Chapter 6 : The Alpha's Shadow
Ryder POV
I can't sleep.
It's three in the morning, and I'm standing guard outside the guest room where she's sleeping. This is insane. I haven't played protector for anyone since Aria died five years ago.
But every time I try to walk away, my wolf snarls and plants himself firmly in place.
"Mine," he keeps saying in the back of my mind. "Protect what's ours."
The problem is, I don't understand why he's so convinced. Jolie Rys is nothing like Aria. Where Aria was fierce and strong, Jolie is small and broken. Where Aria could hold her own in any fight, Jolie flinches at loud noises.
She's weak. Everyone can see it.
So why does my wolf go crazy every time someone looks at her wrong?
I run a hand through my hair and pace the narrow hallway. The compound is quiet now, most of the pack asleep or passed out from too much beer. Only the night guards are still awake, patrolling the perimeter.
My contacts in the Nightshade Pack filled me in on Jolie's history after we got back. The family reject, they called her. The runt who brought shame to one of the most powerful bloodlines in the region. Her own brother was about to sell her to Thorne Blackwater like she was livestock.
The thought makes rage burn in my chest. Thorne is a sadistic bastard who gets off on breaking things that can't fight back. What he would have done to someone like Jolie.
My hands clench into fists. Good thing those enforcers are still unconscious, or I might have killed them for delivering her to that monster.
"Boss?" The voice comes from behind me.
I turn to find Cass coming up the stairs, a cup of coffee in his hands and concern in his eyes. My beta has always been good at reading my moods.
"Can't sleep?" he asks, offering me the coffee with a slight frown.
I take it gratefully, wrapping my fingers around the warm mug. "Something like that."
"Want to talk about what happened tonight?" Cass leans against the wall opposite me.
"We intercepted a kidnapping," I say, taking a sip of the bitter coffee. "Rescued a female in distress." I shrug. "Pretty straightforward."
Cass raises an eyebrow, his expression skeptical. "Is it?"
I glare at him over the coffee mug. "Speak your mind."
"You called her yours, Ryder." He crosses his arms over his chest. "In front of the whole pack." He studies my face carefully. "When's the last time you showed interest in a woman?"
"This is different." The words come out sharper than I intended.
"How?" Cass doesn't back down from my tone.
I don't have an answer for that. How do I explain that her scent calls to something primal in my wolf? That when I saw her in that wrecked van, hurt and scared, every protective instinct I have roared to life?
"She's under my protection," I say finally, setting the mug on a nearby windowsill. "That's all."
"Protection, sure." Cass doesn't look convinced, shaking his head slowly. "But for how long?" His expression grows serious. "Gio Rys isn't going to let this go. Neither is Thorne Blackwater." He meets my eyes directly. "You just made enemies of two powerful packs for a girl you barely know."
"Are you questioning my judgment?" My voice drops to a warning growl.
"I'm questioning your sanity." But he says it with the kind of honesty only a beta can get away with. "This female is trouble, boss." He taps his temple. "I can feel it."
"She's scared and alone." I push off from the wall, agitation making me restless.
"And weak," he adds bluntly, not moving from his spot.
"What happens when word gets out that the Iron Fang alpha is protecting a runt?" He runs a hand over his jaw. "What happens when other packs see that as a sign of weakness?"
His words hit too close to home. I've been thinking the same thing since I carried her inside. Leading a pack like mine requires absolute strength. Any sign of weakness gets you challenged, overthrown, or killed.
But when I think about sending her away, my wolf goes insane.
"She stays," I say firmly, crossing my arms over my chest. "End of discussion."
Cass sighs, his shoulders slumping slightly. "Then we better start preparing for war." He meets my eyes with grim certainty. "Because that's what's coming."
He's right. By claiming Jolie, I've painted a target on all of us. Gio will want his sister back, if only to complete the trade with Thorne. Thorne will want compensation for losing his prize. Other packs will see this as an opportunity to test my resolve.
I should walk away. Send her somewhere safe and pretend tonight never happened.
Instead, I find myself stepping closer to her door, listening for the sound of her breathing inside.
"Get some sleep, Cass," I tell my beta, dismissing him with a wave of my hand.
"What about you?" He pushes off from the wall but doesn't leave.
"I will be here." I settle back into my position outside her door.
He gives me a look that says he thinks I've lost my mind, but he doesn't argue. "Night, boss."
When he's gone, I settle into the chair I dragged up from the common room. It's not comfortable, but it gives me a clear view of the hallway and Jolie's door.
Through the thin wood, I can hear her moving restlessly. Soft whimpers escape her lips every few minutes. Nightmares, probably. After what she's been through, I'm not surprised.
My wolf wants to go to her, to offer comfort and warmth. But I stay in my chair. She's been hurt enough by men who took what they wanted without asking.
Instead, I close my eyes and let my enhanced hearing track every sound she makes. Her heartbeat, rapid with fear even in sleep. The rustle of sheets as she tosses and turns. The small, broken sounds that speak of years of pain and abuse.
Someone hurt her. Someone made her believe she was worthless, weak, undeserving of basic kindness.
When I find out who, they're going to pay in blood.
Dawn is starting to creep through the windows when her nightmares finally quiet. Her breathing evens out, and the tension leaves her. For the first time in hours, she's truly asleep.
I should go get some rest myself. I've got calls to make, preparations to handle. Gio Rys will be looking for his sister, and I need to make it clear she's no longer available for trade.
But I don't move from the chair. Something about this small, broken female has gotten under my skin in a way I don't understand. All I know is that she's mine now, and I'll burn down anyone who tries to take her from me.