The Alpha’s Fated Choice (Alpha's Fated Encounter Trilogy #1)

I don’t know how—perhaps because it’s Patrick who is standing in front of me—but I am able to restrain my will. I look at my old friend, and my voice is dark. “No, it doesn’t. This changes nothing. We’re going to stay on track.”

“But, Alex—”

“I don’t want to hear it,” I cut him off sharply. “I’ll meet you back at the motel. There’s another cage match tonight. Let’s see if we can corner the wolf shifter and find out whether she’s the one we’re looking for.”

I can see Patrick’s desire to discuss this matter, but there’s nothing that any amount of discussion will change. All five of these friends of mine have risked their lives to come here with me to search for the Silver Wolf. If the South Alliance discovers us, they could execute us on the spot. They could also wipe out our entire pack. We are taking a huge risk, and this is no time for me to think of myself. I am the Alpha, and with that power comes responsibility. I am responsible for the lives of my pack members, for their happiness. And if that means sacrificing my own, then so be it.

*** **

I ignore the sounds of the humans around me as they cheer on the two fighters in the cage. My attention is on the slim female with the fox mask. Even from across the room, I can tell that she is holding herself back. Her movements are graceful and agile, and I’m pretty certain she could knock out her opponent with one blow. However, she seems to be putting on a performance for the crowd. I watch her take two strikes from the other fighter and stumble backward. The crowd boos in response, but I’m silent.

I can see what they can’t. She deliberately opened herself up to her opponent. She wanted to get hit.

I’m no fool. These matches are fixed. At least, the ones that involve the Wily Vixen are.

The first time I saw her in the cage, I had my suspicions. There was something about the way she fought. Humans, even the best of fighters, don’t have full control of their bodies. Shifters, on the other hand, even the untrained ones, move with a specific grace. It’s easy to spot a shifter in a fight.

I saw one other man in the crowd that first night who was keeping an eye on her movements. I remember how it wasn’t hard to break into the secure area where nobody but staff is allowed and how I was not the only one who wanted a word with the female fighter that night. If I hadn’t stepped in, I have a feeling she would’ve killed the man who towered over her. Mountain Man, he was called—the opponent she had humiliated in the ring.

While I was able to confirm that she is indeed a wolf shifter, her claws being the biggest evidence, I have not been able to talk to her. If only I could identify her and approach her outside this arena. Unfortunately, she takes scent blockers. That means the only way I can actually identify her is with the smell of her blood, but she’s very careful not to get so much as a cut during these fights—just a lot of bruises, which don’t help me.

I have to figure out something soon. I’m sure the Silver Wolf is in this area; there has to be a reason why this town is so protected. My men and I have infiltrated other towns along the border of the South Alliance, and none of them have had this kind of security. The witch who foretold the prophecy has been helping us disguise the color of our fur, but the potion she made for us only lasts for a couple of hours. We have just a few bottles left, and that means we don’t have much time.

My men and I have combed the woods, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Silver Wolf. But so far, we have not come across anything. The prophecy stated that the wolf is “hidden, even from itself, found in the most unlikely of places, covered in the sweat of humans.”

That made no sense to me and still doesn’t, so I don’t really know how Queen Karina came to the conclusion that the wolf is located along the border of the South Alliance. She never revealed the full prophecy to me, or why she wanted access to the Silver Wolf, when she sent me on what looked like nothing more than a wild goose chase. All I was told was to locate the wolf and bring her to the Queen. However, while my family may no longer lead the North Alliance, I still have friends in hidden places, allies who saw the injustice that took place years ago when my pack was forcibly removed from its leadership role and my parents were murdered. These friends have been my eyes and ears in the Queen’s domain.

My thoughts return to the present as the Wily Vixen grabs her opponent by the neck and tosses him to the ground, on his back. As she lifts her head up, I feel her gaze brush against me. It’s like a caress against my skin, and my wolf rumbles. The night I ambushed her behind this building, I smelled her arousal. She was attracted to me; I can use that. As long as I can get her into my bed and give her my mating mark, she will be the biggest weapon in my pack’s fight to take back our rightful place as leaders of the North Alliance.

But only if she is the Silver Wolf. I don’t know if she is. I need confirmation of that.

If I ask her outright, I doubt she’ll tell me the truth. I have to earn her trust and secure a place in her heart first.

I feel the guilt rise within me, and I squash it like a bug. She is our last hope. If Queen Karina gets hold of the Silver Wolf, she will be able to control all three Alliances. I can’t have that. She has to pay for what she did to us.

The match ends in victory for the Wily Vixen, and I watch her leave the cage. She stops in front of somebody: Mathew Rivers, the owner of this arena. She seems to be discussing something with him before she uses the door to enter the restricted area of this basement. I move quickly. Slipping upstairs and outside, I make my way around the outside of the building.

Breaking the lock on the back door, I step inside and quietly close the door behind me. I head down the stairs and find myself standing in the small kitchen. Soft murmurs of conversation can be heard from down the hall. I hear footsteps, and I take cover behind the wall adjacent to the kitchen. It’s a human, from the smell of it.

He knocks on a door. “It’s Mathew.”

I hear the sound of a lock opening, and then a door creaks. The door closes behind Mathew. I decide to wait for him to leave, and within a couple of minutes, the door opens and as he walks out. I hear him say, “I’ve left some meat roast in the fridge for you. Make sure you eat it. That’s a nasty bruise you’ve got.”

My eyes narrow. Does this human know about the Wily Vixen being a wolf shifter?

It seems to be the case. I peer around the corner and see the same man with whom the female fighter was talking after the match. He walks away. Ten minutes later, the door opens again, and this time, the woman walks out. Her face is concealed by her hood.

She takes one step forward before she goes still. It must be instinct because she withdraws the fox mask from her pocket. I’m already moving, trying to prevent her from putting it on so I can finally see her face, but when my hand lands on her shoulder, she immediately ducks and sweeps the floor with her leg.

I am so focused on looking at her face that she takes me unawares, and I fall to the ground. However, when she tries to run, I grab her foot and yank, causing her to fall right on top of me.

Her body feels familiar, pressed against mine. Our faces are inches apart, but she has managed to get the mask on. I don’t have to see her face to know how pissed off she is.

“What the hell is wrong with you?”

I feel kind of foolish, but I hold on to her waist. “I want to talk to you.”

“And this is how you choose to go about it?” she demands, furious. “By attacking me?!”