An Alpha's Choice

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  “Back to the dens, then?” he said from behind her.

  “Yeah. We’ll do better next time.” She paused. “With different people. The world needs to know more than just the two of us.”

  The sound of a photo shutter hit her ears and she raised her chin toward the noise, doing her best to look calm.

  “I heard it, too,” he whispered. A pause. “And yeah, next time we’ll go out with others. Maybe Max would want to hang out with me.”

  Her cousin Max was the most easygoing wolf she knew. He’d escaped through their version of hell a better man than she could have thought possible.

  “You and Max have worked together with the council in the past.” Not a question, but he answered anyway.

  “Yeah. Our Packs have worked together well for thirty years now,” he said softly. It stung that the two of them couldn’t, but she knew she couldn’t care for much longer.

  “Where do you think that picture is going?” she asked, ignoring his last statement. “A curious human? Media? The government? I hate not knowing. But I also hate that we have to live with it so others learn not to fear us.” She smiled softly at a small child who waved at them. The little girl’s mother met Brynn’s eyes and paled before tucking her child closer.

  It hurt, the slice of familiar pain that told her that, yet again, she wasn’t good enough. That she was something to fear, or worse, pity.

  “She just doesn’t understand,” Finn said softly, moving closer to her so no one could overhear. “They will, though. What we’re doing matters. We aren’t monsters. They’ll see that.”

  She closed her eyes before taking a deep breath. When she opened them, the sun hadn’t faded, hadn’t burst into a thousand flames. Instead, time moved forward as it always had—ever slowly toward an absolution that would never come.

  “I’m sorry, again,” he whispered, and she wanted to kick him. Again.

  “Don’t be,” she snapped. “It was a mistake that will never happen again. We won’t even talk about it. It’s like it never happened.”

  “But it did happen, Brynn. We should talk about why.”

  “We really shouldn’t. So get over yourself, Finn, and leave me alone. Got it?”

  He didn’t touch her—he’d told her he wouldn’t—but he was close enough that she could practically feel every inch of him. “I’ve got it just fine, princess.”

  “Thanks, prince.” He was just as much royalty as she—even more so since he held the title while she had nothing.

  He snorted then stiffened before moving faster than she’d ever seen him move. Brynn went on alert, following him instinctually before letting her mind process her thoughts.

  A car came out of nowhere, barreling toward them. She moved faster, putting her wolf in the action, knowing she needed to follow Finn. He wasn’t moving out of the way of the car. Instead, he moved toward the little girl from before who had just stepped off the curb.

  Brynn screamed as Finn tucked the little girl close and took the brunt of the car’s assault on himself. The car skidded as Finn rolled over the top of it, landing on his feet, the little girl safely tucked in his arms.

  The car sped off, leaving an array of screaming and shell-shocked humans.

  Finn hadn’t gone wolf, instead, had moved with supernatural speed to save a human girl. He’d been hit by a car but landed on his feet with only a few cuts to show for it.

  So much for blending in with the humans.

  “Did you see that?”

  “He saved that little girl!”

  “What just happened?”

  “I’ve never seen anyone move like that!”

  “I thought wolves would have just let her die.”

  “What a hero!”

  The scent of burned rubber mixed with the tangy scent of spilled blood. Her wolf raged at the smell, but she pushed it back, knowing she couldn’t full-on shift in public with so many eyes on her. This man, this wolf, had almost died protecting a little girl who’d run out into the street when she shouldn’t have. As it was, Brynn’s whole body threatened to shake from adrenaline.

  She’d almost lost Finn just then.

  Almost lost him without ever having him.

  Another photo shutter sounded and she moved forward, trying to ignore the calls for her name, the calls for what had happened right in front of her. She’d deal with the humans and the public’s need to know every single little thing in a moment. First, she needed to put her hands on Finn to make sure he was truly alive. It didn’t matter that he was moving and speaking slowly to the little girl in his arms. All that mattered was that he was hurt, and her wolf needed to protect above all else. She was a fucking dominant shifter, and she knew her role, her duties. To protect. To serve her Alpha.

  And now, to ensure Finn was safe.

  Damn it.

  She didn’t want that last one, but it seemed her wolf wouldn’t let her out of it. “Finn.”

  He looked up at her for a moment, his wolf in his eyes before he blinked it away. “I’m fine.” He kept his voice light, and she knew it was for the benefit of the little girl in his arms. “And so is Lacey. Right, honey?”

  Lacey nodded, completely enraptured by the perfect specimen that was Finn. Brynn couldn’t blame the little girl. She was pretty sure her face had looked like that once or twice—wide eyes and her mouth agape, even with a slight blush on her cheeks.

  “Lacey!” The same mother who had looked so scared of Brynn before ran toward the group of them, tears running down her cheeks. “Baby!”

  “She’s okay, ma’am,” Finn said softly, his voice gruff. “The car never touched her. I promise you.”

  “I don’t hurt, Mommy. It was like a hug.”

  The mom pulled her daughter close, her gaze darting over the little girl’s body. “I…I…”

  A siren pierced the distance. “I think that’s an ambulance coming,” Brynn added in. The mother looked at her quickly, then back at her daughter. Brynn didn’t blame the woman for wanting to keep her eyes on Lacey at all times. That had been too close for comfort. “We can have her checked out just in case.”

  “Thank you,” the mother whispered. “Thank you for saving my baby. She just ran out into the street, and that car came out of nowhere.”

  Brynn met Finn’s gaze. The car that had hit him and proceeded to drive away hadn’t been there by accident. She’d seen the driver and his passenger. The familiar faces of the men who had accosted them before burned bright in her mind. Lacey had almost died because she’d been in the wrong place at the wrong time. If she hadn’t darted out into the street when she had, the car would have kept going and would have plowed into Brynn and Finn. Of course, they would have jumped out of the way, and with their shifter reflexes should have probably been fine, but it was still scary.

  And ominous.

  Those men had tried to kill them, and she only knew they hated her and Finn for being wolves. That kind of bigotry wasn’t new, but it was getting more and more dangerous to be outside the den.

  Not good for what she and Finn were trying to accomplish with being out in public like they were.

  Brynn moved closer to Finn, her hand out for him. He put his palm to hers and stood in one swift move. She knew he could have gotten up on his own, but he’d let her help him. That was no small feat for such a dominant wolf. It just showed her she didn’t know Finn at all. He had a few gashes on his face and he’d shredded part of his right arm and leg, but it was already healing. She met his gaze and he nodded. They needed to get out of there before people truly saw him heal. Sure, humans knew part of the mystery of wolves, but the two of them didn’t need to put on a show. Well, any more than they already had.

  People had shot video of the accident, she was sure of it, as she’d felt the cameras on them when they’d just been standing outside the alley. Animals outside the zoo were much more interesting to look at than trying to hunt for dens that humans had once hidden from.

  “Thank you,” the mother said softly,
her gaze intently on Finn. Others came toward them even as the paramedics looked Lacey over. The police were looking around and would be asking questions soon. Brynn recognized two of the officers as pro-shifter so she knew they wouldn’t be detained. It might not have been her or Finn behind the wheel, but it wasn’t that far-fetched that others would want to blame the two of them for the hit and run. After all, the humans driving the car had been out for Finn and Brynn, she was sure of it.

  “Thank you for saving my daughter,” the mother said again, tears in her voice.

  Finn nodded, his face solemn. “I’m glad I could help.”

  A paramedic looked toward Finn and raised a brow. “You need a bandage for that?” the man asked, curiosity in his tone.

  Brynn stepped forward, holding out her hand. “That would be great. I’ll help him though so you can take care of the little girl.” She met the man’s eyes then purposely looked around them. They’d gathered a crowd, and while the Packs had wanted them to blend in, this wasn’t the best way to do it.

  “Sure. No problem.” The paramedic handed her a few bandages and shrugged. She wasn’t sure that was going with protocol, but she didn’t care. Not when Finn was still bleeding and she needed to get them both out of there. Now.

  “Thanks.” She turned to Finn. “Ready?” One of the cops nodded at her and she sighed. “Let’s get this over with.”

  Finn tilted his head, and she knew he was confused. She couldn’t act on character because she didn’t know how to act around him. He was hurt, and she needed to take care of him. But she also couldn’t show that she needed that. It was a mess, and now she had to play nice for the humans.

  Things had gone to hell, and it was only the beginning.

  And for some reason, she felt like it would always be the beginning. At least until something happened that made more than one wolf bleed.

  And when that day came, she wasn’t sure what she would do.

  Chapter Seven

  Finn ran a hand over his face, wincing when a twinge ached across his side. He’d almost fully healed by the time he and Brynn had left the curious cops and bystanders and made their way back to the respective dens. He just had a few bruises that would take a couple of days to go away. His healing worked on the major things first, then the smaller ones—a perk of being a wolf.

  “You need to see Hannah or Mark?” Maddox asked. Maddox was his uncle and former Omega. Or really, his Omega in truth since the Pack was still in flux. Hannah, his aunt, was the former Healer with his brother Mark learning his new powers right beside her. His other brother, Drake, sat by Maddox, a frown on his face. Drake was the new Omega, but even in his twenties, far too young in Finn’s opinion to deal with the weight of the world that the Omega had to deal with on a daily basis.

  Finn shook his head. “I’m fine. They don’t need to waste their energy on a few bruises.” He ran his hand over his side but didn’t wince this time. That had to be some form of progress.

  Maddox raised a brow. The man didn’t speak as much as his other uncles, but when he did, it meant something. Uncle Maddox had been through hell and back, coming through it with the love of a woman that provided his anchor to the world. Without Ellie, Finn had a feeling Maddox would have succumbed to the pain and overwhelming emotions that came with being the Omega of a large Pack in the center of a war. The mating bond with Ellie had saved Maddox’s life.

  That was one more reason Finn was glad Maddox still held some bonds to the Pack through being an Omega. Mark wouldn’t be able to handle every emotion—good or bad—on his own. Finn had no idea how Maddox had done it all those years ago, but now Mark at least had someone to rely on when things got tricky. And in a time where no one knew what the next step would be, and everyone’s lives were in danger because the humans were too unpredictable, Finn was so freaking relieved Maddox was there to pick up the slack.

  All of his family had a backup power holder because of the shift in hierarchy. He wasn’t sure how long the older generation would keep the powers they had and the connections they shared, but they were needed. The moon goddess could see their Pack needed the help with what was to come. The Talons didn’t have that option, but they also had wolves with a century of living under their belt. Finn’s generation didn’t have that yet. In fact, he and his father were the only ones within the Redwoods without a counterpart. It made sense, as there was only one Alpha. One whose word was law. Finn had no children, no other connections to share. So he was the Heir.

  As he’d been since he was three years old.

  Maddox put his hand on Finn’s shoulder, breaking Finn from the memories of screams and fire.

  “You’re projecting so hard right now, that it doesn’t take an Omega to know you’re in pain.” Maddox sighed. “And I’m not talking about the bruises.”

  Finn shrugged. “I’m fine.”

  “You’re lying.” Maddox hadn’t always been this blunt. In fact, if Finn didn’t know any better, he would have sworn that tone had come from his uncle Adam. The Enforcer of the Pack used to be a growly asshole. Now, he was a growly asshole who smiled when his mate and children were near.

  “I’ll be fine,” Finn said, truthfully. “How’s that?”

  Drake snorted. “That’ll have to do, won’t it?”

  Finn flipped Drake off then sat back in his chair. After the cops had been dealt with, he’d come back home and had wanted to sleep off whatever the fuck had happened with Brynn. Of course, he should have known that wouldn’t be happening. Maddox had been waiting on the doorstep with Drake by his side. Normally the two would have just walked right inside and waited for Finn there. But since Charlotte also lived with Finn and she was Maddox’s daughter, Finn figured there had to be some boundaries in place. Charlotte wasn’t home, so Maddox had waited for Finn to arrive.

  And as soon as Finn had let the pair inside, he’d been forced to tell them exactly what had happened with the humans and the accident that wasn’t quite an accident. Finn had left out the part where he’d pressed Brynn up against the wall and kissed her like he’d never kissed a woman before. That part was just for him.

  Though he had a feeling Maddox was here for exactly that part. Any one of his family members could have stopped by to hear firsthand what had happened outside the den. Finn would be talking to his father about it again soon anyway.

  Instead, the two Omegas of the Pack had shown up on his doorstep with serious faces to match the serious business at hand.

  “Tell me what happened with Brynn.”

  Finn sat back, his eyes narrowing at his uncle. “Beyond the accident and the asshole humans who followed us around?”

  Maddox let out a sigh while Drake shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Finn wasn’t doing a good enough job hiding his emotions if he was making his brother feel like this, but damn it, he couldn’t control himself every moment of every day. He’d done a piss poor job of controlling himself around Brynn earlier, and he wouldn’t blame her for never speaking to him again.

  Only he wanted to see her again. Wanted to speak to her. Wanted to kiss her again.

  And that was fucking dangerous.

  “Finn.”

  The knowing tone in Maddox’s voice set Finn’s teeth on edge. He didn’t want to talk about it. Didn’t want to think about it. But whom else would he speak to? His father? No. That would just fuck things up since Brynn was the Talon Princess. No matter how hard Kade tried to be only a father, there were times he had to be only the Alpha. Finn never begrudged his father for that, but it didn’t make things easy.

  “I don’t want to talk about it,” he growled lowly. As Heir, he might outrank the other two in the room, but right then, they were his Omegas, his family. He wouldn’t be able to hide from them for long. And honestly, he wasn’t sure he should.

  Maddox sighed then leaned back in his chair. “You know, when you were younger, I would have thought you were the next Omega.”

  Finn sat straighter, startled. “Huh? I’m the Heir. The firstborn.
The others had options when it came to what the moon goddess would bless them with, but I always had the same path as my father.”

  Maddox raised a brow. “The way you put that makes me think it’s something else we need to talk about.”

  Drake mumbled an assent, and Finn wanted to crawl in a hole and hide. Oh sure, he could fight like no other and was one of the most dominant wolves out there, but get him in a room where he was forced to talk about his feelings for long stretches of time and he wanted to hide.

  “What did you mean about me being an Omega?” he asked, trying to stay on topic. Or at least on one of the many topics filling the room. His uncle Maddox was like that, poking at different ideas until one latched on and Finn was able to finally share something. It might not be everything, might not be the most important thing, but it was something.

  “You were always so intuitive,” Maddox continued, shelving the more difficult topic. Or maybe not so much, considering what they were discussing. “You were too young to remember, but I was the first to babysit you alone while Melanie and Kade took some time for themselves.”

  Finn snorted. “I don’t remember exactly, but Mom and Dad mentioned the horror of your experience.”

  Drake snickered. “Horror sounds right. Having to deal with Finn’s diapers? No thanks.”

  Finn flipped his little brother off. “I wasn’t too young to deal with your diapers, little Omega. Talk about horror.”

  Maddox laughed then ran a hand over his jaw. “That was part of it. But I think the horror came from how sticky you were. I have no idea how you got so dirty so quickly, but you freaking loved getting jam hands and wiping them on my shirt…and my face.”

  Finn grinned. “I’d apologize, but I think I was freaking adorable.”