by J. L. Wilder
The Pack became more and more vocal as the battle raged on. The two men were tiring, each man landing more and more blows on the other.
Kiedra’s heart thundered in her chest. Hawk and Axe were far closer matched than she would have thought possible. Axe’s muscles were larger, and she knew they were stronger, but Hawk just kept coming. Blows that should have fell him seemed only to anger him.
Hawk landed a blow that rocked Axe’s head back. Kiedra almost cried out when she saw Axe stumble. Hawk saw it too and pressed his advantage. He followed up with two more blows. Axe was suddenly on the defensive, shielding his head from more blows.
The Pack gasped in unison as Axe when down. Hawk was on him in a second, kneeling with one knee on the ground and the other on Axe’s neck. Axe’s face suffused with blood as Hawk gloated.
“Yield, Axe. You’re done.”
Axe’s face went from red to purple, but he wasn’t willing to give up. He bucked and twisted, but couldn’t dislodge Hawk. When his eyes fluttered with oncoming unconsciousness, Roland spoke.
“Enough. Axe, yield.” Roland sighed heavily. “It’s done.”
Axe forced his gaze up to Roland and saw the truth of it in Roland’s eyes. He closed his eyes and tapped Hawk’s side twice.”
“Say it, Axe. I wanna hear the words.”
Axe glared at Hawk, who twisted his knee harder against Axe’s neck. Axe struggled, slapping Hawk’s side. Hawk let up and Axe coughed.
“I yield,” he gritted out, jaw clenched. “Get off me.”
Chapter Seven
Hawk’s feral grin twisted something in Kiedra’s gut. She wanted to go to Axe where he lay on the ground beside the fire pit, but he warned her with his eyes to keep her place.
Hawk stood up and presented himself to his father. “I’ve passed the tests, Father. It’s time for me to take my place as Alpha.”
Roland held out his hand to his son. Hawk took it and allowed Roland to pull Hawk into his embrace, clapping the younger man on the back. When they separated, Roland held Hawk at his side, but his eyes went to Axe.
Axe rose to his feet and stood, head bowed, in front of Hawk and Roland.
“There is no shame,” Roland intoned. He put a hand on Axe’s bowed head. Axe’s shoulders shook briefly before he bowed and walked to where Kiedra awaited him.
“What...”
Axe’s look cut her off. Kiedra bit her lip. Something was off, but she just couldn’t put her finger on it. She reached out and touched her fingertips to the blossoming bruise on Axe’s neck. He winced, and then winked at her.
“I’m fine,” he whispered. He kissed her and something loosened in her chest.
It was over. It was over and Axe had lost. He no longer had to mate with the Omega and there was no reason they couldn’t be together. They could even leave now and go home. She could tell him about the money Mamma had set aside for her. With him by her side, she could face going through the papers from the lawyer, which were still stuffed into the glove box in Sylvia’s car.
Kiedra leaned close and whispered, “I want to go home, and I want you to come with me.”
Axe grinned. “As soon as this is over.” He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her in an unconscious gesture of claim over her.
She snuggled into his body, loving the warmth of his body and his love as it washed over her. Around them, Pack members smiled. Mrs. Powell shot them a thumbs up. Roland’s eyes caught Kiedra’s and he gave her a tiny nod. Her radiant smile lit up her face and caught the attention of the rest of the Pack.
Hawk growled low, raising the hairs on Kiedra’s arms. The look he gave her was part anger, part desire. She shuddered and Axe’s arms tightened around her.
“It’s over, Kiki. He will never hurt you again.”
“Having successfully completed each of the three challenges, Hawk will assume the position of Alpha of the Whiteridge Clan when the Omega has been revealed and the two mate.” Roland pushed Hawk slightly in front of himself. “The time to reveal the Omega has come. A true Alpha knows the Omega as soon as he has rightfully earned his place in the Pack.”
Hawk stepped forward and beckoned to the Pack. Every woman of the pack stepped into the clearing. Leslie stepped a little farther into the circle in anticipation. Kiedra remained in Axe’s arms, outside the circle. Tension drained from her body with every passing moment. She was only moments away from being able to walk away from the Pack and never face them again.
“The available women on the Whiteridge Clan have presented themselves to the presumptive Alpha. Which of these women is the Omega?” Roland walked the circle, returning to where Hawk stood.
Hawk stepped into the circle and walked slowly to his right. Each woman he passed seem to hold her breath until she was sure he was not going to turn back to her. It became more and more obvious with each woman’s relief that Hawk was not a popular choice for Alpha among the women of the Whiteridge Clan.
When he reached Leslie, her eyes burned with desire. Hawk paused to look her over and Leslie reached for his hand. He stepped back and clasped his hands behind his back. He rocked back on his heels before shaking his head and returning to his father.
“I cannot choose the Omega from these women, Alpha.”
A collective gasp rolled through the Pack. Axe put his lips close to Kiedra’s ear. “The Alpha has to be able to recognize the Omega or he cannot take the lead of the Pack.”
“Then what happens?”
“I have no idea.”
Roland’s look stopped all the whispered conversations trickling through the circle. Many guilty faces refocused on Roland when he stepped into the circle.
“You know the rules, Hawk. If you don’t know who the Omega is, you cannot be the Alpha.”
Hawk shook his head. “I didn’t say I didn’t know who the Omega is. I said she isn’t currently in the circle to choose.”
Roland growled low. “What game are you playing?”
“No game, father.”
“Then who is the Omega? You must choose so we can complete the ceremony. The Pack is tired. Let’s end this.”
“Gladly,” Hawk said. “The Omega is Kiedra.”
KIEDRA’S body rocked back into Axe, who tightened his arms around her. He held her up when her knees trembled.
“That’s not possible,” Leslie shrieked. “She’s not Pack. The Omega must be Pack!”
Leslie stalked up to Hawk and grabbed his shoulders. “You made promises to me, Hawk Lane. Promises I will see fulfilled!”
Hawk shook Leslie’s grip off his shoulders. “Back off, woman,” he hissed.
“Woman? Woman. You weren’t calling me woman when you were inside me last night. No, then it was baby and honey and sweetheart. When you wanted something from me, I wasn’t woman, was I?”
Leslie growled and pulled back her right hand. Hawk rocked back on his heels when her hand connected with his face. She pulled the hand back to hit Hawk again, but he grabbed her wrist and twisted her arm behind her back.
“You dare strike your Alpha?”
Leslie cried out when Hawk jerked up on her arm. Roland put his hand on Hawk’s arm.
“Enough, son. And you’re not Alpha yet.”
Hawk’s head swiveled to stare down his father. “What do you mean? I passed all the tests and I’ve identified the Omega. What more do you want from me?”
Roland separated Leslie from Hawk’s grasp and pushed her toward Alice. “Take care of her,” he ordered.
Alice pulled Leslie back into the group of Pack members that had come to support Hawk. They closed around her, separating her from the presumptive Alpha. Hawk glared at them until they all turned away.
Roland addressed the Pack. “This is, as far as I know, unprecedented. I need to meet with the council. The rest of the Pack is excused. We will bring everyone together again when we’ve worked this out.”
There was some grumbling as families packed up their chairs and whatnot, but eventually, the Greensward emptied
. Kiedra turned to Axe, hiding her face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around her.
“Take me home. Please, Axe. I want to go home.”
Axe kissed the top of her head. “As soon as we can go, I will.”
When only the council members—Olivia, Heather, Brian, and Charlie—Hawk, Axe, and Kiedra remained in the clearing, Roland gave Axe a sympathetic look.
“You have to go, Axe.”
“NO!” Kiedra exclaimed. She turned to Roland. “No. Please don’t...don’t leave me here alone.” She shot a look at Hawk. “He’s got you and the Pack. I can’t do this alone.”
“Let the boy stay, Roland,” Olivia said. “There’s no harm in it.”
Roland nodded. “Then let’s get started.”
Charlie gestured to an empty chair beside him and Roland sat down. “Kids, pull up chairs and sit. We’re gonna be here a while I think.”
Axe shook out a camp chair someone had left behind and let Kiedra sit while he found a comfortable position on the ground beside her. Hawk pulled up a chair and slumped into it. He crossed his arms over his chest and pouted.
“Olivia, is there any record of a non-Pack Omega in our histories?” Roland asked.
“I can’t think of a single one, though I can certainly do some more research, if you like.”
“Hold off for a bit on that. Let’s see what everyone thinks first.”
Olivia nodded. She smiled at Kiedra. “I would vote yes for Kiki as Omega. She’s strong. She’s smart. She doesn’t take Hawk’s shit. She’s the kind of woman the Pack needs to mother the next generation.”
“But she’s not Pack. Her children won’t be Pack. She won’t help us at all,” Charlie said. He met Kiedra’s eyes. “It’s not personal, Kiki. I agree with everything Olivia said, but none of that matters if you can’t give birth to Pack children.”
Kiedra nodded. Axe offered his hand and she clung to it. All she wanted was to get away from the Greensward. The thought of being made to marry Hawk, to have sex with him for the sole purpose of creating new Pack members, made her sick to her stomach.
“What about you, Brian?” Roland asked.
Brian considered for a moment. “I’m going to agree with Olivia. We’ve all known Kiedra since she was a child. We know Sylvia raised her as a Pack member would have been raised. Maybe even more strictly than any of us would have raised her. She will be good for the Pack.”
Roland nodded. “Heather?”
Heather shook her head. “I wish I could say yes to her. I think she would be great for the Pack. But she’s not Pack. We can’t risk accepting an Omega who cannot carry Pack children.”
Hawk sat up in his chair and looked at his father. “Father?”
Roland gave Kiedra a sad smile.
“No, Roland.” Kiedra got up, crossed to where Roland sat and knelt at his feet. “I’m begging you. Don’t do this. You know I don’t want this.”
Tears slid down her cheeks. Roland leaned forward to catch one. He cupped her cheek. “I’m sorry, Kiki. I have to do what’s best for the Pack. I believe that’s you.”
Kiedra shook her head again and again, attempting to deny what she knew was true. Hawk stood up.
“Then I am Alpha.” He started toward Kiedra, but Roland stood and stepped between them.
“Not yet. Kiedra wasn’t prepared for this. She has to have time to adjust to this. Time for you to court her.”
“Why? She’s the Omega. I’m the Alpha. We’re destined.”
Kiedra quietly moved back to where Axe waited for her. He folded her into his arms, blocking her from Hawk.
“Hands off, mongrel,” Hawk snarled.
“Make me.” Axe pushed Kiedra behind his back and beckoned to Hawk. “Come for me, Hawk.”
“I already kicked your ass once tonight. Are you that eager for me to do it again?”
“For Christ’s sake, shut up!” Roland bellowed.
Axe relaxed immediately, shifting his focus from Hawk to Roland. “My apologies, Alpha.”
Hawk stood down, but the petulance remained in his expression and the way he held his body.
“Do I get a say in this at all?” Kiedra stepped out from behind Axe. She straightened her spine and maintained solid eye contact with Roland.
The council members whispered to one another before Olivia spoke. “Kiki, because you aren’t Pack, the council has decided to give you more freedom than a Pack woman would have had.”
The fist clutching Kiedra’s heart eased its grip a tiny bit. “Define freedom, please.”
Charlie whispered something to Olivia, who nodded. “Hawk has a week to court you. If, after that time, you decide you could never be content with him, you can decline. However, if you decline, you’ll have to leave Whiteridge and you’ll be abjured by the Pack.”
Olivia gave Axe a pointed look. “By the entire Pack, Axe. No exceptions.”
Axe opened his mouth, but snapped it shut rather than voice his objections.
“Are those terms acceptable, Alpha?”
Roland nodded. “Perfectly. Kiedra?”
Unconsciously, she shook her head but said, “Yes.”
“Good.” Roland turned to Axe. “Take her home tonight, but then you are forbidden to see her until Hawk’s week is up.”
“I...” Axe looked to Kiedra. She shook her head, hoping desperately for him to understand more than just no from her movements. He nodded once and said, “Yes, Alpha.”
“Hawk, you have a week to convince Kiedra that you’re a man she could be content with. If you fail, you will not become Alpha.”
“But...”
“This is not a negotiation, Hawk. You have your task. I’ve removed Axe from the picture while you court Kiki. That’s the only advantage I can give you. Everything else is up to you.”
Heather got up and hugged Kiedra. “In the meantime, we’ll plan a wedding. I hope you decide to stay with us, Kiki. The Pack is lucky to have an Omega like you.”
Kiedra stood still, allowing the other council members to give her their hopes and dreams with hugs and quick words of encouragement. All the while, her brain ran circles around itself. She could escape this whole thing. She could say no to Hawk, but to do so would cost her everything.
WHEN only Axe and Kiedra remained in the Greensward, she finally allowed herself to crumble. She folded to the ground and let the panicked sobs rip from her chest.
Axe was on his knees beside her in a flash. He gathered her into his arms and rocked her, crooning nonsense to her while she sobbed.
“Baby, don’t do this. Please. We’ll figure this out. Please don’t cry.”
Kiedra’s sobs subsided until she lay limp in Axe’s arms. Every so often, her breath would hitch, but otherwise, she was calm. Finally, she took a deep breath and looked up at him.
“I think the sun is coming up. We should go.”
Axe stood up and helped Kiedra to her feet. He held her in the circle of his arms and stared down at her. She rose up on her toes and kissed him. It was a soft brushing of lips on lips. Sweet and sad at the same time. He crushed her to his chest and then cupped her face as he leaned down to kiss her deeply. His lips captured hers, his tongue forced into her mouth and she moaned.
When he released her, she struggled to catch her breath. He ran his hands up and down her back. His lips found the pulse at the base of her neck, sucking and nibbling that spot until she was breathless and wobbling on her feet. She clung to Axe’s shoulders.
“I want you. One last time.”
Kiedra nodded. He scooped her up and took her to the ground. They stretched out beside each other. Kiedra ran her hands up Axe’s chest, scratching with her nails. She pushed his t-shirt up and followed her hands with her lips. Axe sucked in a breath and held it as she latched her mouth onto one of his nipples. She bit lightly and his back arched.
“Jesus, Kiki!”
She smiled against his chest. “Was that good or bad?”
“I don’t know.”
“Should I do
it again?”
Axe grabbed her head and said, “Yes!”
Kiedra tasted first one and then the other of his nipples. The taste of his skin made her head spin.
“I just want to eat you up,” she said.
“Isn’t that my line as the big bad wolf?”
They laughed and touched and kissed and bit until they lay naked in the moon light. Kiedra pressed Axe’s shoulders to the ground before straddling his hips. He sucked in a breath and let it out in a growl as she settled herself over the hard length of him.
“Yessss,” he hissed.
Kiedra rocked her hips, rubbing the center of herself up and down his length. They both groaned and closed their eyes.
“If you don’t let me inside you, I’m going to lose my mind.”
“Whatever his majesty wants.”
She shifted her body so that she could slide down his length, wrenching a groan from both of them. She finally sat up, fully impaled on him. She stretched her arms over her head and rocked her hips slowly.
“Oh my,” she said and rocked again and again.
Axe clutched her hips, arching his back and thrusting his hips. He lifted her off himself and then dropped her down, thrusting up to meet her.
“God, yes!” Kiedra screamed.
They moved together, building the pleasure in each other’s bodies. Sweat ran down her back, bringing on a deep, body shaking shudder. Her muscles tensed, forcing her over the edge into an orgasm that left her gasping and riding the edge of a second one as Axe thrust hard and fast into her. He groaned and held her tight to his chest as he emptied himself into her.
Kiedra lay on his chest, listening to his heart first thunder and then slow in his chest. That steady thump, thump brought hot tears to burn behind her lids.
“Kiki?” Axe said. “Are you all right?”
She nodded, trying to sniff without giving away her tears, but then the first scalding hot tear landed on his chest. He lifted her chin so he could see her face.
“Why are you crying?” Axe sat up and pulled her into his lap. He cradled her and let her hide her face against his chest.