Page 310 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha
A beat passed, and then another, and then Lance’s sneer turned into a regular smile. Seeing it, my anger vanished as quickly as it hit me.
I started laughing, and Lance joined in. The stiffness in my shoulders from carrying this burden lightened a bit.
“What the hell are we doing?” I asked. “Are we really fighting over who gets to protect Bryn more?”
“It’s because we’re both idiots.” He wiped a tear from his eye. “Let’s just agree that we’ll both protect her to the best of our abilities. With our lives, if necessary.”
I nodded.
“Does this mean we’ll stop finding excuses to fight each other all the time? I don’t mind a good spar every now and then, but I don’t love getting into it with you.”
I was pleased to hear that he thought I was just as tough to fight as he was for me. Not that I planned on admitting that.
“I can agree to that…on one condition.”
He sighed. “There’s always a condition with you, isn’t there?”
That made me chuckle. “I’m not sure that keeping this secret from Bryn is best.”
He started to sigh and rebuff this, but I went on.
“No, Lance, listen. Bryn knew even less about her birth mother than you did. And because of that, she was willing to do anything to learn more about her parents. She even performed a ritual with the elders that allowed her to see through Blossom’s eyes.”
His mouth slowly closed.
“Bryn was ecstatic to find out that Dom is her brother, and she would be even more happy to know she has more family.”
He was listening, but he still seemed hesitant. He said something under his breath, something that sounded like, “Even if it’s me?”
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing. Forget it.” He stared at the floor, then finally looked back at me. “I think you’re right. I’m not sure when I’ll tell her, but I promise it’ll be really soon.”
“Then it’s a deal.” I held my hand out. “Let’s shake on it.”
He looked from my face to my hand and back again. “Fine.” He stepped forward and clasped my hand with his. We shook once, twice, then let go. The agreement was official. I just hoped that Lance actually planned on following through.
Lance left for the night just before Bryn got home.
“Hey,” she said, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. “Did you make progress today?”
I kissed her deeply, then said, “We found a few coordinates. They might give us some insight into what happened to those missing pups. Dom and Tavi are on it.”
Her steely blue eyes lit up. Looking into them, I realized they were a similar shade of blue as Lance’s. I should’ve figured out their connection a long time ago.
“That’s great news! I’ve been thinking a lot about those kids lately. I hope we find something soon.”
“You and me both, love.” We walked to the kitchen. There, we made dinner together and closed out the day in bed. As we moved under the covers, I held Bryn against me and kissed the side of her head. She grinned and pressed tight against me.
I brushed my hand down her body. “I want to make you feel good,” I whispered.
Giggling, she spread her legs. “As if I could say no.”
I chuckled and slipped my hand into her panties. She moaned as I teased her. “Sweet girl,” I said. “It doesn’t take long to get you in the mood, does it?”
She laughed again and nuzzled my shoulder. I teased and stroked her, dipping my fingers into her heat before using her wetness to circle her clit. All the while, she shivered and whimpered, her hands gripping the sheets.
“I love you, Night,” she murmured. We were pressed so close, I could hear the thunderous beating of her heart.
