Chosen

by Melanie Purser

  “Yes sir,” he gives in. At least he knows better than to call me princess.

  Ignoring him, I get to work moving certain items outside for people to see from the road. I set up some of his prettier totem poles to flank the doorway, a bench on either side of them, and some end tables as well. He comes to see what I’m doing, and I feel a sense of pride when he smiles.

  The rest of the day, I spend my time using my phone to take pictures, along with setting up a website while Jerek deals with customers. First, I have to research how to set up a website exactly.

  Back home we just had dial-up Internet so researching is a breeze in comparison using Jerek’s laptop that’s connected to Wi-Fi. I’ll probably buy one for myself once I’ve saved up enough of my own money.

  Before the day is over, I make a sign that says, “Custom Orders Welcome,” and even got one order put in for a wood bench with a fox and river scene that I quoted for almost twice the cost of his other benches. Jerek was very impressed then, and I guess I was proud too, but he is the one doing the real work. I am just glad to be a part of the process.

  “I’m so smart for hiring you,” he says in the truck on the way back to my place.

  “Yeah, I hardly even had to twist your arm,” I laugh and he joins me. When we arrive, Darien isn’t home yet so Jerek stays to train with me rather than leave me alone in an empty house. We train in human form today. Having to go change is too much of a hassle, and it’s a waste of money and good clothes to shred them in the shift.

  After about half an hour of sparring, I’m surprised when Darien comes to partake in the action. He takes on Jerek first, and I watch every second of it, unable to take my eyes off of them.

  Darien let Jerek attack first, but deflects it all with surprising speed and fluidness. Not a single movement is wasted.

  Shit gets real when he switches to offense. Every advance he makes is lethal, but he pulls back at the last second each time he lands a hit. I continue to watch mesmerized, remembering every detail and learning each of their patterns.

  I see the final moment come before Jerek does, and when he’s knocked on his ass, I am already there, blocking and striking every opening I get, which is few and far between.

  It takes every ounce of focus to fend him off, and I’ve never felt so exhilarated as he gives me his all. My best chance is staying low and trying to knock him over, but I’d have a better shot at knocking over a brick wall.

  When he makes a move towards me, I make the mistake of standing my ground. Simultaneously he snakes a foot behind my ankle and pushes me hard. I use the force of it to roll back away from him and into a crouching position. I’m thrilled to see him breathing almost as heavy as me.

  He charges me when I make no move towards him, and I stay down low. Darien knows that I use others’ size and weight against them, so he must have some plan to counter that as he comes at me. Now is my chance to show him that that’s not all I can do.

  At the last possible second, I spring up high from my crouched stance as he comes in low and I kick my leg down, aiming for the top of his left shoulder. The force takes him to a knee, but he’s not down and out yet.

  I spin and kick again, aiming for the same spot, but without even looking, his hands reach out and catch me by the foot, and he pulls me down to the ground. His strong arms crush me against him as his lips capture mine with an intense passion that sends shock waves to my core.

  Clapping sounds snap us out of our fantasy world. My mate definitely doesn’t hold back on claiming me in front of others. He stands, pulling me to my feet with him.

  Darien catches his breath quicker than I can catch mine, but just barely. I can match him in speed and endurance, but his strength alone is greater than anyone I have faced.

  “Impressive,” Jerek approaches, and when I look around, I am surprised to see that our fight took us far away from where we originally started.

  “How did today go?” Darien asks as he wraps his arm around me.

  “Best day in a while,” Jerek admits, “Ari has good ideas and good instincts.” His praises make me blush, and Darien nods as he squeezes me tighter. “I’ll see you lovebirds tomorrow,” Jerek senses Darien’s need for alone time with me. I want to hug him and thank him for today, but I don’t want to rile up my mate any further.

  “Bye, Jerek, thank you,” is all I can get out before Darien swoops me up into his arms and carries me inside.

  With the intensity burning through him, I expect him to throw me down and take me quick and rough.

  When he sets me down gently, sits beside me, and starts rubbing my tight muscles, I’m in heaven. His gentleness after such heated sparring amazes me. Life, my life, was not supposed to be this good. Alpha males are not supposed to be this amazing. They aren’t all like Alpha Flint, or Darien’s father, but still, I never expected this man to be so perfect.

  The following morning, Darien brushes his lips against mine, waking me briefly before he leaves for work. After all the events of yesterday, I forgot to mention that I would actually see him at work today. Maybe it’s better this way though. Hopefully he doesn’t mind my presence. I should probably text him to give him a heads up, but I’m stupidly afraid of the possibility of rejection. Why did Jerek have to make me so nervous about going?

  How easily things can still be torn apart surprisingly scares me now, and I almost change my mind about going to avoid the possibility of a fight. Then I realize how stupid that is. I may be addicted to this man, but he won’t break me.

  With renewed determination, I throw on some durable clothes for manual labor and put my hair up. Since I have some time, I go downstairs and cook up some food to take with, and Jerek pulls up the driveway just in time. He looks nervous again, but I do my best to ignore his anxiety. When I hand him a plate of food, all his worry disappears with a genuine and hungry looking grin.

  Darien, Trace, and Asher meet us at the truck when we arrive, and Jerek jumps out to greet them before they notice me.

  “Jerek, I didn’t know you were coming for a shift today. So then where is--,” the sound of my door catches Darien’s attention, and I catch his eye. He looks surprised and raises a brow at me, but he doesn’t look mad like I had childishly worried over.

  “Mmm, Ari you smell like bacon and blueberry muffins,” Asher sniffs the air in my direction with his eyes closed. I reach into the cab of the truck and reveal a large tray of bacon and muffins that I made for everyone. Darien smirks knowingly at me while the others look at me like they have been starved for weeks. Suddenly there is a crowd coming out of the wood-works, literally, to greet me, but really just came for the food.

  Before anyone can get their hands on any, Darien, being taller than everyone, though none of them are short, comes and lifts the tray out of their reach. Jerek is probably the only one who matches him in height.

  Everyone protests as he stalks off with all the food. He turns back around though, walks back towards me, plants a kiss on my lips as he plasters me to his front with one arm, and carries me away with the food. I think it’s safe to say that I was worried for nothing.

  Darien finally quit fooling around and let them all come eat. I enjoyed his playfulness and acceptance of my being here to help Jerek. Helping turns out to be more of a challenge than I thought though since I have no idea how to use a chainsaw.

  Rather than wasting anyone’s time trying to teach me, I opt for moving logs and debris and assisting others when they need an extra hand with something.

  Manual labor is easy work for us, but things still have to be done a certain way. A giant tree falling on a werewolf can still kill us. It’s just less likely to happen with our reflexes.

  Darien keeps his distance from me while we work. I haven’t even seen him since I first arrived, so he could be up in the office for all I know. Either way, I think I am a distraction for him. I can’t say it’s not the same the for me, so I’m okay with the distance. Hopefully he doesn’t change his mind on me being here.

/>   Nearby, I hear Trace talking to someone, and I hear Jerek’s name being used so I can’t help but listen in. Though continuing to work, I slowly make my way towards their area so that I can see what’s going on. Once they come into view, I see it’s Braden, Darien’s fourth, that Trace is apparently teasing. Typical Trace. I can also see that Braden is mad.

  “I am not fifth to that jerk,” Braden lifts his lip in disgust as he points to Jerek standing nearby with a chainsaw and clear protective glasses on. I’m taken aback at Braden’s animosity towards him. Jerek looks unperturbed and focuses on his work.

  “Well, you are since he is considered fourth now,” Trace returns, making my eyebrows knit together. Since an Alpha’s mate has never had a full-time guard before, I’m not sure how it works. Could it be true?

  “No, I’m not,” Jerek finally says matter-of-factly, “I am simply Ari’s second.”

  “Oh please, you’re nothing but the bitch’s bodyguard,” Braden says boldly without Darien in sight and not realizing I am in earshot. Or maybe he does know I am nearby but doesn’t care. I raise my brow at his name-calling.

  I can hear deep rumbles in the chests of pack members nearby. Their annoyance with Braden matches my own. I don’t recall anyone talking like that in front of my mother. Maybe silently behind her back but not so openly like this.

  Jerek shrugs in response, trying not to cause confrontation, but I can see that he is barely keeping his wolf in check. The tension in his shoulders grows with every passing second. Jerek is no submissive wolf. He is as dominant as they come. Even Trace and Asher may not stand a chance against him, or at least they for sure won’t once I’ve trained with him a couple more times. What I don’t understand is why Trace is goading Braden on like this.

  “You can have whatever beef you want with me, but leave Ari out of this,” Jerek says sternly.

  “You don’t get to tell me what to do,” Braden stalks menacingly towards Jerek. In response to the threat, Jerek’s expression shifts to anger and I know it’s only a matter of time before he snaps.

  “Hey!” I butt in, making my way closer before I can stop myself. It’s not my battle, but my instincts are telling me that it is. I feel as if my judgment and role in this pack are being questioned.

  I’ve never thought that Alpha’s mates should automatically be given power, but we are, and I worked hard to become as strong as I am. If he wants to question my judgment, he will have to prove that he is better than me, or at least better than Jerek for that matter.

  Braden flinches and turns to me, apparently unaware that I have heard the whole conversation and his blatant disrespect for me in front of everyone present.

  “Pardon Miss Wilder, but this is between me and this asshole,” he points to Jerek like an adolescent boy.

  “You see, that’s where I’m confused. You seem threatened for some reason, yet Jerek clearly is letting you keep your position even though he has every right to try and take it. But on top of that, you have called me a bitch in front of all of these pack members, and you seem to be questioning my acceptance of a personal guard. So please, tell me how this has nothing to do with me?”

  His face reddens in anger, but also because he knows he fucked up. I’m sure he intended to fight with Jerek but got me instead.

  “I’m not threatened. There’s no way Jerek could match me in a fight.”

  “Oh yeah? I have been training with him, and he is quite the fighter.”

  “And you think that’s going to scare me? You are just the Alpha’s lover, not a fighter. Maybe you think you’re strong, but you’re just a little girl. Lydia knew her place and minded her own business. You and Jerek need to learn your place as well, princess.”

  Well, he sealed his fate now. “Princess” barely leaves his mouth before I appear in front of him and knock him on his ass. He is only surprised for a moment before he gets up. He doesn’t hold back as he throws punches and kicks, one after the other. I deflect them all, and I understand his agitation now. Jerek is a much better fighter so he should feel threatened. He’s strong and has more years of experience, but he’s sloppy.

  In his frustration, his fighting becomes dirty, but I expected that. Men don’t want to lose to a woman so they do whatever they can to win. I can sense everyone around me wanting to stop the fight, but it’s as if something is holding them all back. I even hear Jerek growling in pain as if something is physically keeping him from the fight. Hopefully he won’t be mad at me for getting involved.

  When a fist aims for my face, I duck out of the way, narrowly avoiding a broken nose. I spin away, using the momentum to deliver a swift kick to his stomach, and even I am surprised when he lands a couple yards away. Apparently, I’ve grown stronger since I have been here.

  After failing to land a single hit, I expect him to give up, so I’m surprised when he starts stripping down and shifts. He is really taking this seriously. His large black wolf waits for me to do the same, but I am not getting naked in front of everyone. When I refuse, he growls in irritation, and charges, regardless of my human form.

  Pack members’ cries and growls have really amped up now, but I ignore whatever is going on with them. I can’t afford to let them distract me.

  The moment before Braden’s wolf reaches me, I leap out of the way. His large teeth snap after me, but he’s off-balance now. With as much strength as I can muster in the short second of time, I punch him in his snout. He’s disoriented for a moment so I grab him by the scruff of the neck and flip him, throwing him down into the ground.

  Belly up in surrender, I step back.

  “I hope now you’ll respect my decisions, and respect Jerek’s role in this pack just has everyone else has,” I start to walk away, but the balls on this guy. My ears pick up the sound of his movement. I turn to defend myself, but I don’t have to.

  Darien’s menacingly large form is there with hands holding a death grip around Braden’s throat. I can smell the fear rolling off of him as his life is still being decided by the angered Alpha.

  Reluctantly, he releases him, but Braden is smart and doesn’t make a move aside from trying to breathe air back into his lungs. Darien stands and addresses the present pack members, and even I’m shocked by what he has to say.

  Darien

  Working near Ari is a lot more distracting than I thought possible. Her scent, her hair pulled into a sexy ponytail, and those damn combat boots with jeans that hug her ass perfectly. All I want to do is throw her in my truck, take her home, and fuck her forwards, backwards, and sideways. Hell, I’d like to just take her in my truck rather than waste precious time driving when I could be inside her.

  I entrust my pack to keep an eye on her while I work in a further location so that I can actually focus. When I can no longer hear the chainsaws going, I know something is wrong.

  As I get closer, I hear Ari speaking to someone, and she doesn’t sound happy. I about lose it when I hear that someone in my pack had called her a “bitch”. That bothers me more than the fact that he dragged my mother’s name into whatever the hell this is.

  It doesn’t take me long to reach the location of everyone, and I move to stand near Trace and Asher. My eyes quickly find Ari, and I am even more agitated than before when I find that Braden is the reason for her problem. My fourth dared to call my mate a bitch?

  Trace and Asher give me a knowing look. This is not going to end well.

  Ari is fierce as she confronts Braden. She really is a true and fearless leader.

  I groan inwardly when Braden makes the mistake of calling her princess. My pack rushes in to stop the fight and protect my queen, but I use my power to stop them in their tracks.

  They all look at me like I have lost my damn mind. I shrug in response and urge them to watch. See what this young woman is capable of. My mate can handle Braden, and I want to see what he does as well. This isn’t the way I wanted things to come about, but it’s something we have been waiting for.

  Someone is tugging on my power,
trying to escape my control. I find that it is Jerek trying to break free to protect Ari. While I am impressed with his determination to protect my mate, I reinforce my command. It takes everything I have to keep him in line. Is Ari teaching him how to break Alpha commands? Is that even possible to teach? He growls from the discomfort of it, or maybe he’s just pissed at me. I hate having to use it, but everyone needs to see this. I need to see this through.

  It takes everything I have not to laugh out loud when she kicks him, sending him flying as if he was merely a football. She seems to be getting even stronger from the couple days of training she has had. How has her strength increased so rapidly? Yesterday was the first time that I had taken her on seriously and if I hadn’t, she would have gotten the best of me again.

  I’m not surprised when Ari refuses to shift in front of all these people. Her body is reserved for my eyes only. Many eyes look to me to stop this now, but I’m not worried.

  I could watch her do this all day long. However, I still don’t feel comfortable bringing her to war or on risky missions with me if there ever are any. I don’t think putting her in that much danger is something I can handle, even if she can. I can foresee the shit storm I will have to deal with when I may have to tell her “no”. That word is not in my woman’s dictionary.

  I stare in amazement along with everyone else when she picks up the 250-pound wolf and slams him down into the ground. I almost feel bad for him. Almost.

  “I hope now, you’ll respect my decisions, and respect Jerek’s role in this pack just has everyone else has,” she says, and now I understand why the fight commenced, and why Jerek was so adamant about trying to intervene. I’m not the least bit surprised that she stepped into a fight that wasn’t entirely hers. She is a born fighter and protector.

  Braden stands, and I can see the angry snarl on his face. I curse, and his throat is in my hands before he can touch her. I am at war with myself as to whether I should end his life now or later for his blatant disrespect. I need him for interrogations though. This turn of events shows me that he really is guilty, but I still need answers.