Page 64 of Bullied By the Alpha Wolf

I nodded. “Okay. What is it?”

Kaiden laughed lightly, putting his hand on my other shoulder. I felt boxed in by them, ready to run the fuck out of there from how their presence pressed down on me.

“The Williams pack is holding a trial for alpha. They want the council to volunteer someone. Jet and I have chosen you.”

My mouth fell open, nausea crawling through me like I’d been kicked in the nuts.

“Excuse me?”

“You’re an excellent choice, Gray. And while I don’t love the idea of having to find a new beta again, you’re the perfect person for the job. You demonstrated your skills with the Eli situation, and you’re not tied down by a mate. It’s got to be you, son.”

Kaiden squeezed my shoulder encouragingly. “I know you can do it, Gray. You’re an amazing fighter and leader. You’ve been incredible with Ash and Jet’s twins. If you can be half as understanding with a pack as you are with them, you’ll do your pack proud.”

The world spun around me, and I couldn’t blame it on the alcohol. The idea of being Alpha of the Williams pack wasn’t a horrible one by any means. I’d been looking to prove myself my entire life, and this was the ultimate win for me.

But my mind settled on the word Jet had used—“mate.”

Looking past my two best friends, my eyes scanned the room and instinctively landed on MacKenzie. She sat at a table alone with a thin glass of champagne in her hand. As if pulled by my own gaze, her eyes flicked up from her lap and met mine across the room.

My gut clamped down, and as soon as she realized what she was looking at—what she’d been compelled to look at—Kenzie’s entire body went rigid. She stared wide-eyed as the tears she wouldn’t shed made them glassy. After a moment, she got up from her chair and fled the room.

No, I didn’t have a mate right now, but not because I hadn’t found her. Because I’d rejected her.

*****

THE END