“I don’t have that setting.” Keith shrugged. “It was wiped out along with my self-preservation skills and yet I’m still here.” He pecked Brian’s nose. “You better go inside before Rupert comes up with a sure-to-backfire escape plan.”
And before the reinforcements Rupert must have called arrived. Keith didn’t say that part out loud, because if he did, Brian would never agree to leave him outside alone. With him also refusing to let Keith come inside, they’d be in an unsolvable quandary that would lead to an argument about Keith going back to Purple Sky andstaying safe. If he had to go through that back-and-forth again, he really would lose what was left of his already tenuous sanity.
“Good point. I’ll go handle Rupert Jackson. You stay here, okay? Don’t follow me.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Brian squinted at him suspiciously. He settled back against the car, making himself comfortable. That seemed to mollify his mate, so he turned around and marched back into the Alpha house, his posture tall and determined. The man was precious.
Keith tipped his face in the direction of Purple Sky. With the river dividing it from Green Field, the territories felt much farther apart than they were as the crow flies. They could solve that problem and connect the territories by building a bridge over the river. Sister packs weren’t common, but that was because Alphas generally didn’t have the disposition to work that intimately with one another. That wouldn’t be an issue with them.
Aside from being mates, they were a good team. Brian was a picture-perfect leader, he had the organizational skills, patience, and professionalism Keith lacked, and Keith had the power to keep everyone safe from any external and internal forces and connect even their expanded area to Mother Nature. They could unite their packs and live in harmony. Brian said the river wasn’t owned by either pack, so they’d need to purchase it. He’d suggest that plan to Brian when he was done disposing of the trash. Rupert Jackson truly wasn’t a physical threat, but he’d had enough time to call his minions by now, so Keith stood tall and focused on his surroundings. He wouldn’t let anyone get near his mate.
Brian had been in the house for about fifteen minutes when footsteps sounded, the front door opened, and one of Keith’s pack members ran out.
“Alpha!” Lorraine cried out the moment she saw him. “Praise heavens.” She rushed toward him.
Rosemary followed her out the door of the Alpha house, her long skirt gathered in her hands and her hair slipping fromits always present bun. “You’re here.” Relief was evident in Rosemary’s voice. “Alpha, you’re here.”
For the first time, he didn’t dispute the title. Instead, he smiled at the women who had supported him for as long as he could remember. “I’m here,” he confirmed.
“That Alpha who took you is back,” Rosemary said breathlessly as she ran to him. “Alpha Brian Berger. He’s here and he challenged the Monster. He wants to take over Green Field.”
“We tried to keep him away,” Lorraine said, coming to a stop in front of him. “But he figured out where the Monster was hiding. He went after him.”
“Good.” Keith nodded. The two women were hunched over, hands on their knees, chests heaving as they gasped for air. “Breathe,” he said gently. “Everything will be better from now on.” He set a reassuring hand on each of their napes. “I’ve got you.”
“No, Alpha, you don’t understand,” Rosemary said. “If you don’t stop him, he’ll unseat Rupert Jackson in a challenge and then he’ll be the Green Field Alpha instead of you!”
“You have to go inside,” Lorraine beseeched him. “Please, Alpha. Please.”
“It’s too late.” Gloria walked out of the Alpha house, her posture slumped as she shuffled toward him. “I could hear them downstairs. That other Alpha already won the challenge.”
“Did anyone else get hurt?” Keith asked.
“No.” Gloria started shaking her head, flicked her gaze to the ground surrounding him, and then said, “Not inside, no.” When she was close enough to touch, she cupped Keith’s cheek. “You look well.” Her eyes glistened. “Healthy. I’m so glad, Alpha.”
Having finally regulated their breathing, Lorraine and Rosemary straightened and looked at him appraisingly. “Gloria’s right,” Lorraine said. “You look good, Alpha. Strong.”
“I didn’t look strong before?” he teased.
“You know what I mean.” The older woman’s cheeks colored.
“It’s not too late,” Rosemary said frantically. “You can challenge that other Alpha and take your place. We need you, Alpha Iredell. We’ve waited so long. Green Field needs you.”
“That won’t be necessary.” Brian stepped out of the house, his clothes barely rumpled. “This pack is already his. It always has been.”
“You took care of him?” Keith confirmed.
He nodded. “You were right. He was weak. I also called Steve and told him to come here with reinforcements so we can—” He froze and gasped, his eyes widening at the full picture before him. “What the fuck?” He turned from left to right, scanning the entire area and taking in the ten bodies on the ground. “Who are they?”
“Rupert’s lapdogs,” Keith said. “They tried to get the drop on you. Emphasis on tried. I didn’t let them.”
Brian blinked a few times, clearly processing the scene, and then he rushed over to him, wedging past the three women. “Are you okay?” His hands hovered on either side of Keith’s shoulders and down the length of his body. “Did they hurt you?”
He grinned. “Do I look injured?” He grasped Brian’s waist and tugged him close. “You can touch me, mate. I’m fine. Not a scratch on me.”
“Mate?” Rosemary asked breathlessly.
