The Alpha's Rival

Chapter 3

Opening his water bottle, Mitch took a quick swig before glancing down at his watch. It was half past 10, and he’d been down in the packhouse gym since 6 that morning. If he worked out for another two to three hours, he’d be in the clear. But he didn’t know if he could hide out down here for much longer. His beta and friend, Rowan, would come looking for him eventually, especially since they had a couple of important meetings they needed to attend later that afternoon.

Scrolling through his music, he gritted his teeth as his stomach growled, complaining that he hadn’t eaten much since Kelly had called two nights ago. Slipping his phone into his pocket, he glanced at the door. Would he still be able to snag something for breakfast from the kitchen, or would he be kicked out after being told to wait for lunch? And if he was able to sneak something, could he slip upstairs to his room unnoticed so he could eat in peace? He highly doubted it, but he had to eat something. If he didn’t, he was sure he’d pass out in the middle of one of his sets.

Grabbing his water bottle, he stretched with a groan before heading out the door. Taking the stairs two at a time, he soon found himself on the main floor, seemingly deserted. Frowning at the quiet, he strode over to the kitchen and peeked inside. Oliver and his mate, Lauren, were busy puttering around the kitchen, cleaning up the breakfast mess, and getting ready to start lunch. Glancing around him once more to make sure he wouldn’t be caught by anyone else, he slipped inside.

“Morning,” he grunted, striding over to the fridge and peering inside.

“Good morning to you too,” Lauren chirped. “Have you finally decided to eat something today?”

Jerking back as if he had been slapped, he scowled at Lauren, earning himself a dirty look from Oliver.

“I’ve eaten,” he lied, taken aback that both cooks had noticed he hadn’t been taking his meals.

“You’re a horrible liar,” Oliver grumbled, shaking his head as he went back to scrubbing a greasy pan while Lauren poured him a cup of coffee.

“Go sit down in the dining room and I’ll bring you out something in a minute, dear,” Lauren said gently, handing him the piping hot cup. “Some food will do you good.”

Still scowling, he nodded jerkily before stalking into the dining room. Spotting his favorite spot, a little two-person table tucked away in the farthest corner of the room, he made his way around the mess of tables and chairs and sat down. No sooner had he sat down, his beta and head of security poked their heads into the room. Noticing him, they made a beeline for his table.

“Glad to see you awake,” Rowan said easily, taking the spot across the table from him.

“I was just saying I’d need to do a quick sweep of the building if we didn’t find you in your room,” Josh added, dragging a chair over from a nearby table. Sitting down in it, he leaned back on the two hind legs and winked at him. “To be honest, though, I’m glad we didn’t find you in your room. I would hate to walk in on whatever you’ve been up to, especially since you're getting late-night calls from your lady friend.”

“I’m not getting late-night calls from anyone,” Mitch protested, his scowl deepening.

“So Kelly didn’t call the other night, then?” Josh countered, raising an eyebrow at him.

“She did, but it was nothing,” Mitch grumbled, taking a sip of his coffee. Black, just the way he liked it.

“Sure,” Rowan snorted. “If it was nothing, then you wouldn’t have your panties in a bunch, right?”

“I…” Mitch started angrily.

“Look,” Rowan continued, cutting him off. “Since she called, you’ve demolished your old man’s room, you haven’t eaten more than a couple slices of pizza last night, you haven’t slept, you haven’t worked on your new ‘67 Impala, and you’ve been avoiding just about everyone.”

“What did she say, man?” Josh asked, concern lacing his voice.

“Not much,” Mitch sighed, scrubbing his face with his hand. “She was just calling to check up on me, said she hadn’t heard from me in a while.”

“Didn’t you send a letter not too long ago?” Josh frowned, his chair crashing back down on all fours as he leaned forward.

“Yup,” Mitch nodded grimly.

“Do you think someone else read it and tossed it?” Rowan asked, his brows knitting together as he studied Mitch critically.

“That’s exactly what I think,” Mitch muttered vehemently. “I think the RSVPs went right to the main mailbox, not Kelly’s, and Robinson saw it first. Pretty sure he shredded it on sight and then didn’t say anything to Kelly.”

“Well, she is his mate,” Josh pointed out honestly. “You’d do the same thing in his position. Hell, we’d all do the same. Can you blame him?”

“No,” Mitch sighed dejectedly, slumping back in his seat, the fight taken out of him. “I was just hoping that maybe, just maybe, she was calling to tell me she had called the wedding off. And now... Today… Goddess, it’s too f*****g late.”

“It’s been too late for a bit now,” Rowan commented. “As soon as you had us help you rescue Robinson, it was too late. If you really wanted her this badly, maybe you should have just let it be. I mean, I know you were trying to impress her and all, but you sort of shot yourself in the foot, you know what I mean?”

“I hate it when you’re right,” Mitch grumbled, taking another sip of his coffee. “But I can’t help but wonder what would happen if she knew.”

“Then go to the wedding,” Josh suggested, scratching the back of his neck as he looked between Mitch and Rowan. “I know you told her you can’t make it, but maybe if you get there before the ceremony starts, you might be able to tell her how you feel. I don’t know if it will make a difference at this point, but it’s worth a shot, I guess.”

“I can’t go,” Mitch protested. “We have that…”

“Canceled,” Rowan shrugged. “I had a feeling you’d be a mess today, so yesterday I canceled everything.”

“You… you did?” Mitch stammered, shocked.

“Yup,” Rowan nodded.

“You’ve got maybe an hour to eat and get ready if you want to get there early,” Josh stated, glancing at his watch. “Go get ‘em, tiger.”

Swallowing nervously, Mitch looked between his two friends. He hadn’t wanted to go. Had already decided against going. There was no way he was going to sit through watching Kelly tie herself to Robinson, not if he could help it. It would be torture and he’d come back feeling even worse. No, as tempting as it was, he’d stay here, and now that he didn’t have anything to do today, maybe he’d work on his Impala. He had gotten it a couple of months ago and hadn’t worked on it as much as he had wanted. And that poor car was dying for some TLC. He couldn’t just ignore it.

“I can’t,” he sighed, nodding his thanks to Lauren as she set a hot plate of chorizo and eggs in front of him.

“You can and you will,” Rowan frowned at him. “You’ll drive yourself mad if you don’t, wondering what if. Don’t do that to yourself.”

“And if she tells me she’s sorry but doesn’t feel the same way?” Mitch complained. “What do I do then? I can’t stay because Robinson will kill me. And if he doesn’t, watching them say their vows will.”

“Then you leave after she tells you no,” Josh said in exasperation. “It’s not that hard, man.”

“I mean, you could challenge Robinson for her,” Rowan suggested half-heartedly. “But even if you won, that doesn’t mean she’d go with you. I’ve never met a more stubborn woman in my life. Once she’s got her mind made up, there’s no swaying her.”

“I’m not going to challenge Robinson,” Mitch shook his head. “I’m just not going, so that’s that.”

“Goddess, you’re just as stubborn as she is,” Rowan grumbled.

“Go,” Josh urged him. “And if you need us, we won’t be far behind.”

“You’re going?” Mitch asked in surprise.

“Only if you are,” Josh replied. “Don’t want you to do anything too stupid.”

“Fine,” Mitch sighed, turning his attention to his food as his stomach growled again.

Slowing down, Mitch followed the silver honda in front of him into a dirt lot where the guests who were just arriving were parking. Glancing at the clock on the dash, he ground his teeth. It was a quarter to three. Once he parked, he’d have less than fifteen minutes to hurry into the packhouse and find Kelly. Would he even be let into the room? Goddess, he hoped so. Biting back a growl, he resisted the urge to lay on the horn and instead settled on undoing his seatbelt. As soon as he parked, he’d take off flying.

Pulling into the next spot, he threw his car into park before throwing himself out the door. Jogging, he made a beeline for the packhouse. Eyeing the group in front of the door, he noticed Robinson and a few wolves he didn’t recognize talking animatedly. Whatever they were discussing was apparently funny because Robinson threw his head back and laughed, a deep hearty sound. Of course, he was able to laugh, Mitch thought bitterly as he slowed down. He had gotten the girl.

Stopping a few feet away, he waited until Robinson and his friends had moved out of the way. Watching them, he noticed them heading toward the field on the other side of the building where a couple of white canopies could be seen, the canvas gently rippling in the breeze. Waiting just a couple of seconds more to make sure he was alone, he tiptoed over to the door and slipped inside.

Like his packhouse, the main floor of the Nightstalker’s packhouse was deserted, but not quiet. Noise drifted to him from what he assumed was the kitchen. Glancing at the stairs on the opposite side of the hall, he wondered if, like his packhouse, the alpha’s suite was on the top floor. There was only one way to find out. Moving stealthily, he moved across the hall and crept up the stairs.

Once on the top floor, Mitch paused, listening carefully, but all was quiet. There were a handful of doors on the top floor, probably smaller suites for the alpha’s family if he had to guess. But behind one of them, he’d find the alpha’s suite. Which one did he need? Surveying the doors, he noticed that at the end of the hall, there was a door that was painted a light green. A smile crept across his face. It had to be that one. Kelly had a thing for green if he remembered correctly.

Starting forward, he paused as he heard footsteps coming up the stairs behind him. Panicking, he tried the door nearest him and found it unlocked. Slipping in, he glanced around and found he was in what looked like a storage closet. Boxes lined the wall on one side. On the other was a set of shelves stocked with cleaning supplies. Breathing a sigh of relief, he pressed his ear to the door and listened.

“It’s time,” a gruff voice he recognized as Greg’s said after he heard a brief knock and then a door creak open. “You look beautiful, by the way.”

“Thank you,” Kelly’s voice said softly, causing Mitch’s heart to ache longingly.

Standing there in the dark, he couldn’t tell if she sounded excited or not, but he was out of time unless he got down the stairs before she did. Peeking out the door, he saw them disappear around the corner. f**k, he had missed his opportunity. Stepping out of the closet, he hung his head and made his way down the stairs after them, making sure he hung back far enough that they wouldn’t notice him.

Once outside, he glanced over at the parking lot where his car was. Frowning, he noticed a beat-up jeep pulling into the spot next to his car. Rowan and Josh had arrived. Turning away from the parking lot, he peered at the canopies in the nearby field. Music floated on the breeze, the beginning of the wedding march. Shooting one last quick glance over his shoulder at the jeep, he jogged over to the field.

“You shouldn’t be here,” someone growled, startling him as he stared at the slim figure in white making her way down the aisle.

“I was invited,” he said absently, noting that Greg was escorting her down the aisle. His head was bent forward and Kelly was leaning towards him just slightly. He wondered if Greg was whispering words of encouragement to her.

“Name?” the security guard prompted him, folding his arms across his chest as he moved in front of Tate. Next to him, another guard had picked up a list and was rifling through it.

“Hawthorne, Mitch,” he replied, craning his neck to look over the guard's shoulder. They had reached the end of the aisle and Greg was handing her over to Robinson, a look of pure ecstasy on Robinson's face.

“You aren’t on the list,” the guard with the list stated, raising an eyebrow at him.

“I swear I was invited,” Mitch sighed, tearing his attention away from the wedding to look at the guards. “I sent my RSVP back saying I couldn’t make it because I had some important things I needed to get to today, but they fell through. So, I thought…”

“You thought you could still get in,” the guard who had stopped him supplied.

“Exactly,” Mitch nodded eagerly.

“Well,” the guard hesitated, glancing over his shoulder, “they’re in the middle of the ceremony, so I can’t let you go over there. But you can stay for the reception. There’s been a couple of no-shows, so we’ve got a few seats at one of the tables still available.”

“No, you don’t understand,” Mitch started, panic starting to set in. “I need to see the rest of the ceremony. It’s important.”

“I’m sorry,” the guard shrugged. “There’s nothing I can do. You can’t go over there.”

Gritting his teeth, Mitch shook his head. He was running out of time. Every second he stood here arguing with the guards was one less second he had to tell Kelly how he felt. Closing his eyes momentarily, he called on his wolf, willing the alpha to rise up. He’d need the alpha’s power to get through the guards without a fight.

“Let me through,” he ordered, the alpha’s timber resonating in his chest.

The guards shuddered for a second, but then shook their heads. f**k, it hadn’t worked. Desperate, he made a mad dash for it and knocked over a flower arrangement as the closest guard grabbed his arm in an attempt to stop him.

“Let go,” he snarled, as a few people in the back rows turned to look at him in shock and confusion.

“You can’t be here,” the guard snapped.

A silence fell as the rest of the wedding party turned their attention to the commotion going on at the end of the aisle.

Looking up, breathless, he noted the look of surprise on Kelly’s face.

“I object!” he breathed as he shook himself free of the guards and made his way farther up the aisle. Falling to his knees a few feet in front of them, he looked up at Kelly, hoping against hope that she would stop the wedding from continuing. Eyes widening, he felt himself go pale as he noted the matching rings glinting in the light on both Kelly’s and Robinson’s fingers. Staggering as he got back to his feet, he backed up slowly, disbelief flooding through him. He hadn’t made it. “I’m too late.”

Still backing up, he watched as Kelly put a hand on Robinson’s chest, who looked like he was ready to tear him limb from limb, his body trembling at the effort of holding back his wolf. Why was she stopping him? He wished she wouldn’t. He wanted Robinson to fight him, needed the release. And maybe he’d get lucky. Maybe he’d win the fight and show her that he was the better wolf, the better alpha.

“Leave it,” she murmured quietly, stepping in front of Robinson, both hands on his chest now.

He wanted to scream as he watched Robinson tear his attention away from him to gaze adoringly down at his tiny mate.

“I’m sorry,” Robinson murmured before bending to place a gentle kiss on Kelly’s lips.

“No,” Mitch whispered hoarsely, backing up even faster. Bumping into the guard as the crowd started to cheer half-heartedly while shifting their attention confusedly between him and the happy couple, he quickly turned and bolted. He didn’t need the guard to stop him again. He was sure he’d be questioned, and he didn’t want that. Afterward, he’d have to deal with Robinson and he wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep himself in check long enough to have more than a five-minute conversation with him.

Glancing over his shoulder one last time, he slipped behind a shed, leaned against the weathered wall, and slid down to the ground. Burying his face in his hands, he let out a strangled sob.