by Trina M. Lee
Juliet’s eye twitched, the only sign that he’d struck a nerve. Her finger on the trigger, she leveled the gun at his chest. “I’m not the one hunting and turning kids barely old enough to pay taxes. I’m sorry for the loss of your pack, but this won’t be tolerated.”
With a harsh laugh that caused the tiny hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end, Dayne dragged his heavy stare from her to me. “I can’t decide which sister is the bigger pain in the ass.”
“She is.” Juliet and I insisted simultaneously.
Shaz made a choked sound as he stifled a laugh. I shot him a glare but couldn’t manage to bring it to life. Damn, I wanted to slap my sister.
“Since you’re both here to kill me, perhaps you should fight to see who gets the honors.” Dayne didn’t appear the least bit concerned, more amused.
This pissed Juliet off. Having her own issues, the main one likely being her vampire lover locked in the FPA basement, she surged forward with a growl and coldcocked the Alpha wolf with her gun. Before he recovered she had the barrel pressed against the side of his skull. “I can’t think of one reason why I shouldn’t blow your brains all over the trees.” Rage shook her voice but her pistol held steady. “Of course, I could always take you back to the lab and let Briggs have his way with you there.”
Hearing her talk like that floored me. Who was this person?
“Alright. You’re definitely the bigger pain in the ass.” Dayne held her gaze, unflinching with a bullet inches from his brain. “Seeing as your sister just challenged me for my pack, I’d say you owe me the right to fight for what’s mine. When it’s over, take me in or blow my head off. I don’t care. Even a corrupt wolf like you should have the sense of honor to grant me that much.”
Skeptical, Juliet looked to me for confirmation.
I nodded. “I did challenge him for the pack, as an alternative to killing him.”
“A pack challenge is supposed to be a fight to the death, Lexi. Do you think letting him slink away after a loss will stop him from rebuilding a new pack somewhere else?”
That thought had crossed my mind. “No, he won’t. If Dayne loses, he’ll stay, remain part of the pack. My pack.”
Dayne was about ready to explode. He sputtered and spit before mustering a retort. “Fuck no, I will not. I’d rather you just kill me.”
Letting her gun arm drop, Juliet stepped back. “I think I’d like to see this.”
So livid his face took on a dangerous shade of purple, Dayne surged toward me, oblivious when Shaz shot between us. “You better use that vampire strength, Alexa. Because I’m going to tear your fucking throat out.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Because Dayne insisted on fighting in front of his pack, we were en route to Doghead’s clubhouse. Cuffed and angry, Dayne rode with Juliet and her FPA goons. Fine with me.
We followed them closely, ensuring they didn’t try to ditch us and take him elsewhere. Shaz drove my car while I worked healing the wounded young man. Once I got him talking he told me that he was twenty. His name was Rylan Chow, and he’d been on his way home from work when Dayne came at him. The twenty-minute drive didn’t give me much time to fill him in on the changes he’d soon face. I did my best to summarize it, promising I’d do all I could to help him. And hoping he’d fare better than Ash.
“I don’t think you should do this, Lex,” Shaz said as we neared Doghead. “Let me fight Dayne.”
I balked at that suggestion. No way, no how. “This has been brewing for some time between Dayne and me. I’ve tried to play nice with him, and he’s challenged me at every turn. He’s not fit to run the pack or have any power in this city. And I want to be the one to take that away from him.”
Shaz swore as Juliet’s car made it through a light before it turned red, leaving us behind. “I don’t trust him. He’s never hidden his hate for you. He’ll go hard. I know you’re a hell of a fighter, but he’s been doing this longer. He has more experience.”
True. Dayne had years of battles and about half my body weight on me. Considering how desperate he was to rebuild his pack, he likely wanted it more than I did. But the guy had pissed me off for the last time. His disrespect could not go unanswered nor could turning every strong young man he found.
“It’s not a fight to the death,” I emphasized. “It will end when one of us clearly bests the other. You and Owen can be the judge of that.”
Jade green eyes flicked to me. “What about Arys? We should tell him. He should be there.”
“Should he?” I questioned. “I can’t see that being helpful.”
“You might be queen of the city, Lex, but that makes Arys king. Taking over Dayne’s pack is serious shit. Arys should be there.” The Charger surged forward as Shaz hit the gas, fishtailing slightly on an icy patch.
“King?” I turned that word over in my mouth. It felt strange. “I don’t know how I feel about that. Either way, if I’m the queen, then I can make this call without him.”
We turned into the Doghead parking lot. Juliet’s black SUV idled near the door. Shaz parked beside it and turned off the car.
He hit me with his take-no-shit expression. “Alexa, please, don’t be difficult about this. Tell Arys.”
“You’re asking me to bring him to a werewolf buffet. Do you really think that’s wise?”
“Yeah, I do. There’s not many wolves here, and he’ll be getting what he wants. The pack. He’s not going to slaughter them. This is part of establishing your control over both vampires and werewolves.” Shaz pulled out his phone, the screen black. “Shya always said you would lead them both.”
My white wolf was ready to call Arys whether I agreed or not? How dare he overrule his queen? I laughed mentally at the ridiculousness of it. Aloud I wondered, “Lead them against what? Or whom?”
Shya’s plan had been to use us as his personal army of darkness. That would never happen now. Although he’d still found a way to get a final laugh at my expense.
“I don’t think that matters right now.” Without giving me a chance to stop him, he speed dialed Arys.
“Stay put,” I told Rylan. “Whatever happens, don’t get out of the car. And don’t leave with anyone toting a gun.”
Juliet’s goons dragged Dayne out of the SUV while she went inside to inform Hanna that shit was about to hit the fan. Immediately Hanna appeared outside, Owen following.
“What the hell is going on?” Hanna flung herself at Dayne who remained cuffed. “I told you to call off the hunt. Why must you be so hardheaded?”
“Alexa challenged me for the pack. Don’t worry, my beauty. She’s not gonna win.” He smiled down at her, confident that he spoke truth.
Hanna blinked a few times like she couldn’t believe what she’d heard. She turned to me, wearing a twisted mask of accusation. “Why would you do such a thing? We’re supposed to be allies.”
“We’ve never been allies. Though you can’t say I haven’t busted my ass trying.” Gesturing to the FPA agents, I shrugged. “They want to kill him. I’m trying to find another way of handling this. The only reason he’s breathing right now is this fight for the pack. You might want to hope I win.”
She gaped at me, the wheels turning even as denial took hold. As soon as Shaz stepped out of the Charger, she jammed a finger in his face. “How could you let her do this? We took you in. Made you family. This is betrayal.” Hanna reeked of terror. Being so obvious only worked against her.
Shaz shook his head sadly. “This isn’t about me. You knew what he was doing. Do you want him back in FPA custody? Because I don’t think he’ll survive another visit.”
I shrugged out of my jacket and handed my dagger to Shaz. A few other wolves trickled out of the building to watch the commotion, Izzy among them. Five in total. Most of the remaining pack must have been too afraid to come to the clubhouse anymore.
Juliet pulled me aside. “You know if he wins, I’m taking him. And if he loses, then he becomes your responsibility. Anything he does will be on you
, and it will be your head we come after.”
“Aww, I love you too, sis. Nice to know you have my back.” What more could I say to a threat from my little sister?
“This is not happening,” Hanna cried. She grabbed at Dayne, pressing her face against his chest. “Don’t fight her. Please.”
Dayne kissed the top of her head. “It’s ok, baby. We’re bending the rules on account of the Feds here. It’s not a fight to the death.”
“But we could lose the pack.” She clutched his jacket in a white-knuckled grip.
“We ain’t losing the pack.”
“Then the Feds will take you. I can’t go through that again, Dayne.” She pounded a fist against his chest. “Why did you have to get us into this mess? We’re screwed either way.”
Unable to calm her or tell her a happy lie, Dayne jiggled his cuffed wrists. “Can someone get these things off me so we can do this?”
Clad in his leather jacket with his black hair tucked under a blue bandana like a burly biker, Owen made his way to Shaz and me. “Is this really necessary? A fight for the pack?”
“Do you want to be hunted by the FPA because Dayne’s turning people?” I countered. “Or do you want a leader that actually gives a shit about you?”
Knowing he couldn’t argue, Owen backed off. Arms crossed, frown fixed firmly in place, he stood away from everyone where he had an unobstructed view.
“Arys is on his way,” Shaz said. “Should we try to wait for him?”
“No, I want to do this now. He gets here when he gets here.” I motioned for Juliet to remove Dayne’s cuffs. “Let’s do this.”
Juliet drew her gun, holding it on Dayne should he try anything. A goon unlocked him, and he rubbed his wrists before peeling his clothes off. This was really happening.
Not keen on wasting time, I stripped down, tossed my clothes on my car, and shifted without another word. My mind slipped into fight mode. My wolf was ready to put another in his place. She didn’t take well to disrespect.
Lucky for him I had little to no access to my vampire side when in wolf form. My wolf was just that: all wolf. And it had saved me from the sunlight when Briggs had thrown me out to burn. Because though vampires can’t walk in the sun, wolves can.
The bare parking lot had loads of space for a scrap. I prowled in a wide circle, waiting for Dayne to shift. He paused to give Hanna a lingering kiss. Then he dropped down into a shaggy grizzled-brown wolf.
We circled one another, keeping our distance. With every circle we moved a little closer. I studied him, assessing his movements. He seemed to favor his right hip, but that could’ve been a fake out. No, upon closer inspection there definitely was some stiffness to that back leg.
He studied me too, planning his first move. Although still as tough as they come, Dayne wasn’t in his prime anymore, a point in my favor.
Tension kept me rigid. Adrenaline flooded my body, urging me to tear into him. Everyone present spread out around us, each wanting a good view. Hanna clung to Owen’s arm, her eyes wild with wolf. How she’d ever survived the turn this long was a mystery to me.
I felt their stares upon me, but I had eyes only for Dayne. Lips peeled back in a snarl, he edged closer. Good. I wanted him to come to me. It gave me more opportunity to study how he moved.
Fangs bared with promise, he lunged. I anticipated his feint to the left and countered it by dodging the blow. His momentum carried him past me.
By the time he’d turned, I was on him. I threw my weight into the burly wolf but only managed to make him stumble rather than take him down. He was a lot bigger than me. Heavier. Perhaps this wouldn’t be as easy as I’d thought.
He twisted to throw me off. Fangs buried in the back of his neck, I held on. Dayne managed to get a hold of my tail and bit deep. A cheap tactic but he bore down hard enough that I yelped and let go.
Then he followed up with a lunge that took me down beneath him. My legs flailed about as he snarled and snapped inches from my face.
Shouts rang out. Hanna, I realized, encouraging him to rip my throat out, a move that wouldn’t kill me now that I was a vampire but would surely end this fight. And hurt like hell.
Beneath him I twisted and squirmed, trying to upset his position above me. When he dared to get too close, my fangs grazed his sensitive nose. He yelped and jerked back, giving me a chance to squirm out from beneath him.
I snapped my fangs in his face, forcing him to back off and give me space. We were back to circling one another. Lunges were met with feints. Try as we might to outwit one another, our skills were too evenly matched. I attributed that to the many rounds I’d gone with Raoul back in the day.
The longer the fight dragged on, the more worked up Hanna became. Her shouts were starting to get on my nerves.
Desperation gripped Dayne. Knowing his wife watched as well as the few wolves who still respected him, he came at me hard.
Instead of dodging, I met his attack. The weight of it crushed the air from my lungs. But I managed to sink teeth into his shoulder. He jerked away, ripping flesh and exposing muscle.
I spat out a chunk of fur and meat.
Again he barreled into me, intent on taking me down. And he did. I hit the ground hard, my head bouncing off ice and concrete.
A cold wind swept through me, announcing the arrival of Arys. That had been fast. Or had it? I’d lost track of how long this fight had gone on.
I managed to get my hind legs up as Dayne came at me with fangs bared. Kicking him square in the jaw, he gave a satisfying yelp.
Back up on my feet, I rushed him. He dropped low, planning to go for my legs. Like the dirty fighter he proved to be, he caught a back leg in his jaws and whipped to one side. The resulting crack had me whimpering.
With my foot caught in his mouth, I whirled around, biting his face. The tangy taste of blood filled my mouth, the scent thick in my nostrils. It fed my violent need to win this battle. I bit him again.
Shrieking in pain as I almost took an eye out, Dayne released me and backed off. Blood ran down his face. One eye squinted shut, he circled warily. One eye and a bad hip. Hell yeah.
As soon as it touched the ground, pain shot through my back leg. Bearing weight on it hurt like a motherfucker. A constant growl rumbled in my chest. I pushed forward, forcing myself to use the leg that wanted to crumple beneath me. Because my attacks had been head on thus far, I feinted left, and the grumpy old fuck fell for it. When he moved to counter the attack, I dropped below his head, ramming my shoulder into his hip.
Dayne went down and I seized my chance. Leaping atop him I fought for his throat, sinking fangs into anything that came within reach. A front leg kicked up into my face, and I bit until it crunched in my jaws. Payback, bitch. Releasing the leg I sought out his throat. He struggled to throw me off, but half blind with two bad legs, he didn’t have a chance.
The fight was over. I won.
But no one had yet stopped it. Nobody called it off. And as wolf, I didn’t want it to be over until there was nothing left of Dayne.
Grabbing hold of his throat, I prepared to end him.
A sudden blinding pain exploded through my skull. I hit the ground wondering what the fuck just happened. Blinking fast, it took several moments for my vision to return. Blood oozed into my eyes. My body refused to respond to my command to get up.
Several voices rose in shouts and curses. A flurry of activity broke out.
“Hanna, no.” Owen’s deep timbre stood out above the rest.
Through my blood-hazed vision, I realized Hanna stood over me with a fucking baseball bat held ready for another blow. The bitch had hit me? Damn. The bitch had hit me.
Beside me Dayne got to his feet, shaky with fangs bared as he prepared to come at me while I was down. Above me Hanna raised the bat.
A blur of white crashed into Dayne. Together he and Shaz rolled, a ball of white, gray, and brown. Before Hanna could bring the bat down Arys grabbed her by the throat. He shook her so hard, the bat fell from h
er hands to clatter against the cold concrete. Gasping and choking, she clawed at his grasp.
Arys dragged her close, speaking through clenched teeth. “That was the last mistake you’ll ever make. Taking a cheap shot at me is one thing. At my wolf? Fuck. No.”
I scrambled to my feet, head spinning and leg throbbing. Human words formed in my mind but would not emerge from my mouth. A protest? An encouragement? I wasn’t sure what would have come out.
As I watched, Arys bit deep, puncturing her artery. A bite meant to kill. Hanna flailed, raking his face with claws. But it came too late. He’d opened up a fount that would pump her life away in moments. Blood on his lips, Arys let her fall.
Inwardly I flinched when her head cracked against the ground. Her lifeless stare landed on me. Uneasy, I backed away, limping.
Snarls filled the night as Shaz and Dayne fought for their very lives. Every move Shaz made revealed his intent to kill. He’d snapped, and there would be no stopping him.
Owen stood by with fists clenched, jaw tight. Arys caught his eye and shook his head. He stayed close enough to intervene. Anyone else getting involved would die.
I limped away from the fight, lingering on the edge, watching with growing anxiety.
But Shaz didn’t need our help. Like a rabid beast he shredded into Dayne as if nothing mattered but tearing his opponent to pieces. Despite the damage I’d done, Dayne landed a few serious bites. Still Shaz easily overpowered the older wolf. He bit deep into Dayne’s throat and tore.
Izzy gasped. A few others muttered obscenities and exclamations. Owen stood in silence.
Six feet from his dead wife, Dayne bled out in the Doghead parking lot.
Shaz left his kill and padded toward me. Blood ran from several wounds in his side. His jade eyes glowed in the streetlight. He came to stand at my side. Nuzzling me, he licked a blood smear from my face.
For a long and strained several minutes, life froze in tension and silence.
The remaining wolves exchanged glances. Then starting with Owen, one by one, they knelt and pledged their allegiance to their new Alphas.