Page 137 of Brutal Reign
He drops his head, baring his teeth and growling back at me before charging in my direction. I spring toward him, our wolves crashing together in a flurry of snapping jaws and tangled limbs.
His approach is all wrong. Jake’s wolf is no match for the size or strength of my own, so the use of brute force won’t get him anywhere. I easily shove him down into the dirt, pouncing on top of him and sinking my teeth into the flesh of his shoulder. He latches his own jaws around one of my front paws, forcing me to relent and retreat, but this is far from over. The moment he’s back on his feet, I lunge at him again, knocking him to the ground and wrestling for the upper hand.
Distantly, the sound of cheering registers, our pack members egging us on. It takes me a second to realize that most of them are chantingmyname, whooping with excitement in response to every blow I land. It’s far louder than the cheers in support for Jake from his mother and friends. As much as I doubted my pack’s support for my leadership, it’s clear that I’ve got them on my side in this fight.
My confidence soars, my wolf and I working in perfect synchronicity while equally sharing space in my brain. Our movements are fluid, our maneuvers seamless. I get Jake underneath me again, pinning him down with my blocky front paws, and while I could end this right now, Seb’s words echo in my mind.
Show them what I’m capable of.
Show them I’m the best and only choice to lead this pack.
With that in mind, I shove off of Jake, slinking back a few steps and allowing him to get back to his feet.
While my boys and I practiced wolf sparring this week, Ace taught me the art of toying with my prey. Employing his techniques, I let Jake make the first move to come at me, dancing out of the way and throwing my weight into his side. Hestumbles a step, tumbling down to the dirt while I trot around him in a show of dominance, daring him to come at me again.
He does, and I artfully dodge him over and over, showing everyone exactly how outmatched he is against me. Predictably, he tries to go for a few cheap shots, stomping down on my feet and slashing at my eyes, but I don’t let my agitation get the best of me. I keep my side of the street clean, as Seb instructed. I fight like an Alpha.
Jake becomes winded, his movements growing sluggish and the swipes of his paws getting sloppy. Rather than risking any accidents, I decide to end this once and for all. The next time he jumps toward me, I launch myself right back at him, fur flying as the two rear up on our hind legs and clash together.
Throwing my weight forward, I take Jake down to the dirt, pinning him beneath me securely and latching my jaws around his throat. The rusty taste of his blood slides across my tongue as my fangs pierce his flesh, applying enough pressure to warn, but not seriously injure.
‘Yield’, I command through the mind-link, tightening my grip around his throat.
He growls and writhes beneath me, struggling in vain to fend me off.
Hecan’t, though. He’s pinned. This is checkmate.
‘Yield’, I repeat, plunging my fangs in deeper.
The air suddenly begins shimmering around Jake’s body, his bones snapping and rearranging as he shifts. His wolf’s thick neck shrinks beneath my jaws, prompting me to let go and pull back. My paws keep him securely pinned as he retakes his human form, blinking up at me with a look of resignation in his eyes.
His chest heaves as he turns his head, showing me his neck in submission. “I yield,” he rasps defeatedly.
I tilt my own head in question, not letting up until I hear him say it again. I refuse to back down until every damn person gathered on this lawn hears those words fall from his lips.
“I yield!” Jake repeats, spitting the words out like it pains him to utter them.
Satisfied, I ease back, allowing him to squirm out from beneath me as I hold my head high and glance around at my fellow pack members. All but a few are beaming at me, no grins as bright as the ones on my mates’ and my parents’ faces.
It’s over.
I did it.
The air around me shimmers as I shift back to my human form without an ounce of resistance from my wolf, pride unfurling in my chest as I rise to the cheers of my pack. They hoot and howl, chanting my name, and I swear the euphoric feeling that overtakes me is almost on par with how it felt to seal my bonds with my mates.
Tears well in my eyes as I soak in the moment, hardly believing that this is my life. I have two mates I adore, I’ve secured my pack, and I’ve even mended fences with my dad.
All is right in the world, and the future has never looked so damn bright.
45
As far as awkward family dinners go, this one takes the fucking cake.
I knew it was bound to be a disaster as soon as my mom mentioned that she and Luna Vienna were planning to host River’s parents here, but I also knew better than to try to talk them out of it. Which is why we’re all currently sitting around the dining room table in a tense show of unity and civility, picking at our food while the tension in the air thickens with each passing second.
River has been staring down at her plate for the last ten minutes, pushing her fork around and shifting uncomfortably in her chair. Seb and I are seated on either side of her, exchanging glances over the top of her head while Theo takes turns glaring at our fathers. The only ones who seem to be enjoying themselves are the moms– Brooke and Vienna have been chatting nonstop, and my mother hasn’t stopped smiling since we sat down. They’re all clearly on board with this merging of families, despite their mates’ obvious discomfort with the situation.
“Anyone need another beer?” Alpha Chase asks, pushing out his chair and rising to his feet.