Chapter 35 #2
It’s as vicious as its human and I’ve seen this kind of aggression before.
It claws away at you, eating you from the inside out.
The wolf is strong enough to take over, consuming most of the humanity that’s supposed to balance its feral nature.
It becomes too primal, too wild. Too unruly and far too primitive.
These are the wolves that turn and I know its violence. Intimately.
It's the same brutality that lives in Lawson.
The same vicious, ruthless and savage beast that I contain.
But I won’t yield to Lawson. Even as he rails against me now, even as he snarls and howls and demands I release him. I’m not surrendering control because I don’t need to.
I’m going to beat this fucker on my own. Yes, I’ll use Lawson to help me, but I’m going to pound his ass into the ground. I don’t need to give in to the call of the wild. I’m doing this myself. For Nia. For me. I will do this. Not my wolf.
“Fucking get him.”
“On it, Lawson.”
Carl moves to the middle of Cole’s garden, his weight shifting as he watches me step closer. We’re going to use this space like a boxing ring, but there won’t be any goddamn rules. Not any that matter. This is going to be brutal. It’ll be bloody.
And only one of us will emerge victorious.
“Ready, Alpha?” his wolf mocks.
“Always, cunt.”
Carl charges forward and my hand connects with his chest as his fist launches at my face.
My left arm blocks as I pull my right arm back, dropping my elbow to cover the incoming counter for the Elite who’s far too predictable.
He throws a hard, mean punch and I step back before throwing my weight forward and harnessing it to pack a harder punch.
We trade blows and the metallic taste of iron catches in my throat as blood starts to spill. The pain in my hands is nothing compared to the agony burning through my lungs as every breath turns acidic and my ribs take a pummeling, bruising and breaking as Carl lands blow after blow.
He’s highly skilled and knows exactly what he’s doing.
I duck, narrowly avoiding another blow, and move forward, throwing my arms around his waist as I try to tackle him to the ground. He drops his elbow onto my back, dislodging me as pain erupts again and Lawson roars, angered that I’m taking a beating I don’t have to.
“Give it up, Alpha,” Carl sneers. “You’re not a match.”
I punch low, landing a hard blow in his groin. It’s a shitty punch but I don’t care. Carl’s cheating by letting his wolf fight. I’m leveling the table by throwing cheap shots.
He gasps and I punch again, knocking the wind out of him. His mouth falls open and I throw a hook up, catching him underneath his jaw. It’s perfect, tipping Carl’s head back knocking him off balance—and it’s the fucking opportunity I needed.
I punch hard and fast, throwing everything I have into an attack that’s frenzied and brutal.
Carl roars and tries to block the blows but he’s too off balance, too disorientated.
I’m an Alpha for a reason and I use all my rage, all my anger, and every ounce of power I have to beat the shit who hurt my mate.
I’m determined, persistent, and unrestrained, ignoring my pain as I inflict more and more damage on the Elite.
“Luke…”
I ignore Cole and step to Carl’s side, kicking his legs out from underneath him. He lands hard and I don’t allow him the chance to recover, throwing myself on top of him and making damn sure I straddle him.
The asshole had this coming and now he’s going to learn his fucking place. He’s going to leave here knowing who’s the dominant wolf and the cunt’s going to think twice before he even considers trying to deceive me again.
“Luke…”
I punch, again and again and again.
Carl cries out and I ignore every damn moan, every fucking grunt. His eyes are swollen, bruised and barely open, and blood pours down his face. He deserves this beating and I’m not holding back, unleashing all of my anger out the on the cunt who’s now at my mercy.
And I have very little to offer.
His breath comes in sharp, ragged gasps, matching my own, but I don’t let that slow me down.
Blood runs from the gashes cut across his face, smearing across his bruised skin and my knuckles.
He thrashes beneath me, desperate like a wild animal caught in a trap.
Carl’s wolf might be in control but he’s prey beneath me now, and I’m not letting go. Not now. Not when I’m this enraged.
This territorial. This sure of the retribution I’m reaping.
My fists keep raining down, each blow harder, each blow landing with a deafening thud.
Pain burns through my hands as the skin splits on my knuckles and none of it matters.
All I feel is the rage pouring through my veins, driving my muscles beyond their limit.
My vision narrows, focusing on every strike, every pained grunt escaping the Elite beneath me.
I’ve gone somewhere else. I’ve slipped into a darker place, one inside my head, and all that matters here is finishing him off. I’m murderous and even Lawson’s stopped urging me on, certain I’m going in for the kill.
“Luke, stop.” Cole’s voice is a call that breaks through the storm and I ignore its light, unleashing more darkness.
Carl’s struggles grow weaker. A desperate, gurgling sound escapes his mouth, but it barely registers.
My breathing is harsh, rasping, a drumbeat filling my ears.
His face is unrecognizable now, a mask of blood and bruises.
One eye is swollen shut and the other stares at me with a mixture of terror and something that might have been defiance.
But it's fading. He’s fading. And the realization hits me that I could end this with just one more strike.
My fist holds above his head and I freeze.
His breath rasps through split lips, each inhalation gurgling as blood bubbles at the corners of his mouth. One more hit and it’s over. One more hit, and I end him.
And then I hear her name.
Nia.
My chest heaves as my rage battles against something else, something softer, something her name made me feel. Not even her. Just the thought of her and her soft skin, her silky hair, and her irresistible smell.
If I do this—if I kill him here, now—there’s no going back. He might deserve it. Hell, he does deserve it. But there’ll be repercussions, not just for me. Not just for the pack. For her—and I can’t let that happen.
I let out a low growl, barely more than a breath, and lower my fist. My hands shake as I press them against his throat, not to crush but to hold, to remind him how close he came to dying beneath me. I lean down, my breath mingling with the stink of sweat and blood between us.
“You come near her, and I’ll finish what I started. Fuck with her again, and I’ll destroy you.”
“Are we good now, Alpha?” Carl’s wolf finally submits and it pains me to admit he’s a strong adversary who’ll be a stronger ally.
“Yeah,” I spit back, hacking blood onto the ground next to him. “We’ll talk about an alliance later. Once you and your wolf recover.”
I shove away from him, rising to my feet, my hands still shaking. My knuckles are stained red, my breaths ragged and broken, but all I can think about is getting back to her. Keeping her safe. I edge away, his gaze locked on me as he tracks my movements in case I strike again.
I turn and walk away, my stride hesitating as I sense Cole rushing to help Carl to his feet. I look back over my shoulder to see my Beta hauling him up, supporting his weight as he helps him back into his house.
“She’s worth it, Alpha,” Carl says, his eyes still dark as the night. “And you are her equal, Luke. Undoubtedly her equal.”