Page 369 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha
“Night.”
I whipped around, but it was only Dom and Lance. Dom raised his hands to placate me, and I didn’t feel so much like biting his head off.
“It’s going to be okay,” Dom said. “Doc and Council Member Ellen are in there. They’ll take good care of Bryn. You know that.”
“She couldn’t be in better hands,” Lance added.
“I know!” I snapped. “Iknowall of that, but…”
“Yeah?”
“What if she reaches for my hand and finds nothing? What if she calls for me, but I’m stuck out here in the hallway? What if something goes wrong, and I’m not there to help her?”
The two shared a look, which only stoked my ire. “Night, that won’t happen,” Dom assured me. “But even if it did, I think we all know you’ll never let that happen.”
“But—”
The sound of Bryn’s sharp gasp had my head snapping toward the door so fast, the hallway spun. I rushed for the door, but Dom got in my way.
“Oh no, you don’t!” he said, hands flat on my chest. “You’re not about to barrel in there and bring things to a halt, Night.”
I growled at him, gripping his shoulder and pushing him out of the way. Dom was great at grappling, so all he did was wrap his arms around my waist and pull me back. Bryn gasped again, and I fought against my beta, but just as I was about to be free, Lance tackled us both to the ground. We wrestled until they somehow got hold of some rope.
“Fuck both of you.” I seethed as they forced my hands behind my back and tied them. The rope was a measure for fathers like me who were too rowdy to restrain themselves. No one came out to check on what was going on because this was pretty par for the course.
The two of them hauled me to my feet and forced me into a chair. They sat on either side of me, breathing even harder than me. I wasn’t satisfied that I’d exhausted them. I wanted to put the fear of their alpha in them.
I turned to Dom. “I hope you and Tavi have kids. And when you’re in my position, I’ll enjoy keeping you out of the room.”
Lance grimaced at my threat, but Dom wasn’t affected. In fact, he started laughing. “I doubt I’ll lose control like you, Night. And even if I do, I’m sure I’ll be thanking you once all is said and done.”
“I’m not going to thank you,” I assured him. “I’ll beat you up when I’m free of these ropes.”
Dom snorted, his grin annoyingly lighthearted. “We’ll see.”
“God, you two are something else,” Lance said.
A minute later, Mom walked out of Bryn’s room. My anxiety spiked the second I saw her. “Is everything okay?”
She raised a brow. “You think I’d be out here if it wasn’t?”
“Then why?—?”
“Because I heard all the commotion and thought you might need some support.” She took in my ripped and wrinkled shirt, messy hair, and the wild look in my eyes. “I see I was right.”
I frowned and looked away. There was another growl from me, but this time it was from my stomach. My face flamed.
“Oh, you’re hangry,” Dom said. “That explains it. Or part of it.”
“I guess that was our cue to grab you something to eat,” Lance said. “Violet, I’m sure you’ve got him under control.”
She chuckled. “I raised the boy on my own. Of course I do.”
“I’m right here,” I grumbled. “Why are you talking about me like I’m not?”
Dom and Lance ignored me, saying goodbye to my mom before heading off. She took Dom’s spot at my side and crossed her legs.
I waited for my lingering embarrassment to fade before I spoke. “Mom, how is she really? Is everything going all right?”
