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Dom, who had remained uncharacteristically quiet during the conversation with Mom and through most of the walk, turned to me once he’d closed the door behind us. We were alone for now, but the others would be arriving soon.
“Night, I just want you to know that I’ll be with you to the end. I swear it.”
“No.” I looked at him. “I’m sorry, Dom, but you’re too important to the plan. You need to be the one who goes in to get the girls.”
He shook his head, but I started speaking again before he could argue.
“I’ll keep Troy and the audience busy. I’ll give them a show. You’ll only have to deal with the sons of bitches who are holding the girls. When I get the signal that they’re safe, I’ll complete the plan. If the worst happens and Troy kills me before I can kill him, you need to be alive to make sure he’s dead.”
Dom’s lip twitched. “I hate this. Everything about this makes my skin fucking crawl. What if you need me?”
“Dom, listen to me. The moment Troy and I start fighting, I won’t matter to you anymore. You’ve been a great friend, and an even better beta; I know it goes against everything in you to leave me to the fight, but you have to do this. Bryn and Tavi are more important. You’re the only man I can trust to do this. You know that.”
I knew that Dom felt the truth of my words, but I also knew that it wouldn’t make the situation any easier for him to accept. I didn’t like forcing this on him, but the stakes were too damned high.
“How will I ever live with myself?” Dom asked quietly. “How can I be the Alpha after you?”
“I won’t lie and say that it’ll be easy, Dom, and I’m sorry about that. But you’ll manage because you have to.” The path that every Alpha takes is hard and bloody. Every one of us has to live with the memories of the people we kill or leave behind. Some of us deal with the pressure more easily.
Dom closed his eyes. I wanted to say more, but the door opened and the others began filing in. We would have to save the rest of the conversation for later, but as far as I was concerned, this was final.
Once everyone was seated, I explained the plan. When I finished, I let the group consider in silence until Redford spoke up.
“Alpha, this is too risky,” he said. “There’s so much that could go wrong. We should come up with something better.”
“I’m not ready for you to stop being Alpha,” William added. William had been injured in the initial siege on the Kings, when I’d first rescued Bryn. “I’ve seen how other packs are, I’ve seen their Alphas, and frankly, I don’t see how anyone could replace you. No offense, Dom.”
Dom chuckled. “No offense taken, Will. I’m right there with you.”
“I agree with William,” Frankie, a female wolf, spoke up. Since Troy killed Iggy weeks ago, she and Rachel were the only women in my inner circle. I hoped more female wolves would feel comfortable stepping up after the packs merged. “Losing you would be a huge blow to the pack. Most of us remember what it was like before you. Many of us won’t want to risk a return to old times. In other words,” she looked at me pleadingly, “you’re too much of an asset, Night.”
It warmed me to hear them say all of these things. Their words were a kindness that I struggled to feel like I deserved, but in the end, they wouldn’t change my mind. I placed my hands on the table and looked from face to face.
“I understand your concerns, but we’ve run out of time. If any of you have an alternative strategy, speak now.”
The room was silent. That was the real issue. I knew that my plans weren’t as thorough or as well thought out as they normally were, but with only twenty-four hours, this was the best I or anyone else could come up with. I didn’t want to die, and I definitely didn’t want to lose a fight to a prick like Troy, but my plan required endurance and strength—two things I had in short supply. Putting on a show for the crowd and letting Troy think he was winning would likely sap what little power I had left. I’d have to be an idiot to think that I might survive the fight.
“So, then,” I said, “with that settled, I want word sent to Troy that we are accepting the challenge. While that’s happening, I want trackers to start scenting for Bryn and Tavi around the cave. Focus not on their scents, but on Troy’s. That should lead us right to the girls.”
“I’ll oversee that myself,” Dom said. “When they have the location, I’ll tell them to hold.”
“Good. The only thing we’ve got working in our favor is Troy’s arrogance. He’ll want everyone in his pack watching the challenge take place; that means there will be fewer wolves paying attention to what’s going on outside the ring, and there will be a minimum of guards keeping watch over Bryn and Octavia.”
Dom nodded. “I’ll take a dozen of our best fighters with me. I don’t want another surprise waiting for us like last time.”
It was nice to hear that Dom was starting to get more comfortable with my plan, that he seemed to be accepting (albeit reluctantly) his role in it.
A hand shot up, and I focused on its owner. Jasper, the boy who had tried to court Bryn when she first arrived, stood up.
“I volunteer to stay with Alpha Night,” he said. “I’ll signal to him once I get word that they’re safe.” He hesitated, glancing at me. “If that’s alright with you, Alpha?”
I had to fight back traces of jealousy and annoyance when I looked at Jasper. My wolf still seethed when he was close. I was tempted to refuse because I knew the boy was still interested in Bryn, but that interest would work in her favor. The more people who cared about my mate on my team, the safer she would ultimately be.
“That’s fine with me.” I nodded. “Alright, everyone, if there are no more questions, I want you all to get home and get some rest. We’re hours away from go time.”
Everyone began to disperse, murmuring quietly to each other, but I motioned for Dom to stay behind for a moment.
“Dom, I need you to promise me that you’ll get Bryn and Tavi back to Wargs’ territory. I don’t care what you have to do or who you have to kill, understand?”
