Page 23 of Alpha Hunt

My breath catches in my throat as I scan the crowd. This is it – the moment of truth. Will anyone be brave enough to face me? To try to claim me? A fluttering starts in my belly as the weight of what I’ve set into motion sinks in. This is really, truly happening.

The silence stretches on interminably. I resist the urge to squirm under the weight of hundreds of staring eyes. Jagger is still speaking, but his words are just a buzz in my ears as my focus narrows to the unmoving crowd.

No one is stepping forward.

The silence stretches on, and my heart sinks.

Nobody wants me.

Of course they don’t – I’m an ice queen, all hard edges and sharper tongue. Why would any male want to take me on as a mate? I should have known better than to think—

“I’ll do it.”

My head whips around at the voice cutting through the hush. Tarkin is stepping forward, his shoulders squared and his chin lifted defiantly. I blink at him in surprise.

“You’re serious about this?” I blurt out before I can stop myself, a startled laugh escaping my lips. “Taking me on?”

Tarkin’s mouth curves into a half-grin. “Of course I am. Besides, all I can do is give it my best shot.”

A rumble of jeers and laughter rolls through the crowd at his words. I search his face for any hint of mockery but find only sincerity in his hazel eyes. My wolf perks up, catching the first whiff of potential challenge.

“She’s gonna chew you up and spit you out, Redburn!” someone yells. There’s more laughter. I almost feel sorry for him, but mainly, there’s gratitude. I don’t truly believe he wants me; he just won’t leave me standing here like a fool. My heart warms a little.

“If you don’t buy a ticket, you’ll never win the lottery,” Tarkin says with a shrug, utterly unbothered by the reactions around him.

As if his bravado has cracked the ice, more males start stepping forward one by one. I laugh out loud as Grier saunters over to join the line-up, all swagger and confidence, a cocky grin plastered on his face. He flashes me a wink that makes me roll my eyes.

“You really think you’re in with a chance? I just spent the morning wiping the gym floor with you,” I call out.

“That was just a practice round. I was going easy on you,” he replies, eliciting a peel of laughter.

There’s a shout from the group, “Right, Grier! In your dreams! You’re toast, dude!”

Conor Barns emerges next, eyes low and shoulders hunched like he’s bracing for impact. He catches my gaze, cheeks flushing, and gives a jerky nod before quickly dropping his eyes again. Sweet Conor – he doesn’t stand a chance, but I can’t help admiring his courage.

Wolf after wolf joins the growing pack of hopefuls until a solid group has formed at the front of the hall. I gape at them, utterly blindsided by the show of interest. All this time, I’d thought…but clearly, I’d underestimated just how appealing the idea of claiming me was to them.

My surprise must be written all over my face because Jagger leans in close. “Told you they’d come sniffing,” he murmurs with a grin before straightening and raising his hand for silence. “That’s all, then. The floor is now—”

“Wait.”

The deep voice that cuts through the din is instantly recognizable. My breath catches in my throat as a tall male steps out from the crowd, steady gaze locking onto mine. The world seems to still around us as our eyes meet and hold, a hint of something crackling between us.

I can’t breathe.

I can’t think.

All I can do is stare, utterly speechless, as Edirn Alpen calmly takes his place among the others.

What the fuck is he doing?

Chapter 10

Edirn

“I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that this is a big day.” Jagger looks around at us. Early morning light is filtering through a canopy of leaves to touch his face with pale gold. We’ve come to a wooded area at the edge of Steel Lakes territory. With gnarled pines finding root up the low-lying region of a small range of craggy hills, it’s as close to mountain terrain as we could get out here. My kind of territory.

The gathering of shifters hushes. I stand at the edge of the crowd, anticipation humming through my veins as Jagger’s voice rings out across the clearing.