Territory Read Online Free PDF Page A

white tipped mountains. It was late August in Montana and she’d heard from Josephine that the winters were long and hard, but this was the first time in her life she’d ever seen snow in August.
    Bet I could be in those mountains in less than five minutes.
    Chloe grabbed Kya’s hand, snapping her attention from her thoughts of escape, “Dell will be waiting for you in the study. Come on, it’s this way.”
    Kya eyed the window then turned to stare longingly at the back door as Chloe led her out of the kitchen. The pair walked down another long hall and stopped at a door that Chloe pushed open without knocking.
    As Kya entered, Briggs stood up from a desk he was leaning over and turned to face her. He crossed his arms over his broad chest and stood just to the side of the desk as Dell smiled up at her from the seat behind the desk. “Finally awake I see? I hope you slept well.”
    Kya pulled her hand from Chloe’s and dropped her eyes to the floor stopping just inside the door before whispering, “Fine thanks.” She peeked up at Briggs and felt her cheeks flush as he scowled at her. She quickly took in the masculine quality of his stance. All wide set feet over lean narrow hips, that tapered up to a chiseled torso. His shoulders were broad and he eyed her evenly from under drawn together pitch-black eyebrows. He had a day’s worth of stubble on his chin and jaw that gave him an even more rugged and dangerous appearance. She felt her insides tighten at the mere sight of him.
    Sneaking another peek, she noticed a tattoo on his right forearm. It looked tribal. Three bands of slightly varying sizes sat closely spaced as they encircled his forearm. Kya’s eyes slid to Chloe’s forearm as the woman stood next to her and Kya noted that Chloe too carried the same tattoo.
    “So, what are you doing in my Montana?” Dell prompted.
    “I-I was just passing through. I-I stopped to see a friend.” Kya stammered. Her eyes flicked up to Dell and quickly down again. He too had the three-band tattoo on his right forearm.
    “Josephine. Yes. You should know she’s very concerned for your safety.”
    Kya clenched her jaw, her fists involuntarily tightening at her sides. When I get my hands on that backstabbing bitch…
    “She informed me that your old pack might be… hunting you?”
    Without looking up Kya spoke through clenched teeth, “I’m afraid she misunderstood me.”
    “Well by all means, please explain.” Dell placed his elbows on the desk and steepled his fingers in front of his chin.
    Kya’s tongue flicked out and licked her bottom lip, her fists loosening as she peeked up from Chloe to Briggs.
    Dell noticed her discomfort. “Perhaps a little privacy. Chloe, Briggs?”
    Chloe squeezed Kya’s arm before she exited, “It’ll be fine. I’ll be just down the hall in the kitchen.”
    Chloe exited the room and closed the door behind her, sending Kya’s anxiety into overdrive. The last time she’d been alone in a room with an Alpha and a Beta, they were kicking the shit out of her, punishing her for the umpteenth time for being “in the way”.
    Kya staggered her feet and squared her shoulders, not knowing what to expect, but preparing for a fight.
    “Briggs?” Dell questioned when the larger man refused to leave the room as requested.
    “I’m staying.” Briggs bit out, arms still crossed over his chest, his frown deepening.
    Kya took in a sharp breath and her head snapped up to stare at Dell. She’d never before heard a Beta directly disobey an Alpha. In fact, she didn’t know that it was possible. She half expected the Alpha to fly across the desk and attack his brother, but Dell sat motionless shaking his head as he smiled up at his brother’s back.
    Dell stood and motioned towards a high-backed red leather chair that sat facing the desk, “Please Kya, have a seat.”
    Kya couldn’t bring her feet to move as she once again dropped her eyes from the proffered chair to the floor.
    “Oh for Christ’s