Without hesitation, I rear up, kicking with my back legs. The force rocks Silas backward and he stares at me with a dumbfounded expression before he slams into the wall. If he has any thoughts in his head, they fled the moment I shifted.
Good.
I flip over and leap off the bed at him, not wasting precious time. The power and connection running through me, from the pack and back again is enough to guide my actions, even if my logical mind checked out completely.
There’s no way I’m not going to be present for this. Silas chose the wrong bitch to mess with and he’s going to learn that lesson in true diva fashion.
Before he can shift, I slam into him, all snarls and raw instinct. My front paws—so weird—land just beneath his clavicle and he goes down. Hard.
Unfortunately, by the time I land beside him, Silas’s wolf takes his place. He rolls away from me, putting some distance between the two of us. It isn’t much, mind you, but enough that we square off.
Standing firm on all four legs, I drop slightly, the hairs on my back rising. Another growl forms in the back of my throat as I take in his every action, assessing his next move.
You can’t win. Silas’s thoughts jab at me, but they lack any kind of potency. It’s like a gnat that floats in front of your face. Annoying, but not that big of a deal.
Funny, I was going to say the same thing to you.
I prowl forward, debating my next move. I could take him down now, or I could wait for the pack. Either way, the results would be the same.
Silas’s days tormenting the pack are done. I’ve decided and just ask my kids—when that happens, there’s no changing my mind.
Stone’s wolf enters the landing, taking down the wolf hassling Avery. It’s not even a fair fight because the man submits almost instantly to him. He didn’t even want to be here.
The one tasked with keeping Asher in line, though...
A tussle ensues and Avery screams—though not from her own danger. It’s more out of surprise than anything else.
I believe you overestimated your abilities. I say, pushing my thoughts at Silas. I’m sure he can hear the same things I can, which means he knows his numbers are dwindling.
He lurches forward, snapping his jaws and snarling at me.
God, wolves are ugly when they do that. The thought makes me laugh internally since I’m one of them now and must look just as ridiculous.
However, if Silas thought his display would unsettle me, he was sorrily mistaken. I pounce, clamping my jaws on the side of his neck. I rear up, shaking him hard, then I twist, slamming him back down on the ground with a loud thud.
He jerks around, attempting to do the same from the ground, but I manage to stay out of his way. His jaws claim only air.
Out in the hall, a wolf yelps in pain—Silas’s guy—and that sweet stench of blood hits my nostrils.
Anger pools in Silas’s eyes and he shakes out of my grip. He manages to stand back up and puts a foot or so between us. Then, he darts forward quickly, managing to latch onto the fur beside my shoulder.
A shot of pain explodes across my shoulder, but it diminishes as quickly as it came. He drops his hold, spiraling around and clamping his teeth down on my rear leg. Again, pain erupts, and I drop down onto my backside, trying to drive his head to the ground.
He digs in deeper, drawing blood.
I nearly yelp out from it, but instead, a blast of power rolls out of me like a shockwave. Silas drops his grip, scrambling back and cowering with his tail between his legs.
Whatever I did, it was enough to scare him shitless. I don’t even know how I’m doing it, but it’s damn helpful.
I limp to a stand, refusing to let his bite be a weakness to me. Or to him.
His fear doesn’t last long, though. He races forward, slamming into me. Rearing up, it’s a clash of snarls, snapping, and gangly legs as we both attempt to get the upper hand on the other.
Silas manages to catch me by the scruff of my neck. He slams me down hard and my chest tightens from the impact. The hardwood floor in this house certainly doesn’t make for a soft landing.
However, I don’t stay down long. I’m on my feet again before I’ve even made a conscious thought to do so.
Anticipation builds in my core.
The pack is nearly here.
Downstairs, Clementine is still fighting with Silas’s guy, but she’s toying with him more than anything else. From this vantage point, I understand now, the Alpha’s mate is a powerhouse all their own. Clementine still has that power innately built into her.
Stone must have known this because she was a damn fine choice to protect my kids. A new level of trust and admiration for him blossoms inside my being.
Snarls erupt in the landing again and Avery screams. I hear as she manages to break from the chaos upstairs, running down to the lower level. Asher follows after her, opting to apparently stick together.
For a brief moment, I wish like hell they were part of this crazy new world so I could hear their thoughts and command them to stay out of the way. However, they both bypass the fight in the living room and lock themselves in the main level bathroom.
Good. That’s good.
My attention snaps back to Silas.
Women aren’t meant to lead. You know it—I know it. Just submit now and I’ll spare the kids. Silas goads, trying to make light of his situation. But he chose the wrong bargaining tactic. Those kids will never be safe if he has his way.
I practically laugh. You really are a piece of shit. You know that?
The front door bursts open and more wolves arrive on the scene. They transform from humans to wolves the moment they enter the house almost as if the moon forced them into it.
Relief floods through me when I sense Marta in the lead. Whatever Silas did to get out from under her watch, at least she’s still alive.
Others I know by feeling, but not yet by name, arrive. The two women who stood up for me alongside Marta. A few of the men who backed Stone’s play. More yet filed in, and despite not knowing them on a first-name basis, I feel their support. Their trust in me as their leader. Their hope is that this ends the way they think it should.
The thought is trippy but incredibly promising.
They have faith in me and barely know me.
Maybe Stone is right—I should have more faith in myself.
Instead of keeping this fight to myself, I bolt from the room, running past Stone and his current fight. The wolf Stone already managed to submit is cowering in the corner of the landing looking lost and scared with his head down and tail between his legs. For the briefest of moments, Stone’s fight halts and the two of them stare in my direction.
As expected, Silas follows after me.
I hit the lower level and back up slowly.
Too scared to fight alone, huh? What a joke. Silas says, prowling down the remaining steps.
If I could smirk, I’d certainly have the biggest one on my face. This dickhead has zero understanding of the way families work. This pack is nothing more than an extension of family and it’s clear that when you know that, they’ll respect and support you. They’re losing respect for him fast.
I guess when you fuck them over—by not following the rules and attacking your own—they’re less inclined to see past your differences.
Did you see her eyes?
Forget her eyes...
White?
Deep feelings of surprise, reverence, and even excitement roll through the pack.
I’m not sure if it’s a typical response to this type of fight, or if it’s because I finally managed to make the shift. Either way, I plan to live up to my role here.
There’s no way out of it, so I may as well embrace my destiny. My big girl panties are snapped up and locked in place.
The wolves already in my home spread out, creating a circumference around us at the bottom of the stairs. Those coming in late hover on my porch, constructing a wall of muscle and fur to prevent either of us from escaping.
The only way out is by a winner being declared.
Challenge fucking accepted.
We circle each other in the opening caused by the onlookers. All additional fights have ceased around us and every soul in the area is practically holding their breath. I know, because I can feel it.
My heart hammers in my chest, but every fiber of my being is ready for this fight to be over with.
Silas snaps forward, trying to put me on guard. It’s all for show, and even I know that.
At least now he has to fight fair. There are witnesses, after all.
I circle to the left, choosing to go against the grain. Silas follows my lead, rotating counter-clockwise. Each of us monitors the other, watching for signs of weakness or the best place to hit. Silas is predictable, though. He’ll go for my injured leg first, which is why I’ll give it to him.
Stone’s fight upstairs has also halted and he tosses the remaining wolf halfway down the stairs. He stands at the top, and I don’t even have to look up to know his intense green gaze is locked on the scene between me and Silas.
Just give in. Submit and we can end this charade now. Silas says, continuing to circle.
I answer by lunging for him.
Biting down hard on his front right leg, I tear back, opening a gash, and flinging blood across the floor. He yelps, but arches around, going straight for my damaged leg, as I knew he would. Before he can make contact, I slam down my backside, smashing his head to the hardwood floor.
Twisting back around, I clamp my jaws onto his throat and squeeze, but he manages to kick me off of him before I can do any real damage. I roll across the floor, scrambling to get back on my feet before he attacks.
Go for his face. Stone’s thoughts invade my mind. Take out his eyes.
Racing forward, I rear up, battling Silas from my hind legs. Pain burns from my left-hand side, but I stay upright, doing everything I can to get ahold of his face or take out his jugular.
Silas’s teeth gnash at me, trying desperately to do the same.
Suddenly, a new surge of power overcomes me and I plant my paw across Silas’s face. My claws slash downward, marring his left eye with a huge gash. But the momentum knocks him sideways and he drops like a boulder to the ground.
Blood gushes from Silas’s eye, and his head flails around as he tries to wipe at it.
Racing forward, I grab hold of him, tossing him into the railing at the bottom of the stairs. His body hits hard, knocking loose the newel post and a few of the vertical posts beside it.
I let out a soul-splitting howl, announcing to everyone I’ve accepted Doug’s gift. I may not have asked for it, but it’s mine.
To hell with Silas. To hell with anyone else who thinks they can take this from me now.
I’m the new Alpha in town and I’ll protect my own from Silas’s fucked up brand of dominance.
Silas tries to rise, but I walk forward slowly, slamming my paw against his neck, and pressing his head down to the floor. It’s the equivalent of making him bow before me. At least, that’s how I see it.
Stay down. I command.
The powerful wave that rides my words makes every wolf in the vicinity snap to attention. I feel their surprise and their inability to do anything but what I asked.
Silas struggles to ignore the command, but ultimately, he doesn’t have the power to pull from. If anything, any power he did have is dwindling fast.
Time to deliver the final blow.
I might be new to this, but you—you’re not one of us anymore. You’re out, Silas. Take your cronies and leave. The command rolls through me. It’s not simply a thought—it’s a potent, tangible thing. A commandment he won’t be able to ignore if he tried.
The pack shifts, a sense of pride and respect permeating the room. They’re backing my play.
Where am I meant to go? I have nowhere. His thoughts are panicked, nearly scrambling, as he tries to find a foothold of some sort.
I couldn’t give two shits. It’s not my problem. I say, a growl rumbling in the center of my chest.
This isn’t fair. I was meant to be—
Another surge of power rolls through me, pulsing outward like a physical force. I’m done messing around. I’m done dealing with him and his whining as if somehow he deserves anything in this life simply because he’s him. His reign of terror, of pulling the shots, is over.
Enough. I don’t care where you go, but let me give you some advice. It better be as far away from here as you can manage. Pick a new continent. Because if I catch a whiff of you, so help me...no one will be able to find your pieces.