Page 30 of Half Wolf Mate
His pack arrived in New Orleans a couple of weeks ago, and I didn’t like it. Adam and his pack were nothing but trouble, a threat to the secret existence of all of us. I wanted him and his people gone before all hell broke loose in the city.
Finding him in such proximity to my mate—rejected though she was—irked me. As Adam and I snarled at each other, the tension surrounding us expanded and crackled.
“This isn’t your business, Grayson.”
“It is when you’re sniffing around my territory.”
Adam quirked an eyebrow. “Are you talking about the city or the girl?”
“Hey!” Sydney gave Adam an indignant glare. “I’m not property,” she grumbled.
Of course, I couldn’t answer Adam right away because I had to take a moment to get hold of my jealousy and shove it back down. The thing was, no matter how much I tried not to, a part of me still considered Sydney mine. However, I couldn’t admit that aloud.
“New Orleans can do without you and your pack,” I said. “I’ve heard about your various adventures.” Like the complaint I got from one of my allies who led a pack in Shreveport.
Adam and his rogue pack had passed through the city and wreaked havoc, leaving a trail of both human and werewolf bodies and tons of evidence of our existence. I already had a possible infiltration of hunters to worry about. I didn’t need a rogue pack causing more trouble.
Finally, I said, “There’s only room for one Alpha here.”
Adam smirked. “I think this city is big enough for more than one.”
His alluding to sticking around long-term was alarming. He and his pack would draw hunters’ attention like a magnet to steel. I didn’t need the added stress of a rival pack so close, especially one that operated with absolutely no scruples.
When the silence dragged on with Adam and me glowering at each other, Sydney spoke. “You know what, this sounds like pack business or whatever…absolutely nothing to do with me. I’m going to go.”
“Not so fast,” Adam said just as she took a step. His menacing tone made her stop in her tracks. I could feel her growing anxiety.
It was what led me to the back alley of the diner. I’d been having my men keep a close eye on Sydney, reporting her movements back to me. Today, I had to take on the task myself. When I arrived, her fear beat at me, pulled me to her, and that’s how I found her in the presence of another Alpha.
“We’re not done,” Adam said. “You haven’t answered my question.”
“She has nothing to say to you. Get away from her,” I growled.
His eyes narrowed to slits. “Why do you care? It isn’t like she’s one of your people.”
Sydney blew out a breath and ducked her head. My wolf still held on to our mate’s bond, so I felt her hurt after Adam’s statement.
“Doesn’t matter,” I said. “You can leave voluntarily or involuntarily. It makes no difference to me.” I took a purposeful step toward him, canines bared. There was no one else around, so I wasn’t worried about wolfing out to take down my rival.
Adam snorted. “No need to get your knickers in a twist, Grayson. I meant the girl no harm.” He glanced at Sydney. “I’ll see you around. We have a few things to discuss.”
Sydney’s eyebrows furrowed.
Adam sauntered off without a backward glance—the pompous ass.
Silence lingered between Sydney and me for a while. She shuffled her feet. “Well, that was intense. I can tell from your interaction that you two aren’t friends.”
“Far from it,” I bit out, still struggling with jealousy over Adam being so close to Sydney.
“Thanks for the rescue, I guess,” she murmured and moved to walk past me.
I snagged her arm in a gentle hold and felt her tense. “Care to tell me what you and Adam have to talk about?”
“Why do you care?” She still stared at our point of contact.
I dropped my hand and took a step back. “You should stay away from him. He’s bad news.”
“Same question: why do you care?”