The Alpha King's Hunt

Chapter 30

Valarie

I stumbled into our suite, shucking off my useless shoes and heading straight for my room.

It was close to dawn now – just a few more hours and the sun would be up. The moon was low but still full in the sky.

My wolf should be quieter now that we'd run, that was how it always happened, but instead she was still restless. I clenched my teeth to keep from pacing and fought her down again.

My muscles ached from the running and play-fighting. I turned my mind away from Gabriel quickly, focusing instead on the fact that Sophia had won the Hunt. She would be the next Alpha female, leading all of the packs at the King's side. Raquel would be thrilled. She'd favored Sophia throughout most of the Hunt.

Exhausted by the thoughts, I barely managed to get out of my clothes without falling over and left them in a trail from my bedroom to the bathroom.

Picking my hair up off of my shoulders released a small shower of leaves that crinkled as they fell, coloring the rug in gold and maroon.

I pulled the shower curtain shut and started the water, feeling my shoulders relax at the sound. Already a good-sized bruise was forming on my upper thigh. Gabriel had gotten his jaws around me there and put just enough pressure to make a point.

Smoothing my fingers over the area I stepped into the large bath, feeling hot water begin to numb my skin.

What exactly had happened tonight?

I'd only gone into the woods to satisfy my wolf, who apparently couldn't be held back. I'd always been able to control her before but my guess was that all of the tension and stress these last weeks forced her to surface.

Now that it was over with I was mostly happy I'd gotten it out of my system. Running had felt good, especially in an unfamiliar forest where it had actually been a challenge to navigate my surroundings.

But then Gabriel had found me. How did he always manage to find me?

The pack had run in the opposite direction. When he'd shown up between the trees I should have submitted immediately but my knee-jerk reaction was to tease him a bit.

These were his woods but he obviously hadn't been running at his full potential. Did he ever get out, I wondered? I couldn't imagine having such wonderful forests so close by and not being able to run them. That was a nightmare.

We must've tussled and run for at least an hour. Long enough that it was surprising he wasn't missed. But the sound of the fighting had drawn us both away.

Finding that Sophia was the one engaged in sparring with Caroline wasn't that much of a shock. She'd gotten a good start on the others and I knew from the wound on Edith's leg that it had been Sophia's work. She'd taken the females down one by one (probably not having to worry about Daniele very much) until only Caroline was left.

The feel of the hot water on my upper back made my head roll forward and I groaned in satisfaction. Everything inside me was loosening now and I could feel angry tears wanting to fight their way up. To distract myself, I thought back to the end of the Hunt.

Everyone emerging from the woods, Gabriel with Sophia first, followed by the small wolf I identified as Charles once he changed back. Then the betas, and me, still in the trees, scrambling into my clothes quickly.

Gabriel didn't seem bothered by standing naked before so many other wolves. He glanced only briefly at Sophia but took her hand anyway, walking toward his mother once his pants were on.