Kaden stood up and put himself in front of me. I could see he was preparing himself for a fight, metaphorical hackles raised as he faced the door. I looked over at Stella, who looked grim. Kaden’s free hand was clenched into a fist as he opened the door.
Tanner stood outside, and I let my guard down a little until I saw his face. He was angry and looked as ready for a fight as Kaden did. I blanched. What was going on?
“Tanner,” Kaden said, cool as a cucumber. “I don’t suppose you’re here to welcome me home.”
Tanner was big and muscular, and I'd always thought he looked like a surfer, with long blond hair—but now he'd cut it short, almost military-style, and it gave him a much harder edge. He filled the doorway, blocking the outside light fading into dusk, and I watched him take in the room. His eyes settled on me, and the anger in them flared.
“She needs to leave,” Tanner said, raising a hand and pointing to me. "She doesn't belong here."
Shit, I thought. Not this again.
Chapter Twenty-Three
I stood up, my fight or flight systems engaged, and I wasn’t about to flee. This was my pack, and I wasn’t about to be kicked out of it. I’d spent my whole life being an outcast, and I was sick of it.
“What the fuck, Tanner?” I asked. "I thought we were friends."
"That was before you brought the Leos." Tanner’s lip curled, but he stepped back.
At first, I thought he was backing down, but as I looked over his shoulder, I realized he was letting us see the crowd gathering outside. Faces I’d grown to know and trust stared back at me. Some looked angry, others nervous, and a few looked confused.
“The pack doesn’t want her here," Tanner said. "She’s not one of us.”
Suddenly, the presence of the crowd made startlingly clear sense. They were here for a confrontation with their alpha. With me. Flashbacks of being in the Cancer pack ran down my spine, and my throat tightened. I thought I'd escaped the shame of being the unwanted member of the pack, yet here we were again.
A deep growl issued from Kaden’s throat. “She’s a member of the Ophiuchus pack, just like you and me. Pack mark and everything. I assume your memory is good enough to remember that she passed the tests and accepted the mark.” Tanner opened his mouth to speak, but Kaden raised his hand to stop him. “And beyond that, Ayla is my mate, and the pack’s new alpha female.”
A flurry of whispers went through the crowd as people looked amongst themselves as if trying to figure out what to do, or how to react to this news. I was just as shocked as everyone else hearing Kaden speak those words. I knew we were together and that he'd claimed me, but for him to announce it to the entire pack was beyond anything I'd ever expected. And calling me his alpha female? Oh shit. I was so not prepared for that.
"There's no mate bond between the two of you," another man said with a scowl. I recognized him as one of the men who rescued me. The one who'd thrown me in the back of the van. "She's still mated to the Leo alpha."
That brought up another flurry of whispers among the crowd. I spotted Harper and Jack out there, both of them looking worried, yet neither of them could do anything to stop this.
Kaden tilted his chin up as he addressed the crowd. “I’ve marked Ayla as my female, and anyone who has a problem with her has a problem with me."
This time the unrest was a bit louder, and I saw some of the expressions change to horror. A few people shook their heads. I’d never seen so much blatant disrespect shown toward Kaden.
“Fine." Tanner drew himself up taller and glared at Kaden. “I didn't want to have to do this, but I see no other choice. I challenge you for alpha."
Many people gasped, and I watched another ripple of unease go through the entire crowd. Even the other pack members weren't expecting that. I wondered how long it had been since anyone had challenged Kaden for alpha. Dad had been challenged every few years, including by Mira's father, but he'd always won. And the loser? Always ended up dead, or their entire family shunned, as in Mira's case.
“You can’t do that!” Stella cried out and stepped forward as if she was going to get between Kaden and Tanner.
Kaden held up a hand, and she stopped in her tracks. “No, it’s all right,” he said to her, his voice softening ever-so-slightly. When he turned back to Tanner, it hardened again. “Anyone can challenge the alpha. But I want to make sure you really want to do this. I’ve been challenged before, and I’m sure you remember. I. Don’t. Lose.”