As he’d thought. Slow reflexes.
Dax sprinted to the opposite side of the clearing, resuming his predatory pace while he waited for the next charge.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sudden motion.
As quick as a snap, Dorlan charged.
The massive bear hurtled for him at the shorter distance, giving him less reaction time. Dax snapped to attention, whipping around to his side and veering to the right. Closer, closer. The stench of wet bear weighed heavy in the air, and the beast’s hot breath came out in a blast. Dax swerved out of the way, right as one of those massive paws sailed straight for him.
He didn’t move fast enough.
The edge of the paw slammed into him, the weight tossing him back even as several of those claws sank in past his fur, drawing blood. Dax growled as he darted away, a trail of red droplets dripping along the beaten earth. He’d gotten too cocky. He needed skill and speed, but all Dorlan required was a lucky swipe to conk him upside the head.
Before Dorlan whipped around, Dax switched to the offensive.
He lunged forward, teeth bared as he dove straight for the exposed neck.
His teeth sank in, past the skin, the puncture echoing through the air with a crunch. Dorlan thrashed, sending both of them careening sideways. Dax released his hold, flowing with the motion rather than resisting as he smacked against the earth before tumbling away. He’d long ago learned to use his opponents’ attacks against them, and following rather than defending attacks gave him a risky edge. Blood flowed freely from the exposed patch of flesh, matting the black fur around Dorlan’s neck.
Rage flashed in the Underwood alpha’s eyes, the sort promising retribution.
Dax rose to his paws as he started to circle again. Good. Get angry. Get stupid. He was just beginning to have fun.
Chapter Thirteen
Sweat trickled down Sierra’s back, having nothing to do with the blistering day. Her fists clenched as Dorlan and Dax went toe-to-toe inside the arena. She wasn’t the only one watching in loaded silence. Members of the Silver Springs pack had shown up, including a couple of the idiots who’d chased Dax out. She recognized the older one Dax called Uncle Aiden, though the woman he’d been with earlier, Rylie, hadn’t shown her face.
The Tribe watched from their seats with the stony faces of judgment Sierra had expected. She’d seen Jess in action before, her jaguar as lethal as her human form with a spirit-given magic for manipulating the air around her. Somehow having a squad of them here made the situation graver. They would stand witness to justice even if the fight grew brutal. Even if it became life-threatening. Sierra’s throat dried as she tried to swallow the fear choking her veins.
Dorlan pawed at the ground, the big black bear radiating uncontrolled fury. Some might find the massive shifter formidable, but Sierra was much more impressed by the cool tension emanating from Dax’s mountain lion. Even his attack, the quick swipes to irritate and wear his opponent down, reflected the man she’d come to know. Go figure, that happened to be his same style of flirtation as well—annoy her half to death until, before she could stop herself, she confessed her deep darks and bonded with him to a degree she never had before. A half smile rose to her lips, one she shook off.
Dax coiled around the bear, his circles growing tighter and tighter. Every time Dorlan charged, Dax would bide his time, veering away at the last minute. However, he left less space each time, closer and closer to a lethal attack.
While Jess and Lucas watched from their lawn chairs with a hungry interest, Navi had begun picking her nails with her knife, and Akio feigned disinterest even though his eyes kept slipping to the scene. Jareth’s eyes appeared closed in slumber, but Sierra had the feeling if anyone tried to get the jump on him, the trespasser would be sorely outmatched. Whatever reason the Tribe had to be in the area, this was clerical work along the way to something much bigger.
Dorlan roared, blood leaking from his side and rage blooming in his eyes. Sierra predicted Dax’s attempt, because she would’ve pulled the same maneuver. Except compared to his obnoxious feline patience, even she came off like a hothead. The bear charged again, kicking up dust in the process. Grit roiled all around, carried by the breeze to spray out against the audience. Coughs peppered the place, and Sierra lifted her arm over her mouth for cover.
Through the clouds of dust, Dorlan charged Dax, driven by reckless rage. While the bear alpha had immense weight on his side, he was slower, clumsier, and Dax took ruthless advantage. The cat wove back and forth until the bear veered too close to stop, and then Dax rerouted. With liquid smoothness, he swerved to the left.
Right as Dorlan swiped in the same direction.
Sierra’s hands balled into fists. If Dorlan surged too fast for Dax to escape, he’d get mauled.
Dax ducked.
Instead of retreating, instead of circling out of the way again, the mountain lion lunged in. He rammed his skull straight into Dorlan’s neck.
The sound of impact echoed throughout the clearing, and relief swept Sierra in one quick flush. Dorlan swayed on his feet, but Dax didn’t give him any quarter. The mountain lion whipped around to slam his full weight into the bear’s side, sending him toppling. Once he seized the advantage, Dax pinned him down.
He rested one pad over his windpipe, the claws close to biting past skin. Dax kept his gaze trained on Dorlan, who thrashed, attempting to breathe. The gasps and wheezes sounded painful, and Sierra couldn’t help but wince. She’d been in chokeholds before. Dax had the advantage.
Their eyes met, and the bear nodded.
Dax lessened the pressure against his throat so he could breathe, but didn’t get off him, nor did Dorlan struggle. Dax cast his gaze over to the Tribe.
Lucas got up from his neon-green lawn chair with a creak and walked to the center of the clearing. Lifting his hands, he began the count.
Dax didn’t shift in the slightest, his claws out in case Dorlan decided at the last second to give it another go. With the way Dax positioned himself, he could slice the bear’s throat right open then and there.
“Aaaaaaand one,” Lucas boomed, sweeping his hands out. “I hereby declare Dax Williams of the Silver Springs pack the winner.”
The loyal Silver Springs watching in the crowds erupted in powerful roars that quaked the air. Swept up in the relief and euphoria of Dax’s victory, Sierra lifted her head to the sky and howled, the cry of her wolf piercing the clearing. Her pack followed suit until the howls and the roars meshed together in one furious melody.
Both Dax and Dorlan shifted to their human forms, stark naked in the clearing. Dax flashed a quick smile to the crowds, the slick sort she expected from him. Leaning down, he offered a hand to help Dorlan up.
“Tough luck, man,” he said as the bear alpha accepted the assist.
“You could have killed me, but you didn’t,” Dorlan responded, putting his hand out to shake. “The Underwood pack will remember that kindness when you’re alpha of the Silver Springs pack.”
Dax grunted in response, slapping his palm against the bear alpha’s and shaking. Neither man said anything more, but instead they strode toward the crowds, leaking blood from the myriad cuts and wounds they’d garnered during their fight. The members of the Underwood clan in the crowd rushed to their alpha, towels in hand.
Even though she didn’t have the same reasons as Dax’s pack to approach, Sierra couldn’t help herself. Kyle and the others raced ahead of her, but the accelerated thump-thump in her chest wouldn’t calm until she knew none of the wounds were life-threatening. Injuries might also set him back in a future fight. The worry that ran rampant through her during the fight traveled deeper than normal, another indicator of how he’d infected her.
Even with all the folks surrounding him, Dax met her eyes. The small smile he flashed her pierced straight through her heart, more raw and real than any of the flirty grins he offered the crowds and his pack. Her heart thundered to the forefront of her focus, making her all too aware
of the flush traveling up her skin at the memory of yesterday and the barriers they’d begun to break down.
“Exciting fight, right, boss?” Finn clapped a hand on her back, drawing her focus away from Dax for a moment. “Why don’t we prep to celebrate his victory back at the tavern?”
Sierra studied Finn for a moment. With the insistent way he glanced at his car, he had more than prepping the tavern on his mind. Chances were, he wanted answers, and as her second in command, she owed him some real talk.
“Let’s go,” she said with a nod. Tossing a hand up, she called to the crowd, “Red Rock, Underwood, Silver Springs pack, and any Tribe members who like, we’ll be celebrating with drinks back at the Beaver Tavern tonight.” Even though she longed to turn around, push through the crowd, and run her hands over every inch of Dax, for the time being she had enough self-control. Besides, the second she slid her fingers across those defined abs of his, the urge to jump his bones would overrule reason.
Finn had driven her and Jer here, so she hopped into the passenger side of his Challenger, glancing around.
“He’s going to catch up later,” Finn said, tilting his head out to where Jer chatted up more than a couple of the Silver Springs ladies. He’d already whipped out the bedroom smile, and chances were Streaky had some more one-nighters in his future. Sierra smirked, leaning back in her seat. Finn started the car and peeled out, kicking up dust and leaves as he exited the clearing.
Silence descended between them, and not the familiarity she’d grown used to. This loaded kind dropped down like a lead weight.
“Finn, you’ve known me too long to play coy. What the hell’s got you all tangled up?” Sierra glanced to where he hunched forward, grip tight on the steering wheel, so unlike the easy way he usually drove this thing. She’d been in the car with him enough to know when something ate him up inside.
“This is one of those blurred lines,” he said. “There’s shit that’s my business as beta, and shit that’s your personal life. I prefer not to cross the two, but I’m sensing there’s something more going on between you and a certain alpha than you’re telling me about.” Finn glanced over quick before he exited the winding back roads and merged onto the highway. “While he doesn’t seem like a bad sort, this is involving other packs now, which makes it my problem too. I need to know what’s going on with you.”
Sierra sucked in a harsh breath. Not like she’d been conspicuous with all the time she’d been spending with Dax lately. Still, she hadn’t solidified her own decision on that let alone figured out where he stood with their whole situation. Both of them danced along the ledge, neither willing to take the plunge.
“Don’t see me digging into your will-they-won’t-they with Raven even though you’re both pack, do you?” she retorted. “Could turn the same logic around and ask you to clarify your intentions with our favorite bartender.”
“You could because she’s pack. He isn’t.” Finn gripped the wheel tighter. “Don’t make this harder than it already is, boss.”
The low thrum of Finn’s favorite electronica filtered through the speakers, the spacey trance shit he listened to most days. She’d gone to a session at his kickboxing studio and left it at one. If she’d wanted to go to a club, she would’ve stayed in Philly. His lips pressed tightly, the slight flush of irritation reaching all the way through his buzz cut and accentuating the scar that sliced through his right brow. The scar she’d given him back when they’d fought for alpha.
“Fuck me,” Sierra complained, running her fingers through her hair.
Finn snorted. “We’ve tried that tango before—didn’t work then, don’t think it would now.”
She couldn’t help the smile that rose to her face. Even though she might keep her damaged past from these guys, the Red Rock pack was her present, her future, and her home. “The mating bond cropped up. Dax and I are meant to be mates.” She wanted to gulp those words back, but they lay in the air, brazen between them. Her own feelings on the situation might be endlessly complex, but the immediate issue and Finn’s concern wasn’t.
Finn let out a low whistle. “You’re mated to one of the kitty cats? I would’ve sworn you’d find some submissive little thing or a mean motherfucker of a wolf. Never in a million years could I see you with a slick-talking feline like him.”
“I need a smoke.” Sierra flipped open the glove compartment and grabbed the emergency pack he kept there. She snagged one of the cigarettes as he passed over the lighter from his pocket. This old habit cropped up whenever she got too stressed, even though she’d made good headway on quitting most of the time. After lighting the cig, she took a deep drag before letting a stream of smoke out the window. Quick as a snap, the lull of nicotine flooded through her veins.
“So what are you planning on doing?” he asked, zooming along the highway at top speed. Strong breezes coiled through the car, threatening to tug her cigarette away.
“Damned if I know. We haven’t solidified the bond yet—both parties have to be in agreement. I mean shit, what if we did? We’re alphas of separate packs, and worse, he’s a mountain lion, so merging the packs is out of the equation. We’d have to form an alliance or something.” She tapped the spare ash out the window before taking another drag. “Just met the guy, and I’ve got one too many scars to ride off into the sunset with a stranger.”
“The guy’s a royal pain in the ass,” Finn said, one-handedly nabbing a cig from the pack and slipping it in his mouth. Sierra murmured her agreement. “However, I’ve seen you pour every ounce of yourself into leading this pack for a long time now. If you’ve met someone who can share the burden, hell, the shot at a mate most of us will never get? Don’t let fear rob you of the chance.”
“Easy for you to say,” she muttered. “When are you going to cement things with Raven?”
He blew a stream of smoke out the window as he shrugged. “Maybe never. We have fun, but she’s not my mate or anything.”
Sierra nodded, keeping her opinions to herself. Might be a bit of fun for Finn, but with the lovesick way Raven watched him, the girl was in too deep.
Finn’s dark eyes were serious for once when he glanced at her. “Whatever you choose, just know I’m backing you.”
Warmth flooded her chest like liquid sunshine at the pride and love she had for her pack, for her beta. Even though she’d spent her entire childhood feeling like no one batted in her corner, the Red Rock pack had rallied behind her, creating an unshakeable foundation that made even the toughest battles worth fighting. With Finn and the others by her side, she’d untangle this mess.
The familiar shape of the Beaver Tavern rose in the distance, and Finn slowed as he pulled off the highway and into the unpaved parking lot.
He tossed his car into park and offered a hand in her direction. “Ready to get this place ready for celebrating?”
Sierra clapped her hand over his. “Last one to the bar gets stuck doing dishes.”
* * * *
Sierra and Finn spent a couple of hours bringing in the extra shipments of Yuengling they had delivered and tossing up a few blue-and-red streamers for decoration. At last, the bar opened. Seamus manned the taps, and Jer was pulling into the parking lot with two Silver Springs girls who had driven him over. Not like that shocked anyone. New week meant the pack lawyer trolled for a new piece of arm candy. Sierra stood outside the bar, watching the dusky amber rays of late afternoon roll in.
She lifted the beer bottle to her lips and took a sip of the icy lager, savoring the sweetness before she swallowed. Her heartbeat picked up a couple of notches, and she refused to lie to herself—Dax was the reason. They’d ditched fast after his fight, before she’d gotten to swap a sentence with him, and she wanted to congratulate him by her lonesome. The talk with Finn had her juiced, giving her the courage toward that final step.
She spotted his truck along the highway, the black truck she’d driven with him in the day they’d gotten in the scuffle with his family.
He veered into
the drive, sending up a spray of gravel as he screeched into a spot.
The bar door rattled, drawing her attention away from Dax’s appearance as Finn stepped out, a dishtowel slung over his right shoulder. He pulled out a cigarette and then offered the pack. Sierra nabbed one, still on her kick from earlier. They both lit up, clouds of smoke trickling out past the porch into the soaked, humid air.
Dax hopped out of his truck and shut the door behind him, the sound echoing throughout the clearing. A couple more cars crunched into the parking lot, more of the Silver Springs pack from earlier. When Dax’s blue eyes descended on her, a low growl sprang from his throat, one that echoed through the air.
“Oh fuck,” Finn swore, backing away from her. Sierra tapped the ash on her cigarette before taking another draw as she glanced back and forth between Finn and Dax. “If he’s in the middle of mating, he’s going to be a territorial, hormonal Molotov. I’m getting the hell out of the way.” Finn flicked the cigarette onto the gravel before he spun around and marched inside.
Sierra let out a low whistle. She could attest to that. If Dax had arrived with the blonde from the other day or another female packmate in his car, she couldn’t have staved the impulse to bash the woman’s skull in. Not like Finn knew what pot he stirred when he called her off for a private chat.
Dax’s storm cloud marched her way, his gaze fiery and his mouth drawn tight. With the way his shoulders tensed and his hands balled into fists, first asshole to get in his face would get the ole one-two.
Sierra stepped in front of the door, crossing her arms in front of her. Looked like she’d be that asshole.
Chapter Fourteen
As if the way she’d disappeared with Finn hadn’t made his stomach drop like a rollercoaster, the second he rolled up here he saw the bastard standing there sharing a cigarette with her. Dax couldn’t help but see red. His fingers itched for one good swing, but before he could launch himself at the Red Rock beta, the alpha stepped in the way. Sierra jutted her right hip out like she always did when her stubbornness took the wheel, and based on the way her brows drew together, she’d turned into immovable granite.
Tribal Spirit: Forged Alliances Page 12