Micah and Jim both jumped to their feet. “This child is ours!” Micah growled back. “And I’ll rip out the throat of anyone, man or wolf, who dares try to come near our mate or our pup without our permission!”
“Settle down!” Daniel yelled once again. “The matter is closed, Abernathy. Your second challenge is categorically denied.”
“I want that pup!” Abernathy screamed.
Mai stood, her hands protectively over her belly. “You’ll rot in hell before I let you get a single hand on my baby!” An answering chorus of supportive growls backed her up.
“My grandson deserves the right to have his pup!” Abernathy screamed. He pointed at a young man sitting off to one side and surrounded by several of Abernathy’s flunkies. From the look on his face, he didn’t want anything to do with any of the proceedings and was there only to satisfy his grandfather.
“Your grandson told me,” Mai shouted, “that you didn’t want your line ‘muddied’ by a coyote!”
Abernathy’s eyes gleamed. “So, you do admit it’s his pup, you damn slut?”
Daniel pointed his gavel at Abernathy. “Shut your fucking pie hole right now, old man,” he ordered. “I already told you, the matter is closed. Mai is the mate of Micah Donovan and Jim Dixon. The baby is theirs by default. Mai is an orphan, and she and her baby are declared members of and under the protection of this Clan through her mating bond. End of subject.”
Elain caught a glimpse of Jocko out of the corner of the eye. He was attempting to mask what suspiciously sounded like laughter through the sound of coughing.
“So what about my first claim, eh?” Abernathy asked, facing Daniel. “You know of the blood oath. Your Clan swore to uphold blood oaths between our Clans.”
Liam stepped forward. “I am Elain’s father. My mate, Elain’s mother, never agreed to the blood oath.”
Elain didn’t like the look of reluctant acceptance on Daniel’s face. “But you,” Daniel said, “did know of it and failed to inform her?”
“She was not informed of it when we mated, no. She claimed me as her mate. She was an Alpha. It wasn’t until after the fact that I told her. She died not long after Elain was born.”
Elain wanted to nip this shit in the bud. She spoke up. “Daniel, if you were to rule against us, what would happen?”
“If?” Abernathy cackled.
“Shut up, you,” Daniel growled at Abernathy. He looked at Elain apologetically. She sensed he wished she’d stick to the plan, but she wasn’t about to roll over and tap out. “They do have a right to ask for a challenge if you won’t go willingly.”
“Challenge?”
“To fight for you.”
“Who would fight for me?” Elain asked.
Daniel shrugged. “They have a right to pick their champion to fight one of your mates.”
“Why does it have to be my mates?” Elain asked.
Ain grumbled in a low, warning tone behind her. “Elain.”
She ignored him. “I’m serious,” she said to Daniel.
Abernathy smiled a predatory gleam. His ego was obviously his weak spot. “My grandson, Paul, is our champion. He will fight for the right to take you as his mate.”
Elain glanced at the guy. Then she grinned. “I accept your challenge.”
Daniel, her men, Liam, Carla, Micah, Mai, and Jim all yelled, “What?”
She stepped forward to address Daniel and the Council. “If I’m the prize, don’t I have the right to demand whether or not I get to fight for myself?” She turned on Ain. “Please don’t edict me out of this,” she begged in a soft voice. “I know what I’m doing.”
“Elain, you don’t know what this means! You—”
Cail and Brodey grabbed his arms. “Let her,” Brodey whispered. “She’s right.”
“Are you out of your fucking gourd?” Ain asked Brodey.
“Ain,” she begged. “Please!”
He looked at his two brothers. Finally, he shook his head in resignation. He grabbed Elain and kissed her before stepping back.
She turned back to Daniel. “Let’s settle this bullshit once and for all. Right here, and right now. I call him out.”
Abernathy’s self-assured smile faltered. “What?”
She stalked over to him and got in his face. “Right here, old man,” she growled. “And right now. When I win, this bullshit is over for good. You leave me alone, and you leave Mai alone.” She looked at Daniel and the rest of the Council. “If they refuse to accept the terms, I declare they be ruled in forfeit and the blood oath is cancelled.”
Daniel was finally following her train of thought. His eyes narrowed as he stared at her and slowly nodded his head. “Agreed.”
Abernathy’s eyes widened. “No! Fine, we’ll do it right here and now.” He waved Paul over to him.
Elain fought the urge to laugh in the guy’s face. He was only a couple of inches taller than her, and he didn’t look at all happy to be there.
Daniel consulted with the Council, then turned back to them. “Okay, but let’s do it outside.”
* * * *
They reconvened in the large field next door. Everyone who’d been inside gathered along the edge of the field to watch. Abernathy huddled with his grandson and flunkies near the sidewalk leading from the parking lot to the building. Daniel and the rest of the Council were grouped in the middle of the field. Daniel pulled Elain off to the side.
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” he softly asked her. “I can’t throw this fight for you. If you lose, there’s going to be a serious shit storm.” He glanced at the jaguars, who stood in the shade of a tree at the side of the building and watched. “We’re running out of options.”
She grinned. “Oooh, yeah. I know what I’m doing.”
He shook his head. “I sure hope you do. I don’t want to have to rule against you, but if you lose, I won’t have a choice. The Council won’t let me break the Code even if I could find a loophole.” He lowered his voice so only she could hear. “Ortega is ready to put our plan into gear if you lose, you know.”
She kicked off her shoes and handed them to him. “Don’t worry,” she said lightly. “I won’t lose.”
He and the rest of the Council left the center of the field. Elain took a moment to warm up, stretching her body, remembering her days running track and field and cross-country.
Remembering how she easily earned her black belt in karate far sooner than any of her instructor’s other students.
No, I will not lose.
Once Abernathy had briefed his grandson, Daniel called Elain, Ain, Abernathy, and Paul over to where the Council members stood at the edge of the field.
“Here are the rules,” Daniel said. “Fight to submission.” He looked at Elain. “Winner take all. Got it?”
She grinned, which apparently unsettled the elder Abernathy even more from the way his eyebrows raised. “Got it,” she said.
“Take your chosen position in the field. When my hand drops, that’s when you start. The only rule is you do not leave the field. Anyone who leaves the field loses by default.”
Elain glanced behind her with a goofy grin as she skipped further out into the field. The tactic worked. Now Paul was also frowning, not looking nearly as cocky as he had a few minutes earlier as he followed her into the field.
She turned to face him with a beaming smile, watching as Paul stopped a few feet away from her. In the distance, she saw Daniel standing with his hand raised.
When Paul turned to watch Daniel, Elain immediately dropped into a ready crouch. As soon as Daniel’s hand started to descend, she bolted.
Paul let out a startled cry when she took off. He stumbled, then gave chase. Elain felt the grin crease her face as she circled the perimeter of the field, easily staying out of Paul’s reach. After a few minutes, she realized was seriously fighting the urge to shift. She couldn’t do that. She couldn’t lose control and shift. Her strategy depended on it.
Fortunately for her, Paul’s
self-control wasn’t as good. With an enraged snarl he stopped, ripped off his clothes, and shifted.
“Ha!” She turned and dropped into a low stoop. “Here, puppy puppy puppy,” she said with a growl.
With a fearsome snarl, he charged. She dipped her shoulder, easily scooping him up and using his own momentum against him to throw him ten yards through the air. He hit the ground on his side with a startled yip and a thud that knocked the wind out of him.
She had already turned and was waiting for him by the time he regained his footing. He shook himself, his sides heaving as he tried to catch his breath.
She turned her hand palm up and motioned for him to come hither with her index finger. “Come and get me, asshole.”
He snarled and charged again with the same result. He was a little slower to regain his footing that time. His eyes narrowed as he studied her, considering his next attack.
Slow-learning fucker, aren’t you?
* * * *
Ain needed all of the others to hold him back. But it was Carla’s soft whisper in his ear that comforted him the most and finally relaxed him.
“Ain, remember. She’s a cross-country champion and has a black belt.”
Mai nodded in agreement. “She will kick Paul’s ass. He’s a pussy and he hates pain. I outran Paul and I’m pregnant. Elain won’t have any problems wearing him down.”
Liam put his hands on Carla’s shoulders. She grabbed his hands for comfort. “Elain is the spitting image of her mother,” Liam said. “Maureen was a fierce Alpha. I wouldn’t have tried fighting her even if I hadn’t wanted to be her mate. I damn sure wouldn’t try fighting Maureen Alexander’s highly brassed-off daughter. Only a fool would dare challenge her.”
Ain let that sink in and tried to relax. Still, he didn’t shake off Cail’s and Brodey’s hands from his arms.
He watched as Paul circled Elain, who never let the insane grin slip from her face. He didn’t dare risk a look at the elder Abernathy, who had to be nearly crazed with anger by that point.
Then he and everyone else watching gasped as it looked like Elain tripped and rolled onto her back. Brodey and Cail clutched Ain’s arms more tightly to prevent him from running into the field to help her. With a triumphant howl, Paul launched himself onto Elain.
That’s when his howl turned into an inhuman scream of pain. Elain rolled on top of him, her hand buried between his hind legs.
“Submit!” she roared at him, her face a mask of rage. Her arm jerked as another scream of pain rolled from Paul.
Paul shifted back into human form. Everyone except for the Abernathy contingent broke out into hysterical peals of laughter. Elain had a death grip on his dick and balls, her nails dug in to the point she was already drawing blood.
He let out another wail of pain and outrage when she twisted her arm again.
“Submit!” she roared.
Ain couldn’t hold back his laughter as he followed Daniel and the other Council members out onto the field.
“All right!” Paul screeched. “I submit!”
She gave his package another hard yank. “What was that? I don’t think your fucking old fart dickweed grandfather could hear you, you lousy prick.”
“I submit! Jesus, please let me go! I submit!”
She looked over at Daniel, who was also laughing. “Well?” she asked him. “Is that good enough?”
He glanced at the other Council members. They all nodded despite laughing, too. “He submits to you. You win. The oath is hereby declared null and void. He’s yours to do with as you choose.”
She grinned, but it wasn’t a look of amusement. Truth be told, it sent a shiver through Ain’s soul. Before he could stop her, she gave one final, wrenching twist of her hand. They all heard Paul’s shriek of pain, accompanied by a faint, sickening pop.
She let go and stood, her right hand now covered with Paul’s blood. “There you go, you little bitch. Next time you cross my path, I’ll feed them to you. If they can even reattach them.” She spit on him. “Go back to your asshat Clan. I sure as fuck don’t want you. And stay the hell away from Mai and the rest of my pack, or I will kill you next time.”
There was a wild look in her eye Ain wasn’t sure how to deal with. She pushed past him and stalked over to Rodolfo Abernathy, who rose from his wheelchair to face her.
She held up her blood-covered hand, grabbed his neckline with her other, then proceeded to wipe his grandson’s blood on his shirt. Her voice took on a deadly growling tone. “If you or your Clan ever bother us again, that will be your blood on my hand, asshole.” She shoved him, hard, back into his chair. One of his men had to grab it to keep it from tipping backward with him in it.
Then she headed for an outdoor spigot on the side of the building to wash the blood off her hands.
Brodey and Cail flanked Ain. “Um, dude?” Brodey softly said to his brother. “I say you just let her chill for a few minutes. I like my ’nads right where they are.”
Cail agreed. “I’ve never seen anyone go that far down into deep Alpha and not shift. Not even you, Ain.”
Despite wanting to go over and hug her, he nodded. “I agree. Let’s let her be until she settles down.”
* * * *
Elain knelt beside the spigot and grabbed a handful of grass to help scrub the nasty feeling of Paul’s blood off her hands. She wanted to rage, to scream, to cry. Truth be told, she had wanted to punch her fist into Paul’s gut and pull out handful after handful of his intestinal tract, even after he submitted.
But she had a feeling that might have been going a little too far.
She could still hear his keening wails and sobbing drifting from across the field as Abernathy’s men carried him toward the parking lot.
She grimly smiled to herself as she scrubbed. Little fucker thought he could take me on? He’s not even an Alpha. He’s a fucking beta. What the fuck was he thinking?
Elain noticed shadows looming over her from two people who’d walked up behind her. An instant whiff told her it wasn’t her men. She glanced up to see her mom and Mai standing there. Elain offered them a smile. “Hey. What’s up?” She grabbed another handful of grass and continued scrubbing, even though she couldn’t see any blood left on her hands.
Carla put one hand on Elain’s back and used the other to turn off the spigot. “Come on, sweetheart,” she gently said. “Let’s go inside and use the bathroom. There’s soap in there.”
Elain stood and let them escort her inside. It didn’t escape her notice that no one followed them into the building. In the bathroom, Mai locked the door behind them and ran the water until it was warm, then pumped a huge-ass handful of soap into her own palms. Elain put her hands under the water, and the women started scrubbing them for her.
“Thank you, sister,” Mai said, laying her head on Elain’s shoulder.
The tears caught Elain by surprise. She started bawling, not understanding why. Carla got them all rinsed off, grabbed paper towels, dried their hands, then wrapped her arms around both of them. Together, they sank to the floor, Carla rocking Elain and Mai back and forth until the women cried themselves out.
* * * *
The Lyall men, as well as Micah and Jim, stood nervously waiting outside the bathroom door when the women emerged thirty minutes later. Elain and Mai had washed and dried their faces, blown their noses, and made themselves look reasonably presentable.
“We have an announcement,” Elain told them. “We want to go back to Florida. Home. Right now.”
Carla put her arms around both of the women. “I have a feeling I’m not going back to Spokane anytime soon.”
Liam smiled at that announcement.
Mai nodded. “And I really want to stay in Arcadia, near Elain and her guys,” she said to Micah and Jim. “I want to have a family again. Please?”
Ain smiled. “We’ve already been talking. Micah and Jim are going to build a house near ours, on our property. You can stay with us until it’s ready.”
Mai and
Elain both squealed with delight and hugged each other and Carla before hugging their respective men.
“Thank you!” Elain whispered as she engulfed Ain in a hug. “Thank you so, so much for trusting me!”
He held her at arm’s length. “Baby, what do I have to do to convince you that I do trust you?”
“It’s just I know how hard that had to be for you, watching me do that.”
Brodey snorted. “No, it was actually harder on us watching that poor fucker lose his nuts. I wasn’t worried about you. I knew you’d rip him a new one.”
“We just didn’t expect you to do it literally,” Cail added.
She laughed. “I got a little carried away.” She didn’t want to think about how much she’d longed to shift and bathe in Paul’s entrails and blood, just roll around in them until her fur was coated and matted with gore.
She cut off that thought.
“Don’t worry,” Ain said as he draped his arm around her shoulder and steered her toward the exit. “We’re going to buy stainless steel cups to protect us.”
Daniel stopped them. “Not quite so fast,” he said.
“What?” Ain asked.
He smiled at Mai and her men. “We still need to officially recognize the three lovebirds.”
“You’re not going to question the validity of their mating, are you?” Elain challenged.
Daniel snorted. “After that display? Are you out of your freaking mind? If you told me they were three aliens from Venus, I’d agree wholeheartedly with you. I like my nuts right where they are, thank you very much. I’m just glad Callie wasn’t here watching. You might have given her some bad ideas. Oh, and I believe you all need an official recognition ceremony, too.”
Ain slipped up behind her. “Darling, I think you just earned yourself a reputation.”
“Reputation?” Daniel asked, incredulous. “Crap, she just put herself squarely into the legend category. As far as I know, she’s the first wolf to ever hand an Abernathy his nuts. Literally!”