by P. Jameson
He glanced her way, his eyes moving from her face to her covered breasts. “I don’t want anything touching you. Not even that sheet.”
Avan licked her cracked lips, recalling the way he’d given her water earlier.
“Nothing at all?” she whispered coyly, glancing at his hands. And her wolf came out of its secret hiding place to see what was up. Her animal recognized this wasn’t her mate, but couldn’t decide exactly what position Lexar filled.
His nostrils flared as he clenched his fists. She smelled it, his arousal. And he knew it too.
“I think you know what I want, princess.”
“Hmm. Lucky for me, you don’t own me, and neither does any other man. I’m in charge. Worked hard for that and now that I have it, I won’t give it away.”
He smirked. “Maybe you don’t know what I want after all.”
“What’s that mean?”
Slowly, Lexar leaned forward until he hovered just above her ear. “I don’t want to own you, Avan. I want to have you.” His whisper brushed every nerve ending from her scalp to the spot between her legs. “Again. And again. And again.”
Holy fuck. Did he even know what he was saying? He wanted to have her. As if he was a partaker in her world instead of the other way around. He couldn’t have chosen more perfect words if he’d tried.
Her heart pounded in her throat reminding her how hard her body was working to heal itself.
Lexar sat back, his eyes steady on hers. “But it’s not really about what we want, is it? Your pack, that’s what this is all about. If you don’t heal before another challenger comes… you might let them down. You’re a good alpha. I can see that. A good alpha thinks of the pack first.”
He wasn’t wrong. That was the shittiest part. In fact, he was so right he should be wearing gold wings and guarding Heaven’s gates. But that didn’t mean she was giving in. Not yet. She’d give her animal one more day.
Miracles could happen in a day. Or so she’d heard.
Chapter Four
The complete opposite of miracles can also happen. And it’s so horrible there isn’t even a term for it. It’s just ‘the opposite of a miracle’.
The sun streamed in through the bedroom window but the chill in the room told Avan it was the sort of day no one would mistake for spring. Which happened sometimes in the Ozarks.
“Look, we need to call Cael now. There’s no other option.”
The challenger had arrived at the crack of dawn. He hadn’t formally issued the challenge but that would happen soon. And damn it, she wasn’t even remotely ready to fight again. She’d yet to make it to the bathroom on her own.
Avan’s gaze flicked to Lexar. He was rigid, standing next to the door, ready to bolt to the nearest spot with cell service. She narrowed her eyes on him. He seemed to really care. About the outcome of the challenge. About the pack that wasn’t his. About… her?
Frustrated, he stalked forward, landing on his knees near the bed. “Fuck, Avan. Do you want to die?”
She stared into his pleading eyes trying to read him. As if he was the most pressing issue. She should be worrying about the newest wolf in town, but understanding what drove this man to defend her was more important. What was he doing here?
“Why does it matter to you?” she mused, almost to herself.
A bead of anger flashed in his eyes. “You listen to me, I could go above you. I could call Cael myself and have him here in a few hours. Force this healing. I could do that, but I won’t. This is your show. This will always be your show. But if you don’t let me go call Cael right now, I swear to god, I’ll embarrass the hell out of you. Because I won’t let that muscle-bound bastard kill you.”
Shit. She frowned so hard, her face screamed from the pain of her unhealed wounds.
“Let me.” His whispered plea echoed in the room.
Her eyes pricked with tears, but she wouldn’t let them pool. She blinked the wetness away before he could see it.
“Shit.” This was going to hurt. But what other option did she have at this point. If she fought, she’d die. If she died, the pack wasn’t safe. She shook her head, squeezing her eyes closed. “Go.”
Lexar jumped up, leaning in to place a kiss on her forehead, then he was out the door like the devil nipped at his heels.
Avan reached up to touch the spot his lips had grazed. She hadn’t been kissed since… since she was a young first coming into her animal. She’d been wild, unsure, and confused, not recognizing she was different from other females. Not realizing she was a dominant wolf. She’d flaunted her feminine wiles, using them to bring males to her bed.
Finding herself. That’s what she’d been trying to do.
Instead she found that if she wanted control of her own body, she had to earn it. She had to fight for it. Kill for it. Demand it.
The wolves who’d taken what they wanted from her without asking were more than she could count on one hand. At the time, she didn’t even know it was wrong. It was the Ozarka way. With an alpha like Jax in charge, moral lines blurred until they were a mere smudge. But early on, she’d learned to be brutal, and soon, no one took anything from her anymore.
Not even a peck on the forehead.
Anger flooded her, mixing with a hundred other emotions. His lips were soft. Tender. Sweet. Everything she wanted. But he’d taken, and not asked.
He wouldn’t make that mistake again. She’d make sure of it.
***
Lexar ran all the way back to camp. It would be convenient to be in his wolf form, but that wouldn’t work if he wanted to keep his cell phone.
He couldn’t help feeling relieved. Alpha was coming immediately. He’d be here in two hours. There’d been a slight hesitation when Lexar explained the situation. But he’d never asked Cael for any favors before. The guy had to know this meant something to Lexar. He hadn’t been able to keep the urgency from his voice. And if he wanted to make issue of that later… well, then they’d cross that bridge when they got there.
The camp was much like Ravendale’s but different on so many levels. Dark. Set in the shadows of the mountain. But the mood was dark too. A cloud of gloom hung over the whole place, and no amount of sun was going to chase it away.
Lexar caught sight of some young on the playground. They played, sure, but they weren’t happy. Not like the young he knew from Ravendale. Once Avan proved herself, things would get better. A little stability. Some good leadership. And the pack would begin to flourish. He knew it was possible.
Avan’s cabin was small. She hadn’t yet moved into the alpha lodge. The place had been the scene of so many bad memories, she should probably just tear it down and build a new one.
As Lexar approached, he noticed a group of four men standing on the porch. They were huge, and taking up the entire area as if they owned the place. His wolf growled inside. He wanted to run the bastards off Avan’s property but it wasn’t his place. Not his game. He had to remember that or he’d find himself her enemy instead of… whatever it was they were.
Lexar climbed the steps. “Out of the way,” he grunted, but the massive wolf taking up the front door only bowed up, growing bigger.
“I don’t take orders from anybody. If you want through, you ask. Nicely.”
Lexar chuckled, running his palm across his jaw. This guy.
“You really want it like that then?”
The other three came out of their relaxed positions to stand at attention.
“Are you here to challenge for alpha?” the door guard asked. “Because if so, the line is back there.”
Oh, shit. Were all these wolves here to fight Avan?
The guy narrowed his eyes. “Or… wait, are you the alpha’s mate?”
Lexar jerked at the implication. A hundred different scenarios ran through his head, but none of them ended with Avan looking strong. And she needed to appear strong. Any perceived leg up, and these wolves would pounce.
“Look,” Lexar snapped. “We can do this the easy way, and you c
an let me through. Or we can do it the really fucking hard way. Your choice.”
The bastard crossed his big-ass arms over his chest and smirked.
Lexar sighed. Fine. He was itching for a brawl anyway.
Just as he pulled back for a punch, the door swung open and the stranger whipped around. Seleka stood in the doorway, her mouth dropped in surprise. The challenger stared at her as if he was confused by her appearance. His shoulders went slack, all the fight leeching out of him like a drained bathtub.
Lexar straightened as the stranger looked her up and down. She fidgeted, her gaze shifting to Lexar.
“Alpha would like to see you.” Her voice was quiet. “As for the rest of you, she will take the first challenge in a few minutes, with the fight to start at sundown.”
Lexar swallowed. Cael would be here by then. It would be alright.
He pushed through the door, stalking to the bedroom. He reached for the handle but then thought better of it, and rapped on the door with his knuckles.
Avan’s voice filtered through the solid oak. “Come in.”
Lexar entered to find her dressed in loose fitting black pants and a t-shirt, and sitting on the edge of the bed. Her mouth was set in a grim line.
“It’s all set. Cael will be here in a couple hours.”
She nodded, staring at the floor.
He moved forward, but she stood, taking baby steps toward the door. “I have a challenge to accept, and I’d love to do it somewhere other than my bedroom.”
Wrapping his arm around her thin frame, he helped her to the door. She was a touch stronger today, but still too fragile to walk much.
“Hey,” he said, stopping at the entrance of her room. He turned to face her, his eyes level with hers. “It’s going to be okay.”
“Of course.” The tone of her voice wasn’t as sure as her words.
Lexar reached up to brush a thumb over her bruised cheek, but before he made contact, she jerked her head back. A sick feeling snaked through him at her reaction.
“What makes you think you can touch me?” she hissed.
His wolf did a total recoil at her tone, but Lexar tried to hide his surprise. Maybe he’d misinterpreted their connection. He’d been so sure there was something budding between them. Something new and different and exciting. Something he could hold onto even though his mating status was about as bad as it could get.
But maybe… maybe she just needed help and didn’t trust anyone else to do it. Maybe he was reading the signals wrong since she wasn’t exactly herself right now. Not like he’d had much practice reading females throughout the years.
He swallowed the lump in his throat.
His eyes fell to her slightly parted lips. He wanted to kiss her, change her mind. Give her a taste of their potential. Maybe she’d forgotten what he’d said last night. She must know he wanted her.
He dragged his gaze back to hers and cleared his throat. “Won’t happen again.”
“See that it doesn’t,” she said, but the slight tremble in her voice made it seem like she wasn’t unaffected by him. Then again, she was weak from walking.
“Yes, ma’am.”
He helped her into the living area where she lowered herself into a chair.
Seleka waited by the door looking flustered. She was a nervous one, that female. “Are you ready?” she asked.
Avan looked his way. If she told him to leave…
“Stand behind me.”
Lexar nodded, relieved, and took his place at her back.
“Ready now?” Seleka asked.
“As ever.”
She nodded and pulled the door open revealing the big-ass door guard. He stared at her for a moment, looking utterly shaken, before his eyes landed on Avan. He stepped in, walking confidently, until he could kneel at the alpha’s feet as was customary.
“Alpha,” he murmured.
“Get up.”
He stood, staring down at her. Lex knew she’d give a tit to be standing right now, facing the asshole eye to eye.
“My name is Raden. I’ve come to challenge you for your position as alpha.” His voice was strong. Confident. But his eyes held an edge Lexar couldn’t quite decipher.
“No shit,” Avan muttered.
Raden looked her over. “Are you fit to fight?”
“Does it matter?”
“Can you heal? Are you mated?”
“You ask too many questions.”
“Sorry,” Raden sneered, “but I don’t exactly love the idea of fighting a dead fish.”
A growl rose in Lexar’s throat and he barely held his wolf in check. In theory, what the guy said was honorable, but the delivery reeked of disrespect.
“Oh, really? So you had no idea how my last challenge ended? Am I supposed to believe that? That you’re the only one in the line outside my door who didn’t know the condition I was in?”
“Believe what you want, Alpha. I had no idea how hurt you were. I’m only interested in winning this pack fair and square.” His gaze flitted to Seleka. “I rescind my challenge until you are well.”
Avan sat forward, glaring no doubt. “You idiot. There’s a line waiting to defeat me. And I doubt any of them will wait for me to heal. How do you know you’ll even get your chance?”
He narrowed his gaze on her. “So little faith in your abilities. I can see why your pack has already lost hope.”
Avan’s breath heaved, angry like a raging bull. Slowly and deliberately, she stood until she was at her full height. Even injured, her presence was the strongest in the room. Lexar wanted to bow to her dominance, and he didn’t bow to anyone except Cael. And that was only once, when he’d sworn allegiance to Ravendale.
There was no doubt who the alpha in the room was now.
Lexar’s wolf was paying attention… and liking what he saw.
“You know nothing about this pack,” she ground out. “Not a goddamn thing. But I hope you’re prepared to work for it. This pack is sick. They need help. And I’ll be damned if I’ll let a prick like you—or any of the others, for that matter—take it from me. Stick around, asshole. You’ll get your turn.”
Damn. There was something so… hot about this female defending her pack. Claiming what was hers. Lexar had no idea he’d feel this way. Apparently, confidence was a huge turn-on for him.
Raden nodded, a smirk coming through. “I sure hope so, Alpha. I really do.”
He spun on his heel, making a straight shot to the door.
Seleka stood nearby wringing her hands, her gaze going back and forth from Avan to Raden, worried. Surely she knew Cael was coming to heal her sister, right? Did she doubt Avan could best the huge wolf at full strength?
Raden slammed the door on his way out, and Avan gripped the side of the chair to keep steady. Lexar came around to help her, and she didn’t stop him.
“I’m going to rest,” she told Seleka. “I’ll take the next challenge after Cael arrives.”
Seleka nodded as Avan inched down the hall to her bedroom.
Chapter Five
Her bedroom resembled a cracker box with all the shifters piled into it.
Avan sighed. This was humiliating.
Vesh and Cael were arguing about something. Besh waited in the corner looking uncomfortable. Lexar stood with his hands on hips and head thrown back on his shoulders. Exasperated. Like he wanted to clobber his alpha and packmate.
His alpha. He had another. He wasn’t hers. She needed to remember that. Just because he was here, and at her service didn’t mean he was her wolf.
“Can we just get on with this?” she called from her spot on the bed.
Cael glanced at her, and then at Besh. Vesh glared at Avan. Lexar chewed his bottom lip, giving away that he was worried.
“I have a challenge at dark. I’m either going like this or you’re going to help me. Which is it?” Part of her actually wanted Cael to say no. Her stomach flipped and flopped at the idea of going through with this. And not in the good way.
Besh, who’d been Ozarka’s First Mate for as long as Avan could remember, walked carefully over to where she laid. Her lips lifted at one corner, forming a sad half smile. “I’m sorry you’re in pain. Cael will help you. And I hope... that one day, if it becomes necessary, you would do the same for him.”
Avan swallowed hard. Shit. Not only were they doing this, but she was going to be indebted. She tried to look at the situation from the outside in. This wasn’t just a huge sacrifice for her, but for Cael and Besh’s bond as well. The least she could do was repay them if he was ever in a bind.
So why was she having such a hard time agreeing?
She licked her lips, stalling for time. Her eyes found Lexar’s. They narrowed in an unspoken warning. But they weren’t ordering her to say yes. More like, reminding her what would happen to her pack if she didn’t.
Meeting Besh’s gaze, she nodded. The female had gone through hell and back, and now was willing to, in part, share a mate with Avan. Fucking brave female, right there.
“I will. You have my word.”
Besh gave a nod, turning to find Cael. He grabbed her face, crushing her mouth to his in a claiming kiss. A promise. It was so blunt and feral that Avan’s gut clenched in longing. If she’d fought for him, could they have had that? If she hadn’t traded her intended mate for alpha rights? To feel that kind of unfettered emotion with another person… she didn’t know what that would be like, but she couldn’t deny the appeal.
“Everybody out,” Cael barked as he pulled away from his mate. “Except for Isabesh.”
Vesh’s glare ripened. Sure, he was watching out for his sister’s little feely-weelings, but didn’t he realize she was stronger than that? She’d basically just brokered a deal for healing for her mate whenever they needed. This tiny blip in their bond would probably heal over tonight when they fucked like animals.
“Out,” Cael told him.
Vesh stalked into the hall.