The Alpha's Pack by Tabitha Conall Read Free Book Online Page A

telling you that.”
    “I didn’t believe you.”
    He closed his eyes and put his hand back over them. “I noticed.”
    “She was worried. Give her a break,” Jake said.
    Interesting. He was the last one she thought would jump to her defense on an emotional issue. She put her hand on his shoulder. “You do good work.”
    Jake flashed her a smile.
    Deirdre went around the bed while Jake finished patching Sam up. She climbed onto the bed and lay close to Sam, not touching. She just wanted to be close to him.
    Sam removed the arm that was flung over his eyes and curled it around Deirdre’s shoulders. “I’m sorry about Bridget. We’ll get her back.”
    “Thanks.” She didn’t want to think about Ted having Bridget. She couldn’t.
    “He’s probably not hurting her,” Sam said. “She’s leverage, that’s all.”
    “Doesn’t matter.” Jake taped the last edge of bandage. “I’m going to challenge him. And when I beat him, this will all be over.”
    That didn’t make her feel better. “He’s been challenged before. He always wins.”
    Jake met her eyes. “Which means he’s cocky.”
    And Jake wasn’t? But she realized something. Jake was easily the biggest alpha she’d ever met. Not physically, but in intensity. He was more of an alpha. More—yes, more even than Ted. “Yes, he’ll be cocky. Which will help you. But even without that, I think you have a better chance than anyone before.”
    Something shifted in his eyes. She knew what it was. She’d doubted him, and now she backed him up. Sometimes that made all the difference to a man.
    “Why’s that?”
    “You’re more alpha than he is.”
    Now Jake smiled. “You’re so sure of that?”
    “Yeah.”
    He came around the bed to lie on her other side. “That couldn’t just be your pride in your mate talking?”
    “It could be, but it’s not. Ted ran tonight. And he had to run, because he couldn’t beat you and he knew it.”
    Jake rubbed her arm. “That’s right. He took the coward’s way out.”
    Deirdre curled into him. She could touch Jake without worrying about hurting him—unlike Sam—and right now, she needed her mates’ touch. “It still won’t be easy to defeat him. He has minions and cronies who will back him up.”
    “There must be some good wolves left in the pack. You’re still here.”
    She was glad Jake put her in the “good” category. “There are a few, but they’re the weaker wolves. All the strongest ones are his people.”
    “Strong or weak, it doesn’t matter. When I challenge him, we need people on our side. The more the better. Can you contact them? Spread the word? We need them physically there, so he won’t pull any tricks.”
    “What about Roanoke Pack?” Sam said, his voice a little weak. “If you set the challenge for neutral territory, I can get some of my pack mates to show up. That’ll help keep everything fair.”
    “That’s a great idea,” Deirdre said.
    “Will Ted go for the neutral territory thing?” Jake said.
    “He won’t want to,” she said. “He’s never fought in neutral territory before, and would no doubt see it as suspicious. But if we put enough pressure on him, maybe we can make it happen.”
    “Get me my phone,” Sam said.
    Deirdre sat up to get it, but Jake beat her to it. As he handed Sam his phone, he brushed his hand over Sam’s cheek in a rough, thoroughly masculine kind of way. “How’re you doing?”
    “I’m pretty tired,” Sam said. “And I’m starting to get hungry. But I can feel the wound healing. It’s just a matter of time.”
    “I could order food,” Deirdre said. “Pizza?”
    “I’d rather have meat,” Sam said. “Lots of meat.”
    That made sense. His body needed the protein and fat to rebuild itself, especially at this increased pace. “I’ll see what I can find.” She dug through the B&B’s small stack of takeout menus.
    “Hey, Chris. It’s Sam.”
    He must be on the phone. She heard the other man’s voice say a tinny