolves went rogue, I’d hear about it unless they’re a new recruit who hasn’t pledged. We got a few drifters after rumors spread that I’m expanding. Some might think they can do as they please.”
That half-admission irritates me, yet it rings with possibility. Reed’s pack is known for attracting restless types looking for an easy thrill. “Then keep them in check. Because if this happens again, I won’t come knocking politely.”
