Chapter 3 #3
“We’re alive,” Luna said firmly. “If it weren’t for the hybrids, it’s unlikely that any of us would have survived the first snowfall.
” They’d been half-frozen and starving to death when the cats gave in and offered to assist them.
Their assistance came with a hefty price tag, of course.
They had to agree to mate with a group of males.
“I didn’t expect you to defend them.” Irritation crept into Evelyn’s tone, but her features remained placid.
“I’m a realist. Always have been.” Luna paused for a couple of bites of stew before continuing, “The hybrids have lost even more than we have. They’re not even human anymore.”
“That gives them the right to turn us into breeding stock?” Evelyn’s eyes gleamed and her jaw clenched. Clearly, she was finished with pleasantries.
“Think about this from their perspective for a minute. They were taken captive and subjected to years of medical experimentation. They were transformed into a different species and then declared too dangerous to remain on Earth. They were—”
“How can you feel sorry for them?” Evelyn cut in. “They’re murderous savages.”
“And we helped create them,” Luna reminded stubbornly. “We all deserve a chance to survive, but right now they hold all the power. I’d like to change that if I can.”
Evelyn leaned forward again and lowered her voice. “What are you talking about?”
“It’s just an idea. I’m not sure I can do it, but as it is right now, the males sense their mates and control the bonding mechanism. I’d like to alter the formula so that the female identifies and ultimately chooses the male or males she bonds with.”
Evelyn’s eyes widened and she just stared at Luna for a tense moment. “That would change everything,” she whispered then shook her head. “They would never allow it.”
“They will if they want mates because that’s the only way I’ll allow this to take place.”
“You can’t tell them what you’re trying to do,” Evelyn warned, fear trembling through her voice. “Make them think it’s an unexpected side effect or something.”
“I’m not even sure I can make this work, much less alter it the way I want to. As I said, it’s just an idea.”
Evelyn sighed and pushed to her feet. “I better get going. If I’m gone too long Hayes will come looking for me.”
Luna walked her to the door and gave her a quick hug. “If I tell Alex I need an assistant, would you mind working on this with me?”
“And miss scrubbing pots and pans in the kitchen?” Evelyn laughed. “I would love to work on this with you.”
“Good. I’ll ask Alex next time I see him.”
* * *
Naked to the waist, hands wrapped in strips of cloth, Alex stepped into the large wooden cage.
The surrounding crowd quickly thickened as those passing by realized the village alpha had been challenged.
This was only the second time Alex had defended his position, but it was unlikely to be the last. It was the nature of wolf shifters to challenge authority and hunger for power.
There was only one rule governing these fights.
If mercy was requested, it must be granted.
If neither competitor admitted defeat, the fight progressed until one competitor was incapable of continuing.
Death was not the goal, though it was frequently the result when an alpha’s lupine nature was fully engaged.
Alex liked his challenger, so he hoped that the lad would quickly understand his foolishness.
Though only twenty-two years old, Titus declared himself Granite pack alpha when his predecessor was killed during a raid on the feline village.
Titus had been challenged twice since and won both fights decisively.
The success made him brash and boastful, qualities Alex found amusing.
But his opponents had been Granite pack wolves, and Granite pack was known for innovation, not brutality.
Alex tightened his fists and rolled his shoulders. “You sure about this, cub? It’s not too late to change your mind.”
Titus raised his fists, shielding his flushed face.
Shaggy dark hair fell to his shoulders and a scraggly beard shadowed his jaw.
Despite all the hair, his youth was obvious.
He was fueled by bravado and inexperience when what he needed was confidence born of overcoming struggles.
“Bring it on, old man. I’m not afraid of you. ”
The fear gleaming in Titus’ dark eyes contradicted the claim, so Alex pulled back his wolf.
This wasn’t a legitimate challenge. He just needed to teach a mouthy youth some manners.
The crowd of onlookers, however, needed a demonstration too.
Accessing the alpha bond, Alex sent out stinging pulses warning the others not to interfere.
The signal stopped just short of a mental compulsion, but it was a subtle reminder that he possessed the skill.
They approached each other warily as the crowd shouted encouragements and smartass remarks. Alex focused on Titus, watching for the kid to make a move. They circled each other, Titus bouncing on the balls of his feet.
Titus telegraphed his first punch, so Alex easily dodged the blow.
Tempering his strength, he responded with a sharp uppercut.
Titus grunted. His head snapped back and blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth.
Shaking his head as if to clear his vision, Titus swung hard with his right hand.
The jab was wild and unexpected, so it caught Alex on the jaw.
The alpha’s only reaction was an impatient glare.
“Give him hell, cub!” one of the onlookers shouted.
Laughter followed and determination ignited in Titus’ dark gaze.
Damn it. Alex knew that look all too well. Titus was drawing energy from his audience. The quick and easy lesson just became more painful for this brash young alpha.
Titus swung, rotating his torso to put more power behind the blow.
Alex absorbed one punch but avoided the others. He was only using a small fraction of his strength or agility, but he was losing interest in the fight. The outcome was a foregone conclusion and the longer he indulged this fledgling, the more apt he was to try again.
Alex released a fast, focused series of punches, hitting Titus in the abdomen and face.
The youth staggered back, blood running from one nostril as he tried to regain his footing.
“Had enough?” Alex challenged, advancing fast.
“Fuck you,” Titus snarled and raised his fists.
Releasing his wolf just enough to ignite his gaze, Alex absorbed lupine energy and felt his muscles ripple. He punched Titus squarely in the face and his nose surrendered with a sickening crack. “Party time is over. The adults have work to do.”
Blood gushed from both nostrils now, but Titus came up swinging. His arms windmilled, making the youth look cartoonish.
With the agility of a true alpha, Alex twisted and bobbed. He easily avoided the younger man’s fists while landing every punch he threw. Ready to end the demonstration, Alex rocked back onto his left foot and kicked Titus in the ribs with his right.
Titus twisted sharply then collapsed with a groan.
Alex lunged toward him, but Titus covered his head with his arms and pulled his legs up toward his chest. “Mercy,” he called out, voice sharp and urgent. “I’m sorry, alpha. You win. You win!”
Lupine energy still burning in his eyes, Alex held out his hand toward Titus. “Your pack is young and disorganized.” He helped the younger male to his feet. “You have the potential to be a good leader, but you must be willing to learn.”
“I made my move too soon?” Titus asked softly, clearly aware of the crowd surrounding them.
“Your challenge came much too soon.”
Titus nodded, eyes downcast. “I’ll focus on my pack.”
“See that you do.”
Nate opened the gate securing the cage and let Titus out.
Alex stood in the middle of the cage and let out a lupine howl.
He accented the sound with stinging pulses of alpha energy.
The howl was picked up by the onlookers until the sound echoed eerily.
Pausing to soak in the affirmation, he pumped both fists in the air then made his way out of the combat cage.
“Does he have any idea how much you were holding back?” Nate waited until Titus was gone before he asked the question.
Alex took the towel Nate held out and dried off his face and neck. “He might not, but they do.” He nodded toward the onlookers who were just starting to disperse. “My youngest alpha learned a valuable lesson today. I saw no reason to humiliate him.”
“Elias would have ripped out his throat,” Nate said grimly as he handed Alex his shirt.
“Elias was a fool. The cats outnumber us three to one. Every member of this village is valuable.” Alex draped the towel around his neck and started walking.
His entire torso still gleamed with sweat, so he waited to pull on his shirt.
“Let’s go check on our mate. I haven’t seen her since breakfast yesterday.
I’m hoping she finally has something to report. ”
“To have something to report, she’d have to actually work on the protocol, and we both know she has no intention of doing so,” Nate predicted.
“You’re right,” Alex admitted. “I’m just not sure what I want to do about it.”
“You’re going to have to take control of her,” Nate stated emphatically. “It has been inevitable from the start.”
Alex released a measured sigh. “I’m drawn to Luna because of her feistiness. If she surrendered without a fight, I’d probably lose interest.”
Nate nodded but said nothing.
“It’s irrational,” Alex added. “If a male challenged me the way she does, I’d beat the shit out of him. What just happened in the cage is proof of that. But she glares and smarts off, and it makes me so hot I can’t think of anything but fucking her.”
Nate held back his smile, but amusement made his dark eyes gleam. “Courting is hard work, especially with a female as crafty as ours.”
Alex paused and faced his beta, lowering his voice so no one else could hear. “The human in me wants her badly, but my wolf is still unaffected by her scent.”