CHAPTER 8: The Test of Loyalty

Adrian

Alaina.

That name had no right echoing in my mind the way it did. I asked the hotel staff out of idle curiosity or at least that’s what I told myself. The name felt strangely familiar, but I brushed it off. Whatever past it came from didn’t matter. What mattered was how she had looked me in the eye and picked apart everything I built like it was a fragile illusion.

Who does she think she is?

I had offered her an opportunity most would grovel for, and instead, she tried to turn it into a lecture on pack politics. And worse, her words made sense. That’s what pissed me off most.

The tires of my sleek black SUV hummed against the road as I headed back to Blackwood Pack. But her voice was louder in my head than the engine.

"She rattled you," Blaze muttered with an amused growl.

"She insulted my pack," I shot back.

Blaze snorted. "No. She told you a truth you didn’t want to hear."

I clenched my jaw, fingers tightening around the steering wheel. I wasn’t going to let the opinion of some rogue girl affect me. Still, her words kept replaying.

Your pack is still young. Loyalty is a delicate thing.

Who the hell did she think she was? And why couldn’t I stop hearing her voice?

I reached the Blackwood gates, where warriors stood tall and bowed respectfully as I passed. Their loyalty was evident. Every nod, every step aside was a silent vow of allegiance. And yet… her doubts shadowed every gesture. Was she right?

No. She couldn’t be.

I parked and stepped out, brushing imaginary dust off my shoulder as I glanced at my car. At twenty-eight, I had built Blackwood from the ground up. A rogue no one wanted, a lone wolf, now an Alpha with a legacy in motion.

"Alpha!" Issac, my Beta, jogged up with a clipboard in hand.

"Hey," I said calmly, already walking toward the pack house.

"Did you pick up another girl?" he asked, his voice laced with teasing.

I smirked. "You know how it goes. I don’t go looking for them. They just come."

Issac chuckled but said nothing more. He was used to this.

But unlike the others, Alaina hadn’t come to me. She rejected me. Rejected what I offered, and then threw my own weaknesses in my face.

"Things went smoothly yesterday," Issac added as he handed me the patrol reports. "You missed a pretty decent round of training, too."

"You’ve done well holding the fort," I said, nodding to him as I pushed open the doors of the pack house. Several Omegas stopped in their tracks as I passed, trying to catch my eye, but I wasn’t in the mood.

All I could think about was Alaina and how her words scratched at something raw inside me.

I entered my room. As expected, a chilled bottle of wine sat on the side table.

"You know me too well," I murmured as I poured myself a glass.

"We need to talk about the patrol units," Issac said, eyes scanning his notes. "With the recent movement from the Thornclaw border, we can’t afford to relax. Blackwood has to stay sharp."

I nodded, swirling the wine. "I trust the scouts. If there’s anything to report, they’ll bring it straight to me."

He hesitated. "Adrian... are you alright?"

I looked at him. "Why wouldn’t I be?"

He shrugged. "You seem... distracted."

Because I am.

Alaina’s voice kept returning. Her concern hadn’t felt rehearsed. She didn’t come to play a game. She came with insight, and it got under my skin like a splinter I couldn’t dig out.

"I’ll have a look at the schedules," I said, changing the subject. "And make sure the trainers up the intensity. I want new drills introduced next week. Focus on coordinated defense, especially at the southeast perimeter."

Issac smiled. "Already in motion. You’re a hell of a leader, Adrian. You’ve built something others envy."

I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling. I should feel proud, but her words came back like a warning.

"If the foundation isn't solid, the whole house crumbles," she’d said.

My gut twisted. Maybe... just maybe, I needed to test that foundation.

"Start a rumor," I said suddenly.

Issac looked up, confused. "A rumor?"

"Yes. Let word spread quietly that Blackwood is under financial pressure. That we may not be able to sustain supplies for much longer."

He blinked. "Why would we..."

"Do it."

He paused, then nodded. "Of course, Alpha."

He didn’t question me again.

After showering and changing into a fresh shirt, I walked to the training grounds. From a distance, I heard hushed whispers and saw groups gathered in tight circles, voices low and anxious.

"This isn’t looking good..."

"I knew it. We should’ve prepared for the worst."

"I trusted this pack... maybe too much."

Their words cut deeper than I expected. I hadn’t imagined the rumor would spread this fast or strike such fear.

I stood still, arms crossed, watching them panic. These were the very wolves I rescued. Former rogues, outcasts, broken pieces I put together. And now, at the whisper of instability, they were already thinking of jumping ship.

Was Alaina right?

Did they only follow me because things were easy?

Blaze was silent in my head, and that silence said more than any words ever could.

Back in my room, I stared at my phone. I hated myself for what I was about to do.

But I did it anyway.

I called the hotel, got her number, and stared at the blank message field longer than I should have.

Then I typed:

"Alaina. I’m open to working together. Present a plan. You were right."

I didn’t expect a response—not so soon. But my phone buzzed almost immediately.

Her reply was simple.

“The Pack Games.”