Chapter 19
NINETEEN
BLAKE
Iwatched, riveted, from my hiding place in the trees behind Harriet as Mave shifted into a beautiful giant golden wolf.
As I'd guessed, she was massive and far outweighed Parker's shiny black wolf—meaning there was no fucking way she was anything close to an omega.
She was an Alpha wolf through and through, and poor Nikka was getting the surprise of her life.
I smiled with immense satisfaction and anticipation for this fight.
Nikka appeared to be a pretty good size for a female wolf—probably three and a half feet to her shoulder.
But Mave, shit, she was probably almost five feet tall at her shoulder.
I admittedly didn't know that much about wolf shifters, but I had been studying up during the past few weeks, and I did know it was rare for females to be so large.
It was blind luck that I'd decided to go looking for Mave at the party right at the exact moment she'd hauled ass out the back door and sprinted out through the backyard gate into the woods.
I'd been bullshitting with my teammates about the game and other dumb stuff, like listening to their drunk asses check out the various girls at the party and argue about who was the best bet for a hookup.
I'd been keyed up and missing my girl since having my hands all over her on the dance floor for an hour had just been tantalizing foreplay.
I'd also done literally nothing all day at school today except replay last night in my mind, over and over again, when I'd found her waiting for me in the library, and she basically demanded I fuck her. It was the hottest thing I’d ever experienced, and I was ready to do it again sooner rather than later.
So I'd gone looking for Mave, ready to whisk her out of here, and I'd wandered back into the kitchen in time to see her disappear out the door.
I was able to ask Emma, the girl who'd seen Harriet's kidnapping, what the fuck was going on.
She'd explained, and I'd taken off after Mave as soon as I could sneak away without making it look obvious I was headed out onto Pack land.
I knew she'd gone alone, and I wanted to make sure she had someone there watching out for her just in case.
I was able to use my abilities on the forest soil to track her without too much difficulty, so I'd made quick time sneaking through the pine trees.
I came upon the clearing just in time to hear Nikka announce her intention to fight her in wolf form, still under the delusion that she was a much stronger wolf than Mave.
I masked my scent as soon as I spotted the group in the clearing, so I was able to creep over to Harriet's side of the clearing and cut her down.
I'd told her to stay standing there in hopes that the girls wouldn't notice she was free and that I'd make sure she stayed safe during the fight.
"Blake!" Harriet hissed at me over her shoulder as soon as the girls had burst into their wolf forms. "Are you fucking freaking out back there?"
"I'm good, Jones," I replied, keeping my voice low. "I, uh, had a great-grandfather who was a wolf shifter, so this isn't exactly a giant earth-shattering surprise." Ian's lie to his colleagues should work here, too.
"Cool," she said. "Why can't I smell you?"
"Dunno, you're drunk."
"Yeah...," she sighed, then fortunately moved on. "God, it was about time. I forgot how fucking massive Mave is. She's Alpha bloodline, you know."
"Damn." I'd suspected, but that didn't tell me why the rest of the Pack thought the Fortunes were omega wolves.
I focused back on Mave and Nikka, who were circling each other and snarling. The rest of Nikka's bitch posse hovered on the edge of the clearing opposite us, and they had lost their evil, cocky expressions and of course now looked really fucking nervous.
I loved it. My girl was finally about to unleash her full power on these assholes, and I was unbelievably pumped that I was getting to watch their secret wolf shit go down. Ian was going to be so fucking jealous.
Nikka's wolf finally darted toward Mave's. She was very fast, but Mave was faster, and she ducked Nikka's open jaws and was able to sink her own teeth into one of Nikka's hind legs. She yelped and darted back to her side of the clearing, growling and snarling at Mave.
Nikka's wolf shook out her leg, then the rest of her fur, then ran back at Mave's wolf again, and this time Mave took off straight for her, too. Nikka snarled and lunged for Mave's neck, but Mave used her massive paw to bat her away, and Nikka flopped to ground with a thud.
This dance continued for several more minutes. Nikka would strike, Mave would block her or jump out of the way. Mave got her teeth into Nikka's shoulder on one pass, and I could see her black fur as it became matted with thick red blood that oozed from the bite wound.
I heard a soft rustling in the trees next to where I was hiding, and I whipped around to come face to face with another huge golden wolf.
This could only be one person.
"Hey, buddy," I said, smirking, and I reached out to pet his big, soft head. He stuck his giant tongue out and gave me a big lick on my face. "Gross, dude."
The wolf shimmered for a second and a soft cracking noise sounded, then a very naked Ben was standing next to me.
"Enjoying the show?" he asked nonchalantly.
"Definitely."
"Good. She's fucking toying with her. I told her to end it but she's having too much fun letting her wolf flex in a real fight."
"You talked to her?" I asked, surprised.
He grinned and tapped a finger to his temple.
"We can mental link when we're both shifted.
It's a super rare trait that sometimes affects siblings in Alpha lines.
I shifted as soon as Emma told me what happened, so I was able to track you guys and let her know I was coming for backup.
" He paused. "I'll bother you later about why you seem so chill about all of this. "
"My great-grandfather was a w—"
"Save it, fireballs." He looked at me pointedly.
Shit. Someone saw more than she'd let on in the library last night.
Loud snarling and yelping sounded in the clearing, and our attention snapped back to the wolves.
Mave had launched herself on top of Nikka, and she was about six inches away from sinking her teeth into Nikka's exposed neck.
Nikka was thrashing and holding her off, but she was not going to be able to last. The fight was about to be over.
Suddenly, the four girls lurking in the background dashed into the middle of the clearing and shifted into wolves of various shades and sizes.
They were all a bit smaller than Nikka's wolf, but there were fucking four of them.
They all rushed, snarling, to where Mave had Nikka pinned down, and their sudden appearance had startled Mave enough for Nikka to pull free.
Mave retreated a few feet, growling menacingly.
"Oh, what the fuck," Ben hissed. In an instant he had shifted back into his enormous golden wolf and leapt into the clearing with a very loud growl.
I was relieved he was here, because this was some dishonorable bullshit.
I had been ready to fuck with the cheaters from my hiding place back here if it came to it, but this was definitely better.
"Just what the FUCK is going on out here?" a voice suddenly boomed from the side of the clearing.
Monroe, Hayes, and James all hurried out into the clearing, looking pissed. The four backup wolves halted their advance, trying and failing to look like innocent bystanders.
Nikka and Mave had gone back to circling each other and growling, with the girls pacing behind Nikka, and Ben standing sentinel behind Mave. They all ignored the three idiots who'd just joined the party.
"NIKKA! WHAT THE FUCK?" Monroe shouted again. "Who are you fighting? I didn't sanction a challenge fight tonight!"
"She's gonna get fucking killed," Hayes said loudly. "That wolf is a hell of a lot bigger than she is."
"You don't think...," Thad started to say.
"It can't be...," Hayes said back.
Mave, because she was a queen, chose that moment to let out an ear-splitting roar/growl noise, and I felt her unleash a blast of her Alpha power so strong it rocked the entire clearing.
At the same moment, she leapt into the air and pounced right on top of Nikka's wolf, who had hit the ground in total submission as she was bowled over by Mave's power.
The four wolves in the back had also dropped to the ground, and they all whined, submitting.
Even the three powerful male wolves standing there wobbled a little bit when they were hit with Mave's power pulse. Thad had to reach out to steady himself on Hayes' shoulder.
"What the hell?" Thad said. "Knox, what the fuck is going on?"
Mave growled as she pinned Nikka to the ground and sunk her teeth, savagely, into Nikka's neck. Nikka whined again, and then Mave released her, trotting back a few feet to stand next to Ben's wolf, who was just panting and smiling.
Harriet, who must've sobered up a bit, decided to jog out into the clearing then, holding onto what looked like Ben's clothes.
The golden wolves began to shimmer then disappeared, and Mave and Ben appeared in their places, naked and proud.
Mave was glaring at Monroe and his crew, while Ben was smiling like a maniac.
Harriet tossed Mave Ben's button-up dress shirt, and then she threw Ben his pants, and they quickly pulled them on.
Knox, Mason, and Thad just stood there with their mouths hanging open in absolute shock, and it was fucking hilarious.
"Surprise, Ice Man," Mave quipped. "I would've fucked your girlfriend up a little less if she hadn't kidnapped my best friend and tied her to a tree to lure me out here."
"Knox, what the fuck?" Thad was shouting now. He pointed at Mave and Ben. "Those are not fucking omega wolves! What is your dad playing at?"
"I fucking knew it," Hayes was saying, fisting his hair in frustration. "I fucking knew something was up with those two. They are Alphas, Knox!"
Monroe, poor guy, was still just standing there, mouth open, unable to speak. My guess was that his brain was now running a movie through his head of all the ways he's completely fucked up any chance he ever had with Mave, now that he realized her true worth as a mate.
Dick.
"Hey, you two, simmer down," Mave called to them. "I can give Knoxy the rundown on his daddy's petty bullshit in a minute. First though," she paused, and looked down at the female wolves still crouched on the ground in front of her. "You five, shift back and explain yourselves to your Alpha."
I felt it as she pushed her power out again in that command, and it appeared the girls had no choice but to instantly pop back into human form.
Nikka was quickly on her feet and running, naked, for Monroe's arms. Blood still gushed from her neck, shoulder, and calf.
"Knoxy, she's a fucking liar and a cheater!" she wailed. "She's been lying to you this whole time!"
"Freeze," he snapped at her before she could throw herself at him.
I felt the ripple of his own power, and she stopped dead in her tracks.
"I will deal with you and your friends later.
No matter the other circumstances, this was an unsanctioned challenge on Pack land.
It was also a challenge without honor, if you let your friends jump in to try to save your ass.
Get the fuck out of my sight, all of you. "
The girls, all still very naked, shifted again and scampered off into the woods. Knox stepped closer to Mave and Ben, followed closely by his betas.
Mave stood there, lazily watching the girls all tuck tail and run, arms crossed in front of her chest, and her long, toned legs bare all the way to the top of her thighs where Ben's shirt just barely managed to cover her ass.
I tried to rein in the possessive shit, but it was not making me happy that those three assholes were getting that particular view of my girl up close and personal.
I was an Alpha in my own right, wanting to stake a claim to my own mate.
I'd enjoyed, immensely, watching Mave finally show these Pack idiots who she really was—the powerful wolf I'd known her to be the minute I'd laid eyes on her at Marilynn's this summer.
Something about her had called to me then, and it sure as shit was calling to me now.
I was turned the fuck on and would've probably already run out there to grab her and drag her off somewhere like a caveman if I didn't think it would be really stupid to announce my presence here in front of Monroe.
So I remained in my hiding place, watching with pride as my Wolf Girl read Monroe the riot act.