When The Fur Flies (18 page)

Her heart was in her throat as she watched the three Wolves gang up on the pure black Wolf with blue eyes. He was bigger than two of them and easily controlled them separately, but when they got the cooperation of the other gray Wolf that was Reginald’s size it became an unfair fight. She wanted to stop it, to jump in and help him, but knew she could not. She flinched as his big body flew into two of the big shields. The men holding the shields used them to push him back toward the three Wolves who were basically grinning with the knowledge of their upcoming win.

Reginald’s big shaggy head shook as he tried to get his bearings. Blood, mixed with his spit, sprayed the shields and grass beneath his paws. His blue gaze met and locked with hers. A low growl of rage came from his mouth where the blood continued to drip to the ground. He was a nightmare standing there aiming his rage in her direction. She felt it then. His intense hatred of her as he turned to charge the big gray Wolf. Her breath hitched as she took an unconscious step back. Pain filled her chest as she watched his Wolf lose control as he began to take the three challengers down.

***

Reginald needed to see the fear in her eyes. She should be scared of what would happen to her should he fail. His pack would take no time in turning on her. It was only natural that she would be seen as the reason for his downfall. He would no longer be able to protect her. And if she carried his child? It was more than possible. Knowing his offspring would be in danger pushed him over the edge into a killing rage. His Wolf found its complete release as he let go and charged the big gray Wolf with a power born of his need to protect his mate. He thrilled with the power running through his Wolf’s body as he sank lethal teeth into the gray’s neck, driving him into the dirt.

He was so filled with hatred that he easily put the challengers in a submissive position. Their tails tucked between their hind legs, heads down, and eyes staring at his feet as he stood over them bloodied and with his lean sides heaving.

The crowd grew silent as he glared at his defeated pack mates. He let out a ferocious growl and jumped toward them, making all three cower on their bellies with low whines of submission. Then he lifted his blood-stained muzzle to the moon just rising from the land. He let out a long, loud howl of triumph. Other Wolves howled with him as he rejoiced in his victory.

He changed then, back into a man with blood running down his arms and neck. The three Wolves turned as well, all sporting bite marks and bruises as they slowly picked themselves up. Tray draped a towel over his Alpha’s bloody shoulders, slapping him heartily on the back as Reginald wiped at the blood belonging as much to his challengers as to him.

Reginald accepted the congratulations and applause from his pack in stride. Pleasure from defeating his enemies and securing his leadership in the pack quickly vanished as he made eye contact with Hester. She was dressed in the tight-fitting black gear designed for the hunt. Her long blonde hair was tied back in a long ponytail that fell over her shoulder to curl over her breast. Her eyes glittered as she stepped up to him, hips swaying suggestively.

“Congratulations, Alpha. I never doubted your victory.” She reached up and flicked a finger against his cheek. Her finger held his blood as she pulled it away and slipped the tip into her mouth. It was a purely sexual offering. One that he didn’t want any part of. God, she was hot, and she left him as cold as ice. He was so completely bonded with his little mate. His hand flashed out, grabbing her wrist as he leaned down to her with his eyes glittering.

“Renounce your challenge, Hester.” His soft command held none of the warning that his blue eyes communicated. She grinned up at him slyly.

“Now, why would I do that?” Her lips pulled into a tempting pout. “Have you changed your mind and rejected the Witch?”

“I forgive my challengers. She might not take that path with you when this is finished.”

“Worried for me, or for the Witch? Come now, Reginald. You know me better than that. I want you. I have wanted you for ages. I fight for what is mine. If she cannot fight for her place by your side, then she does not deserve to stand with you. Oh, wait. She isn’t standing beside you, but I am.”

Her uncanny way of stating the obvious forced a growl deep within his chest as his fingers tightened roughly on her wrist. She laughed and did something that rocked him back on his heels. She surged forward to capture his mouth with her lips. Her hands tangled in the back of his hair, her nails digging into his scalp with a force he hadn’t expected from her.

The pack was cheering one second and silent the next as Hester was roughly yanked backward on her ass by her hair. Reginald blinked at his mate who was holding a fistful of blonde hair. Her eyes were almost completely black with her rage as she stepped between him and a surprised Hester who held the back of her head one moment and jumped to her feet the next.

“Whoa! You must wait until you’re given the word to start.” Tray swallowed hard as he stepped between them. He looked a little intimidated as his head pivoted between the two women. Hester growled in rage as Allison lifted her hand in front of her and opened her fingers to drop the clop of hair on the ground between them.

“Touch my mate one more time, bitch. It won’t just be hair you lose.” Allison’s words echoed through the crowd as the pack members stayed silent.

“Bring it on, Witch!” Hester came up against Tray’s immovable hand on her shoulder as she tried to attack.

“Separate sides of the circle.” Reginald commanded as he grabbed Allison’s elbow and pulled her back. He turned her to him on the edge of the crowd. “This is not necessary. You do not have to do this for me.”

“Do this for you?” She hissed at him lowly. Her eyes were still just as dark as they had been when she saw Hester kiss him. She quickly slapped his hand off her arm with another hiss of disdain. “I do this for me, Wolf. My place is by your side, whether you want me there or not.”

Reginald pulled in a sharp breath. He could smell her anger and hurt, but underneath those two strong emotions was the unmistakable scent of lusty possession. She had finally accepted his claim on her and would not allow another female to take her place. He should have been elated, and he was, but her newfound devotion to him filled him with a terror unlike he’d ever experienced. He couldn’t lose her now.

“You can’t do this. You don’t even know if you can change—”

“I’m pretty sure I can take her without changing right now.” Her laugh was humorless and dark. It sent a ripple of awareness down his spine as he studied the rage she was barely holding back. This side of his mate was sexier than hell. He swallowed hard as he tried not to get aroused and failed miserably. He would need to be on guard in order to stop the fight if she were to get in trouble.

“No magic.”

“Let her touch you one more time and you’ll see how much I don’t need to use magic to kick her ass! Let her kiss you again and you’ll be walking around here without your balls. Now get out of my damn way, Alpha.”

Reginald looked away from the bitter warning in her expression with no doubt she meant the threat. He studied the men and women standing behind her. The men had doubt written clearly on their faces. They didn’t think they would have a Witch for their Alphina for much longer. The women however were smiling at Allison with a mixture of surprise and respect. She’d shown the entire pack that she wouldn’t stand for another woman touching what was hers. Mates were sacred in their society. Cheating was not tolerated, and if he did venture off with another, she would be well within her rights to do exactly what she intended with his balls. Her look told him she would have no problem doing it too. Damn if she didn’t have his respect as well.

“Stop shaking your stupid, thick head and let me get this over with already,” she barked at him as he continued to stare at her.

“Don’t get killed. And don’t get hurt because I have every intention of tanning your cute little ass when this is over.” He turned then to join Tray in the center of the circle. The pack’s excitement and energy grew as they waited for the main event. Some were taking bets on the sidelines, something they hadn’t dared to do with their Alpha’s fight. Allison ran her eyes over the crowd once before she tuned them out. She nodded quickly at Yasmina, who was giving her a hopeful look. Then she blocked out the noise and everyone outside the circle to concentrate on her inner animal.

Before she would only need to reach for her cat spirit and her body easily transformed. This time her cat seemed different. Her eyes landed on her blonde-haired opponent who was grinning up at Reginald with a blatant invitation in her sparkling green eyes. Anger burned deep within Allison as she felt sick with the need to cast spells of deadly force on the bitch. No magic. Not a problem. Right now all she wanted to do was get her hands on that bitch and make her cry.

“The parameters of this challenge are simple: no magic and no death blows. Both fighters must be able to fight in animal forms. I will stop the fight as I see fit, since it involves my mate of choice. Are there any questions?” Reginald looked at both women. There was only authority in his tone and expression as both women nodded their understanding.

“Change at will, but no one attacks until both parties are in animal form.” He stepped back to the edge of the wall, but didn’t exit the circle as Tray did. He folded his arms, watching them closely. He would stop the fight if he thought it was going too far. At least he could try. Allison looked at Hester, who sneered at her.

“Enjoy your last few minutes as the Alpha’s mate, Witch. Soon I will be the one warming his bed and carrying his pups.”

Allison bit back a smart retort. She wasn’t about to lower herself to a mud-flinging match. “Change.” She hissed lowly.

Hester grinned, blew a kiss in Reginald’s direction, and changed. Allison wasn’t surprised to be looking at a pure white Wolf with laughing brown eyes. Hester’s tail whipped back and forth as she flexed her massive shoulder muscles. Fear should have filled Allison as she looked into those merciless eyes, but there wasn’t any room for the emotion. She was filled to the top with hurt, rage, and a lusty hunger she couldn’t seem to be rid of.

The pack cheered as Hester paced back and forth on her side of the circle. Allison took a deep breath to calm her as she pulled on the magic threatening to explode within her. She could do this. She had to do this. Shrugging her shoulders she closed her eyes and reached for her inner cat.

***

Reginald unfolded his arms as he watched Hester’s movements. Her Wolf wasn’t going to wait for Allison to change. He had every intention of stopping the fight before it even started if Allison turned into the little black cat she favored. There was no way he would allow her death. She meant too much to him for that.

If his pack didn’t accept her as his mate, then they would have to accept her as his companion. She wouldn’t hold any real position in the pack; heck, she’d have to have a bodyguard twenty-four/seven if that happened. As his companion, she wouldn’t be a member of the pack, only his virtual pet. He didn’t want that for her, but if it came to it, he’d deal and so would she. There was also the problem of their offspring. Any children born of a companion were looked down upon as a lower class, a tradition of his culture he was still trying to get rid of. He’d just have to be careful not to impregnate her. No child of his would be treated so badly if he could help it.

She wasn’t changing. His gut clenched as he accepted the truth. She couldn’t fight Hester. He took a step forward as the crowd began to grow impatient and restless. His foot barely touched the ground when a blinding orb of heated light exploded out of Allison’s body. One second she was standing there still as could be and the next there was a big black jungle cat hissing and clawing at the air.

The pack gave a collective gasp and then stood silently watching as the cat flattened her black ears straight to her head and hissed loudly at the white Wolf. Hester took the hiss as the invitation to attack.

***

Allison met the Wolf’s big body in midair. Both beasts dug their claws into the other’s shoulder as their heads warred for the other’s vulnerable neck. Allison slipped and went down on her back. Her back legs dug at Hester’s tender underbelly as her front claws dug into the Wolf’s chest and neck. Hester’s lethal teeth slid off Allison’s head, cutting a gash into her thick fur. Those sharp teeth then sank into the flesh on the back of her neck. A hiss of pain slid between her long, white teeth as the pain came. She used her massive back quarters as a spring, tossing the big Wolf up and over her head. Hester lost her grip on Allison’s neck, rolled over to land on her feet as she readied herself for another attack with the speed of a Wolf.

Allison was on her own soft paws with the agility of the feline she was sharing a body with. This cat was nothing like her mild, sweet tabby. This cat was a beast who wanted the kill, needed to taste the other animal’s blood. She was half-terrified of her own body as she spun around and deflected the Wolf’s big teeth with a powerful paw to Hester’s head. Her claws dug deep into the Wolf’s powerful cheek and jaw. Hester landed hard on her side with a high-pitched whine. Allison’s cat wanted to attack while the Wolf was down, but she wouldn’t allow it.

Allison panted with her mouth open as she stood looking down at the injured Wolf. A low hiss left her as her opponent got to her feet. Hester’s head shook, spraying blood all over her white body. Her muzzle, bloody and wet, pulled up in a growl of deadly intent. Allison readied her body, muscles flexing as she took the hit.

***

Reginald wanted to call a halt to the fight. Things were getting bloody as the two struggled with each other. They took turns being on top, evenly matched, with both of them determined to do the most damage. Hester’s white coat was covered in their combined blood. He couldn’t tell how injured Allison was. Her black fur was thick and wet, from sweat or blood he couldn’t tell. Her elegant sides heaved with exertion as she held Hester’s foaming mouth off the vulnerable flesh of her throat. One bite was all it would take to steal his beloved mate from him. He did love her with every fiber of his being. Reginald readied himself to stop the fight. It had to be over. He couldn’t take any more, and his Wolf was almost out of its mind with fear for her.